4 Dolly Quilts, COMPLETE!

We made a quick trip to the post office yesterday to mail out 4 Dolly Quilts, which are headed for New York, I am proud to say. 

I learned a lot making these little quilts, some very valuable skills like chain piecing. 

I also learned to keep the design simple and as large as possible, without compromising intricacy and authenticity, of course. I started out making 1/2 inch triangles for the peppermint pinwheels, which proved to be difficult to work with and the small scale gave the finished quilt a bumpy bulk.

 But it all worked out in the end, because the finished product is rather lovely.

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 Here are the other three quilts: 

::: A Christmas rail fence design :::

::: A soft pink nine patch :::

::: And a vintage floral triangle design :::

 I think this last one is my favorite. 

My wish is that these pint size quilts make their way onto the beds of  4 well-loved Dollies, and eventually the quilts will become well-loved too.
Happy quilting!

Before and Afters

Since moving into our house, back in May, I have found the time to do a few makeover projects. There is something very satisfying about giving well loved furniture new life, and a new look. Here are a few before and after pictures.

Before: my humble sewing table

After: Dark stain on the legs and a crisp white top, and silver knob.

Before: a pine dresser

 With wooden knobs, boring.

 After: a whitewash stain and silver knobs

And also, a little side table redone too.

And last, and the redo I am most excited about is our wee garden path. Here is the before picture, it's a simple walkway with diamond shaped pavers.

Before:

 After: terraced steps, ooh la la.

...and also a little step path, so we can have a stable place to pick strawberries, which are vine-ing out at incredible speed!

 I wish I had more makeover projects to show you! As we settle into our home I'm sure other furniture items or areas of the house or yard will inspire me, and I will be compelled to do a re-do. One of the most satisfying things in life, I find, is making an environment my own. It serves two purposes: first, I feel more comfortable and "at home" in a space where there are lots of handmade, beautiful, crafty things. And second, seeing said beautiful and crafty things further inspires me to create. When I walk these paths, I feel a rush of earthy love as my feet touch the soft, round rocks. I can't help but daydream about other areas of the yard that would benefit from a few well-placed stones. I sure benefit from them.

Dolly Quilt Update

Deadlines, I love them. The (self imposed) deadline here : Complete 4 dolly quilt tops with backings, before Labor Day. 

Deadline met, pat myself on the back.