THIS Close

Lately, these newsletter articles haven't exactly been filled with excitement and variety. I must confess, I have a lot going on, but not much that's exciting and newsworthy. 

Regardless of the somewhat clerical tasks at the desk--tax return document-gathering and such--I always start the weekday in the sewing studio. I've done this for years, and I've probably said this before: time isn't something that gets *lost* - you can't *look* for it and *find time* to do this or that. Time isn't under that stack of fabrics or on a certain shelf. You have to *make* the time for the things you enjoy doing. 

For me, that's spending time at the sewing machine. If I don't start my day with even a little bit of stitching in the morning, especially on a weekday, my day is a little off for the whole rest it. 

For the past few weeks, that means I've been quilting and finishing a stack of quilt tops that have been piling up for the last six months or so. I like to alternate quilt top making and quilting in big batches. It's just what works for me. From a stack of about a half-dozen quilt tops, all are finished except one.

This is one of those projects that has been in limbo for years - maybe 10 or more! I recently pulled it off the shelf and added a border from fresh, brand new fabrics. This quilt is a bit more special, so I've been taking my time creating texture and definition with free-motion quilting. And because of the fussy-ness of that process, it's taking a bit longer than most. 

I'm happy to say that it's THIS close to being done! And, I think, this is the first time I'm showing almost the whole thing (more or less!).