Sorry I've been MIA for a few days. A very dear friend was on leave and going back to Afghanistan yesterday, so I wanted to spend a little time with him while I could. He's been sick the entire 4 weeks he's been home, and was told Thursday that he has pneumonia again. They're going to probably quarantine him in Kabul until he's better, so he won't come down with something else.
So, with him leaving yesterday morning, I spent some time on my runner. I'd been wanting to figure out a way for the back to be as useful year around as the front was for winter. Then yesterday morning, it came to me. I used the same non-wintery applique shapes I used on the front on the back, but with non-wintery fabrics. I've kept it simpler than the front, but I got all the applique done yesterday before I had to cook chicken parm meatballs for the boyfriend's work Christmas party last night. (His grad students inhaled them, so I'm not sure if they were actually good or not, lol!) Anyway, I'm trying to decide whether to cut the fabric back a touch and use 2 rows of border or just the 3-1/2" strip to match the outside border on the front. Quilting it is going to be interesting. I'm thinking of quilting the inside details of the front before I attach the back, then quilting it all together just around the outside border(s). I can't ever do anything real simple, lol. This is my first attempt at applique, and I'm happier with some parts than others. I hope my partner likes it though!
I am going to try to finish up my runner this weekend and get it shipped west on Monday. Then I have 10 mug rugs to make, which I haven't decided on a design for yet. I've got to get them done before next Friday.
Oh, to my partner, whoever you are.....I'll be out of the country for Christmas (12/19-12/29), so if you'll be unable to ship mine to be delivered before I leave, the pressure is off until after Christmas.
