When a year slips by so fast it is hard to play catch up, where to start and what to include without being boring.

In November we went to Maine for our annual visit with Jo Diggs. We have been going for quite a few years now and it is always such a great trip. Jo and I go way back, probably 1979 or thereabouts. "Stripes and Spots" is in our collection of Jo's pieces.

“Girls Are Strong” by Hollis Chatelain, hand dye-painted, machine-quilted

We went to the New England Quilt Museum to see the exhibit "Gilding the Lily". If you ever get a chance to go to the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA, do go. It is well worth the visit.

"Gilding the Lily" was an exhibit of embroidered quilts spanning 200 years. Yes, there were a few crazy quilts but also there were many examples of beautifully embellished quilts and machine thread painted quilts.

I was especially moved to see the work of Hollis Chatelaine. I loved seeing the piece "Girls Are Strong" from a distance and then up close. The names of 112 female members of Hollis' family are stitched in the background. Such a powerful statement! Lots of pictures from the exhibit can be found on my Flickr page (yes, I had permission).

On our way back north we drove up Route 1, we always wonder if the falling down house in Searsport, ME will still be there. And it is! The first picture is from 2012, the second is this year. It must be very sturdy. I would have expected it be caved in by now. Will it still be there next year? It must have been a wonderful home years ago!

So, the question is... do I remember how to do this, add a blog post, add some pictures? It has been far to long. Ten months in all. I have thought of getting back to a routine many times, I have missed it. Not that life is exciting, I just have missed the routine of it. So here goes, I hope it is like getting back in the saddle whether it be on a horse or a bike. I will see what happens.

The house is almost finished being painted, just two small side walls of the back dormer, awkward to get at so we are waiting for when the new roof is done in the spring and there is good scaffolding up to tackle the last bit. There is still work to do inside. I am hoping we can tackle the back room/mudroom/laundry room soon. It would be nice to get it done before Christmas. Then there is the living room. The list goes on!

Lots of quilting is getting done.

I call this "Celestial Compass". I have no idea what the real name is. Most of the piecing was done by a quilter who can no longer sew or quilt and I offered to finish it for her. I added a row at the top and at the bottom plus the border. it was ma… — I call this "Celestial Compass". I have no idea what the real name is. Most of the piecing was done by a quilter who can no longer sew or quilt and I offered to finish it for her. I added a row at the top and at the bottom plus the border. it was machine quilted by Lynn Jones. I will deliver it back to the owner next week. I hope she likes it.

"Cutting Garden" from a workshop with Krista Hennebury last spring. It is machine pieced and machine quilted (by Debbie Vermuelen). This was a really fun quilt to make, I am so pleased with it.