Design Wall Monday 12-30-2014

Since Christmas is now over I can share pictures of a big quilt I did for Jenny.  The blocks in this quilt were made by the members of our Queen Bee group.  When it was Jenny's turn we chose our blocks and she sent out fabrics.  I made a couple but can't remember which ones.  She put it together and asked me to quilt it for her.  It is a big quilt and we decided it would look best with custom quilting. (Am I crazy?)  I had it for quite a while waiting for Ruthie to be computerized.  Then I felt I had to have some experience under my belt.  With plenty of time, or so I thought, I loaded it on Ruthie.  I had to buy a few things, like a sashing pattern and a couple of individual block patterns just for variety.  I used what I had for the most part.  What I decided after I was totally done was I should have bought some additional patterns for specific blocks.  Over all, I was pleased as was Jenny.  It went to her mother-in-law for Christmas, hence the secrecy!

I never got a full view picture of the quilt.  It was bright and cheerful.  Most of the quilting was amazing.  I had some issues at the end trying to keep the sashing pattern actually on the sashing.  Could have been me or the piecing, I just don't know enough about this quilting with computerized system to say.  Here are some of the photos I did take.

Ruthie is a petite girl at just 18" so I had to turn the quilt to do the last row and the bottom sashing and borders.  I guess I need to really think about what size quilts I put on her.  Luckily it is very fast to load a quilt using the red snappers. I'm hoping that Jenny got a picture of the whole quilt when she gave it to Tonya. 

And, now, a cute snowman we saw driving up the rural way to Kevin's house on Christmas day. These are bales of hay that have been wrapped in white plastic.  This farmer often has bales decorated so passer bys can enjoy them.  

Here are my goals from last week.  I'm surprised I got as many of them done as I did. I seem to be way behind this year. Ellie got her ornament but I've got Sophie's a third of the way done and Natalie's isn't even started. Note to self: start 2015 ornaments much earlier.

Week of December 22, 2014

Wrap presents√

Hair cut√

Finish Ornament for one and continue on the others√

Embroider other stuff (hum, I wonder what I was thinking on this one…??)

Slap a quilt on Ruthie and let her do her thing√

Finish snowball blocks for FCQEquilter

Make aprons for the grands (so didn’t happen…)

Make 2 different types of cookies (2 batches of one style got done…) √

I'm not posting goals this week.  I am going to re-evaluate how I do goals for 2015.  I may continue as is but I'm thinking of making them more long term and only posting once a month.  Any ideas on that?  

Have a safe New Years.  I'll be back probably on New Year's day to post my stash busting statistics.  I'm not terribly excited about actually having busted more fabric than acquired.  I'll admit all on my next post. 

As always I'm connecting with Patchwork Times. 

Happy Quilting All! 

Playing With Dolls

I got side-tracked yesterday looking for doll clothes to fit the doll I got for Natalie.  I'm making clothes for it.  (eventually I'll share the one outfit I've finished.  It is for a baby doll that is about 14" which no pattern lists as a doll size.  So, I've fussed with the patterns so I have the one outfit.  I had two patterns from when Jenny was a little girl that I knew I had but couldn't find before I went to the store. Of course, I found them when I got home!) 

Look what I found instead of doll clothes.  I'm pretty sure this doll was dressed by my dad's mom, Grandma Rowe.  When her younger son married, she dressed dolls that matched the bride and all the bridesmaids.  This one reminds me of those dolls although not the outfit. 

And here is a little "kewpie" style doll.  I don't think there was any name on the back of the doll but she is made of some type of porcelain or similar product.  Poor dear needs some clothes. I'm guessing she is from my mom's side of the family. 

And, finally, the grand finale of my older dolls. Isn't she amazing.  Her arms are leather.  I'm wondering if someone took an old glove and made her body from that.  Her face is drawn on and she is wearing a doll wig. 

Take a look at the beautiful work on her shoes! Unfortunately, I'm not sure which side of the family owned this doll.  I have several dolls from my mom's side and often received wonderful dolls from my dad's mom for Christmas. (Maybe some day I'll take those dolls out, spruce them up, dress them in their finery and have a photo shoot so that I can share them with you.) Somewhere I have my mom's Patsy doll.  I need to do a bit more searching for my dolls aand put these dolls away to protect them.

I played with dolls a lot while I was growing up.  Barbies were just coming in when I was about through with dolls.  I actually have an old Barbie but not much more than that.  

Did you play with dolls as a girl?  Do you remember your favorites?  I'll be sharing some of my other dolls in the future.  I know I loved my Tiny Tears, Ginny dolls and Madam Alexander dolls.  I even have my own American Girl doll that I don't share with my grands yet.  Sophia isn't into dolls but Natalie loves her dollies.  It's too soon to tell if Ellie will be a doll fan.  

I'm heading up to the studio to throw a couple of quilts on Ruthie (named after my dad's mom who gave me lots of dolls during my childhood.) 

Happy Quilting All! 

Design Wall Monday 12-22-2014

We're down to the wire now... 
                       presents need to be finished
                                      and wrapped

Except, we won't be seeing one set of grands until later so I have a little reprieve.  I have just a little sewing to finish the other grands item. Don't tell her but here's what I've been working on.... counted cross stitch ornaments.

I was going to get the newest issue and ran out of time.  I figured if there were 76 ornaments in last year's issue and I only made one style, I had a lot of other ones to choose from.  I'm two eyebrows and a smile away from being able to finish Ellie's.  And, I have a start on the ones for Natalie and Sophia.  I won't be seeing them right away so I can squeeze in a few more things. 


And, I machine embroidered and sent off a shirt for Alexis.  Her mom, Kim, is my god daughter and she loved the shirts I posted on Facebook.  It didn't take much arm twisting on her part to get me to make a shirt for Alexis.  It went into the mail on Saturday.  The designs on all the shirts came from Designs by JuJu.  They've got a sale going on until Jan. 2.  I've bought way too many of their designs but almost all of them have been on sale.  I should be good for all the holidays in a year.  I've even bought shirts for the grands' for Valentine's Day.  

On to my goals.  I got some stuff done but not as much as I should. 

Week of December 15, 2014

Embroider stuff! Shirts,√ towels etc.

Get Christmas cards written and out in the mail√

Order new glasses√

Appts., Woman’s Club (skipped it!) and Tea Group Lunch out√

Make aprons for the grands

Wrap presents

Work on ornaments for the grands√

Finish snowball blocks for FCQEquilter

And now what's happening this week. 

Week of December 22, 2014

Wrap presents

Hair cut

Finish Ornament for one and continue on the others

Embroider other stuff

Slap a quilt on Ruthie and let her do her thing

Finish snowball blocks for FCQEquilter

Make aprons for the grands

Make 2 different types of cookies

I should be able to post pictures of a couple of secret projects after Christmas.  I must remember which ones I haven't shown you.  Ruthie and Bernie are feeling neglected.  I hope to get both of them sewing this week.  I'd like to finish a couple of quilts before the end of the year.  I'm trying to NOT buy anymore fabric but it's been hard. It isn't going to be a great year for fabric usage, that's for sure. 

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas if you celebrate.  Or a great Hanukkah. And/or a super week.  We're hoping to spend Christmas day with Ellie and her family.  

There weren't many links posted to Patchwork Time's Design Wall Monday but I'm posting my link there and others will be posting as they have time. 

Happy Quilting All!