Happy New Year (of the Rat) and TIFC February

Welcome to the Year of the Rat! Well, the old year certainly went out with a bang (and a sizzle) last night with a pyrotechnic display orchestrated by my colleague that ended up with us setting some dry grass on the local golf driving range alight (OOPS!!) after a wayward rocket flipped onto its side and set off into the grass. Unfortunately, the grass that started to burn was on the OTHER side of the 50 feet tall chain link fence of the driving range from where we were standing, causing the guards to start running around in circles barking into their walkie talkies.....but doing nothing else. One of our friends tried putting it out through the fence using beer (quite enterprising and he's not even an Aussie) but that didn't work. So some of our friends sprinted down to the driving range clubhouse, found a couple of extinguishers, scrabbled under the fence through the drainage canal (eek!), ran the entire length of the driving range....and put the fire out. Luckily Beijing grass burns slowly, but it does beg the question "Where were the Authorities?" (Noone turned up during or after the fire-fighting extravaganza. I suspect they were all out having their own pyrotechnic show with their families.) It also reinforces why fireworks have been banned in all countries that have independent courts and the ability to sue the pants off someone else........

It WAS quite exciting, though......

Anyway, on to TIFC February. I am struggling a bit on what to do this month given I need to keep the project under control as I have limited time for it. I am quite taken with the idea of hexagon patchwork (see previous TIFC February post), but I am wondering exactly how to incorporate it. I am hampered by my small stash and my distance from any quilt shops...or maybe that is a good thing. I thought about trying to do something very traditional, say floral, but I don't have enough nice floral fabrics. Also, my taste is not for this type of thing these days so I doubt I would enjoy doing it. So I have been wondering how I could modernize it a bit as a way to bring the old together with the new....

I like the color scheme for this month, provided by Sharon:

and I found a piece of fabric by Elly Sienkiewicz in my cupboard that matches remarkably well, so I thought I could use that as a basis because although it is traditional floral looking, for me it is relatively recently that I have come to know Elly and my life has become enriched by knowing her. So it blends old and new for me, anyway. I have also stuggled to find some coordinating fabrics, but then I found a few in my silk collection, and I thought it would be nice to update the hexagon patchwork concept with Chinese silk that reflects where I live today. I don't have anything in the last color on Sharon's palette although that color is in the Elly S. fabric, so I may have to substitute this for a darker russet. Here is the selection of fabric I have come up with so far:

Actually, they look closer to the color palette in real life than it looks in this scan. Still, the red russet is clearly not the right color for the palette, but let's see whether I come up with a better idea before I actually start. Today I am finishing an applique block while recovering from yesterday's festivities!