Since wrapping up production on my new book, Annie's Scrapbag, I have been working on a new project that, although quilting related, has left me little time for actual sewing/quilting. However, it is during times like these that I can always pull out my trusty "Big Fat UFO" to work on if I have a few minutes to spare.
I began working on this quilt in August, 2000, so it is an official 12-year-old work in progress. But, I'm in no hurry with this quilt. The quilt started when I was getting ready to take a trip and needed something to work on during my stay. That trip was an exciting one, as I had just won my first big prize for a quilt I had entered in the AQS Quilt Exposition Millenium Celebration contest. I was the Arizona state winner for this contest, for my quilt "Cloud County Memories" and it was my first published quilt as well. So I was on my way to Nashville, to see the show, another first as I had never been to one of the big quilt festivals! With four or five nights in a hotel, I needed some handwork!
I decided to cut out pieces for a block I really enjoyed piecing, the sunburst block, and thus began this quilt. Twenty-five blocks later, I had the center of a quilt. Next up, designing the border, which ended up being a very wide one - 16" each side. It is very folk art - I have a blueprint of where each flower, bird and leaf are to go, but exact precision isn't needed here. It will have 500 or more berries, but that will be determined as I begin working on that part of the top border (pictured below).
The side borders are finished and sewn onto the center, and this summer I pulled out the top border to do a little applique. A few steps closer anyway!
Until next time,
