And the winner is

I have arranged and rearranged and then rearranged again.  Trying to find the right balance.  It is difficult for me to do when playing with monochromatic neutrals.  I settled on this layout.  But to add color or not to add color.  I do so love to play with color and pattern. 

One suggestion I received, during the agony of trying to decide whether to add color or not to add color, came from Sujata.  Why not try adding some delicate saffron slivers rather than the strips with the tiny bits of colors. I loved this thought.  As I tried playing around with this idea, the light bulb went from 75 watt to 150 watt.  This piece does not need any color.  What was I thinking?  Each block is quilted in it's own pattern, as if it were a separate piece of fabric.  It needs no more than that.  She had gently led me back to my original thought, which was a soft, neutral quilt.  Thank you Sujata.  Isn't it wonderful to have so many good friends to help you find your way back home? 

And VANILLA BEAN it is

 

Joining the individual blocks were a breeze.  Joining the longer strips of blocks, not so easy.  Well, the joining part was easy. I did enjoy  the challenge of hiding the joining strips. And the challenge of fitting all the odd sized blocks together.   Since there is no busy pattern to hide the strips, I didn't want them to be in your face.   

Guess you can still pick them out, but hopefully I've made it a bit tricky to see. 

Now you've got to quilt these joining strips and that involves more manipulating.  But then, it still beats quilting the whole quilt.  I could get used to this. 

I could have this whole thing completed by next week, if I stick to it.  

But there is this other project that I keeps asking for rearrangement.  She provides a nice break when I begin to be a bit twitchy from sewing straight lines and cramming all that linen under the sewing machine throat.  Here is what she is feeling like today. 

What does she make you think of?  

Hopefully not a Las Vegas showgirl's head dress. 

We'll she how she feels tomorrow.