Maybe quilting as a hobby has come full circle. When every quilt was cut out for a borrowed template, hand pieced and hand quilted, the cost of materials might not have been that important. Then came the revolution: rotary cutting, chain piecing and machine quilting. Quilt in a day became a possibility. Now, as prices for fabric and batting go up, I can see how it is no longer advantageous to make a “quilt in a day”. As I move towards retirement, I have more available time, so my labor has less value (even as my skill level has increased). I find myself gravitating to complicated patterns both for the quilt top and the quilting.