Sunflower Quilt

I spent the week after Christmas cleaning out my office/studio and closet. The "closet" is a huge, 10x10 foot space with built-in shelves along one wall. I use the shelves to store my fabric stash. Two of the walls are only half-height, as the roof slants in and, short as I am, even I can't stand up at the wall edge.  The rest of the space is storage for various art supplies, gift wrap supplies, and anything else that needs a home.  It is also Christmas central.  And by the time Christmas was over, I literally couldn't even walk into it.  Now it is beautifully organized, and I've set up my desk in the center for all of my painting/sketching endeavors.  

In the cleaning and sorting that went on, I found several UFOs - "unfinished objects" in quilt-speak - in various stages of completion.  One of them was a 6-block, fusible applique sunflower top, about 15x20 inches.  Last week I got it batted and ready for quilting.  I did FMQ around the sunflowers, and once again used the faux piping binding technique I wrote about last time.

As I was quilting it, I was trying to decide what to do with it, when I remembered that a cousin had mentioned his wife's love of sunflowers and had asked me if someday I'd make a sunflower quilt for her.  Voila!  Perfect solution.  Last weekend was gray and dreary, and working on this quilt  was a bright and cheerful escape from the gloom.  I hope she will find it as bright and happy as I did!