With the stitching and cording finished on "Cathedral Boutis Blues" , I have started my next boutis design. Whenever I design a project for myself, I like to make it relevant to my world and my experiences, just like every generation of quilters and designers has always done. Birds have always fascinated me and one of the delights of our balcony garden is the constant flurry of hummingbirds around the 3 feeders my husband faithfully tends. I am thrilled for the opportunity to observe and photograph these delicate creatures at such close range. They have inspired many of my patterns. There is resolve and focused determination in their ability to hover at the feeder with a steady, stable grace. Perhaps that's the reason I admire them and am drawn to them. In a boutis project, narrow channels form the outline of the design. These channels are stitched first, and then individually corded with a cotton yarn, thereby adding relief that highlights the design. The colour