I purchased several blues in a variety of values and hues ahead of time so I would have a well rounded palette of choices.  I do not know what will work and what will not ahead of time for a particular image.

I am always amazed at what ends up working when it comes to my fabric choices. The fabrics I thought would be the “it” fabrics turn out to be tossed on the reject pile in the first five minutes of the selection process.

Fabrics I pull as a long shot end up being the perfect fit. Go figure.  Never count any fabric out until it is truly out.

Usually when I quit thinking like a botanical illustrator and more like a fanciful illustrator, things fall into place.  The color does not have to be an exact match to the actual Titmouse.  I can alter the hue just a little without losing the perception of a Titmouse.

I am not creating a scientifically exact replica of the Titmouse for research purposes for heaven’s sake!

After several years of making botanical style quilts, I still have a really hard time switching gears illustratively.  I think letting go of the “has to be exact in color and form as the real life example” will always be my struggle when creating my quilts.

A very tricky blue was the final choice.  A bit of gray without being gray, a bit of sky blue without a touch of purple (hard to find in batiks) and all without any trace of a green hue.  Sounds simple huh?  Not so much.

After many, many, many adjustments and auditions, I am finally happy with the fabric selections and I am stitching the little guy down.

He is a bit over weight at the moment in the picture with his seam allowances, but soon he will be trim and ready for his embroidery makeover.

I am almost done!

Nothing has tested my patience as much as the roses on the Titmouse block. It isn’t that they are too difficult, the problem has been getting the right color combination, values, etc., for the petals without making each rose a cookie cutter of the last one.

Some of you are wondering where the heck is the Titmouse block and are you even working on it?  Yep, I am and have been for more many weeks and more than several hours a day.  The problem is my brain’s color compass must be broken.

I have appliqued, torn out, re-appliqued at least three times on each rose! They are driving me to eat a pint of my salted caramel ice cream, which given my latest cholesterol reading is a no-no. Why now? when I really don’t have the time or inclination to mess around with this nonsense.

The only time I have been to the point of throwing a project at the wall (the good thing about fabric is, it doesn’t break) is when I was making the pheasants for the American Still Life Quilt. I still refer to them as those bleepin’ bleepin’ birds.

I am celebrating being done with the rosebuds. Unfortunately, they are necessary evils in the design.  I hope you still “like” me when you get to them.

I am almost through the gauntlet of roses and I have been embroidering as I go so it is close to being done.  The bird is the last thing left to do and birds always go fast.

A gorgeous Western Tanager flew into the garden today just outside my sewing room window and parked.  It was absolutely breathtaking with the brightest yellow and orange I had seen.  I need to do one of those.

Have a good weekend and cover your ears, my screams and expletives may be audible in your part of the country.

Rather than selling these traveling exhibit quilts at a show finale dinner event, they are going to auction them online.  I think this is great because everyone has a chance to bid from all over the country and beyond for some great pieces.

APWQ also has Canadian membership so we are an international/regional show.  That sounds funny impossible, but true.

So back to the auction. My quilt was made when I did Poppy Soliloquy.  It is a “sister” quilt to Poppy Soliloquy which won the Best of Show quilt that year among other big awards at other national shows.

I did do something different for me and maybe shocking to you–machine applique. I wanted to try it out and see what I could do with it.

What is amazing is that this quilt has traveled for two plus years to national shows and although it is rough edge machine applique? NO FRAYED EDGES.  Everyone thinks it is hand done. Nope.  The auction quilt also happens to be a favorite of my daughter.

My quilt goes up for Auction as part of Group B in June. If you are interested in having what might be my last quilt for public sale, this is it.

Maybe you would like another of the quilts from the exhibit (view them here) and would prefer one of them?

You would also be helping a fantastic organization keep going and presenting one of the best quilt shows I have ever been to.

This is the organization who encouraged and supported me so much and I am indebted to them for it.  BTW, if any of you are going to the show and want to do a good deed, sign up as a volunteer.

They could use your help and we might end up as work buddies.  Yep, I have volunteered to help with grunt work and I am looking forward to giving back.

For those of you following along on the Naturalist’s Notebook blocks, you know how MISSION IMPOSSIBLE it is to find the background fabric if you don’t have it.

After a frustrating response awhile back from Lakehouse, it looks like maybe they listened to us after all?  Guess what is coming out in May through June? Yep, you guessed it, The Script fabric I have been using for the NN blocks!

"Penelope 4" #LH03014

Now is the time to contact your local shop and have them order it if they can. I have already put in my request for a bolt. Lakehouse is notorious for “once it is gone, it is gone” unless they get a massive order, they don’t re-print.  We bought out every brick and mortar and online shop and yet that wasn’t enough to spark a reprint back then.

So start your engines, do your shopping warm up and then get ready to run like it is the last Black Friday sale for 100 years if you want this fabric. Now I must get back to the Titmouse block.