One step forward and two steps back!

I was buzzing along with Hocus Pocus,

piecing the individual pumpkin blocks together until I got to Row 3.

Oops, pattern designer asked for too many medium gray pumpkins,

and now I need another large gray pumpkin.

So I cut the component parts, started sewing them together, 

and oops, put the corner squares on the wrong corners!

Time to take a break and revisit on another day!

I have made progress on a Christmas present for my son and his wife,

Bringing Home the Tree

by Buttermilk Basin.
Block 1 is stitched and block 3 is almost done.

With the closing of The Olde World Quilt Shoppe,

I got all my samples back.

I brought several of them up to the cabin and
I love how they adorn the walls of the cabin!

An all time favorite Lori Smith quilt that I added a little something to the borders.

This Norma Whaley project is perfect for the hallway.

A great patriotic project by Lisa Bongean.

This Heart to Hand project fits perfectly over the back doors.

My miniature sampler that won me a blue ribbon from the AZ Quilters Guild
now hangs in my bedroom.

Added to my wall of small quilts too!

Finished the last 3 circles of my Toned-Down Sampler.

A flamingo of my own design.
Had to put his feet in a flower bed since I did not plan too well.

The jellyfish at the bottom is my own design also.

Will need to quilt and bind it when I get back to AZ.

Speaking of going home...

School had been pushed back to September for my grandchildren,

so my daughter and the girls will stay here with us through August.

My son and his family are looking to join us as well.
A safe, cool place to wait and see what our lives will be in the future.

Isewlation

...and another project is a flimsy!

Holiday Table Runner by Norma Whaley

I purchased this kit from Norma quite a while ago, 

but Isewlation motivated me to get her done.

One thing that helps my sanity is hiking in the desert.

Right now the wildflowers are amazing.

This one is new to me...

a desert paintbrush, but with a new color.

And mother nature never fails to entertain...

a hummingbird has been building her nest outside my laundry room window.

Cannot wait to see the eggs!

Have you all seen the new sew-along coming out of Australia?

Love and Hugs from Australia stitch-a-long

I joined hoping to do something different for a change.

The Stages of Life

Recently,

I have contemplated the stages of life

 as they relate to my quilting endeavors.

First, is the infancy stage...

I am so full of hope and vitality that
I buy multitudes of new patterns and want to make each one.

Just a few in my queue and
I am anxiously awaiting a few more from My Red Door Designs this week.

Then comes middle childhood, where my imagination and creative juices go wild,
 hence working on several projects all at once.

My Garden, by Kathi Campbell of Heart to Hand,
is a new BOM program at The Olde World Quilt Shoppe.

Another Kathi Campbell project, October Garden.

During my adolescence,

I have a great passion for the project and make good progress.

Just the binding to go on this wall hanging,
Home is Best by Norma Whaley of Timeless Traditions Quilts.

Then the project moves into early adulthood where I see it as a responsibility; 

but I want to make my mark,
so I actually finish a few things.

Heart Table Mat, designed by Norma Whaley.

 Flower Baskets, by Lisa Bongean.

Coxcomb Medallion, by Lisa Bongean.

In the midlife of the project,

I start to contemplate whether completing the project will truly enrich my life.

Scrap Basket Blossoms,
from Kim Diehl's book, Simple Applique.
Two of the side borders are quilted, but I doubt I will finish the other two.
I made this quilt while teaching Kim's applique technique.

As a benevolent, mature adult,

I consider donating the project to raise funds for a worthy cause! 

And in those last few years,
I am sure wisdom will help me let go of the projects that just don't matter.