Fun with Quilt Backings

It all started when I didn't have quite enough fabric left to make a backing for my quilt.  It was an ivory tone-on-tone and I didn't want to buy more, so I put a wide strip of gold right across the middle of the backing and called it "done!"  Not real clever, but I kind of liked it.  

The next few times I just wanted to use up scraps and not spend a lot of money on fabric for backings.  Hmmm, a little more interesting this time. 

Okay, now it's getting intriguing!  It's starting to look like a reversible quilt.  This time I played a little more with arranging the scraps.

I just finished piecing two backings for quilts I want to complete at Retreat in a few weeks.  I had fun with these.


The blue backing was another one where I just wanted to get rid of scraps.  You know...fat quarters I don't really like, fabrics people gave to me after they found a sack of material in their attic or basement and thought I could use it, pieces I picked up off the swap table at quilty get togethers even though I didn't need them....that kind of thing.

I'm really liking the pink backing.  I decided to use up some pretty small scraps on this one, and I've been wanting to try my hand at some Crumb Quilts.  It was fun.

Here's a close-up of the crumb part:

One negative to piecing a backing is that it takes a long time, usually an entire day.  So I don't do it a lot, but it is a fun way to use up scraps, make your quilt a little more original, and feel like you're being creative. 

And speaking of being creative, one day soon I'll show you the fronts of these quilts!

Vicki's "Quilty R & R"

Good secretaries are to be greatly appreciated.   My Hubby has had some excellent secretaries throughout his career, the most recent being Vicki.   Seems their work relationship is ending because of some restructuring within the company so he asked me to make her a quilt to express our gratefulness.   He really likes his quilt that I made from the "Habitat" pattern and he wanted me to make a similar quilt for Vicki.   Of course, I had to use batiks, and this time I managed to use over 100 different fabrics.  (Not a great idea.  When Hubby said, "That's a LOT of batiks!" I realized I was  -- BUSTED!)  Anyway.....Here is Vicki's quilt which we call "Quilty R & R."

We gave it to her at lunch last week, and I'm pretty sure she loves it!!  

Now if she will just "light somewhere" as Hubby says and enjoy it.  She's a busy gal!