No, this is not a blog post about the song from The Fixx. Tonight, I was reminded of a quilt project I almost completed a while ago and also reminded of work to be done.

Back in May 2007, I had a lot going on in my life and I needed a getaway. So on very short notice, I took off on a vacation to Oak Island, North Carolina. But my idea of a vacation is probably not exactly like yours (or maybe it is)--mine consisted of taking off alone, reading, walking on the beach, baking strawberry shortcake to eat for breakfast and snacks, and checking out all the ways the southern restaurants can cook grits. So along with a stack of books to read and suntan lotion for lazy beach time, I grabbed a clear plastic container filled with a pattern, fabric chosen for that pattern, and my quilting supplies. I arranged to rent a sewing machine near my destination. I did start the project that week, but, as you know if you've ever done foundation or paper piecing, it's a slow process, exacting, but slow. Later that summer I completed the piecing of the quilt top (that's it in the photos). However, the project is still not complete. "Why?" you ask. Well, despite the fabulous new quilting machine that resides in my craft room, I can't figure out how to quilt it, exactly. And, to compound the problem, after a frustrating search through said room and various stacks and containers and drawers and... well, you get the picture... I can't find the pattern ANYWHERE!

This brings me to my weekend plans. I'm taking an extra day, giving me a four-day weekend, and I have grand ambitions to finally get through all of the things that got forced out of the sewing room when the quilting machine arrived on the scene over New Years' weekend 08/09.

The saddest part of this story is how long the fabric and pattern had been waiting in that box. I purchased all of it one weekend back in the spring of 2000. The pattern sample was done in a white background with red and blue flowers if I remember correctly, and the border fabric was also on a white background. But as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to do it with a black base, and I was thrilled with the way the colors really pop from the background. Unfortunately, it doesn't match the colors in my house right now, but it does match the other decorative items in my office AND it would fit on the tackboard in my office, which is the place I hang my quilts so I'm not trying to hang quilts on the office wall.

And that all brings me to the work to be done. Somewhere in the dark, lonely corners of that sewing room are two things: the fabric to bind this quilt and the pattern pack including a photo of the quilt. I'm hoping the pattern, which I know I've seen in the past 6 months, will give me some inspiration on how to quilt this piece--it seems like I've been down this road before, trying to get guidance for quilting from the pattern. Meanwhile, if you have any suggestions on how to quilt said quilt, or if you're blessed with psychic abilities and know what container or paper stack the pattern might have been filed in, please leave a comment.