Take Two Steps Forward and One Back......

Remember the old-time children's game of Simon Says, where the kid playing "Simon" tells the others what they can do.............well this last weekend was like that for me.

Two big steps forward were accomplished this week -

I finished up the sample for the Christmas Carol Row Along and have all pictures of the process and finished product taken so I can now finish writing up the pattern for it and start the blog posting for it (scheduled to go live on the 14th of September).

And I also finished up the quilting on the swan commissioned quilt.   I've figured out how I'm going to handle the pleats on the backing and have pulled fabric for the binding.   Will iron that tonite after work and get that made and sewn on.  Another couple of evenings should see me getting that sewn down.   My aim is to get that mailed off by the end of the week and that looks to be very doable with things like they are right now.

And then there was the one step back -

I cut up some of my scraps so that I could test a pattern I was considering for using the red/white fabrics that my friend Susan and I have challenged each other to use.   I saw a picture of a quilt somewhere that I'd really liked, but I didn't want to start cutting into the fabrics I've collected until I had figured out the best way to make it.

So I raided some of my novelty scraps and the solids scraps.....and after laying it all out decided that I did not like how it looked.   I also realized it was going to be more work to layout than I had realized at first look.  So this is a bomb to me.  =(   Back to square one in finding a pattern that will look good and be quick to piece.

I was also able to get the next commissioned quilt designed and the border fabric for it ordered from the only online dealer that I could find who still has it (at least I'm hoping they still have it).  

Yeah for progress.......

Gratitudes:

1. Having a job at this point

2. Being able to work with new designs for the commissioned work and my sale quilts.