November Approaching......

Where does time go???? So much has happened since March, I don't even know where to begin with an explanation. I got involved in civic activities in Coleman: Business People's Association, Chamber of Commerce, 4B Economic Development Board, Heritage Hall, plus I got a part time job in April. I still managed to participate in our local Quilting Guild for awhile, but that, too, got put on the back burner. We sold our house in town, and unfortunately Frenchy has been packed up in boxes since late August. I have some catching up to do in journaling all the quilting I've done prior to packing, but that will wait until another day. I am now living out of a suitcase, so to speak. I do have my traveling Janome and have managed to work on some small projects during this 'interim'. Our new house in Granbury is progressing smoothly (knock on wood), and Jimmy keeps reassuring me that we'll be moved in early November. Then I can unpack Frenchy and get back to my passion in my new sewing room! I can hardly wait!!! So, there's my absence explanation. Stay tuned, and I will resume posts in November.

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

Finally finished this queen size named "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden".  It is a modified "Garden Maze" pattern.  The original block pattern called for a 7" block in the center, but this fabric's motif was large so I changed the dimensions to accommodate these gorgeous roses.  This was my first attempt at a pantograph, which is a uniform pattern from one edge of the quilt to the other.  It takes a lot longer than free motion quilting because 1) you quilt from the backside of the machine and have to look at the pattern instead of the quilt and 2) after you finish each row, you have to line up the next row so it is of equal distance to avoid large spaces between the rows and to avoid sewing over the previous row.  It takes uninterrupted concentration, of which I have little!  I had a couple of "oops" show up on the back so I decorated the back with embroidered rose applique patches. 

At this point, I have a number of projects in various stages:  a Red/White/Blue ready for borders and a Purple in piecing stage, both for Virg to use as fundraisers this summer; the Pink Sampler is ready for quilting, but I haven't decided on a backing fabric yet; a Block of the Month (12 blocks) waiting to be sashed together; a Stonehenge kit beckoning me to cut; and I have a 'landscape' quilt on my ToDoList.  Sew many quilts and sew little time!