How Long Has This Been Going On?

          People often ask me how long it takes me to finish a quilt. That is a very difficult question to answer since I am usually working on more that one quilt at a time. The reasons I do that are many. First of all, I sometimes run out of materials and don't want to be idle while I am waiting for something to come in the mail or a rare moment I might have to run off to the store and make a purchase.

            Every once in a while, I get just plain frustrated--usually when I have made a mistake or series of mistakes, and quilting just doesn't seem to be in my blood that day. It always helps to have a mindless project to fall back on. Even if it is just cutting strips of fabric.

          On occasion, I get stymied--particularly on an art quilt--and don't know how to proceed. That's when it's best to let it go and work on something entirely different. Better yet, dig up some dirt in the garden or go meditate at the yoga studio. The answers will come if I trust my heart, my mind, and my higher power to give me guidance.

          So, I really have no answer in regards to how long it takes me to make a quilt. Usually years, if it is one that is made for competition. Just the quilting alone takes a good part of a year.

          I had to look back at my notes to see how long I have been working on this one. My earliest entries are from the tail end of 2008, although I doubt that I was actually drawing or cutting a pattern at that point in time. I know that the background stayed on my design table for at least two years while I gradually layered the applique pieces on top of it. Then there was the final fusing, the months of satin stitching, and finally the quilting. I believe I have about six more weeks of quilting left to go. It has to be finished by the first week in January in order to meet some very important deadlines. Thank goodness I have lots of vacation days coming up between now and then.