Under The Tuscan Sun

My cousin Kathy Jane had a rough time of it last winter. She had to have surgery, and then shortly after, had a pulmonary embolism from a blood clot in her leg. She has fully recovered, but she was a long time in bed and with her leg propped up to prevent the rest of the blood clot from breaking lose. I made this quilt to cheer her up- not that I could imagine Kathy Jane as anything other than smiling and cheerful. I called it, "Under the Tuscan Sun," as it reminded me of what I imagine the Italian country-side would feel like on a warm, sunny autumn day. I experimented with the quilting and made stylized suns that meandered across the entire top. The pattern was from the book, "101 Rotary-Cut Quilts." It was a pattern that I had been wanting to try for a while and, though I regret her health problems being the catalyst to getting me to do it, I am happy with the results. I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to piece half of the quilts that I want to try. Maybe if I set up a schedule.... Well, I doubt that will happen as I am more of an improvisational kind of person. And my mood plays a big part in it. It amazes me how, one day, I am crazy for a particular fabric or design and then, a few months later- when I finally have a chance to work with it- I am not so inspired by it. Of course this isn't always the case, but sadly it is at times. Which, of course brings me full circle back to the acquiring of fabric. Yeah, it's all good. (If you look closely, you might be able to find the catapillar in the close-up of the quilting. For some reason, the needle broke on my quilting machine and tore a one inch long hole in the quilt top. I was traumatized, but a remedy presented itself, and it gives the quilt whimsy. right?)