Thank you all for your kind comments. Wasn't sure at the beginning what I was going to do so I just pulled out a roll of tracing paper and started doodling. Actually it turned out to be a lot of fun! Had always wanted to design something of my own but there were always such cool patterns out there that others had sweat over in designing that it was easier to do theirs than to subject myself to the math and frustration of designing my own.

Mary, just remember that you don't have to do a complete row as I did ... individual blocks would be just fine. Have no preconceived idea as to how it will eventually turn out...that's part of the mystery and surprise! Oh, and by the way, if you don't like your handwriting would it be possible to embroider your name using just one strand of floss and block printing the letters? Just a thought but you'd need to run it by Sherry.

Sherry ... DONE! ...in the mail! Let me know when you get it. Suppose to reach you Friday by Priority Mail. Did
insure it ... couldn't remember if we were suppose to or not but I was at the P.O. and it was cheap. Inside you should find a label, notebook with info and 4 sashing strips. Did I forget anything (???)

Mary, the pigma pen is about $2.99. They usually have them at quilt shops. Print your name on the label or have someone else write your name. You can embroider it if you want to. I just print my name and heat set it. Don't let the label get you all worked up.

Yvonne, did you include your row? LOL.
I had totally different ideas for your dusk scene. I love your scene.
I had thought of mountains, lovers looking over an ocean, hot air balloons , etc.
Do you want it all to be whimsical? I thought up some things for this also.

Oh, my gosh, Sherry. The world is big ... dusk brings different thoughts to each of us. Do whatever speaks to you, okay? A neighborhood doesn't have to be just one way. For those who live near the beach the beach would be their neighborhood or the mountains in the same way. The only stipulation is the colors...black, white, grey and camel or taupe. Honestly, it doesn't have to be whimsical. Surprise me. I'm sure whatever you do will be just great!:thumbup: and your ideas sound cool.

I live in Kansas.LOL. I do not live by the beach or mountains, but that is what I love. I also have been making blocks for a magical forest quilt and believe me, my imagination runs wild. Maybe I will make 2 rows, LOL.

Love both the beach and mountains as well although I've sure had the opportunity over the years to live in Florida but could never stand the heat! It's fun to vacation there once in a while though. Actually I think there's charm in every state. Grew up in the city but have lived for years 4 miles outside of a teeny town and I love it....if you can get past the roar of the trucks on the highway it's really very peaceful and quiet.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Yvonne, your row arrived today. How in the world did you sew this without showing the stitching on top? I am overwhelmed and intimidated. Whew. I have done simple applique, but nothing like this. Do you belong to an artist guild or something? OMG! I am afraid my quality of sewing will not match yours. It is beautiful in person. It is unimgainable. You must have an embroidery machine. If you did all of this by hand, WOW.

Ladies, it is 3 dimesionable, and all the lettering and eyes are embroidered.
I wish I was not the first player on this row. LOL. I am afraid I will mess it up. I have never done a landscape before. I have always been fairly confident in my work, but not this time. I am about ready to cry.

Where do you get a roll of tracing paper?

Goodness, I'm overwhelmed by your gracious words. Honestly Sherry, I don't expect you to copy what I did. Just go ahead with what you had originally planned. You don't even have to do applique. There are a gozillion free quilt block patterns out there that would work just great, for instance, you could just do 5 different tree blocks or house blocks or mountain blocks or beach blocks, etc. and attach them together. If applique is your thing you could do an old fashioned street lamp or a long curving path with luminaries along it or clothes hanging on a clothesline still at dusk. If done in black, grey, white and camel or taupe they would work just fine. We had 5 local LQS's sponsor a Shop Hop and each shop did one row according to a specified theme and color scheme and the end product was a quilt which was the prize. Neither shop knew what the other was doing and even though all the rows were completely different they all looked absolutely great together. And remember there are three other players here who will play on what each of us do. I think it will be spectacular! And it doesn't have to be to scale either. To answer your questions, first, no, I don't belong to a guild. Yes, it was all done by hand...I don't own an embroidery machine. Was really disappointed with the black floss. It was DMC which I've used for years doing crossstitch but it kept wanting to "fuzz" outside the lines...even bought new floss and it did the same thing but no trouble at all with any other color...strange!!! I used a blind stitch to attach the buildings to the background. Pretty sure I originally taught myself how to do if from a book...but I do tend to take itty, bitty stitches. Think I practiced using a colored thread and then taught myself to do it fine enought that the color didn't show. The tracing paper I got from www.nancy'snotions.com. It's 21" wide and 77 yds. long for $8.99. I love it. I drew my design on it with a sharpie pen and then laid a plain stencil sheet over the parts I wanted to applique to make the pattern pieces. It's sturdy paper and, believe me, I was NOT gentle with it.....opened , closed, folded and unfolded it a gozillion times and only ended up with one microscopic tear on one edge. I think the catalogue number for it is PP3 but, if not, just type in "tracing paper" in the search box of her site. But, please, I truly want this to be fun for everyone...relax...do what you're comfortable with...as far as I'm concerned it's not a competition. As I said earlier, I'd never done anything like this before...it all just popped into my head once the pen hit my hand. No, never went to art school or anything even remotely close. If you feel like letting your creative juices flow and want to try your hand at something original, feel free!!!! I'll love it!