The Time She Gave The Dolls A Bed Makeover

It seems crazy to do a American Girl bedding when I'm a grown adult and have no girls in the house, but I really adore all the AG girls!

The reason I changed the bedding was that I have a few mini quilts that I can't manage to get up on the wall.  I have room, but want to the to keep my room as uncluttered as possible. I'm already failing a bit, it's a work in progress.  

I decided that the AG bed would be a great way to display them!  I already had this Hawaiian quilt  HERE without a home that I made a few years ago now.

I decided that the green quilt on the red check and toile was just a tad too Christmas-y for my taste. 

I used the existing red check canopy to make the new canopy pattern.  The green plaid fabric was extra homespun cotton from stash I had no plan for. The pretty green fabric is a bird fabric that reminded me of the red toile before.
 

I've decided that a quick mini quilt project to update the bed will be perfect for the quilt blocks I love, but have no desire to make an entire quilt, like the famous Swoon possibly. 

I think the next mini will be a Mapleleaf mini for the fall. Won't that be fun?

Or I've just truly truly lost my mind.  I
t's okay I can take the heat!!!

Doll Crib Set

 Do you ever have a UFO that you just think will never amount to anything, but then ends up being your favorite project in the moment?  

This one is my new favorite!

I bought this "vintage" doll crib last year to decorate my studio.  I hesitate to call it vintage because I have no idea if it is, but I am happy that it rocks like a cradle and came with a pillow and mattress.

I have been lamenting about those lost hexagons pre-cuts on the plane in October.  I had thought I might make a tote out of the panels when I finished them HERE.  But I never really felt like it was right.  Friday, I was going through my UFOs to clean out clutter and found them.

The first one was larger and begging to be a doll quilt.  So I trimmed and added the yellow dotted borders.

I quilted along the "chevron" pattern that emerged in the hexagons and then did equilateral stitches around the border using the distance of my walking foot edge to the needle.  I had a few oopsies because little Button came in the room and bumped my arm.  Go figure right?  I decided to use a bit of my Amy Butler stash I have been hoarding for the binding.  It had a soft yellow tone and the blues matched.

The backing was a scrap piece from a fat quarter I had in my stash.  Daisies are my favorite flowers, so it had to be used! You can see the "chevron pattern" quilting a bit better on the back also.
  I grabbed a random pink leftover scrap for the back of the doll pillow with some coordinating buttons.

The second panel was much smaller and seemed to magically beg me to make it into a pillow cover.

I trimmed it to fit the front and added the same yellow dotted fabric as the border of the quilt.

Of course, I couldn't have the green toile fabric as the mattress because it didn't match.  I chose this yellow print because it felt soft enough to coordinate and not take away from the quilt and pillow.

I treated it like a duvet or pillow sham and made a button flap closure at the back to slip the mattress inside.

I am so excited to show you how good it looks up on the studio cabinets.  However, there is one small hiccup.  As soon as I had the crib set all decked out?

Button seemed to think that the crib and set are for him.  He quickly ran and found his baby to put in it. He also declared the quilt "coot" (cute) and insisted on showing it off to his big brothers as if he, himself, created it!

Gah...I love this kid!

My first 2013 finish!  Wooohoooo!

Straight to Business

There is so much to do and so little time...right to the punchline today!

 
Finishes:

Disney Princess Shirt and Skirt

Another Princess Applique for a special little girl!

And a patchwork princess skirt to match.

I hope her mom doesn't mind that I tweaked the shirt from the sample I had on my Facebook page.

A little "bling" goes a long way!  
Her little brother's Mickey Shirt is on the hoop getting it's final touches.  I will try to sneak a picture in later...maybe.....
 

Not So Raggedy Ann

I really can't get enough of her....

If you'd like to get to know her, she had her debut yesterday.

I am so sad that she is all boxed up ready to be shipped out today.

I now have to add her to my "list" for myself.

One little funny!  Mr. Boss called me from out of town to tease me about her.  He asked where I got the doll from?  I told him that I made her.  He said "yes, I know you made the clothes, but didn't someone send the doll to you?"

Now that he knows that I am capable of making dolls, guess what I will be making as gifts for anyone who has little girls that we know?

Yup.

In Progress: 

Retro Flowers QAL

I am UTTERLY excited.  Progress. 

Not just cut, but partway pieced?

Which happened quickly and beautifully thanks to my Sizzix Big Shot ProWestminster!

I was able to cut 12 of each shape at one time.

 

I even had time to sew some curves!

I adore chain pieced pictures so I had to take one. 
Not really pretty, but it makes me happy!

EEEEKKKK!! 
 I just might be back on track soon with everyone else!

No Progress: 

Zoo Animal Quilts for Twins

Twin quilt for nursery

Christmas quilt 

Baby girl quilt kit 

Thank you quilt

Merry, Merry Snowman BOM

Do. Good Stitches Blocks

New Projects:

NONE.  NONE.  NONE.

Thank goodness!

Now I hope that my new project status stays the same after visiting everyone over at Lee's.

Sometimes my fellow quilters are bad influences!

Not So Raggedy Ann

A friend was looking for a Raggedy Ann for her daughter's birthday.  I HAD to help her out.  I always like a new project/challenge!

I adore this pattern by Oh Sew Dollin and thought that this sweet girl would meet the requirements of Raggedy Ann, but in a modern way.  

Her mom blogs at Oops, I Craft My Pants and T.E. + Baby

so I knew I had to step up my game!

The request was for an embroidered heart for little Miss E.  The initials are her grandfather's.  He recently passed away suddenly and not only was she HIS favorite, HE was HER favorite!

The pattern calls for the body to be a floral fabric, but it just wouldn't work with her heart!  I decided to do the body in a "flesh" fabric and make a peasant shirt for her.

 Not too shabby off the cuff, no?

The pattern called for a circle felt button for the collar.  Of course, you know me, I decided that this sweet girl deserved a felt floral button in the same colorway as her skirt.

I tweaked it a bit again by using snaps instead of velcro like it suggested.

But I stuck to the sweet face.

As I was blogging, I forgot to give her her rosy cheeks...a la Crayola Red.  Considered that fixed!

I had such fun time making these clothes in miniature!

I was debating on which fabrics to make her outfit out of, so I made this sweet yellow/berry combination too!

A little variety never hurt a girl!

I love her......

My Google Reader says...

I have 810 posts unread.

I will be honest...the T-shirt quilt put me behind 400 and now my newest projects have set me back the other half!

Finished:

First Communion Banner

This is hung at the end of the pew of the the little girl or boy on their special day for their first communion.

 I am extremely happy with the design!!

Plaid Tote Bags

I was asked to make some bags for the two students that "won" the office helper of the day.  I used some leftover denim material and a red check inside for the liner.  They supplied some used uniforms for the school plaid.

 

Second Sharpie Roll

I thought I would make myself one, after making Bunny one HERE.

But mine didn't turn out as well as his!  You can read up about it HERE.

In Progress:

Raggedy Ann Doll:

A friend wanted a Raggedy Ann Doll for her daughter's birthday at the end of the month.  I found this sweet doll on the internet.

I have her bow, and most of the head/body, and arms cut and seamed.  I am waiting for some fabric to be delivered to do her legs, skirt, and shirt!  Easy pattern to follow and

Princess skirt/Disney shirts

Zoo animal quilts for twins:

Remember William and Connor's quilts?

 

I am starting two more for a pair of twin boys!

I am in the layout, cutting mode.  I even found some binding I made from the last one that I forgot I had?  I must have made THREE pieced bindings!!!  So that is good luck, right?

The only thing I am stuck on is the fact that they are twins.  I want them to have two different animals, because I am pretty sure that is important to mother's with twins and the twins themselves eventually...so I should stay away from having two animals, right?  I am stuck!

No Progress

Retro Flowers QAL

Twin quilt for nursery

Christmas quilt 

Baby girl quilt kit 

Thank you quilt

Merry, Merry Snowman BOM

Do. Good Stitches Blocks

Linking up with Lee at

Anyone know how many posts Google Reader can hold?  I think I might be approaching the max-out?

If you get random comments or replies from this blog from me on posts from a while back...it is because I am finally catching up!

 

If not, I am just busy quilting...or at least that is the story I am sticking to, okay?