Tiny Neon Flying Geese

This little flying geese mug rug has been a WIP for so long. It had been lingering for more than two years! 

Flying geese in a circle. 8" x 8" using neon fabrics and kona coal.

I started this little guy right after QuiltCon 2013, I was really inspired to use the bright neons I'd bought at the show. I whipped up this little 8" x 8" block using the free paper pieced pattern from Briarpatch Studio. I shrunk the paper pattern by 50% (I think...). The little flying geese measure just 1" x 1/2"! 

It's just one block - why did it take me two years to finish? First it was because I wanted to make it into a mini quilt, and I couldn't decide what else to add to it. Then I was using it as a sample in my foundation paper piecing demos at IQF. When I pulled it out to use during my IQF demo last month I noticed that it had faded. FADED. The neon pink in the block was half as pink as the leftover scraps. The block had never spent much time in the sun, and had been packed away with my paper piecing things for most of the two years but it was so faded. 

I decided the only real use for this block is to be a sample during my demos. I suppose that will have to do. I'm sad to have spent the time precisely piecing it only for the fabric to fade. It's a lesson learned, neon fabric is just not that stable. 

I finished this up at the Chicago MQG retreat a few weeks ago. Adding a bit of fancy free motion quilting seemed just right for it. I'm sure I'll make another with better fabrics one day, but until then, this is my little paper pieced demo sample.