Ice-Dyed Fruit Loop

As this year winds down I find that I still have creative obligations knocking on my studio door.  Houston International Quilt Festival is over for 2012 but planning for 2013 is already in the works plus I was just asked to be part of the faculty for a fantastic 2014 Panama Canal Cruise that Deb Roberts Tours and Road to California are planning.  This is going to be a big event. 

So we need some new patterns for that cruise.  Oh, I forgot to tell you that all these proposals have to be in by December 5th. 

So, for the last couple of weeks I have been working out the bugs on some new pattern ideas.  Not all my ideas have worked out and I thought you might like to see how it has been going.

This may not look like anything but a yellow blob but I have always wanted to do an orchid. Orchids grow all over the tropics - perfect for the Panama Cruise!  By day 3 my husband, who now works out of the house alongside me, decided to take one of his 3-4 "breaks"  during the day to visit my studio and inform me that maybe this orchid might be a little too hard for a cruise.  Remember the gals on the last cruise?  They didn't  want anything too challenging, they just wanted to have fun.

 To be finished on another day..

OK, he was right. This may be better for another day.  Back to the drawing board. 
Then I found the perfect tropical subject matter and it's not a flower.  How about my favorite bird, the toucan? 

He is so cute and has such personalty and I made him in 2 hours.  Now this is more like it.  I started adding leave to the background using my ice-dyed green fabrics.   It gives the leaves a  watercolor look without having to use a lot of different fabrics, which is great for the cruise because the cruisers don't want to bring that much stash with them.  I will have the ice-dyed greens in their kits. 

Finally, he is done.  Next is the stitching, which will have to be done at home but the pattern will have details for how to quilt this cute little guy.  I think he needs a name...how about Fruit Loop?

He looks hard to make but he's really easy.

Now, for all you orchid lovers out there, don't worry,  I am still working on the orchid pattern - just not right now.  It will be a great one day class for the future.  Maybe at the next quilt show near you?