Only Doll Quilts

Black and White and Red Doll Quilt

2012-01-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

The blocks are 1.5" square. The quilt is 10" x 12".

2012

2011-12-31T13:27:00.001-08:00

It's the last day of 2012 and it's time to look at where I've been and where I'm going.

I've just finished tallying up 2011. I've quilted and bound 3 full sized quilts, made 25 doll quilts, knit 24 pairs of socks, and knit 39 items for charity. I've also read 159 books. Good grief!

I have over 50 doll quilts now and have made more than that as I've given a number of them away. I still want to make them, but not quite as many. I'm aiming for one a month this next year although I may end up making more than that. They're so addictive and fast! I'm mulling over whether I want to do the one house a day project or not, but haven't decided on that yet. I suspect probably not.

I am an avid sock knitter and have tried to make three adult pairs and one baby pair every month which is just too much. I have almost 100 pairs of adult socks (not counting those I've given away) and about half that many pairs of baby socks. I don't want to stop knitting socks, but I'm going to aim for one or perhaps two pairs of adult socks per month. See my blog, Knitting Only Socks, to see my progress.

I will continue to knit for charity--see Knitting for Peace but I want to do other knitting as well. A brand new blog on knitting mittens Knitting Only Mittens has its grand opening tomorrow and I've begun another blog, My Other Knitting, to document hats, scarves, and other items which are not for charity and not socks or mittens.

So what about quilting? I'm going to work a bit more on large quilts. I have at least 40 tops made by my husband's great-aunt Clara which need to be quilted and bound and I have kits and patterns for many others.

I have decided to make a serendipity scrap quilt which will be full sized and hand-quilted. I hope to finish it by the end of 2012. Progress will be detailed weekly on my blog (yep--you're right!-- another blog) All the Rest of My Life.

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas Boxes

2011-12-30T14:35:00.000-08:00

This quilt is by Essie Bendolph Pettway.
Multiple columns of rectangular blocks and bars, 1980; corduroy
93" x 75"
green/white/red

I love this quilt and so I made a doll sized version of it in cottons. It's 16" x 20".

Waiting for Christmas

2011-12-23T00:17:00.000-08:00

No snow here, but I can dream! I'm not doing any quilting now until after Christmas. There's a ham and a turkey in the refrigerator, pies and cookies baked, candy dishes with chocolates and nuts, wrapped gifts piled high under the tree, and we are enjoying the company of our house guests--two sons and a daughter-in-law. One son and his wife live across the country and can't be here but another son and daughter-in-law will be here on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So quilting will have to wait. Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!

Building Houses from Scraps

2011-12-12T12:50:00.001-08:00

There's a new icon on my sidebar. It's from building houses from scraps. This a sew along where quilters will piece one 3" house block each day in 2012. I'll be (hopefully) getting the block as a .pdf later this week. Here is the webpage address. Note the Google translator button on the left. The translation isn't perfect, but it helps. There are over 800 people signed up so far. If you want to join, send an e-mail to Jeanneke at mail@jeanneke.com If you have a blog, include the address and she'll add it to her sidebar. She'll be emailing all those who join the pattern on December 15th.

I'm a little nervous about this as it seems daunting. Each 3" square has 16 pieces and will need 8 different fabrics. It's the number of so many small pieces that worry me, not the fabrics! I have plenty of those and have begun pressing little pieces in readiness. I will use only blues for the sky and yellows for the windows, but I'm going to use the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink when it comes to the rest f the fabrics. I know some organized quilters will use only 1930s feedbacks or only batiks, but no, not me! I'm going to use everything!

Red and White Doll Quilt

2011-12-07T11:09:00.001-08:00

There's been a lot of discussion on quilt blogs over the past few months about red and white quilts brought about the beautiful exhibit in New York City last March. I'd been thinking about making a red and white quilt and then, while looking through boxes trying to find my Christmas ornaments, I came across an unfinished red and white doll quilt top. I have no idea when I pieced this. I quilted it and here it is, just in time for Christmas! It's 14" X 20".

Ebay Items

2011-12-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

Last year I posted on this blog that I would be de-stashing and selling some BOMs and quilt kits on Ebay. Well, finally I've started to do that. You can find what I've listed so far here. Items include a vintage doll quilt, a couple of Cheri Saffiote patterns/kits, an Elly Sienkiewiczf kit for A Sampler for All Seasons Block, and Around the Town BOM. I love all these items still, but I know I'll never get around to making them and want to find them good homes. Go take a peek if you're interested. I will be listing more items in the next few weeks and months.

Vintage Blue Four Patch Doll Quilt

2011-11-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

This quilt was made of four inch blocks pieced by John's great-aunt Clara. The fabric is circa 1920. It is 12" x 18" and is hand pieced and hand quilted.

Oregon Autumn Doll Quilt

2011-11-20T12:03:00.001-08:00

I wanted to make a simple doll this month and chose the four patch pattern. I also wanted to make it autumn in feeling and so I sorted through my fabrics and chose those I felt best represented the season.

There are oranges for pumpkins and the glow of the full moon; rusts and dark reds for the leaves on the snowball tree and for apples; purple and dark blues for the sky at twilight and the last of the grapes; browns for tree trunks and the little wild birds; creams and whites for fog and the sheep in the fields; soft yellows for the last of the pale sunlight; greens for the leaves not yet turned, and some bright blues for the dazzling sky before the winter storms begin. I chose the setting fabric for the rain I know is coming, rain which will perhaps bringing ice and snow with it. It is bound in bright yellow to remind me that spring and summer and the sun will return.

It is hand pieced and hand quilted in a cross hatch pattern. The blocks are 3" square and the quilt is 12" 16".

Four Patch Quilts Teaser

2011-11-14T14:12:00.000-08:00

I'm working on four patch quilts this month. The first is one with autumn colors set with fabric that reminds me of Oregon rain.
The second is made 4" four patch blocks from indigo fabrics pieced by my husband's great-aunt Clara. When set together they form a checkerboard pattern.

The first one is pieced and quilted, but needs binding. I'm still piecing the indigo fabric quilt together now.

Blue and White Flying Geese

2011-10-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

This quilt uses up the very last piece of the blue print, one of my favorite fabrics. It is 13" x 15".

Two More

2011-10-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

These were finished last month, but a bout with a nasty stomach flu kept me from photographing and posting until today.

I posted a photo of this Hourglass top earlier, but finally got around to quilting and binding it. It's 16" x 20".

The center of this second one is an orphan block from a Jan Patek pattern I never completed. I surrounded it with some leftover checkerboard blocks and called it good. It's 15 1/2" x 15 1/2".

I had thought of going for a fall theme last month --pumpkins and flying geese or black, white, and red, or maple leaves--but never got around to it. Well, I have a couple of more months.

What I've Been Doing

2011-09-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

What I haven't been doing is making doll quilts.

I bought some new quilt books and have spent a lot of time drooling over the quilts in them. Oh, how I want to make some of them!

But I'm working every Tuesday and Thursday at the Oregon State University Valley Library doing reference and it's been busy! Classes start on Monday. And I'm volunteering at the OSU Folk Club Thrift Shop one morning a week. Their profits are used for scholarships,something I strongly support as we have four sons; one is an OSU graduate and another gets his degree next June. I've also volunteered my services as a volunteer at the Benton County Historical Museum. I spent over two years earning a master's degree in Archival Studies and I'd like to put it to good use! Add to that serving as Program Committee Co-chair for the Mary's River Quilt Guild, spending time with my husband and grown children, taking care of my garden and chickens, and knitting socks and hats for charity, and well, my life is full.

And speaking of the Benton County Historical Museum (where our quilt guild meets), I recently attended a show which is part of Quilt Country.

The show featured New York Beauty quilts, collected by Bill Volckening, Portland quilt historian and Oregon Quilt Project volunteer. Here is a link to his blog, which you will want to check out as one of his most recent posts features gorgeous little doll-sized quilts by Andrea Balosky.

New Series

2011-09-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

It still feels like summer. The skies are clear, the high temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, but there's fog along the river in the mornings now, the public schools open on Tuesday, and it's cooler at night so yes, fall is coming on.

I'm thinking of my next series of doll quilts. Do you remember that joke from your elementary school days: What is black and white and red (read) all over? The answer is, of course, a newspaper. I have a lot of black/white prints and solid white and black and red so that might be fun one. I also like the idea of doing a Maple Leaf block series in different colors. Or maybe applique pumpkins with a flying geese border.

It's going to have to wait a few days thought. Three of my sons and their wives are coming to visit this Labor Day weekend. The fourth is in rural Vermont where, thankfully, they only lost their land line phone (now restored) and aren't dealing with the horrendous devastation Hurricane Irene wrought.

Congratulations!!

2011-08-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

I was late having my husband pick the winner because the dear man spontaneously invited me out to dinner this evening and so I wasn't home at 5pm.

So, now, without further ado! Congratulations to the winner, Maureen! Please email me with your postal address so that I can send terrific magazine out and you can start working on some of the fabulous projects!

Thank you all! And again, Maureen, congratulations!

EBAY Listings

2011-08-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

When I cleaned and reorganized my quilt room last January, I wrote that I would list some items I no longer wanted or I had duplicates of, on Ebay. I've begun that process so if you're interested in taking a peek at the quilt books, patterns, yarn and other items, here's the link. I'm thinking of putting some BOMs on there too, but as this is a busy week at work for me that'll probably not happen until next week.

One Patch Doll Quilt

2011-08-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

The quilt is 12.5 inches x 13.0 inches and the squares are 1.5 inches. I had finished this quilt except for the binding a couple of weeks ago, but became distracted by knitting socks and preemie items, finishing hand quilting a vintage top, and various quilt guild activities. I've also been working extra hours at the library, taking care of my chickies (who are now finally laying!), and my flowers.

I hope to get at least one other doll quilt finished this month.

One Hundred Posts!

2011-08-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

And that means its time for a for a giveaway! I'm giving away a copy of the premier issue (Summer 2011) of Primitive Quilts and Projects. See here to see the cover. On Monday, August 29th, 5 pm Pacific Time, I'll have my husband draw the name of the lucky winner!

To enter all you have to do is leave a comment on this post before then. Make sure I have a way to reach you! Good luck!

What I'm Working On

2011-07-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

I finished appliqueing this Prairie Flowers top a couple of days ago. It's a Cheri Saffiote Payne pattern from her book, My Flower Bed. I'm not sure if it qualifies as a doll quilt--it's about 22"x30" in size which is really more of a wall quilt.

The second one, a scrap hourglass, is a doll quilt. The blocks are 3" square making it 15"x18". While I was cutting out the triangles I decided to cut out some 1 1/2" squares and then I noticed I had long pieces left so I cut strips out too. I'm thinking now how to use these.

Flag Quilt

2011-07-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

This flag quilt is only 6 1/2" x 9" and is rather small to be called a doll quilt, but there it is. It is machine pieced and hand quilted. I like the idea of using buttons to represent stars and I'm happy I finished it before the Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day!

One Patch Series: Summer Blossoms

2011-06-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

This one is bound with a print fabric as I ran out of the solid pink.

Another in the One Patch Series

2011-06-08T10:09:00.001-07:00

Here's another in my one patch series. I've called this one Citrus Salad. I'm finishing the binding on one and have begun piecing two more. I have an idea for yet another in this series, but don't know if I want to continue.

I'm starting to think it's time to move on.

Roadshow!!

2011-05-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

I'd heard of others who'd already received their tickets to the Antiques Roadshow and came to the conclusion that we weren't going to get any. Happily, I was wrong! They arrived in the mail today! Now to think about what we're going to bring. The only quilt I have that I might want to bring is one pieced by John's great-aunt. You can see a photo of it on my January 3rd blog post. Or I could bring my little sewing machine. I posted a photo of it on January 11th. Hmmm.....

Give-Away Coming!

2011-04-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

I see that I have written 95 posts. Five more and I reach 100 and that 100th post will be to announce a give-away! You'll have be patient and wait to see what it is. Oh, wait. This one makes 96. We're that much closer!

One Patch Series: Evening Garden

2011-04-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

This is the third quilt in the series.

Here is a close-up photo.

One Patch Series: Citron Vert

2011-04-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

This second little quilt showcases many of my favorite green fabrics. It's a dark and cloudy day so the colors aren't showing as bright as they really are.

I am putting the binding on a third quilt and I'll post photos of it today or tomorrow.

One Patch Series: Spring Storm

2011-04-22T12:24:00.001-07:00

Here is the first doll quilt in this new series. The name was suggested by the fabrics--the blue polka dots reminds me of raindrops and the white/beige print of mud puddles. I quilted it in on the diagonal to represent rain falling. We've had a lot of rain this spring so it seemed right. Of course, today is a bright and sunny day!

The blocks are 1 1/2 squares and the quilt is 11 x 13 1/2. It is hand pieced and hand quilted. Here is a closeup of some of the blocks.

Quilt Names

2011-04-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

I really like the idea of making quilts in a series, but I've realized I'm going to need to come up with names for them. Of course I could always call them "One Patch: No. 1, One Patch: No. 2" and so on, but how boring is that! One suggestion I thought of is to look through some books of poetry for phrases that might work. Another is to decide on some colors and think about what those colors mean to me. If you have any ideas to share about how to come up with some creative names, I'd love to hear them!

Starting a Series

2011-04-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

I've collected photographs of quilts, including doll quilts, for many years but I can't say where I've gotten each one as I neglected to keep a record. This is one. I don't even know what size it is.

I'm using it as a model to make a series of quilts. The first one will be a soft beige and white print with a blue polka dot print. As I work on it I'm thinking of others I may want to make next.

The squares will be 1 1/2" square.

Folk Art Bird on a House

2011-04-20T12:19:00.001-07:00

I had fun making this one. It's based on a quilt in Bird in Hand by Renee Plains and is 20" x 22".

Wall of Doll Quilts

2011-04-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine asked me what I was going to do with all the doll quilts I was making. I showed her this photo and told her this was my goal. The photo is from the book Collecting American Country.

Four Houses Doll Quilt

2011-04-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

The houses are 5 inches square and the quilt is 14 inches by 14 inches.

Pink Triangles Doll Quilt

2011-04-10T17:19:00.000-07:00

I made this sweet little quilt from some of the extra triangles I had cut out for the Cake Crumbs quilt. The blocks are 2 inches square. The quilt is 10 inches x 12 inches. I think it would be fun to make a series of these using various colors--red prints with solids red, yellows and golds with solid yellow, or a mix of solid colors and black.

Four Houses Doll Quilt Top

2011-04-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

I've just completed this top and hope to get it and the Folk Bird and House doll quilt top quilted this weekend. Photos to follow!

Too Many Pieces

2011-04-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

I cut out the fabrics to make a full sized Cake Stand quilt and realized too late that I cut too many triangles and squares. I'm thinking about how I can use these for a doll quilt. The Cake Stand quilt, which is actually Cake Crumbs, is from Roberta Horton's book Scrap Quilts: The Art of Making Do. Here is the link to her website where you can see some photos of her fabulous quilts!

I also have finished appliqueing a folk doll quilt, this one based on a quilt in Bird in Hand by Renee Plains and plan to quilt and bind it in the next couple of weeks. I keep debating whether or not to add a border to it and that's delaying me.

Square-in-Square II Doll Quilt

2011-03-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

A companion piece to the last doll quilt I made, this little cutie is 12" x 12".

Square-in-Square Doll Quilt

2011-03-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

I pieced the top for this little darling last month, but only finished quilting and binding it today. It is 15 inches square.

Five Baskets and a Heart

2011-02-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

It's 13" x 18" and while I have no idea when I made the top or where the pattern is from, I just love it.

And in between coughing and naps and watching the little wild birds gobble up bird seed and watching snow fall and making chicken noodle soup, I've finished two more doll quilt tops, both made of a mix of brights and Kaffe Fassett fabrics, and begun a primitive applique one to remind me that it will someday again, be spring.

Hourglass Quilt Finished!

2011-02-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

Another little quilt pieced from blocks made by my husband's great-aunt. The quilt is about 10" x 12". I especially loved one block where, twice, she pieced fabrics together in order to make pieces large enough for her to use. It's hard to see; I took a couple of close up photos to show you. It's the block in the upper left hand corner.

Four Patch Quilt

2011-02-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

This quilt was made from some blocks pieced by my husband's great aunt. I chose those which had my favorite fabrics. The quilt is 15" x 15".

Productive

2011-02-23T03:59:00.001-08:00

I've been sick all week and haven't gone to work and the weather folks are predicting snow for this afternoon, followed by more snow on Thursday and Friday. I've been spending all this extra free time working on doll quilts. Well, in between coughing spells, reading, and taking naps.

I'll make a pan of cornbread this morning and then put a pot roast in the oven early in the afternoon, catch up with all the laundry, and wash my hair. I like to be prepared; there's always the possibility of the electric going out. We have plenty of wood for the fireplace and, of course, lots and lots of quilts to keep us warm.

As for the doll quilts, I've finished three, except for the bindings which I hope to do today, begun two more, and have plans for at least one other. I'll put photos up as soon as they're finished. If it snows, there should be plenty of light to get some good photos.

Five Baskets and a Heart

2011-02-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

I found this little fragment while cleaning out a closet. It's a bit wonky, so I'm going to take it apart and re-sew some of the blocks. I think it'll make a very nice doll quilt when I'm done.

Preparing to Make More Doll Quilts

2011-02-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

I'm not working today and I may not be tomorrow either as the weather forecasters are predicting ice and snow. I'm spending some time quilting a full size four patch quilt pieced by my husband's great-aunt Clara.(see my other blog, All the Rest of My Life for a photo of that).

I also found some blocks in her scrapbag and plan to use these to make a couple of more doll quilts.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

I finished my little Valentine's Day quilt and am very happy with how it turned out. It is 16 inches square and fits very nicely on this table as a topper.

Happy Birthday Abe!

2011-02-12T08:01:00.000-08:00

Today is Abe Lincoln's birthday and, to celebrate, I made a little log cabin doll quilt. It's 14 1/2" x 21 1/2". It's cloudy here today and probably will be for the next few weeks and that makes it hard to get a good photo. This is the best I could do.

Make sure to read today's post on Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War Quilts blog. It provides a good history lesson and has photos of some wonderful log cabin quilts!

I've finished the top for my Valentine's Day doll quilt. I used the four hearts I'd previously appliqued and surrounded it with hourglass blocks. It will be 16 inch square. I plan to hand quilt it this week-end.

Looking forward to March's doll quilts, I've considering using some blocks found in Aunt Clara's scrapbag. That bag is never ending! I thinking of using a stack of little four-patch blocks made of feedsacks or a stack of hourglass blocks made of shirtings and fabrics from the 1920's. I'll put up a photo of these when the sun finally decides to show its face again.

And the Winners Are.....

2011-02-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

Giveaway 4 Heartsdesire
Giveaway 5 Country Log Cabin Quilter
Giveaway 6 Frummie
Giveaway 7 Heirlooms

Congratulations! Again, I had my husband choose the winners by drawing numbers. He's getting good at this!

My apologies for the extensive delay to announce the winners. Life has gotten extremely busy the past few days and I'm ashamed to say I just forgot. Me bad. I don't even have the excuse of having to deal with snow. It's cold here (in the 20's), but clear and sunny.

I have e-mailed the winners and am awaiting their mailing addresses to send them their goodies!

Oh! I'm in Love!

2011-02-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

I was just looking at the Blackbird Designs blog and they have a free pattern for an Antique Fair Baskets quilt. I can see making the blocks smaller for a doll quilt.

And Blackbird Designs is having a giveaway for two layer cakes of their Antique Fair line with Moda Fabrics so go over there right away and sign up!

February's Doll Quilts

2011-02-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

I've finished a log cabin doll quilt top made of brown and red scrap fabrics and I hope to have the chance to quilt it this week-end. In the meantime I've begun a Valentine doll quilt. I'm making it up as I go along and so far I have four appliqued hearts.

I'm working on some other projects this month. I'm knitting socks (see Knitting Only Socks) and hats, both adult and children's sizes, for charity (see Knitting for Peace). I also want to finish hand-quilting a Snowball quilt pieced by my husband's great-aunt Clara and you can read about the progress I'm making on this blog, All the Rest of My Life.

If you haven't already guessed, I compartmentalize. In some ways it's easier and in others, more complicated. But there it is.

Charm Doll Quilt

2011-01-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

I finished this little charm quilt yesterday. It's 15x18 inches and made up of 1 1/2 inch blocks. I think every print is different. What fun!

Liebster Blog Award

2011-01-31T17:46:00.000-08:00

Carolyn from Lee Prairie Designs honored me with the Liebster Blog Award and I accept! Whoo-hoo! Thanks so much Carolyn!

The purpose of the Liebster Blog Award is to bring recognition and exposure to small blogs who have less than 300 followers. Upon acceptance of this award, the blogger then agree to chose three other small blogs that he/she would recommend to others.

I had to think long and hard to chose these three blogs and here they are:

Little Welsh Quilts by Mary Jenkins is such a fun read. And since I am Welsh (well, by marriage anyway), I love having the opportunity to see a bit of Wales by reading this blog!

Lining Up My Stitches is another great read! Juliann and I are kindred spirits as we both love quilting AND knitting. How great is that!

Another blog I always enjoy reading is WonkyWorld. It was from this blog that I found out about the doll quilt exhibit that will be held in Tillamook and I'm finding out so much about quilts in my home state. Thanks, Willy Wonky!

Seventh Giveway!

2011-01-31T17:15:00.001-08:00

And here is the last one. The Quilt Digest is a wonderful book of essays. They include one on the Log Cabin Quilt by Sandi Fox, Surviving without Selling Out by Michael James, and Collecting Quilt Data: History from Statistics by Jonathan Holstein. There are also great photos of quilts (no patterns) for inspiration.

Rules are simple:
1) Leave a comment on this post.
2) Make sure I have a way to contact you.
3. Winner will be chosen on Monday, February 7.

Good luck!

Sixth Giveaway!

2011-01-31T13:24:00.000-08:00

This giveway is for a book of 30 stitchery patterns by Kindred Spirits.

Rules are simple:
1) Leave a comment on this post.
2) Make sure I have a way to contact you.
3. Winner will be chosen on Monday, February 7.

Good luck!

Fifth Giveaway!

2011-01-31T13:17:00.000-08:00

Aunt Luci's Bits and Pieces is a Blackbird Designs book by Barb Adams and Alma Allen. It includes quilt patterns, a hooked rug pattern, and pillowshams, and a cross-stitch pattern.

Rules are simple:
1) Leave a comment on this post.
2) Make sure I have a way to contact you.
3. Winner will be chosen on Monday, February 7.

Good luck!

Fourth Giveaway!

2011-01-31T13:13:00.000-08:00

The fourth giveaway is for two patterns. The first is Sampler I by Gerry Kimmel of Red Wagon. It was published in 1988 and is for a quilt 40x60. The second is Strippy Stars by Jo Morton for a quilt 43x 57.

Rules are simple:
1) Leave a comment on this post.
2) Make sure I have a way to contact you.
3. Winner will be chosen on Monday, February 7.

Good luck!

And the Winners Are.....

2011-01-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

I chose the winners the low-tech way-- I had my husband pick the numbers!

Giveaway #1 -- I have two copies to give away and they will go to Jan and Lisa!
Giveaway #2 -- Kathie!
Giveaway #3 -- AKnativewoman!

Congratulations winners! Please email me your mailing address ASAP so I can get these out to you.

And if you didn't win, check again later this week as I will be having another giveaway.

Thank you all for entering and leaving comments.

Scrap Quilt

2011-01-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

It's not a doll quilt, but I can see making one with this pattern using smaller blocks. These blocks are 6.5 inches square and use many kinds of fabrics, including seersucker. I had totally forgotten about this quilt which I bought at a garage sale about 20 years ago. Does anyone know the name of the pattern?

Sewing Machine

2011-01-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

Now that my quilt room is finally clean and organized, I can display some of my favorite things again. This little beauty was a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law many years ago.

Small Wonders Catalog Received!

2011-01-20T16:47:00.001-08:00

My Small Wonders catalog arrived today and I am thrilled! It's beautifully done and the quilts! Wow! And in case you can't get to the exhibit next month but want to support the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center that is putting on the exhibit, please note that on the last page it states:

Proceeds from the sale of this catalog will benefit the Layla House, a child care facility in Ethiopia operated by Adoption Advocates International, and the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center in Tillamook.

I really like the idea of making doll quilts as tributes to people one admires. I can think of many I would include.

Crib and Doll Quilts

2011-01-20T01:50:00.000-08:00

I came across this post on the Quilt History blog entitled "More Crib and Doll Quilts" and wanted to share it. I loved the doll quilt titled Purple Square and can see a series of these with different colors. I also liked the Log Cabin which very effectively used striped fabrics. Take a peek!

Little Quilt Top Scraps

2011-01-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

While looking through great-aunt Clara's scrapbag, I came across these two little remnants. I doubt they were intended as doll quilts. Great-aunt Clara and her husband didn't have any children and she had only one nephew (my father-in-law). I think these may have been intended to be larger quilts, but were never finished.

This one is 20" square. The blocks are 1 1/2" inches.

This one is 20"x24". The nine patches are 3" square.

Comments

2011-01-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

My blog is set that I have to approve all comments before they are published to avoid spam. I do want to make certain, however, that no one is left out of the giveaways. I will make certain to check and post all comments before I chose the winners.

Third Giveaway!

2011-01-17T09:41:00.000-08:00

I have two extra copies of Quiltmania, Issue #58 so there will be two winners!

Rules are simple:
1) Leave a comment on this post.
2) Make sure I have a way to contact you.
3. Winner will be chosen on Monday, January 24th

Good luck!

Here is some of what's inside!

Second Giveaway!

2011-01-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

This complete, uncut pattern for a 45" x 45" quilt is a Laurene Sinema design. The blocks are 8" square. The description says it is "a small reproduction of an appliqued summer coverlet stitched by Marie Waring circa 1860-1870 in Bellmore, Long Island. Border designs by Laurene Sinema, 1997."

Rules are simple:
1) Leave a comment on this post.
2) Make sure I have a way to contact you.
3. Winner will be chosen on Monday, January 24th

Good luck!

First Giveaway!

2011-01-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

Projects include quilts, wall hangings and pillows.

Rules are simple:
1) Leave a comment on this post.
2) Make sure I have a way to contact you.
3. Winner will be chosen on Monday, January 24th

Good luck!

Here's some photographs of the patterns included.

Fun Find!

2011-01-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

Among the treasures I found while cleaning and organizing my sewing/quilt room, was this videotape. I don't know how many years it's been since I last viewed it. Fun!

Catalog for Doll Quilt Show Available

2011-01-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

I've just found out that the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center Catalog for next month's show, "Doll Quilts by Andrea Balosky" is now available online through Blurb. The catalog has 120 pages, includes photos of over 100 doll quilts, and is in full color. The website at Blurb has a preview showing the first 15 pages.

Giveaway Coming Soon!

2011-01-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

As I've been cleaning my quilt/yarn room, I've discovered duplicates. What a surprise, ahh? I bet that's happened to some of you as well!

Among them:

** Quiltmania Magazine #58 (two duplicates--I must have loved that issue!)
** Aunt Luci's Bits and Pieces by Blackbird Designs
** Folk Art Garden Sampler by Laurene Sinema Designs
** Homegrown Stitcheries by Kindred Spirits
** The Quilt Digest (the first one)
** Wednesday's Best by Cheri Saffiote

I'm not interested in selling them and thought it would be fun to give them away. I will put up posts with photographs so that you can choose which one(s) you'd like. Of course, you can sign up for all of them if you wish! I'm not going to make it complicated. Just leave me a comment on that post and you're in!

I anticipate I will start this next week so stay tuned!

P.S. I really should clean out my sewing room more often than every ten years. *sigh*

Road Trip!

2011-01-13T06:11:00.000-08:00

Miala Leong, June, 2002, 13" x 15 1/2"

Well, I'm hoping anyway. We'll see.

Quilt artist Andrea Balosky produced over 100 doll quilts between 1999 and 2003 and there will be an exhibit of some of them within reasonable driving distance of where I live!

Here are the details:

Latimer Quilt and Textile Center Tillamook, Oregon
Small Wonders: Doll Quilts by Andrea Balosky
Feb. 6— Mar. 6, 2011

Walt Whitman, July, 2002, 15" x 17 1/2"

Alvin, 2001

More Finds!

2011-01-08T09:14:00.001-08:00

I found a couple of books I hadn't seen in a while. This one is actually my replacement copy for the one I bought almost 30 years ago which I wore out.

The quilts which were my favorites then are still my favorites.

And this is also the second copy of another book.

Somewhere I have the hard-bound copy with the Cherry Wreath quilt on the cover, but it disappeared when we moved ten years ago so I bought a new one. It may very well be lost in the boxes of stuff that's being stored in my husband's shop, but I'm not going there. Do you remember the last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when they're moving the Ark to the Smithsonian storage warehouse and there are boxes and boxes of stuff everywhere? That's what that part of his shop looks like. Thankfully, it's a very large shop or he wouldn't be able to get any work done. And oh, yes, that reminded me that somewhere he has his great-aunt Clara's cedar chest which needs a new top. We've had that for more than 25 years and I still don't have it to use. I'd ask him to start on it now as he retired last month but right now he's refinishing all my kitchen cabinet doors and I don't want to distract him. This book has a chapter about doll quilts. Here are some of my favorites.

And finally, I found a small ball of lime green wool that was crying to be knit into toddler socks so that's what I did. These will be going in the box for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

(I take photos of all the socks I knit on quilts I've made. See this blog, Only Socks, if you want to see more.)

What am I Doing?

2011-01-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

Well, what I'm not doing is cleaning my sewing room. At least, not very quickly. I'm just like a little kid whose mother has told her to clean her room. I keep finding toys I haven't seen in a while and start playing with them instead!

I came across this tiny GFG.
I placed a quarter on it so you can see the size. It is paper pieced. I have no idea what I planned to do with it. I still don't know. I made it more than 20 years ago when my four sons were small. What possessed me at the time is beyond me.

And here's a funny from my husband.
DH: I'm thinking of making a tractor quilt. It wouldn't be hard.
Me: Why wouldn't it be hard?
DH: All I'd have to do is stitch six or eight doll quilts together!

An Older Doll Quilt Top

2011-01-07T07:56:00.001-08:00

I know I made this top because I have the photo. But where it is, exactly, I'm not sure. I really, really need to finish cleaning up my sewing room.

And now I've realized that it isn't even a top. They're just the blocks I've placed next to each other to show what it would look like after it was sewn together.

Where I Find Inspiration

2011-01-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

I find it just about everywhere it seems. It's in what I see as I'm driving (trees bare of leaves with a few golden apples still hanging on), in photos of architectural details , by looking at antique quilts on sites such as The Quilt Index,on Ebay by searching for vintage or antique doll quilts and on other sites that sell old doll quilts.

What inspires you?

Perfectionist

2011-01-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

I am not one. And that's a good thing because the quilts I love the best are the ones where the quilt maker isn't one either. She's substituted different fabrics because she didn't have enough, the blocks are a little off kilter, the seams don't match exactly, the quilting is uneven, the colors aren't what one might expect. She has made the quilt hers and that, to me, is what makes the quilter an artist. Oh, I love those perfectly pieced, exquisitely quilted quilts that take your breath away too. I admire the quilters who make them. But they're not my favorites.

I think this is what attracted me to doll quilts. Well, that and they're small and there's a great satisfaction in finishing one when completing a full sized quilt might take months or years. Doll quilts were made for children or by children. They're not supposed to be perfect. They're supposed to be fun! They're supposed to make you smile. That's my goal. And that's me. I know not everyone agrees and that's fine too.

Organizing My Sewing Room

2011-01-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

I use the smallest bedroom in the house as my sewing room. It's turned into a storage room because I have too much stuff. Quilting and knitting supplies are scattered everywhere: a huge bookcase in the bedroom and a smaller one in the guest bedroom stuffed with quilt and knitting books, boxes of magazines dating back to the mid 70's in my husband's shop, bins of fabrics and yarn in the garage, a cedar chest full of finished quilts, a cradle of unquilted tops, and much more. Much, much more.

John offered me the use of his great-grandfather's tool chest to put some of my things in. I'd thought first to use it store quilt tops, but was afraid they might get snagged or stained. Then I thought about yarn, but same worries. Most of my quilt kits, however, are packaged. And those that aren't can be.

Some background about this tool chest. It's over 100 years and was used by my husband's great-grandfather, Niels Rasmussen. He was a master carpenter and moved to the United States from Denmark at the turn of the century. This was not his master carpenter tool chest, but a rougher one he used every day.

Oh, Lord. I've found 32 quilt kits and 2 hooked rug kits and I've just scratched the surface. I think I'm going to be doing some selling on Ebay this year.

My Next Doll Quilt

2011-01-02T15:08:00.001-08:00

When I saw these little hourglass blocks in So Many Quilts, So Little Time! (how true! how true!) I fell in love.

I was surprised when I read that the blog's author, Cheryl, had gotten her inspiration from a quilt, Welcome Wagon, in Kim Diehl's book, Simple Graces. Wait! I have that book! I went hunting for it. Yes, I did have it. Here's a photo:

And a close up photo of the quilt:

I love Cheryl's smaller version and I want to make one too! Cheryl opted for 1 1/2 inch blocks, but that's a bit too small for me. I'll be using 2" blocks. I'm going to look for fabrics in my stash now!

Pinwheel Doll Quilt--My First Quilt for 2011!

2011-01-02T15:00:00.001-08:00

The Pinwheel Doll Quilt: Top is Completed!

2011-01-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Here is the completed top.

This is what I'm going to use for the backing.

The Pinwheel Doll Quilt

2011-01-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

The woman who designed and made the pinwheel doll quilt I'm basing my first quilt of 2011 on commented on my post and offered to send me the measurements. I suddenly realized that I have her blog, Quilting with the Past, listed in the sidebar, but because she doesn't use the "favorites" feature I forget to look at it.

I found this post on her blog. In it she talks about Quiltmania #70 and her quilts! Then I found this!

Here's a close up of the entire doll quilt.

Well, mine is different. I guessed correctly that it had six blocks, but mine is not as scrappy and I like the scrappier look more. It looked like she'd used squares in place of some of the pinwheel blocks when I looked at the photo in the magazine, but she hadn't. I think I was fooled into thinking that because her fabrics have larger prints, an idea I really like! I think my quilt is smaller. My blocks are 3" and the sashing blocks are 3/4" which will make for a very small doll quilt. I can see more of these pinwheel doll quilts in my future. Yes! A series!

I've almost finished sewing the top. Because it is so small I am hand piecing it. I will post a photo of the top once I've finished it.

A Comment

2011-01-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

My husband retired recently which means he's home all day and I guess, hadn't realized how much time I spent working on quilts. He's been watching me make doll quilt after doll quilt the past few weeks and yesterday commented "I didn't know dolls got cold." Silly man! Of course, they do! Anyone could tell you that!

My Goals for 2011

2011-01-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

I posted my list of practical resolutions in another of my blogs, All the Rest of My Life. This is number five:

Complete 2 doll quilts a month and 4 full size quilts this year.

What I'm Working On

2011-01-01T14:42:00.001-08:00

I was looking at one of my back issues of Quiltmania , in particular this issue:

See that little pinwheel quilt on the headboard?

Here's a closer look.

That's the doll quilt I'm making as my first one of 2011!

Old Quilt Patterns

2011-01-01T14:01:00.000-08:00

Taryn asked to see some photographs of my husband's great Aunt Clara's quilt patterns. I found the box and my husband kindly got it down for me from the high shelf it was on. I'm thankful he's not a football game watcher or it might still be up there!

Here's some of what was in the box.

Other Quilts (Not Doll Quilts)

2011-01-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

Kathie asked for a close up photo of this quilt. It's not a doll quilt; it's one I have on my wall all year and it was in the photograph I took of my Christmas tree before it was decorated. I couldn't take the photos before today when I finally put Christmas away, including the tree. It's hard to take a photo as it's in a corner, away from the light. I ended up having to use the flash. The strips are 3/4" wide and is hand pieced and hand quilted. It is one of my favorite quilts
I made this Rail Fence(a log cabin variation) from pieces out of my husband's great-aunt Clara Wooster's scrap bag. These fabrics are mainly from 1900-1920's, but it's hard to tell; all of her fabrics were mixed up. She had fabrics from her mother's scrap bag and she quilted until she died in the early 1960s. Some were leftover fabrics from shirts she made for her husband and some from the dresses and aprons she made for herself. She also traded fabrics with others. She made many quilt tops, but only quilted a few. I've quilted about a dozen of her tops and I still have a huge stack, at least 40 tops, that haven't been quilted yet. And her scrap bag and many orphan blocks.

Aunt Clara and her husband, Uncle Charlie, did not have any children and she died before I met my husband. When her sister, my husband's paternal grandmother, found out I quilted she gave me all of Aunt Clara's tops, her scrap bag, and files of her quilt patterns. I treasure all of these.

The other quilt is another I have on my wall year round. Again, it's in a corner, away from light so that the fabrics don't fade as quickly, and I had to use a flash. I'm not certain what the name of it is and I would be very grateful if one of you knows and would tell me. The stars are 4" across. I love how Aunt Clara used the stripped materials so that the stars look like they are whirling. This quilt was hand pieced by her; there are placed where I can see she used black thread. I hand quilted it.

Last Doll Quilt of 2010

2011-01-01T11:18:00.000-08:00

I finished it last night and took the photo this morning. This is also the last of my unfinished doll quilts! I will be able to start fresh in 2011.

This doll quilt is based on Civil War Baskets, a quilt in Remembering Adelia by Kathleen Tracy. I was unaware of this book when I pieced the top, basing my quilt on a photo on Flickr.

Because I had no pattern, my quilt is a bit different. The handles are a little wider and the blocks are five inches square instead of four inches. My quilt, without the borders, is 22 x 29 1/2 inches.

A Little Itty Bitty Teeny Weeny Quilt

2010-12-31T11:19:00.000-08:00

If you remember Gilda Radner's Emily Litella, then you will recognize where I got the idea for the title for this post.

I found this cute little wooden doll bed at the thrift store. The $1.95 price tag included the little pink mattress! I couldn't resist! It's about 6 inches high and 9 inches across. The miniature quilt pictured with it was made a number of years ago and is 7 1/2 inches square.

Liberated Trees Doll Quilt

2010-12-31T09:23:00.001-08:00

I began this fun little quilt earlier this month.
I have one more doll quilt to finish to meet my goal of completing all my unfinished doll quilts by the end of the year.

Sweet Basket Quilt

2010-12-31T09:09:00.000-08:00

This is a top I pieced (and sewed and sewed and sewed buttons) on last year. I finally quilted and bound it as part of my goal to finish my unfinished doll quilts by the end of the year.

It's sunny outside and because the fabric is so pale it looks washed out. I've included a photo of one block so that you can more easily see what it really looks like.

Some Ideas For Next Year

2010-12-31T08:20:00.000-08:00

I don't make resolutions. I have goals. That means that I have resolutions that are measurable. Of course, goals can go by the wayside as easily as resolutions, but I am an eternal optimist and persevere in making them. I also have a lot of ideas for goals which are just that--ideas. This means I haven't committed myself fully to them; I'm just thinking about them. That said here are some of my goals and ideas.

** Put together kits (pattern, cut out pattern pieces, needle, thread, and anything else needed to complete blocks for a quilt) together in quart-sized ziplock bags. Sometimes I have ideas for quilts and then later forget them. This will help keep me organized. Okay, I'm laughing at myself. Organization is not my strongest point.

** Commit to making two doll quilts a month. That means complete, including binding and label. That would mean 24 quilts a year. Woo-hoo! I thought about one quilt a week, but that's too much. I also have goals on my other blogs so I'm trying to keep it reasonable.

** Idea: Find a focus for each month. Here's one example using themes:
January: Crazy Winter (liberated quilt patterns in brights)
February: Love and Log Cabins (hearts and various log cabin
variations,although not necessarily both in the
same quilt)
March: Chickens, Cats, and Sheep
April: Flowers
May: Baskets
June: Houses
July: Stars
August: Pinwheels and Hourglasses
September: Nine patches
October: Maple Leaves and Flying Geese
November: Turkeys and Pumpkins (probably mostly pumpkins!)
December: Trees, Snowmen, and Angels

Here's another example using colors:
January: white, gray, cream, neutrals
February: red and pink
March: green
April: purple and violet
May: pastels
June: blues
July: red, white, and blue
August: yellow and orange
September: muted tones, dark tones
October: blacks and grays
November: brown and beiges
December: red and green

Other monthly ideas might be fabrics (solids, flowers, pastels, stripes, dots, two color) or shapes (square, rectangles, triangles, circles, hexagons, applique).

Well, it's a start!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T04:43:00.000-08:00

It's almost 5 a.m. on New Year's Eve day and I've been up for two hours. It's my own fault, really, as I went to sleep at 9 p.m. Unless I take a nap this afternoon, I'm unlikely to still be awake at midnight tonight.

I finished the bindings on two doll quilts yesterday, but by the time I was done, it was much too dark to take photographs. I really like photos taken in natural light; flashes end up making everything look harsh. So I am impatiently waiting for the morning and hoping that it's not cloudy and dark.

The last couple of hours I've been quilting my Civil War Baskets doll quilt. Over a year ago I came across this photo on Flickr and promptly fell in love. I had no idea that there was a pattern for this quilt and it only after I had drafted a pattern and made the quilt did I discover it in a book, Remembering Adelia, by Kathleen Tracy. I wish I'd known that at the time! My quilt is a bit different; the handles are wider, for example. It's also larger. My blocks are 5" square while the pattern called for 4" square blocks. Still, I love it! If I'm lucky, I'll be able to finish quilting it and binding it today and meet my goal of completing all my unfinished doll quilts by the end of the year.

Almost Ready!

2010-12-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

I've quilted two more little quilts and cut the binding fabrics for them, but they're not finished. I also sewed border fabric to a third quilt, didn't like how that looked, and took it off. These will all have to wait now until after Christmas.

Earlier this week I baked little mincemeat turnovers, pecan cookies, white chocolate/dried cranberry cookies, and butter cookies and made apple roll-ups and mini lemon-curd tarts. Yesterday I baked blackberry and peach pies, made several recipes worth of snowball cookies, as well as date bars, and glazed and baked a ham. Today I'll make fruit salad for tomorrow's breakfast and a potato salad to eat with the ham. We're having a rib roast for Christmas Eve dinner. Most of the leftovers will be going home with our sons after the holiday. One son will be here this afternoon, another son and his fiance will be here for dinner, and a third one will arrive tomorrow morning with his wife. The fourth lives in Vermont with his fiance and won't be able to be here.

I still need to wrap a few more gifts, mop floors, vacuum, put out clean towels in the guest bathroom, and get the guest bedroom ready. Tomorrow will be Christmas breakfast followed by present opening! I'll be teaching four knitting classes at my local yarn store in January and February, along with my two days a week gig as a university librarian/archivist, and I'll start making models for these classes right after Christmas.

Here is close up photo of our Christmas tree. Note what I've used as a tree skirt. It's a top pieced by my husband's great-aunt Clara.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Liberated Log Cabin Small Quilt

2010-12-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

I made this top last summer and it has languished since then. Now it has been quilted and bound. It's a liberated log cabin, 14 1/2" x 21". Some of the fabrics are Kaffe Fassett scraps.

Inspiration!

2010-12-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

While looking through some of my magazines, I came across photographs showing small quilts in a back issue of Quiltmania (No. 70). There are no patterns of course, but they don't look that difficult and I've put some of these on my "want to make" list which is growing longer and longer. It's an article about Lucy who lives in the Netherlands. The article states that the author has selected at least seven of her large quilts which will be featured as projects in the future!

Here are a couple of pages from the article:

I need to stop reading and go back to finishing the little quilts I've started.

Quilting Time!

2010-12-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

I've completed the House and Trees doll quilt top and realized I now have four doll quilts which need quilting! It's time to put my sewing machine away for awhile and get those little quilts quilted and bound! I'm also getting behind in Christmas preparations. Hand quilting will be my reward as I finish the shopping/baking/gift wrapping.

Still Making Blocks

2010-12-17T15:40:00.000-08:00

These are all the smaller house blocks I've pieced. I plan on making more, and perhaps some star blocks as well, before I begin assembling the quilt top.

I also made a house block, along with some larger tree blocks. I'm thinking of appliqueing a chimney to the house block.

Planning for Next Year

2010-12-17T09:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday! I spent the morning decorating the Christmas tree and the house. My wonderful husband made me breakfast in bed, gave me a dozen red roses, a romantic card, a pair of diamond stud earrings, and took me out to dinner. All four of my sons called or visited to wish me a happy birthday. I am so spoiled! I had a wonderful day.

This was my birthday gift to myself.

Here are a couple of my favorite quilts from this book.

I also bought about ten yards of Jo Morton scrap fabrics found on Etsy which I hope to receive sometime next week. And then I began wondering what other small quilt patterns I might have. I have some Jo Morton patterns and books. I took a peek in one of the many boxes where I store patterns I've bought through the years. These are only a few of what I found.

Oh, I am going to be so busy! Yay!

Finally, a photo of our live Christmas tree before it was decorated. The quilt behind it is Rail Fence, one of my very favorite quilts. It was pieced from my husband's great-aunt Clara' scrapbag. Most of the fabrics are early 20th century.

Ten Little Trees Done

2010-12-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

I've finished piecing ten little trees. I'm not certain where I'm going with this quilt yet and that makes it all the more fun! I'm thinking of adding some long tree blocks, some houses, and/or perhaps some stars.

I ran out of sewing thread this morning, but happily there is a Mennonite variety store just down the road and yes, they carry thread. Yay! Otherwise it would have meant a trip to town, a 40 mile trip, which would have seriously cut into my sewing time.

And Now For Something Completely Different....

2010-12-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

I've pulled out some of my Kaffe Fassett and bright scraps and begun a liberated (Christmas) tree quilt. I love the Gwen Marston/Freddy Moran quilt books, especially Collaborative Quilting . Here is my first block.

My Remaining Christmas Quilts

2010-12-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

The first Christmas quilt I made was the Log Cabin. The longest one-inch strips are five inches. The second one is this Roman Stripes, which I've renamed Ribbon Candy. The strips are three inches long.

The third one is Chinese Coins, renamed Christmas Coins. The strips are two inches long. The quilt is 16 inches square. I used a very splashy fat quarter for the background and quilted it with red thread

The last one is a a Christmas Four Patch, made of one inch squares. It is 16 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches.

Four Patch Quilt Finished!

2010-12-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

Found Blocks

2010-12-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

While looking for red and green fabrics for my Christmas quilts, I found a large stack of four inch, four patch blocks. I used some of them to make this small quilt top which I'm now hand quilting. I don't know yet what I'll make with the rest of them.