Jacob's Ladder College Quilt Top Complete

The top is done and I couldn't be happier with it!

That's my teaser photo; I'll get to the real one in a bit.

But first...what is up with our beautiful weather?

Kansas is usually pretty brutal--triple digits--about now but

for about 2 weeks we've had rains and highs in the 80's.

It's incredibly rejuvenating to step out and be greeted with that instead of,

even early in the morning, by "oh ick!".  But lately, I'm wearing a smile

of relief and a light sweater--sweater-weather is my favorite.

This post is even a little longer than I had intended because

I'm enjoying the whole morning outside--in August!

(okay, I'm usually outside in the garden anyway but sweating in the heat!)

Having taken the morning off, I'm sitting on a patio at a coffee shop.

It's not my favorite; sadly that one closed after just a few years.

I've been in mourning for a couple months now.

I miss seeing the regulars, I miss the owners who had

become friends and I miss real coffee.  Nothing else

compares--they roasted on-site even.  I suppose a positive

thing out of this is that I can get by on very little coffee a day.

I could easily quit if I wanted...but I don't want to.  Why?

I love mornings, I like routine and coffee seems fitting.

My routine has changed though.  I only go to a coffee shop maybe

twice a week now.  It's a quiet visit.  I might see someone I know,

I might not.  As a SAHM, I became pretty dependent on the interaction

at my old shop--maybe not all "friends" but people you see almost daily

to greet and see what's up with them.  That had more of an impact

than I ever realized.  At the time I really needed that with the chaos

of those few years (losing Mom, surgery, etc).  I still think I need it and

I badly want to replace it but I also think that God is saying

I need to use my time a little more wisely than healing spending

an hour at a coffee shop almost daily.

The garden certainly keeps me crazy busy and I've been making

all kinds of mental notes on where to cut back next year.

Our youngest "child" will be off to college then

(I may have a big announcement there but it isn't official yet!)

and we will be empty-nesters.  I could cut the garden in half

 and probably would still have too much, even with sharing

with the kids and friends.  What am I to do with that space?!?

Notice, I don't ask "what am I to do with that extra time?" :o)

Did I mention this weather is rejuvenating?!?

I get in a real quilting slump during the hot days especially when

I don't have much time for it but I'm back to putting more hours

in the sewing room.  Cooler weather is such a quilt-catalyst.

And so, on to the Creighton-themed quilt...

I had plenty of border options but didn't deliberate much;

 I just picked, threw in some extra pieces..and voila, done.

It ended up measuring 99x77 so it's a little bigger than a TwinXL

but that can't be a problem for a college kid man, and certainly

it will be welcome in the middle of winter in Nebraska.

Here's a quick reminder on the school colors...

and so, without further ado, here's the big reveal:

I'm a bit of a perfectionist and tend to always think there's

a better way to everything.  I know to others it can come across

as being hard on myself or negative and I fight that a little bit but

for the most part, I just let it be a happy and positive driving force.

With every quilt finish, I step back and think about what I'd have

done differently and use it to learn for next time.

Can I just say, in all humility, I don't think I have a thing to learn here.

Nothing.  I just think it's perfect and I love it!

And I might just get a little giddy every time I look at it.

Now if only my quilting can measure up to at least half that standard!

I have a couple weeks yet before "the day" so I'll be taking my time.

Today I'm piecing up the back.  I hesitated there but running off

to the store to buy a large amount of fabric to make the back look great

seemed impractical when I have all this gray that I don't really need.

I'm going for big horizontal strips and that will just have to do.

I see it as being in the thrifty spirit of college life!  ;o)

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