Sunflower Garden for Hannah

Months and months ago I was asked to make a quilt that highlighted sunflower fabrics.

Just all different sunflowers, and also maybe something in a traditional layout.

The traditional part threw me.

So I started out with this.  Trying to follow directions.

Four patches and squares.  While this isn't the most hideous thing, I was truly not feeling it.  So it stayed up on the board for awhile and then was put away.  This layout was going nowhere.  

My guilt was eating at me, and still trying to go a traditional route, I made a second attempt and was leaning toward this. Sometimes I hate directions.

Also, not hideous, but also not feeling it.  

So now I have tons of fabric cut and pieced, and no idea where I am going to go with this quilt.  So everything is put away and while in the back of my mind for months, I felt nothing happening.  

And of course, when I have no time, inspiration knocks me flat.  

Two weeks before Christmas in the midst of all the holiday happenings, I have to make this quilt.  Because, you know, I had absolutely nothing going on.  I chose to veer away from actual sunflower prints and went with the colors that would remind you of sunflowers - or at least they remind me.  

With darker bolder prints for the contrast, with some sunflower prints in there.  Although, I have to feel right making this I tried to remember that it would belong to someone else and she adored sunflowers.

I had bought this large panel (two actually, which was good because I needed the second to make the layout work) to use in some form in this quilt - so I sliced it up.

That was not an easy decision, once sliced there is no going back.

And once more while in the middle of all this - inspiration has to knock me flat, and I spend all of a Saturday night holed up with a bottle of wine and my sewing machine, iron and design wall.  Sometimes all of those are my best friends.  

Finito.  This is quilted now and in its new home.  I love the modern feel of this quilt, and while her husband had asked for traditional, he is a traditional guy, she is not and I believe this suited her much more than what I started out with.  She is going to let me have it back next week to get photos of the quilting.  She was surprised and happy - and I was so happy to have this done and off my guilt list, as opposed to my regular list.

And because I am following along with the Value Added group on Flickr - I changed one of the photos to black and white to get a good look at the color values.    The main sunflower really stands out, which I wanted, some of the other pieces, that I considered darker in the quilt seem to be more medium, but in the whole scheme I think they work.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday week -  I know I am, getting to know and cuddle with a bright new shiny baby boy.  But since he lives with his mamma and papa I can still take time to quilt! 

There is still time to join in the Postage Stamp Block Swap , USA shipping isn't until Jan 10, and these blocks are quick and easy.  I love them for sewing when you need to wind down from a technical project or just want to sew but don't want to get involved in anything big.