Surprise Spring Dolls Quilt Swap

Last year I took part in a Dolls Quilt Swap for the first time and you may remember I made a Peacock Quilt.  Well this year in among a lot of assignments and study and christmas present making and business marketing I signed up for another.

This one is being run slightly differently in that we all send off a Spring themed dolls quilt and we get one sent back to us.  It is completely random this year and we don't have one specific person to make for.  I loved this idea as it meant I could whip something up quite quickly.  A must given I had 7 assignments to complete in November.  The deadline was 30 Nov and mine went into the post on the 28th Nov.

Anyway, because I don't have to wait for my recipient to receive their parcel this year I can reveal it now.

I used scarps from Jots quilt (which was meant to be for her birthday and will now be lucky if she gets it for Christmas) as when I think of Spring I think of Rainbows.  I originally had grand plans to do appliqué and piecing and then I returned from holiday to find a study crisis and a lot of work to be done.  My elaborate plan went out the window and still using the same scraps I went very simple.  And I love it.

Hopefully whoever gets it out of the hat will also love it.

Dolls Quilt Reveal

Yay I can finally reveal what I created for the Essential Quilters Dolls Quilt Swap 2012 (DQS).  My partner was Helen (who also made for me and you can see that beauty here)

I am very proud of this as I tried new techniques in its creation.  I used a Dresden plate template to make the feathers and appliquéd it one.  Both things I hadn't done before.  Add some raw edge appliqué for the body and head and the top was done.

I waited a while to start to quilt it but I knew what I wanted to do until my machine spat the dummy (it really must go in for a service).  Rather than have to keep unpicking I decided to try yet another new technique and hand quilt it.  My stitches are not very small (or for that matter very even) but I am really pleased with the results.

The Peacock

Front

The back

Close up of the hand quilting

Dolls Quilt Received

This is the beautiful dolls quilt I received from Helen of Patchwork of Mini Grey.  I love the pinks and purples.

With hindsight I should have opened it without Jot present as as soon as it was open she claimed it and was thanking 'Mummy's friend' for making it for her.  I managed to steal it back for a quick photo but I am surprised that you can't see her hovering in the photo she was so intent that I wouldn't keep it.

We had to put the 'babies to bed' with it that moment.  Which of course meant we needed a bed for 'babies'.   A quick cardboard box butcher and voila one bed.  

Rosie and Sleeping Beauty love their new quilt and slept all night through.  Wish Jot had followed suit.

Thanks Helen I can see a long life for 'babies' quilt ahead. 

I can't show you pictures of the one I sent yet as my recipient still hasn't received it.  I sent it on Monday and am now starting to get a little worried.  I know it had a fair distance to go but still it should have been there by now.  Fingers crossed it arrives on Monday so I can show it off.  I'm really proud of it.

{THIRTY}

Didn't get any chance to sew today but have succeeded in completing R Halloween costume.  It took 4 hours yesterday and to be honest I thought it was going to drive me nuts.  There were a couple of occasions I would have been happy to chuck the thing in the bin.  I think I will have to wait a while before I attempt it again like maybe a decade or so :)  No photos yet but I will hopefully get one at some point to show you.

I also sandwiched and attempted to quilt my DQS yesterday only to find that my little machine is obviously in need of some love and attention.  The  tension has gone a bit iffy and it seems to be skipping stiches when I try to quilt something.  It happened last time I attempted to quilt as well but I had forgotten about it.  So tomorrow I am going to nip into GJs in Brunswick and pick up some thread to hand quilt it with.  Another new thing for me so a bit of a learning curve.

I did manage to cut out the hat for Jots childcare worker who is leaving on Friday but it is still in pieces.  I will finish that tomorrow when CT sleeps so I can focus on the DQS for the rest of the week.  It is a Nicole Mallalieu pattern and I am loving the detailed instructions.  I also have her A-Line skirt pattern waiting for me to get round to soon.  I am going to have to dedicate a month to me sewing i think just to get on top of all the things I want to make for me.

Today though I have been working on working again.  Lots of big ideas but I am not ready to share any of them yet.  Hopefully soon I will stop procrastinating.

In the meantime I am going to go join R on the sofa and watch Rock of Ages on DVD.  Night all

{TWENTY EIGHT}

OK I may have been a bit optimistic about showing crafty stuff today.  But you will get to see some later this week as I have a lot to get done before Friday.

1) R Halloween Costume (by Wednesday)

2) Leaving Gift for Childcare worker (by Friday)

3) DQS (by Sunday) 

So I have already cut out R Halloween costume or at least the cloak.  I am hoping to do a tunic as well but I figure as long as I get the cloak done he can wear a black t-shirt and jeans under it with no problems.  There is still a couple of hours of work on the cloak to do so I will target this first and then have a bit more time to get my head round the other two items.

Jots favourite Childcare worker is leaving on Friday (she has been Jots carer for over a year which is rare).  I wanted to make her a quilt BUT I don't think I have time especially as I need to got on with my DQS.  I am thinking a sunhat and a notebook cover but the idea of a quilt keeps coming back to me.  Might see what I have in my stash that she might like.  

DQS - I can't believe it is a week to mailing day already.  Where did this month go?  Anyway the top is complete and after dinner tonight I plan to sort out the label and then sandwich it ready for some quilting on Wednesday.  I can see myself binding this next Sunday night in front of the TV before mailing on Monday.  I like it though and I hope my partner does too.

Right I am off to get some dinner sorted out.  You may or may not get photos tomorrow as I try to get most of this under my belt in my child free time while R takes the kids swimming.

{SEVENTEEN} Blogtoberfest

Yay I made it to half way.  Now I am going to panic that I am half way through October already.

Got some more sewing done on Monday.   Finished off 1/2 of Jots Butterfly costume and finished the DQS Top (which I am really excited about now) and finished all four Santa Sacks.  Of course the only thing I can actually post a picture of are the Santa Sacks.

I adore this fabric range Winterkist.  In fact I think I might stock pile some more in my next order.   The Pink one is for Jot as the only girl the other three are for CT and my two NZ nephews J & O.  Baby Boy B is due in January so doesn't get a Santa Sack this year but I have enough of the fabric left to make him one for next year.

The other side has their names appliquéd on and there will be colour coordinated cord running through the snowflake top bit once I get to Spotlight.

Since I really want to show the DQS top I will throw in a sneak peek for you that isn't going to give anything away.  The good news is that is actually looks like what it is meant to, R took one look and could tell me what it was meant to be.  Now I just need to find a backing for it and figure out how to add a hanging sleeve or and make a label for it but I still have 3 weeks till posting so I think I have time for all that.

R has also commissioned a Halloween costume now although how he is going to cook dressed as the Grim Reaper is slightly worrying .  I have tracked down a pattern but a trip to Spotlight is needed to get fabric.  I am so used to making things for the kids that I had forgotten that adult outfits need a lot more fabric.  At least plain black homespun should be relatively inexpensive.

{ELEVEN} Blogtoberfest

There has been plenty of sewing done this week.  Not quite everyday as the kids have been a wee bit difficult but I got probably 6 hours in total so far.

My Dolls Quilt Swap (DQS) quilt has stalled as the design I choose just isn't working.  I might tweak it a bit and start again with a different background which I think might be the problem.  Anyway I put it aside to think about and got out a couple of other items from my To Do list to finish up.

Firstly I did two aprons for 4th birthday presents (they are exactly the same).  I ran out of the fabric to make matching hats so I will doing a quick trip to Kmart tomorrow for kid sized kitchen utensils to add to the present.

I also finished off the first of 4 Santa Sacks.  I just love this fabric it is so happy.  There reverse of the bag has Jots name appliquéd on.  The other three are waiting for colour coordinating threads which I think I will be off to spotlight for tomorrow.

Finally I finished a quilt top for Baby Boy B who is due in January.  Now I just need to sort my machine out so I can quilt it myself.

I am hoping to get more time to sew this week too so you may get another post of completed items later over the weekend.

Now I am off to collect Jot from childcare.

{TWO} Blogtoberfest

I have a fantastically supportive online quilting group who are all so far ahead of me when it comes to quilting that I am always in total awe of their wonderful creations.  I have been part of it for about 4 years now (probably slightly less) and have watched each year as they run a Dolls Quilt Swap (DQS).  This year I decided it was time to join in.  I just really hope that my partner is not disappointed by my attempt as I am no where near the same skill level.

I have stalked my partners blog and have come up with a few designs but wasn't really sure about fabric choices.  I have so much lovely stuff in my stash but wanted something different than the palate I usually use of creams and muted colours.  

Here is a sneak peak of the fabrics I have potentially chosen along with the first page of possible designs in my mind.

The designs are all simple as they will then bring out the fabric and only require straight line quilting (for some reason I can't get the tension right on my machine for FMQ).

I have to put this in the post before 4 November so I am going to have a bit more of a think this week.  Make my decision at the weekend and then make a start next week.  There may be more sneak peaks throughout the month as I get closer to finishing it.

I am really excited about this as it is a real challenge for me and I really hope that my swap partner likes it.