Play music while you work, sing along and remember why each piece of fabric is special to you. Begin constructing the bars first into pairs and then into fours and so on. Put dark colors next to light if possible, but don’t worry too much about it if you have more darks than lights or vice versa. Do be careful to pin and press. Whenever possible, press toward the dark fabric. Construct six bars at least 44" long. Your edges will be uneven so trim each bar to 6" wide (see Figure 2). Sew all six bars together and press. Trim the ends so they are all even and you’re ready for borders.

For the inner border, measure your quilt lengthwise first, and construct two strips 2 ½" wide to this length. Sew to the sides of the quilt and press. Next, measure the width of your quilt. Construct two strips 2 ½" wide to this measurement. Sew to the top and bottom of the quilt and press. Now for the outer border: Measure the sides of your quilt and construct two strips 4" wide to this length. Next, measure the width of your quilt. Construct two strips 4" side to this measurement. Sew to the top and bottom of the quilt and press. Your top is now complete! Think about all of the memories sewn into this quilt…remember the sweetest moments of life.

Finishing the Quilt

Linda finished her quilt on the drive with Molly. You can finish yours in the car, in a comfy chair, with your quilting friends at the dining-room table…any way and anywhere you please! If tying your quilt, you can embellish with more memories: buttons, ribbons, badges. Do think about how often your quilt will be washed and how your embellishments will endure. If you make your quilt an art piece, then you can incorporate almost anything. After quilting, measure the perimeter and sew binding strips together to total this measurement. Attach binding.

First Time in Forever

FIRST TIME IN FOREVER

Sarah Morgan

Dedication

For Laura Reeth,
makeup expert, style guru and dear friend.

Epigraph

“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.”

—Aristotle Onassis

Chapter One

One

It was the perfect place for someone who didn’t want to be found. A dream destination for people who loved the sea.

Emily Donovan hated the sea.

She stopped the car at the top of the hill and turned off the headlights. Darkness wrapped itself around her, smothering her like a heavy blanket. She was used to the city, with its shimmering skyline and the dazzle of lights that turned night into day. Here, on this craggy island in coastal Maine, there was only the moon and the stars. No crowds, no car horns, no high-rise buildings. Nothing but wave-pounded cliffs, the shriek of gulls and the smell of the ocean.