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 Designer's Dilemma

Yesterday I had one of those experiences which I consider to be one of a designer's worst nightmares. I spent the day finishing the top for my Games We Play toddler/small lap quilt (Calypso fabric designed by Ro Gregg) and pushed hard to get it done. The quilt top is bright and cheerful and I thought it would be really cute and/or very cool. However, when I finished the last stitch and put it back on my design wall I was not sure I liked it! I was really disappointed. Somehow my vision and my finished top did not add up to the awesome quilt I expected.

Oh, what to do??? Such a bummer!

On top of that, I had assumed I would bind the quilt in blue to bring out the blue in the body of the quilt, but when I put up my blue samples I just did not "feel" them! Plus I did not have enough of any one fabric. I was pretty depressed last night!

Fortunately, I have learned over the years that when you feel stuck, or something is just not working for you, the best thing to do is walk away.

This morning I started working on another project - doing the pre-cutting of the Marblehead fabrics in preparation for starting work on my Wreath For All Seasons quilt this weekend. (Pattern available on my website, www.somethingsewfine.com or from www.quiltwoman.com) I spent most of the day working on that and got a lot accomplished. That was a satisfying feeling after yesterdays disappointment.

I got a thought about the binding of the Games We Play quilt top during the afternoon and decided to try it. The green accent borders have been bothering me but I decided to see what green binding would look like, and, by golly, it seems to work! I am liking the quilt top again and feel SO much better.

Most of the time Creativity is a blessing but sometimes not so much.

What do you think?

I got a really nice e-mail this morning from Ro Gregg - the Marblehead fabrics will be shipped to me shortly! I will be making my Wreath For All Seasons lap quilt with these luminous fabrics - can't wait to get started! I will post photos of the fabrics themselves as soon as I receive them.

The pattern for this quilt is available from www.quiltwoman.com. It includes detailed instructions and diagrams for both a lap and King size quilt.