Summer Solstice, Delayed

Is it possible to have the summer doldrums at a frantic pace? If so, that's where I've been the last couple of weeks. We have a fun family summer, with lots of visitors and vacationing. I've still finished a few special quilts for customers, but much of August has been an intake process for the September and October calendars, while I finish up my own projects and soak in the last bit of summer I can find. Here at Island Time Quilting, I'm always going to be a quilter myself, so I'll have time in my schedule for my own pieces of art. If I can meet your timeline and needs, I will happily serve you...but I don't schedule myself so heavily that I cannot make my own art. You wouldn't want the unhappy person I would be in that situation to touch your beautiful masterpieces. Thank you for allowing me to share my own work with you, as well as the quilts I finish for clients.

In fact, I want to say this right now...if you have any Christmas gifts you want me to quilt, they need to be ready to go no later than October 15! I'm booked up right now until November 15, and will only take a small handful of gifts/deadline quilts to finish before the end of the year. I'm booking now for my 2016 calendar! Let me know at my email or give me a call if you want to reserve a time slot for January or February 2016.

So, while I could only squeeze a few hours here and there, I set myself a goal to finish my Celtic Solstice quilt (a Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville mystery from 2013) in August. At the beginning of the month, I only had a few blocks pieced, and had not yet pieced the remaining units. With a couple of aggressive piecing days on the 3rd, 10th and 17th at my weekly Sugar Creek Quilters gathering, and a last minute trip to Thistle Bee Quilt Shoppe in Goldsboro for borders and backing, I managed to get it in the frame on Friday, August 21. I quilted the top borders that evening, and row one and part of row two on Saturday, August 22. That's when it occurred to me that this wasn't going to go as fast as I'd hoped.

Even with several more dedicated hours this week, I've just rolled over to row five...so it's at least three or four more days. Perhaps I'll surprise myself and get it out of the frame on Monday!

Quilting is laborious at times, but oh, so worth it.

September is just around the corner, y'all, and I have a closet full of beautiful quilts to tackle in the next couple of months. Make sure you like my Facebook page to see what's happening as I go. You can follow my Instagram, but it's very likely to also have grandchildren photos.

Back to the quilt in my frame...

Lori