All the fruits are finished, and applied to the background this week.
I tried three different centers, from white daisies on red (no), a double plaid (no), a beautiful radish print (no).
Dots. That’s what worked, was dots.
This was my first tentative step forward. As I peeled the fruits from their parchment paper backgrounds, I would occasionally find a place where the light crept through, so I reached for my bag of scraps and cut another tiny angular piece to cover up the holes. I have now learned that obsessing over these scraps is a fool’s errand.
I’ve got a good start, but the needle keeps gumming up. I looked for anti-stick needles, but they don’t make them for the big quilting machines (I have a Handiquilter Sweet Sixteen) so I’m resigned to changing out the needle often and in between, swipes with nail polish remover. We run a high-tech shop, here.
When my mother was 90 years old, just the seven children hosted a luncheon for her, celebrating her life, which led me to think about mothers.
Mothers come in tall, medium and large. Mothers come in grumpy and happy. Mothers come in tired. Mothers come in a combination of adoring their children, frustrated with their children, and when will this kid ever go to college. Mothers love flowers, stroking babies’ cheeks, catching them when they dash through the mall as toddlers, pining for them when they go off to college, usually never to return home. Mothers come in all colors. Mothers come in street-smart, book-smart, and not-so-smart, but they all come in surprised at the task that lies before them and hope they will make it. Mothers mostly do, and if and when they don’t, other mothers somehow find their way to us, to teach us, bring us up, and leave us with memories.
Happy Mother’s Day–
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
Happy Mother’s Day, Elizabeth 🌷
You have such patience dealing with the sticky needle would drive me crazy! I love the look and did collage work on one project and swore never again I would love to know your true thoughts on doing collage work.
Your words on Mothers are special and I love them. Happy Mothers Day to you Elizabeth!
Beautiful work! Sticky Needle-Are you sewing through fusible? Sometimes if the glue is not completely melted the needle will stick-try pressing again. Happy Mother’s Day.
Loving your awesome fruit quilt and the center! Happy Mother’s Day❤️
Happy Mother’s Day. May the day land gently. ❤️
Your fruit look fabulous, Elizabeth! There’s nothing artificial about them. In fact, they look quite realistic. I can imagine how the fusible is gumming-up the needle, but kudos for you to have the patience to periodically clean the needle. That’s a labor of love for one’s craft. What a pretty luncheon picture. I am certain my children will never provide such a thing for me. Those flowers are gorgeous, and I hope for you that it means you received flowers for Mother’s Day, preferably from at least one of your children. Have a lovely day!
❤️
Happy Mother’s Day to you.
I had not thought about the fact that the needle would gum up with this project. How often do you need to clean the needle?
Happy Mother’s Day. Any of those centers would have been good with your beautiful fruits. I was wondering if it would gum up the needle something awful. Sounds like you found a solution for it.
Happy Mother’s Day to you. Your fruit look quite delicious.
Don’t you love how the grid quilting showcases the little white polka dots,making a little red, four-spotted domino? Your table topper is going to be lovely! Perhaps it will grace your table for your next milestone birthday. Happy Mother’s Day! And enjoy those beautiful tulips I know you received.
These fruits have all turned out wonderfully and I love the red and white polka dot centre. The overall effect is just perfect. It reminds me of those 50’s tablecloths, which I love 🙂
I love your closing paragraph, gave me chills, all so true.
A delicious quilt. So refreshing, so summer!
Your collaged fruit turned out quite well, and I hope you had a good Mother’s Day–a while back now, I know!