some progress.
i noticed that i accidentally turned one of my fabrics to the 'wrong' side while working. also a couple of the strips are a woven check and these really don't have a right or wrong side.
which got me to thinking that i had choices as to which side to use as my 'right' side. one of them is simply more subtle than the other . . .  what are your thoughts here?

i chose to back stitch at the beginning and ending of thread lengths so there are no knots on either side.

i decided that i would work this piece to whatever size my skinny strips dictated and go from there. after cutting a thin batting to 9 X 12 inches and laying the sewn piece on top of the batting i could see that i wanted a bit more added to two of the sides. i trimmed those two sides so that all fabrics were creating a straight edge being careful not to cut into the seam areas.

i found a small piece of fabric that i could cut in half and use for both of those ends. i am going to sew them on by hand but have decided to do that with hidden seams so there will be no raw edge where they join the original piece. i think this will give it a more definite bordered look.

i've sifted through my hand dyed fabrics. the photographs of the piece that i chose are quite blurry but it doesn't matter because that's sort of how the fabric reads anyway.
can you see the pears hidden in the motley coloration?
i can.

today's gifts have included:

• homemade blueberry pancakes for breakfast
• the discovery of a dyed fabric that will work well as an appliqued pear
• the rhythm felt while enjoying 'process'