Such a Busy Season!

This is SUCH a busy season for everyone, regardless of your faith or family traditions. Between shopping and preparing for my own family celebrations, planning, preparing for and attending holiday quilt guild parties (I am Program "helper" for one guild and Program Chair for another), not to mention, of course, working hard to meet an important deadline in early January, it is enough to wear me out!

I am always slow to get into the Christmas spirit, but finally I am there, after two really fun guild parties. I am fortunate to have many quilting friends, and, for me at least, sharing good times and fellowship with family and friends is what the Christmas season is all about.

The photo above was taken more than a week ago but I have been too busy to get it posted. This is my new version of a Wreath For All Seasons in sections on my design board. It is wonderful to see Ro Gregg's Marblehead fabrics finally come together in front of me! The quilt is missing the two outside borders and does not have most of the sashing in place yet, so it looks a bit wonky. I can't wait to see it all together!.

I changed the color scheme slightly from my original design after receiving Ro's fabrics, but I think it is going to be a really interesting and beautiful quilt when it is finished. I am hoping to have the top done by early next week and then have it quilted and bound in time to ship to CA - this quilt and the one below (Games We Play) have to be shipped no later than January 5th.

Once again, my great friend and fellow collaborator, Cathy Bowen and I are working on this quilt together and she will quilt it on her long arm next week.

Never a dull moment!

Many Many thanks to Ro Gregg for her generosity and support. Her fabrics are amazing! They should be available at your local quilt shops very soon. Please ask for them if they are not there!


Wishing each and every one of you a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate and Best Wishes for a prosperous and creative New Year!

A Wreath For All Seasons - using the new fabrics!

This past Tuesday I cut out all the parts of the Wreath For All Seasons quilt, (with the exception of the blocks). I am so curious to see how all these different "Marblehead" fabrics (by Ro Gregg, Paintbrush Studio - scroll down a couple of posts) will work together. I chose all of these fabrics without seeing any of them "in the flesh" (only small thumb nails on my computer). They are gorgeous but I might have made a few different choices had I seen the actual fabrics first. I am a bit nervous!

Today I spent the afternoon with my friend and frequent collaborator, Cathy Bowen (Night Owl Quilting Studio) Cathy has been great at helping me "test" my patterns and helping me with making samples. She also is a long arm quilter and has quilted many of my projects. One of the best things Cathy does for me is that she has a different way of seeing and thinking about things than I do and is really good at asking questions I might not have thought of. I really value her input and her help in testing and editing my patterns.

Anyhow, we got all my cut sections up on her design wall and made some final decisions about fabric choices for the blocks. The end result will be a bit different from the full color "virtual quilt" (scroll down a ways), but I think will be better than what I originally envisioned and is a great solution of how to design with fabrics you have never seen before "in the flesh".

Each of us is going to make half the blocks and we will get together again next Friday eve. to begin putting the quilt top together. Cathy is ten times busier than I am so this is going to be a fun challenge! Nothing like working with a deadline!

I will post photos of the quilt as we go along. A photo of the final quilt will replace the "virtual" quilt on the cover of the pattern when it is finally done.