in the late summer, a young woman's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of patchwork...

It happens every year around this time.

Even though the temperatures are still blazing hot, I know what's coming and I picture the future.  I picture myself, three months from now, wearing layers and spending time upstairs to keep warm.  And on my lap, I picture a quilt. 

It's not complete, but it's keeping me warm nonetheless.  And with each little stitch that I make, I know I am one step closer to completing something that will be treasured and I feel that I'm really doing something with the short days and cold evenings. 

I completed the quilt above, my first and only quilt, two years ago.  It's about five feet square, perfect for the sofa.  I've been dreaming of making a full sized one ever since. 

Last week, Nana gifted me with this box of embroidery floss, which is my preferred stitching material.  My ambition to begin the new quilt kicked up a notch. 

Back at the homestead, Steve discovered a hole in his patchwork shorts and I offered to stitch it shut again.  Kind of like a mini-quilt. 

I began the project of repairing some of the holes in the quilt on our bed.  It's amazing to me how an old quilt from Target can start to look like a family heirloom with just a few, slightly crooked, stitches. 



It feels like I'm stretching before the big game.  All these little jobs are slowly preparing me for the larger task at hand. 

It seems so early to even think of quilts.  I know this, but I also know that if I don't start now, the days will turn into weeks and the temperatures will slowly drop and suddenly- it will be November and my hands will be itching for something to stitch. 

This year, I'm going to be ready.