Quilt - "Christmas Boxes"

Five-inch swapped squares form the centers of the blocks for "Christmas Boxes," the quilt I finished today - number three of four of my Works in Progress (WIPs).  Here is the back:

Just as I was beginning to think I was reaching the end of my WIPs, I realized there are two more in the works, and really another, if I can persuade myself to get out of the denial stage.

"Do not buy any more fabric until the WIPs are finished, do not buy any more fabric until the WIPs are finished, do not buy any more fabric until the WIPs are finished," I keep telling myself.  But it does no good; I succumbed to the alluring charms of eleven different plaids and stripes while at the Folsom Quilt Show earlier this week.

Fiber postcards - Snowmen

 

I participated in a winter-themed postcard swap.  My cards are like real little quilts, with fused surface fabrics, a thin layer of batting, quilting, Peltex to make it stiff, fabric backing, and the card is satin-stitched around the edges.  On these I also did free-motion stitching of the word "Winter" - going over it three times to make it visible.  I was surprised, in this swap, to receive in trade three cards that didn't involve padding or quilting, but I guess "fiber postcard" isn't, by definition, a "quilted postcard."

I wonder if there is a "quilted postcard" exchange anywhere out there...

Quilt - "Softscape"

Yesterday I finished another of my scrappy Works In Progress.  I call it "Softscape," a term for the plant portion of a landscape.  I shouldn't say this quilt is completely finished, because I still need to weave in the ends of the quilting threads; for some reason I never mind doing that.  These fabrics were leftover from the Aster-go-round quickie quilt I made last June.  Naturally, I did not have quite enough scraps left over, so I had to buy more flower prints to complete this one, thereby defeating the purpose of "using up the stash."

So what to do?  All this floral fabric, and little inclination to do another flowery quilt.  The quilt backing saved me from having to add the florals to my dwindling storage space - I made the backing of big and little patches of floral fabric; the larger pieces are older fabric that was given to me from several sources. In addition, I made the binding out of five different fabrics.  I like the effect.

 

The first photo was taken at night, and the second in the daylight, that one a better representation of the actual colors in the quilt (and walls).

This quilt does not yet have a destination, but I am thinking, "back bedroom."

Next goal:  Sandwich and quilt Christmas quilt.  Starting today.