Quilted Christmas Cards Part 2

Tonight, it is back to the quilted Christmas cards.  I've been working on the detailed stitching.  With my fabric addition, I've found a number of fun Christmas prints this year.  So, I have about 10 different designs that I'm working with.  And, with approximately 60 to make, this is probably a good thing since it means that I shouldn't get bored with any one design.  Unfortunately, 2 of the prints have a lot of detailed stitching.  I've been tackling those prints to get them out of the way early.  It is definitely fun and satisfying, but doesn't really lend itself to photos (since they will get sent out) just yet.

Two books were my initial inspiration for these cards.  "Make and Mail Post Cards" by Cheryl Haynes, Barbara Cooley, and Beth Davis first caught my attention, since I collect post cards.  This book provided a lot of the basics.  The cards in this book are great.  The cards have almost a folk art style, with no fussy cut prints.  A lot of the cards lend themselves to working in felt.  It was a great starting point.

And, then I found "Positively Postcards" by Bonnie Sabel and Louis-Philippe O'Donnell.  The cards in this book are varied, rely on the prints of the fabric, and are really artistic.  I fell in love with the cards in this book, especially the ones where fussy cut prints.  Fussy cut refers to cutting around an image close to the border, like the fussy cut prints shown here.  I might have gone a little crazy with fussy cutting prints.  Okay, I definitely let things get out of hand.  Typically, I'll cut a wide path around an image, put Steam-A-Seam2 on the back, and then cut really close to the image.  Then, when I get the chance to assemble, I'm ready to go.  Using more of the Monopoly print fabric, like the Water Works rectangle in the above photo, a card like the one here is rather quick and easy to make in an evening: