I have had to spend some time in hospitals & other waiting places lately so have been taking little projects to work on. I call it my therapy bag because it can make you forget some of your problems. Have my cherry quilt (see earlier blogs) in good position to have some hope of finishing it. Lots of little cherries to applique but it's going to be great when it's done.

Well, I finally finished this one...almost anyway. It seems there is several little errors. Okay, a lot, but that is what invisible thread is for. It was a great plan and I love the bear which is actually a 1930s feedsack. I had most of the trees done before I started it but had forgotten some were trimmed down to an exact size...just some so I had to work around it. I have more of the bear and recently acquired one with a lighthouse which is cool. It was at America's largest antique show last Halloween and the dealer actually had 2 but one was red and blue and one was red and green so the bought the blue one because the other one looked to much like Christmas. Later I thought the red & green one would be great w/an embroidered Santa & the reindeer flying above the lighthouse but, of course, she sold it before I could get back. Don't have that one planned out yet but will eventually post it.

This is a true scrap quilt top! I traded a lifelong friend for one of mine because I was hoping to get a different pattern that she has made a lot of. I don't have much interest in the scrappy ones, but, she is a beloved friend and I am happy to get one she made.
She is one of the smartest people you could know and she used to say if you have an affair with a man, be sure he is married! Which she did.

It's actually not quite finished because I have been collecting red buttons to put where the corners join. Now if I can only find them! I bought the embroidered Sunbonnet girls from someone on Ebay who has one of those great machines that can do that all by itself. I actually bought 2 sets and I have the other plans in a previous blog.

This is a panel in the center which I love! This one even had a label to put my name & year on the back, hopefully 2010. I've been trying to do that more. Colors are actually burgundy and I'm going to get a brown backing for it to match the brown surrounding the Santa.

Here's a few more boxes...love the possum fabric I bought and used it all for boxes. The star shape box is Noah's ark.

Addicted to covered boxes!

Cool out of print or new fabrics and/or trims, are turning up more and more at Antique Shows or Flea Markets so I am exposed to them even when I don't head out the door to Fabric Depot. I never buy fat quarters like a lot of people I know because I can buy a full quarter yard for about the same price. But, in the end, I have too much fabric no matter what it cost. I have finally come to understand that I cannot possibly live long enough to use it all for quilts so covering boxes with said fabric is an excellent alternative and I love it! Anyone who gets presents from me might be obligated to give a covered gift box a home but that is their problem. B K Howell has great low prices on nested boxes and all the trimmings.