A dozen roses...

Several months ago, my friend Denise, shared a photo of a some bedding she wanted to buy, along with a pretty decorative pillow that completed the ensemble. It's a very pretty grouping from Target.
At the time, I believe they'd just upsized to king-size which presented a perfect shopportunity! Good girl! About one month ago, she approached me about making some fabric roses that would match to go around two bedside table lamps. We visited, I took photos, and I got a better idea of what she wanted. I even got to take the pillow with me!

Shopping for matching color for roses and perhaps, for curtains

Right after that, I went to the Hancock Fabrics down the street to get some ideas. Apparently I was so entranced, that I did not realize they were closing soon (half the lights going out didn't nudge my awareness meter a bit) until I saw them locking the door after another group of shoppers left. I was thinking it was getting kinda hard to see the color matches with the dimmed lighting—did they not pay their light bill? Apparently those were not the only dim bulbs in the store. Duh on me—they close at 6 p.m. on Saturday! I took pictures of matching and complementing fabric and apologetically left the store. They were very kind and said they wouldn't have kicked me out until they'd finished vacuuming. By the way, it's difficult getting this color to photograph consistently, but trust me, they really were close matches!

The option that excited me most was one that resembled mattress/pillow ticking fabric. Even though Denise also liked the ticking, she still opted for the matching solid option. I used 3.5" x selvage-to-selvage width strips; sewed them into tubes with long basting stitches; turned them inside out; pressed crisply along seam and opposite edge; folded each; stuffed the 'stem' in an upside-down drink carrier until I was ready to hand-stitch through each to hold together; and then ironed on a interfacing circle on the back to cover the stitching.

As I was about half finished, I had the feeling I wanted to store/give them in an interesting container. My brain, working like the conveyor contraption at the dry cleaners, creaked, clicked and clacked until it came up with 'hey, there's that Braum's cookie package that's almost empty!' Ah, ha, I have to get rid of that last peanut butter cookie—big sacrifice for a friend and all. So, just a little while ago, I dropped off to Denise her dozen roses—actually a baker's dozen! She loved them, but maybe was a little disappointed there was no cookie hiding at the bottom.

This past Tuesday, I attended my first class at Oklahoma Quiltworks. I learned how to do paper piecing. It's a piecing technique that is incredibly precise in creating/aligning points, but required my brain to limber up far earlier in the day than I'd normally try. I liked the process. I loved the results. Shifting my paradigm of approach will take some time. I can see it being very practical in some applications but not necessary or desirable for all. Debbie Aldridge taught a fun and informative class! And get this, we were so spellbound by the instruction, none of us pounced on the snacks (a three-flavor danish ring from Panera and some mini-muffins) until after the class was over!

My other in-progress piece is a baby quilt for a lovely little lady who joined the world on the 17th of this month. These are some of the pieces. (More details in posting to come.) After a little hit-and-miss, I am to the point of pinning together the quilt sandwich. I hope to have it ready to deliver next week. Can't wait to see that precious little girl, Cairo!