Spring Hanger

This little 6" x 11" Spring hanger was a kit gift from my cousin Ann, it only took 2 years to get to it! I also have another at the machine in more primitive colours, same pattern though, just finishing the buttonhole stitching. Procrastination really is the thief of time! As Cyndi Lauper said in the 80's -- "just do it!".  Nike uses that slogan too!!

Colonial Lady

I've tried my hand at dolls again. A couple of years ago while in Colonial Williamsbug Virginia USA, for Thanksgiving, I purchased a book of ladies to make. The face is hand embroidery, not painted as instructed & the hair is embroidered & then painted in acrylic paint.  Here is one of the ladies with her little Dolly, with embroidered French knots around her head. Yes she's faceless, maybe the next one will have some french knots for eyes & a running stitch for the mouth.

I even made felted wool, hand sewn baby Jane shoes, the book had patterns for all sorts of clothes, even the shoes!

Little Dolly was really difficult to turn the fabric on something so small!

Tisket A Tasket-12 Month's in a Basket---Done!

The quilt was made larger by adding more sashing around the blocks. Now just the embellishments of buttons & ribbons are needed to complete it. Thank you Liz, for your patience on the machine quilting on it, you've been busy!

Pincushions

My goody bag from the Mystery Bus Tour had a wee fabric kit in it for a pincushion & instruction to go to All People Quilt website for the instructions. The 1st one I made was the small green one, the pre-cut fabric kit was cut too small for the pattern instruction, cut to 1 1/2"  strips instead of 2". There was still fabric strips left over so I made another & another & still more fabric scraps to  make a small place-mat. The place-mat pattern is one the backs of the small pincushion & the large has my Laura Ashley upholstery fabric, all were filled with crushed walnut shells. It was a fun easy afternoon project.  I used a smaller red rick rack to the red ones, I'm really enjoying the look of this vintage embellishment.

Sweet High Chair Find!

A sweet find during a afternoon outing with Bev,  at the Goodwill Community Store, beautiful new store. We were looking for homespuns from shirts & wool for primitive projects, I also found a hand knit baby blanket with hand embroidery (& moth holes to be repaired, for the authentic aging)... when I saw this sweet little high chair. An antique doll circa 1910, a gift from my husband Bill many years ago, fits in the chair as Goldilocks would say 'just right'. I have a piece of  antique medium blue batiste to make him a sailor suit, that's on my long to do list. I see short pants & a long sleeve shirt with the sailor collar, trimmed in white middy braid. Photos will follow later, to show the finished garment that's dancing in my head. How cute will he be!

Wrong Made Right

I never noticed the wrong of this pattern until I photographed it! ...after a few hours of unsewing & resewing, it was made right. I'm glad I took the time to correct it before it went to Liz for machine quilting.  Wow, it looks great, feathering was done around the outer edge & meandering filled the inside. A fun scrappy quilt to use up scraps, thank you Mystery Mayhem for a fun day & Liz your talents to finish off mine!

Lucky March

This March is surely a lucky March--our weather has been beautiful & the temps are in the double digits, feeling wonderful in the warmth of the sun. The wind is still cool & the reality is that we're still in the winter season.

I've been busy making green wee hangings, one from The Count On It book & the other from the Possibilities pattern. I made one for me & one for my Irish father-in-law, he loves the green. Years ago my crafty granddaughter Samantha & I made these 'clothes pin Leprechauns' I think of her every St Patty's Day when I take them out for display. 

My mom's mom had Irish parents & she loved St Patty's Day, I miss my grandma. Funny how I'm a middle aged mom & grandmother -- & I would miss my grandma. Grandma was larger than life, very spirited!

Happy St. Patty's Day to all that have stopped by, may you have the luck of the Irish too!

   

Tisket A Tasket-12 Month's in a Basket

This is the Redwork version of the Anne Sutton's free BOM a couple of  years ago. Now I'm  doing the applique version & want to make it bigger...

The auditioning of the sashing is from scraps & the homespun cornerstones will give a warm country feel to this little work of art.

 I'm doing a scrappy style with 2 1/2 sashing & corner stones, then framing it in with this navy/cream fabric I bought yesterday at the sale. My design wall  has been two IKEA mirrored doors, still in the box! No hurry with the install of them. It's such a grey day here today, good to be inside sewing up a storm!

Elizabeth's Dorm Quilt

This is for my niece Elizabeth, she is now in a dorm as she attends a university in Virginia. I am the absent Auntie, however I'm so proud of the woman she has become--without any of my influence. I hope she'll like this 'cuddle up & study' quilt made with love for her. It's ready for machine quilting now.  I've already made the scrappy binding to finish it off & it will be flannel backed for the cuddle feeling. : )

  

The pattern was Strips & Bubbles by Connecting Threads, it was to be 60"x60", I added another pattern set to make the quilt 60"x80" to add to the cuddle up factor. There's 30 circles, ten of each 4 1/2, 3 1/2, & 2 1/2, it's the hand applique of so many circles, that I wish I had been taught to sew with a thimble. So far I've found that the silicone thimble that's the most comfortable to wear---where is it?  Still looking for that bright orange  thimble! Yes, it's in my thread box!! I just remembered &  I'll need it for the hand sewing for the binding. This is for you Elizabeth, made with love, for a lovely young woman. XO

Another Fabric Outing...

The Quilts & Calico shop in Exeter had a 'Leap Year Sale' yesterday & Bev & I had planned this outing for a week. With schools closing in our area, due to the snow & ice storm that was to hit London in the morning, we knew that with the high of 5C in the afternoon it wouldn't last. We were off by 1pm to fulfill our wishes of the sale & the quest of the find. The sale was on & Linda, the owner  also emailed to all, that it's on this Saturday for those that could not make it because of the storm.

There I found a rooster panels for Liz & I-- to add to our last year's stash collection, this will be a rooster spring for us for sure. I found felt to make shoes for the dolls I'm making, flannel for touchable soft ducks in a baby quilt, the Vintage Thimbleberries line was 40% off, love that collection, & the background fabric by Wilmington Prints for Nicholas, my youngest son's, quilt. The real find of the day was the EZ Dresden Plate template, that's going to be so much fun. Anne Sutton's Bunny Tales has that as the free pattern, with so many inspirational fabrics, from civil war to polka dots.

This is the background fabric for Nick's Medieval alphabet quilt, it's going to be so beautiful but must finish several more UFO's till then.