I finally finished the mini quilt for Quilting Gallery "New Beginnings" mini quilt swap.  I started over 6 times!!!  They just wouldn't talk to me.  At first I was being way too literal. Then I found a pattern that worked wonderfully Except when I sewed the rows together---YUK!  I apparantly didn't trim leaving a quarter inch seam all around the blocks.  Hmmm, that won't work...Soooo, begin again!  Another new beginning, huh?!!  Here is the finished product.
 
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| front | 
 
 
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| back showing the free motion quilting | 
   The title of New Beginnings somehow threw me off...Don't know why...the pattern I finally chose was from a BOM at Craftsy.  The three stripes in a wave pattern represent the 3 tidal surge waves of Hurricane Katrina that hit the Ms Gulf Coast.  I live about 2 miles from the beach.  The entire coast had a new beginning after this storm. The borders are quilted in a flowing water pattern to symbolize the end of the storm.  The scrappy blocks symbolize what most of us had left...scraps of what was.  But, we put on our big girl/boy britches and started a New Beginning for ourselves!  I am now happy with my choice for this swap.  I hope my partner likes it!  Can't wait to see what I get and from where..so exciting!!
      Till next time---keep stitchin', Marsha