The best laid plans

But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

-Robert Burns-

2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War

I thought it fitting that I should do something concrete to commemorate that, especially after our visit to Gettysburg and surrounding areas last fall.

Homestead Hearth came up with a beautiful quilt they called Civil War Chronicles with fabrics by Judie Rothermel.

From the Homestead Hearth web page: "The Civil War Chronicles BOM quilt features twelve blocks that tell the stories of twelve women who encountered their own struggles on the homefront while their husbands were away. Each pattern includes historical background and biographies about the generals' wives."

What a wonderful idea. I eagerly signed up, anticipating that I would faithfully complete each month's blocks on schedule so that by the end of this year I would have a quilt to help me remember.

That's where the "best laid schemes" come to play.  I've received 10 of 12 packages and haven't opened the first one yet.  So much for great intentions.