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Second Chances!



This little lady is the first of my recently unearthered treasures to be given a new lease on life. It's time for her to take a deep breath and look alive. "She", is of course, a "Baltimore Bouquet" quilt, taken from a pattern by Mimi Dietrich. First started in the year 2000(ish), she was hand appliqued at the time using 3D techniques such as ruching, fabric folding, padding, embroidery, etc.. A few years later, the centre was hand quilted in time for a local quilt show. Alas... the border did not get completed at the time, and she was lovingly folded, wrapped in acid free tissue paper, stored and forgotten about until a few weeks ago.


The task set out before me is to complete the border quilting within the next few weeks, bind her up, and set her free. Wish me luck!

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