I have a vision!

Saw this in the grocery store a couple of weeks ago, and realized I really, really wanted it:

I love the Christmas Traditions fabric, and the only reason I didn't pick it up earlier this year was because I didn't have a project for it. But this? Counts as a project. There are only 2 catches:

1) This quilt requires paper piecing - which I have never tried.
2) This quilt requires applique - which I have also never tried.

Applique has been on my "to try" list for a while, since I love the way it looks and it seems like the blanket stitching but might be up my "likes to doodle on fabric" alley. But foundation piecing? I'm normally pretty fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants as quilters go so I'm a little less sold. Nonetheless, I really really liked this quilt pattern, and it gives me a chance to work with Fabric I love. So I bought the magazine.

And then my sewing machine went in for servicing. So I bought the fabric:

To the tune of about $200.

...It's always time to learn a new technique, right?