Elephants, Bears and Paperdolls! Oh, My!!!!

This week I made my first stuffed softies from Wendi's fun patterns. I finished my elephant and teddy bear and have a cat and dog to go!

I love my elephant and have a pink one planned (doesn't everyone need a pink elephant?)

I love his big floppy ears!

Of course, I have many more teddies planned of all colors. I used pleather for his nose and faux suede for his face, "hands" and feet!

He seems right at home sitting in my chair!

Here are a few more paperdoll blocks. This week I made ones with my kids and grandkids! Oh course, I had to use my memory for what my kids wore all those years ago! Thank goodness the grandkids are recent so I didn't have to use too many brain cells for those!

First up is my oldest son and one of my favorite outfits he ever had! His grandmother gave him these quilted overalls when he was really little so I had to put a huge hem in them! He wore them until I couldn't let them out anymore and then they were passed down to his brother.( I did take poetic license with them because the original quilted knees and pocket were yellow calico.)

I then moved on to my younger son. He played soccer from 1st grade until he graduated so what is more apropos than his soccer uniform. The cleats were lots of fun to add!

Then I made one of my granddaughter and the outfit we shopped for on her last birthday. She picked out the whole outfit and was especially proud of her Sketcher shoes with memory foam. She had wanted them for so long and then found them to match the outfit she had chosen!!!!

Last but not least is my grandson and his swim suit! When they come to visit, swimwear is all you see them in! They love the beach. I had fun putting the whale appliques on both his swimsuit and protective shirt. Fun, fun!

One other block I finished was "Lily" my Easter girl! It was based on  a dress that my grandmother made me when I was 8 or 9. The dress was yellow dotted swiss (remember that?) and I had black patent leather shoes. I loved that dress! I added an Easter basket filled with flowers.

I have at least two more softies to make...a cat and a dog and of course I am still working on my paperdoll and house blocks.

Fun with Paperdolls!!!

I have a new addiction now! I'm still making my Shiny Happy House blocks but I now am doing a Paperdoll quilt also. The pattern comes from the clever mind of Wendi Gratz and let me tell you that once you start, you won't be able to stop. Wendi's pattern are only a guide because you can make them your own with tiny little touches that make each block yours!

My very first block is one I named Heidi. Why Heidi, who know? It just seemed to fit! She is all dressed up for her first day of school in her cute little denim jumper with a co-ordinating plaid shirt and blue tights. 

 I them designed Artie. He has on a long sleeved red shirt and bright blue pants.

Then came Violet! This is the first block that I added a bit of me into the block. Since I was naming all the dolls, someone asked me why not add their name to the block, so I did! I also added a bow to her hair and a bit of lace to the hem of her dress.

I now have plans for a lot more dolls! I am going to make ones for the holidays, and ones named for friends and family. I am having a blast doing them and I hope you have fun seeing them. Keep an eye peeled for more blocks soon!!

Shiny, Happy Houses!

I have been busy making new blocks for my Shiny, Happy House Quilt. This has turned into an addiction for me! I keep thinking of new styles of houses to make so I just keep making them! The houses started out fairly simple but as I have continued making them, I keep adding more and more details.

Note the cute little kitty in front of the bush.

The first house of the week was the flowery house. I added a flower box filled with flowers. The roof and front section of it are also quite "flowery"

For the rustic cabin, I added a doggie holding a bone

I then decided that my quilt was going to need a log cabin. Let me tell you that the logs were really fun!

My roommate tells me that flying the kite with that tail is impossible....and I said so pretend!

Next I came up with a two story house with a matching doghouse and white picket fence. Of course, the block needed a kite and a puppy in the doghouse!

The beginnings of a forest...

I decided that I really needed a snowy scene. The roof and the ground are both sewn with glittery white fabric. Since I live in Florida, I had to do the snow from memory!

Gold metallic thread makes the lighthouse beams of light

I had fun designing the water and the lighthouse. There were lots of pieces to applique but it worked out in the end!

Finally a scene from around here

After all the snow scenes that I have done, I decided that a beach cottage was really needed! Palm trees with a hammock, surfboards on the beach just waiting to be used, and even a beach ball...now all we need is warm weather! I'm on the Gulf of Mexico and it has been in the 30's at night! Brrrrrrr........

Hope you have enjoyed my house tour and maybe you want to join in the fun! Just click on the Shiny, Happy House link at the top of the blog to get the pattern.

Neighborhood Party...Join in!

Have you heard about the "Neighborhood Party" going on over at Hilachas' Neighborhood Party?  Why not come and join us? I am having so much fun making my blocks for this party! I spent some of my weekend making two blocks. The first was a chilly winter block...what is more appropriate for someone from Florida? It is full of snow along with a cute little snowman! Just like around here........

The snow and the sky are both "glittery" as well as the snowman.

 After I finished the first one, I couldn't stop. So off I went with my second block! What to do that was a bit different? How about a group of townhouses? Sure...I have a problem picking out the fabric for one house, so why not five? A brilliant blue sky directed me to use bright and cheerful colors like you would  find in San Francisco's Painted Ladies and Charleston's Rainbow Row. I had to make so many decisions with colors and styles that it wasn't funny but it was well worth it in the end. I think I would like to live on a block like this! Wouldn't you?

I still need to add some colorful buttons for doorknobs. More decisions for color!

Here is an added block! I decided to try for a Victorian look for this block and a cute little doggie for a pet! I used some lace for the gingerbread look on the front of the house. Who wouldn't want to live in this house?

I plan on making a few more blocks so why not come join in the party? There is always room for one more!

Hexie potholders....they are just like potato chips!!!!!!

 Well, they are...I bet you can't make just one!!!! I had downloaded this pattern a long time ago but recently Caroline of sewshecan revised it and I decided to try it out. One of my New Year's Resolutions is that I am trying not to buy any fabric unless absolutely necessary, so I dug through my stacks and stacks of fabric and came up with this.

Bright and fun!

 This was such a fun project that I couldn't stop at one(see just like potato chips!) I decided to make a set for my daughter-in-law for her birthday. Here is what I can up with.....

I decided on strawberries for the center and lots of bright colors to surround them.

And here is where I admit to my boo boo! Note the hexi on the left...no ribbon to hang the potholder with! OK then...how about a trivet...making lemonade out of a lemon!  When I finished the potholders, I decided  they needed a dish towel or two! I found Amanda Jean's(crazy mom quilts) fantastic pattern for a simple patchwork dish towel tutorial. A quick and easy way to make a striking dish towel. Now I have matching pot holders and dish towels for my birthday gift!

I have also been working on my blocks for the Shiny Happy House quilt club. Here are my first four blocks.

My first house

Starry, starry night

Starry, starry night at Christmas!

A facsimile of my house

Interested in joining our little group? Check us out at Wendi's Shiny Happy People. It is really fun, so why not come and join in.

I'm Back!!!!

I promised myself last year that I would post more regularly and for a while, I did. Then life happened and I kept meaning to post but didn't. I have been busy sewing, just not posting so here is a little of the missing months!

First of all, I took Wendi Gratz's FUN FUSIBLE APPLIQUE PROJECTS on Craftsy. This is a really fun class with lots of great applique hints. I decided to make quilts for my grandchildren for Christmas so off I went! I made the Woodland Quilt from the class for my grandson and had a blast making all of the animals. I included my grandson's name on the quilt and made it in his favorite color green!(If you click on the photos, you can see them in a larger form)

After I had put the top together, Wendi came out with a pattern for a moose and I designed a skunk so I took the bear and the fox on the top row off and added the two new animals. I didn't get a photo of the additions but here is a picture of  Teddy with his quilt on Christmas morning.

Cute little skunk

Big, Bad Moose!

Teddy on Christmas Morning

When I finished this quilt, I decided to make a flower quilt for my granddaughter but then decided to add birds, butterflies and snails for the cuteness factor! I found the adorable snails on Sher's Creative Space on Craftsy. ( I have gotten some wonderful applique's from her store btw!) I added my granddaughter's name on her quilt also, as well as some metallic bling to the appliques! I wanted to add a magnolia for Mississippi and a dogwood for where I grew up so I designed them and I think they turned out nicely. I also did a cardinal and a mockingbird that you can see on the quilt by the magnolia and dogwood. Here is the photo of Maddie and her quilt on Christmas Day.

Magnolia

Dogwood

Maddie on Christmas Morning

After I finished the tops of the quilts, I decided to make some placemats for Thanksgiving. I appliqued cute little pumpkins from The Patchsmith on Craftsy also. It was so much fun! I only have one photo but I made 6 with names on all of them! Whew, I wish some of the relatives had shorter names! I also made matching coasters with a little pumpkin each.

When I finished these, I tackled Christmas placemats. Would you believe that I made over 40 Christmas ones? I only put appliqued names on the kids tho', I was kinda' tired of letters by them. For my final Christmas sewing, I made stockings for my kids, grandchildren and great nieces and nephews. I didn't have time to take a photo but if I make some more, I will add them later. If you look at Teddy's Christmas morning photo, you can see one of the stockings. I made an Olaf stocking for Maddie and a Teenage Mutant Turtle one for Teddy!





I think this post has gone on long enough, but you can see that I have been busy. I have started a new class at Craftsy and have joined the Shiny Happy House quilt club and the Small and Sweet quilt club so I should be quite busy this year!

Baby Things

I spent the last week making baby items for a young girl I know who has no family around. She does have  support from her co-workers so I thought I would help out a bit also. I made a rag quilt, some rag bibs and burp clothes and wash clothes. I am hoping that this gives her a bit of help for what I know will be a tough road ahead. We know that the baby is a girl but I didn't want to overdo the "pink" thing with the quilt. I had some cheery blocks already started so I went with the bright theme. Lots of animals and bright colors!

See the cute little animals in the green and brown blocks? The bright yellow and orange make this a happy quilt!

Close up of the blocks

Then I found a fun pattern for a rag bib. I did do several pink bibs but added greens and blues, also.

The pink quilt on the bottom left has a bit of sparkle for some fun! All of the bibs are reversible.

I then decided that some bright and cheery burp clothes would be fun and I added some matching wash clothes. I always used plain white diapers...boring! I wish I had had some cute flannel ones for my kids!

Ladybugs and kitties!

I love the pink and red owls. The pink clothes are covered in butterflies and the multi-colored hearts finish out the burp clothes.

I had so much fun making all of these baby things! I have another friend who has a new granddaughter coming in June so I am planning a rag quilt and bibs for her. Can't wait to get started!