164/165. Just Can't Cut It

 My grandchildren love having Christmas blankets through the holidays. Years ago I made several out of the same pattern, Just Can't Cut It.  It's a super easy pattern, goes together quickly and is perfect for those larger scale prints that you don't want to chop into tiny pieces.

Charlotte and Levi each already have a Christmas quilt, so this was the year to get Gabe and Ella covered up.

I had started the blocks for Gabe's quilt last year, and then time got away from me. This year I was able to finish his, and in the space of a couple hours one Sunday afternoon, chose the fabric and completed Ella's quilt too.

Gabe's quilt is mostly red and green, but I didn't have enough of any single print for the border, so it was fun to make a scrappy border.

Years ago, I purchased 3 1/2 yards of the cutest Christmas fabric and I have been waiting, and waiting, for the perfect project to use it. Gabe is already quite an artist. He loves drawing, and I knew this was just the right backing as it looks hand drawn.

Ella loves pink, so I gathered all the pink Christmas fabric I could find. Cute nutcracker fabric and gingerbread houses seemed like the perfect choices. I used a couple of non-traditional fabrics in her--the cherries, which included some chocolate covered cherries, and also some hoarded Sandi Henderson Henna Garden in the red and pink colorway. Because all the sweetness needing a little toning down, I chose brown for the inner border, just like a ribbon of chocolate.

I had a hard time finding a good place to photograph them, and the lighting was not ideal, but I was anxious to deliver the quilts.

Title: Just Can't Cut It

Date Completed: 2016

Quilted by: Darby Myers