When I first started making this quilt last spring, Greg thought I was crazy. I had never endeavored to do anything like this and I'm not really the type to pick up a needle and thread and sew on a button, so constructing a quilt entirely by hand was quite a task for me.

Then, I finished my first square and I really thought I was on a roll. I worked on it nightly when I was in hotel rooms away for my job and it came together really quickly. From May to August, I had completed 9 out of 12 squares.

Then, when I was home every night, had a house on the market, had to pack, then move, it got pushed to the side burner. But, the inspiration was ever-present.

I created the following layouts using my quilt as inspiration.



About 3 weeks ago, I decided to pick it back up and finish it by the end of this summer. What was my motivation?

My summer catalog from Pottery Barn came in the mail and to my surprise, anyone can now buy my quilt. Immediately, I was furious that I had put all the energy (and blood, not sweat and tears), into hand-sewing this quilt. I just knew that as soon as I put it on the twin bed in the guest room, that all my guests would assume I had bought it from Pottery Barn.

I had wanted to make something special and unique, and I've since realized that my quilt will be unique. It won't be perfect. It won't be made by a professional quilter, it will have been my first quilt (and last) made entirely by hand by the one and only me. And, for the record, circles are much harder to sew than squares.

Here's my progress to date (sorry for the poor photo, it was taken late last night). All 12 squares finished and arranged to sew together. If I keep up this pace, I'll have the top done by the end of the week.

One last thing, wouldn't it irk you if Pottery Barn took your pride and joy and mass-produced it? Or am I the only selfish person on this planet?