Finishes and Beginnings

A ton of work related finishes recently... graduation... finals... grades... requisitions... reports... curriculum changes... packing up the school year... the last two weeks of school are always crazy!  But it is also a time surrounded by traditions ...memories ...student achievement ...future plans ...hope.  As crazy as it is...I quite simply...love it!

One of the signs of finishing...in my dillydally life looks like this...ahhhh...it always feels good to see bindings hanging in my sewing room just waiting to be the finishing touch on a quilt!  

 While sewing the binding on this 007 (top secret) project...the binding was 3/8-1/2 inch short!  Can you believe it?  Usually I cut far too many strips when I prepare binding...and have too much left over!  Honestly!  This is the first time in my quilting career that I came up short on binding!  And believe me...I've been at this quilting stuff for awhile! ;-)

Sheryl, one of our long arm quilters took this mystery quilt on very short notice and quilted it for me in only three days!  I needed a quilt that was a minimum of lap size with the binding sewn on for a quilting event I'm attending in Minnesota (more on that when it happens)...this is twin size...and Sheryl was such a peach to get it done for me.  Just so you know...I had enough binding for this one! ;-)

Well...Teacup definitely picked her favorite!  This is Christmas Lights...a Bonnie Hunter mystery that was published last fall in Quiltmaker magazine.  Another long arm quilter, Linee did this one for me.  

I really tried to stay true to Bonnie's philosophy...and scrapped it up...using prints that I normally would never put together.  Can you see the sea otter and bright strawberry prints in the same block?  Look how Her Highness, Teacup had to attempt to get in the picture...she is soooo vain! ;-)  Linee did a terrific job on the quilting!  We are so fortunate to have two long arm quilters in our remote little corner of the world.  I wish I knew how to photograph quilts better so that I could capture their talent.  I am so grateful for their creativity and availability!  No time to put the binding on this one now...but look forward to doing it later.  Finishing feels so darn good!

Now...about the beginnings...summer vacation began today!  Brother DillyDally returned home from college today!  I leave for Minnesota to visit Sister DillyDally tomorrow!  I plan to spend my summer vacation visiting family...continuing to finish old UFOs...creating new UFOs...reading books...napping occasionally...and dillydallying my way through the season.  

Don't forget to comment on the May 16th (my 100th) post to win a chance at the hand embroidered pillow!  It is my first Give-A-Way, so I'm excited to send it to one of you!  Remember you must comment by May 24th midnight Alaska time!

Go dillydally...finish some...begin some...enjoy the journey!