September is one of my favourite months. It's the perfect time to start over and do something new. When I was a kid, I always found back-to-school time exciting. The first day of each new grade was an opportunity to try on a new attitude, or even attempt a personality overhaul. I remember trading in polo shirts for tie-dyes, then chucking those in favour of plaid flannel and Doc Martens. Goodbye, feathered hair; hello, waist-length hippie curls. Adios, The Cure; hello, Soundgarden. (I'm a child of Grunge; what can I say?) No more Walt Whitman; time for some serious poetry writing of my own. Thank goodness that phase didn't last.   But, surprisingly, what I liked most of all was the familiarity of fall. Summers always left me at loose ends. Going back to school meant seeing my lovable geeky gang of friends again. It meant a routine, a groove, a feeling that things were where they should be. And so, this fall, in addition to trying something new (a yarn dyeing class), I'm going back to the familiar: quilting.   This is the fall where I try on a new quilting personality. I'm going to be a quilter who gets to (finally) keep something she's made. The keeper-to-be – a king-size Bento Box labour of love – is all mine. It's not for a craft fair, it's not for a friend's kid, it's not for a beloved family member. This quilt will be a gift to myself. And my husband. And my dog, who – let's face it – is the biggest bed hog of us all.   Anyone else love falling back into the familiar?