Then it was onto cutting them apart.

I managed to iron about 2/3 of the stack before I decided I'd had enough and went to bed.

On Saturday I finished the pressing and sorted the piles so I could start laying it all out.

Here you can see the start of the quilt's pattern.

I did manage to finish laying it out last weekend but came up a few blocks short. Then because of the kids' Chinese New Year/TET parties at school and work this week, I didn't get back to this until yesterday. Having some ME time finally was really nice. I stitched up the few remaining blocks needed, completed the layout (a bit tricky to get them all orientated the right way to complete the lines) and then stacked them all up to start sewing them into pairs and then into rows.

Thank goodness that once I pressed the first row of blocks I put them back up on the design wall to check that I had sewn them together right. Guess what? Of course....I screwed a couple of them up. No surprise there. Good thing I checked before I had sewn them all into rows and then the rows together. The seam ripper got a little work out, I resewed the 3 pairs together correctly and completed that row. By then I had enough for the day and again called it quilts. I had been up since 5 am and I was bushed. My plan this weekend, since we have nothing else on our schedule at all (hallelujah) is to finish sewing this top together and have it ready to be quilted by next weekend. I'm going to do this one myself on my Lucy. It will be my first real quilt completed on my machine and my machine only.

So what are you working on at the moment?

My quilt started with my very first attempt at a Dresden plate, specifically this version is called Empress Fan. It was far from perfect but I was happy enough with it to send it off on its journey.

My mini quilt first traveled to Utah, then on to sunny California it ventured (I'm jealous that it probably got to visit the beach and I didn't) and lastly it hung out in Pennsylvania for a short stay (oh how I miss the cheese steaks from Jimmy's in Philadelphia) before finally coming home to me. When the envelope arrived, this is the beautiful quilt that unfolded to my huge delight.

Sorry for the crappy picture. I forgot to get a shot of it during the day and it is pretty late and dark out now.

I love, love, love this quilt!!!!! It is gorgeous and beyond anything I would have imagined. Thank you so very much goes out to Rachell, Rachel and Ann. You have added amazing additions and I will treasure this quilt forever. And did I tell you that I LOVE IT!

Finishing this quilt for the reveal day was truly my original plan but between a sick kiddo not once but twice and a bunch of other things that required my attention that had to take precedence, it just didn't happen. But trust me, it will get quilted and bound very soon when I get up to the local long arm rental place. This mini quilt is just too wonderful to let it linger folded up in a pile waiting for long.

Each year as I hang this quilt on the wall to decorate for the Valentine's Day season, I will think of and remember all my quilty friends who made this mini mystery round robin such a pleasure to host.

A very Happy Valentine's Day to each of you.