W.i.P. Wednesday: Obsession

I don't think anyone is going to be shocked to hear that I can be a wee bit obsessive.  It started out innocently enough...  I just grabbed a fat quarter bundle of Briar Rose I'd had for ages to sew something on retreat with the Boston MQG.  I was intending to make Jedi Craft Girl's Stair Steps quilt but things veered a bit of course when I realized my HST print was directional and half my strawberries would be upside down if I stuck to the pattern.  After a few twists and turns on my design wall I came up with an alternate layout and this flimsy.

While I was waiting for backing fabric to arrive to finish it off I decided to make a coordinating Economy block pillow - totally normal.  I had enough of the strawberry print leftover for the back but didn't really like any of the prints for the binding.  I turned to my stash and that's when the trouble began...

First I pulled a couple pinks I thought would work, then found a couple of yellows, by the time I hit the oranges things were totally out of control.  In 20 minutes I had a whole stack pulled that would work and I knew another quilt was going to have to happen.  I should also mention that when I was cutting for Stair Steps each strip left me with some spare 5" and 2 1/2" squares.  I threw the 5" squares up on my design wall and started adding in what I'd pulled from stash.  As I looked at it I realized I was going to get bored just sewing together 5" squares so I started throwing together some 4 patches then railfence blocks and then some HSTs which are really just a gateway block to hourglasses.

I just kept making and mixing until 99 blocks later I had something I really liked.  I even deliberately sized it so I could use the perfect Caleb Gray Groove print I found in my stash for the back.  It was genius until I realized I didn't have any batting...  Did I mention it was also snowing?  You know my motto, "If it snows I don't go!"  Foiled again.

But wait, I still have those 2 1/2" squares!  I threw those together into a basic patchwork pillow which I was able to quilt and by some miracle had a matching zipper in the right size and I actually got to have a finished something to show for all my sewing.

There are a few bits and pieces left for the scrap bin so it may pop up again here and there but for now I think the Briar Rose bonanza of 2016 is done... and that means I can dive in to my Mendocino bundle;-)

My friend Aimee is a "one and done" fabric user.  I think the first project is just a meet and greet to see how the fabrics and I are really are going to work together.  What's your stance on getting back together with your fabric?

Pillow Stats:
Finished pillow is 18" x 18"
Fabrics: Briar Rose by Heather Ross.
Batting: Quilter's Dream Orient Bamboo.
Thread: 50 wt. Aurifil in  Natural White (2021).