Back To Nature

I've been very busy with my Day Job and longarm quilting for others this fall.  Truth be known, I'd quit my Day Job in a heartbeat so I could more fully enjoy quilting for others. My clients have such wonderful quilt tops - it's a joy to be able to embellish them with thread!

But even with my calendar filled to the brim, sometimes I think it's good to take a moment to just do something for me.  A month ago I pieced together a background and borders for a fun, fall table runner.  It sat in my sewing room for 30 days and 30 nights until I decided this week to just get 'er done!

The batiks for this runner came from a little kit put together by a nearby quilt shop that has recently gone out of business when the owner retired. The batiks are wonderful! But I didn't care for the leaf pattern that was included. I am not a pen or pencil artist, i.e., I can't draw anything worthy to save my soul! How I can longarm is quite beyond my comprehension.

So therein was my problem: how was I going to find a pattern for a leaf I liked? And then it hit me. Duh. I have four maple trees in my yard - why not just trace a couple of leaves from them?

And it worked! I've ironed them on and now, when I have a few more minutes, I'll machine applique around them, get it sandwiched and quilted, bound, and I'll have a great decoration for this fall and Thanksgiving. It might take me another 30 days and 30 nights to get that much done, but that's just about how long we have 'til Thanksgiving - yikes!

And to leave you on a bright note, we had our first frost two nights ago - that's unheard of for our area in the mountains. Typically we cross our fingers that our gardens will make it through Labor Day! My roses are still blooming, and I have new poppies unfolding and daisies and the lavendar is still fresh. So I clipped these roses so I could enjoy them inside. I'm not quite ready for Old Man Winter this year.

Quilting with a smile,
Barb

Linking up with Thursday's Favorite Things Blog Hop,  Needle and Thread Thursday,