i have been working on this piece for years. in truth, i work on most of my pieces for years simply because i have the worst case ever of quilter's ADD~! i used to want to be cured but have pretty much given up on that. when i pass on to that great quilting guild in the sky i will leave behind massive amounts of fun fiber "surprises" for my daughter to benefit from in whatever way she chooses.

btw: if you're reading this Miss Tiffanny, i expect lots of gratitude (prior to the passing) whether your feeling it or not. after all there are plenty of people reading this post who would love to be in my will right about now . . . this is where you all get to chime in and leave a comment as proof that my daughter really is getting something of value here. please help me out.



anyway, the middle four-block area of this piece in progress currently measures 20 and 1/2 inches square.

i've hand appliqued and used "old" colors which i love. i can no longer remember what my first germ of inspiration was but almost all of my work is done in a willy-nilly design as i go kind of way. due to the fact that i rarely complete anything quickly this results in many and various bursts of inspiration from all sorts of places. in the end it's a conglomeration of ideas, techniques and happy accidents that make it my own. i'm good with that.

the berries are compared here to the bobbin that comes out of my featherweight (the machine that i use the most). they are pretty small but i loved working on them so much that i have a surplus . . . the quilt's not finished yet so who knows where they might land in the end . . .

this is the back side of one of the berries which i created much like one makes a yo-yo. i wanted them to have a bit of dimension to them and this allowed me to achieve that and gave me a nice smooth circle to applique down. i'm pleased that they have just a bit of pop to them without sticking way out once they're sewn down.

the border pieces are constructed using Sew and Fold on a Roll: Tri-Angles 22.5 in the 3" finished width. it's very accurate and i love the dragon's teeth border but i did feel like there was a bit of waste. pros and cons i guess.

now why have i brought this piece out of "storage" i can hear you asking. just where exactly did my latest burst of inspiration hail from?

let me tell you.

i was doing a bit of blog hopping this a.m. and ran into a fantastic post over at:

www.funwithbarbandmary.blogspot.com

that totally inspired me and reminded me that i had something similar in the works. the post includes luscious photos of several quilts that have been created using a similar style and LOTS of orange (aka cheddar). AND there's a give-away going on that looks pretty spectacular too. it's sort of a catch 22 situation: if i announce and link to it in my blog i get an extra chance at winning but i also give that many more people their chance . . .

so here's the deal; think of me if you go over to this great blog and happen to win due to my heads up.

;-)

otherwise what i will have "won" is a gentle reminder about my very own (and unfinished) project. this project is now in the front of my mind instead of the back of a cupboard and that's not a bad prize either~! and you, well you have "won" the discovery of a really beautiful and inspiring blog. i think we've all come out pretty shiny with this deal regardless of what happens ~ don't you?

p.s. i'll keep my fingers crossed for you if you'll do the same for me.