From The Back Shelf...

Finally and at last! This table runner has languished in the "unfinished project area" of the sewing room for a long time. I've always liked it, but didn't really have a plan for it. When I needed a thank-you gift for someone, I decided to finish and present it to them. A plan! That's how it is with a lot of my ongoing projects- they wait, and wait, and wait a little longer. Eventually they find their way to completion. So I'm not too hard on myself for having lots of projects in the works.

This one was so old that I had to have a quilting friend remind me of some of the details. We took a fusible applique class on a quilting cruise. And it's old enough that we hand cut all those fussy pieces. Die cutters were not yet trending when we did the project. So that's a lot of cutting! Longarmer Debra Johnston quilted it after I free-motion stitched all the edges of the design elements to prevent fraying. That's a lot of stitching!

And I received a gift from quilting friend Joanne Nolt who made this handy cross-body bag. I love the colors, and it's just the right size to carry what I need.

The back view shows the outside pocket, which is also convenient. I love these colors- did I mention that already? I recognized the Jane Sassaman fabric print she used. It's a favorite and I even have some of this in another color.

And yet another gift, this one from my daughter Joanna. It's "The Thinker". She makes me smile when I glance at her. She's an air plant that needs very little care- just a sunny window and a spritz of water from time to time. If you look closely in the photo at the upper left, you'll see Frosty the horse happily grazing in his paddock.