I was convinced I’d stick with it and get finished piecing the Pickled Ladies border, but I suppose it was inevitable that I’d get distracted – I’m blaming the opening of that box full of 6″ sunflowers!

So a new project box is now in use.

Once I got the idea, I tried – really, I did! – very hard to resist but on the weekend resistance became impossible. So off I went to rummage through my batiks to see what I could find. Surprise, surprise – not! – there were lots of pinks, so I’ll be able to do a variety of beautiful pink flower blocks. What surprised me was how few greens I have! Pinks, definitely.  Some reds. Blues, yes. Some purples and mauves. But when it comes to greens, I was really surprised at how few I’ve bought over the years. However, I do have enough for my plan for the quilt and that’s all that counts right now.

Then it took only a few minutes to get the pieces I needed for the first block printed and cut out, ready to sew! I think, if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see some of the lines printed on the shapes.

So there’s not much in the project box yet, just enough for the first block. While it is going to be made using the 6″ and 12″ Inklingo Sunflower collections, it is going to be the first of the blocks for what I’m going to call my Peony Quilt.The best part? When I started looking through the batiks, I realized there are lots and lots that can be used for the 6″ Sunflower blocks too, when I get back to them.

This is going to be a slight diversion for me from piecing those border blocks as I absolutely have to get this first peony block made. Sewing the double sunflower is a treat – it’s nothing but lots and lots of continuous stitching and then some very gentle curved piecing. Nothing could be better!

I have always loved peonies. If there is any flower I’ll happily pay florist’s prices for, it’s peonies. Watching them open and inhaling that scent is so wonderful! My mother loved peonies too. When I was growing up we had peony bushes and, when they bloomed in late May/early June, there were always some peonies in the house. So making the Peony Quilt is the perfect idea for me and the treat I’m holding out for myself once I get the Pickled Ladies top finished. I even have a tentative plan for a border for the Peony Quilt!

For however many days it takes, the first peony block is going to be my focus this week. I got the first round done last night of adding the diamonds to the first triangles.

The back after pressing. I pressed this as I learned doing the 6″ sunflowers that it really makes it easier to press after each round of adding shapes. With the many pinks I have to choose from, some of my peonies will be darker than others – but they’ll all be pink!

“In the Pink.”

We go from a very sweet shot of Jake on the windowsill taken this weekend …

… to this shot of Baxter that Mr. Q.O. captioned, “Don’t mess with me!” Unfortunately, the flash caught his eyes ever so slightly but the photo is so funny with that caption I couldn’t resist using it!