I saw this workshop listed at Silks and More in Columbia, MO (now Apple Tree) starting Dec 9, 1999 taught by Margie Lee as a Block of the Month club. A fabric kit was available for the whole quilt, but I chose my own fabrics. Even back then at the beginning of my quilt journey, I liked to do my own thing. I didn't care for the vase of tulips, so I used a pattern called Hummingbird & Fuchsias by Ravenwood Designs. I had to figure out what piece was laid down first on the block, etc., as I didn't want to take up her time, just because I wasn't going by the class design. I learned the techniques from her. You use black bias tape, and a twin needle, with a 3.0 length.

Only 2 of the blocks are the same as the pattern for the class - the 2 butterflies. I hadn't had a lot of experience at this point in time, but I wanted to "improve" (or not), and make the blocks more to my own taste. Five blocks were changed, and five of the blocks were replaced with other designs. It sat for 14 years, then in 2014, I pieced it together. The first block changed was the daffodil. I added a bud. The three morning glories were probably designed to make it easier to use with bias, but I changed them to make them look fuller and more realistic. I did the same thing with the iris block, by making it more realistic. The rose had a large negative space, and I added another bud to make it three. I love hummingbirds, so added one to the three daisy-like flowers. I didn't care for the four geometric corners. I'm not an abstract kind of girl, so added flowers instead. Then instead of the bird, I added a third hummingbird to help draw the eye around the quilt.

One of the reasons it took so long to finish, was that I wasn't crazy about the outer borders. Then in 2014, I was asked to give a trunk show and presentation on Photography and Art Quilts to BTQG, Booneslick Trail Quilters Guild. I wanted to finish some of my pieces that I had started to use with the trunk show. I didn't want the ladies to be disappointed by not having enough quilts to view. This quilt was one of 11 that I had started previously, never finished, and completed for the presentation. At that point, I decided if I had trouble deciding what to do with the outer borders, I'd just leave them off. Plus, it'd be smaller and easier to find a place to hang it. So, I arranged the blocks, and sewed them together.