I decided that I would choose the applique fabrics for this quilt from my 3 little drawers of scraps – rather than carefully choosing the fabric from my stash. I began by sorting the various bits into their color families.

I've also decided to work without a 'real' pattern. I've got my preliminary sketch and the vision in my head. I'm cutting the pieces by hand, no templates, no lines on the fabric. I'll eye-ball the the seam allowances and finger-press it under as I go.

Why am I working this way? From a design standpoint, I'm trying to capture what it might be like to make this quilt if Alzheimer's was taking away my skills. But I'm also 'working without a net' because it is a real challenge and I enjoy a challenge.

"When I am empty of my memories – please pick them up and keep them safe
for me." This is the idea I am building my quilt on. I want it to feel empty in the center. Is empty dark or light? I started with off-white petals on the central flower. They disappeared into the background, which I expected but wasn't crazy about. For now, empty is dark – like a black hole. The flower center may go dark or stay light – it's going to depend on how the quilt builds around the center.

As I have spent time looking at the photo, I think I need to flatten out some of the curves on the dark petals, making them less flower-like…