Sunday, April 17, 2011

Round Robin Celebration

Above is the photo of my own center medallion for the Q&N Round Robin Two. It was sent out early last year on a wing and a prayer to journey around the USA and Canada while my RR pals worked there magic.






I have finished the last Round Robin border on the last medallion on which I had to add the last border, packed it up and dropped it off at the automated mailing center at my local post office ... so it is on its way home! Judging by the way mail has been moving from my Quilty Corner in New England to the rest of world, it will likely get to Ohio by Thursday. Ohio is less than 1000 miles away and I mailed by priority mail with a tracking number, but that is likely as good as the USPS is going to get.



No photos yet. Susie should get to be the next one to see her (hopefully) finished quilt top. ;)




I am almost caught up with all my overdue quilty commitments. I have one last charity quilt to quilt for the Quilt and Needle and send on to the children's center where it will be there at just the right time for the child who needs it. All things for a reason somehow.



Story time: ... a few years back an accident happened to one of the people I love and I found myself in the emergency room in the middle of the night waiting for the medical people to do their part, holding hands and trying to do what needs ot be done. My loved on kept saying things like, "Why did this have to happen? And why now? I can't be laid up. What are we going to do? What did I do wrong?" My only answer to this is the one that keeps me going. Accidents happen. Life happens. It does not do any good to try to figure out why and to lay blame. The only thing to do in life is to look up, go forward and do what needs to be done ... to make better.



When I got home from the post office I opened my own Round Robin whose center medallion I sent out over a year ago. It arrived home last November, but as I was behind in my own RR commitments so I did not open it. I set that nice squishy package from Canada aside in my sewing corner to wait patiently for me to catch up while my friends were waiting patiently for me to catch up with their Round Robins.




The pictures of their borders were all in the "Non-Peekers" album on the forum since I like to send my medallion out and put it out of mind while I work on other things. I did not peek. Throughout this post are the photos of each border that were waiting for me in the album last night.




So I was surprised ...



First by the beauty of the colors and fabrics ... oh my!




Then by the beautiful borders carefully added by all my friends ... sew pretty!



And lastly by the fact that I cannot quilt it ... it is not flat ...


... it "tents" in the middle ... all of the perfectly lovely borders are too small ...


hmmmmmm ... what to do?







I could just thank everyone for all their work and beautiful borders ... and put it away in a closet and forget about it ...











hmmmm ...




not really a good choice ...





I could rant and rave about it ... try to figure out who to blame ... and put it away in a closet and forget about it ...










hmmmm ...



not a good choice, either ...











I could say nothing ... and put it away in a closet and try to forget about it ...










hmmmm ...



... definately not a good choice ...


so ... I am going to put it near my sewing machine ... enjoy the beautiful colors and think about all the wonderful gifts my quilty friends in Group 1 have given me ... much better choice ... :)








Someday soon ... after make a block for the "Just One Star" initiative ... and I quilt and mail the charity quilt ... make another baby block ... maybe put a border on my Spring Mystery Quilt ... I am going to "carry on."



One day, when I am feeling brave ... I will take out my seam ripper and start in the center and take out my medallion and see what can be done to the center of my Round Robin to make it flat so I can quilt it ... it will be a big challenge for me ... a new quilty adventure to explore ... something to look forward to!








How perfectly wonderful! :)

Thanks to all my quilty pals in Group 1 for the beautiful borders and for the time of my life ... I have grown so much as a quilter and a person with your help ...
I am so blessed! :)




Have a happy quilt day, my friends ... :) Pat



5 comments:

Magoo said...

either way, it is still very pretty :) you are so wonderful!

Happy quilty day to u too!

Carol said...

Pat, I love your thinking! Good luck fixing your center medallion to fit the borders!

Rebecca P said...

It's still beautiful. I know you will come up with a great idea of fixing it.
Hugs to you dear lady,
Rebecca

Northern Deb said...

Pat, Your quilt is a beautiful challenge. I know you're up to it. What if the center was closely quilted (a very small stipple). I've alway read that a small stipple in a center will draw up the fabric and borders will ripple. In this case, that would work with you. Just a thought.

Scrapatches said...

Thanks for your kind comments, my friends. With the help of the wonderful ladies in my group, I have worked up a tentative plan to hopefully get the center to lay flat without taking the seam ripper to too much of beautiful borders. This project shall have to wait a week or two, though. Time to clean my sewing area so the family can gather this Sunday and use my dining room table for its intended purpose ... :) Pat