Photo is on my Profile Page, but isn't attached here.  ? ?

At precisely 10 p.m. last evening I crossed the finish line! The marathon ended--successfully. What began in January this year (see Jan 17 blog entry), became a one-day-a-week activity. That was more than I actually thought I'd achieve.

It had been 20 years or more since I began collecting--and storing--fabric for making "quilts." Not handmade works of art, but quick, sewing-machine products just meant to be useful. Chaucer came first, so the quilts needed to be delayed.

My nowadays habit is to think about the next quilt while working on the current one. That's how the marathon got organized! The last Thursday (sewing day) of June, I asked myself what next week's project would be. Then I noticed the July 4 holiday. I could sew for 2 days, if I wanted to. And I did want to.

As I looked through what was left, I realized that the wealth of colors and fabrics had been depleted. As a project winds down, that's to be expected, but how does that affect creativity? How to use the remaining materials? It was a signal to aim for ingenuity!

Sorting became ruthless--if a bit of fabric was less than 3 by 5 inches, in the trash it went! (!) Among the surviving leftovers I found a small amount of Christmas fabric, a cozy bunch of flannel, random quilted swatches, and a grand array of flowered material.

Now to find workable backing for each category, and have no specific design in mind except to get it put together.  That's when the July 4 holiday presented itself--why not declare an extended sewing celebration? Make a whirlwind job--a marathon! (Surely marathoners don't have time for dishes or laundry.) What could be more important than attaining this goal of 20 years?

So that's what I've been doing. Made the quilts mentioned above and a few more--8 in all, since the race began on July 1. Some are small. Some are large. Each a dream come true.

My companion every step of the way--my Pfaff 30--deserves special recognition. I'll save that for the next entry.

So remember--your long-held dreams about the future can come true.  [broad smile]