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.

Remembering and Celebrating

I have spent every waking available moment working on Dolly quilts. I have a deadline, which I rather like. It's nice to be able to plan a project and plan the project's completion too. However, in the rush to complete and deliver these tiny quilts on time, I sometimes get away from the reason I like to sew: because it's fun! So when my son's birthday approached, I decided to get back to my roots and make him something FUN!

My son loves owls, he had a dream about owls when he was very little and the image stuck, so one King Owl stuffie pillow was in order.

And, since I got so much flack for making 4 other boys' capes and not a cape for my own boy, I made him a cape (with some nifty pleats around the collar).

Now is the part when I gush about my little guy. He is a very loving person first and foremost. He will pause any activity and run across the room to give me a kiss, if I ask for one. His imagination amazes me and he can turn a bottle cap into a magic flying convertible airplane with ruffles edges for better flying power. Um, Wow. He is very passionate and he can fly completely off the handle screaming and yelling, and this can happen anywhere, even at the library. He is active, strong, and energetic and he is on the go from morning till night. He falls asleep completely exhausted, sprawled out in his bed. I feel honored to be his Mom, watching in awe as he grows up.

Happy birthday, Dear Boy!

Pint-sized Quilts

What I would give to be a dolly right now! I would be looking at crawling into one cozy, colorful  dolly bed, that's for sure! Cutie's dear Aunt is letting me contribute some dolly quilts to her booth at the upcoming dolly show in October. I have to work swiftly, and these micro-sized shapes are quite challenging.

 But, nonetheless, my creative juices never turn off and I press on. Here's what I have so far (all works in progress).

First (below) is a complete quilt top, rail fence design with white boarder. Christmas fabric, yes, inspired by the upcoming season, and the perfect gift for your Dolly.

Next, red and white pinwheels. Talk about tough-to-get-those-1/2-inch-triangles-to-line up-good-grief. The rose fabric is the backing.

I do have fingers-crossed that the finished quilt will be bitchen tho. Just imagine a slick bright boarder around the edge to clean it all up.

Third, this one got started yesterday, will be a nine patch design with soft, light pink fabrics. The fabrics are below. L-R: the striped boarder, the back (soft meadow scene) and the little stack of 3 pinks on the right will make up the nine patch, along with Kona white. 

 Here are the first 3 squares.

 Lastly, this stack will be - I'm thinking - a triangle design of some sort (but not pinwheels!). I am very excited to cut into these lovely vintage florals.

I'll keep you posted on my progress! Happy Quilting!