Learning the Art

To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living. 

Henri Frederic Amiel

Well, I have been getting a few things done but obviously not blogging about them.  October started out as it always does with my birthday a few days into it.  This was a big one ending in 0.  My husband and I went to the movies and then did a little shopping for me ;-)  then he left me alone for the evening and went to a football game.  The next day my oldest son hosted our whole family at his house for dinner.  It was really nice for all of us to get together.  With 4 adult children it is hard to make schedules mesh for that to happen.  Soon it will be time for Thanksgiving and hopefully it will happen again.  I'll be hosting that this year.

I finally got a quilt loaded on the longarm and have been quilting it.  I'm planning to get it finished this week.  Here is a peek.

I'm doing a pantograph on it.  This is a charity quilt that has been hanging around for too long.  It is a fun one I think.  I had fun making it last year while I was avoiding the stairs because of knee problems.

I pieced the back and am trying to get the design centered more or less.  I will see how good my planning was soon.  Here is a look at it from underneath. 

And a longer shot.  Homespuns aren't everyone's favorite but these are fun and bright.

I also got my Soul Searching top finished.  Yeah!!! I decided to depart from the pattern and added a row of Black and White strips between the blocks vertically.  

I would have added two rows but it would have made it too long.  That would have been more visually balanced since there are two squares between the colors horizontally.

Here is a view from the other direction.  How do you think it turned out?  Do you like the added rows between?  Should there be two?

I have been doing these blocks each month with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I had big plans at the first of the year to work on 3 projects but I've only made progress on 2.  That's OK.  I think I will just save the other one for next year.  Maybe I can get the 30s print one finished this year.

Linking with:  Design Wall Monday  and  Anything Goes Monday  and  So Scrappy