Dolly’s Day Out

With the kick-off for the Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Sew-Along a little over a week away, I am trying valiantly to get organized and finish up a few UFO’s. So that has been my weekend. (Well, with a bit of time off to cruise the Michigan Irish Music Festival).

The first order of business was to pull all my supplies together. I ordered most of my templates from Mass Drop. That’s something you should check out, if you’re unfamiliar. It’s a website that combines aspects of online shopping with social media to try to negotiate the best price. An on-line co-op, of sorts. While I’m delighted with the price, it does mean that my templates won’t be here for the first few blocks. Hopefully they’ll either be relatively uncomplicated enough to cut out with a rotary cutter and ruler or I’ll have time enough for a little English Paper Piecing. I’ve got a couple other fat quarters hanging around the house that need to go into this box, but otherwise, it’s pretty complete.

I have my book, my fabrics, a few rulers, grey thread, a 3 ring binder to put finished blocks in, and a 12×12 plastic scrapbooking storage box that I thought would be just the thing for blocks-in-progress. Other supplies, like pins, rotary cutter, matt, etc. are in their usual places, since they’re not specific to this project.

I’m planning on using my day off with the kids in school on Tuesday to put together the top for a baby quilt I’m working on. I spread all the blocks out on the lawn today. Don’t panic, I know the embroidered blocks aren’t the same size as the patchwork blocks. I’m going to trim them, then sew them up with some strips of the cream and corner squares of colored fabric.

There is one more redwork block, that simply has baby’s name on it. I have that to finish yet, and then I’ll be able to assemble it. The redwork took me a bit longer than I had anticipated. But it does look nice.

I have a dress and pinafore cut out for the last doll. And I’m still thinking about a Dolly-Along. The instructions in the book are a bit vague, so I think it might be helpful for people who want to make her. Along those lines, I picked up more eyelet and ribbon for the new doll’s camisole and bloomers. I find that eyelet or Swiss edging is very hard to find in my neck of the woods, especially the flat kinds. I got darned lucky that JoAnn’s carried the baby galloon beading. It may be that I’ll have to order some from my favorite heirloom sewing shops when I get to the nightgown.

The new doll will also need her own clothes, and I do really like the blouse and skirt with braces that is shown with a wool hooded cape in the book. So I’ve squirreled away fabrics for that.

And, last but not least, I tried to keep up on my Doodle Quilting homework. If you’re not a follower of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt, you might want to give it a look. She does the most amazing free motion quilting motifs. As an aide, she’s got a series of tutorials that are ongoing, on using doodling to improve your FMQ. I’m a firm believer in muscle memory, so I’m trying to work along with them. I’ll put a button for her page in the sidebar, too. Plus, I’ll share my doodles from time to time. This week’s exercise was triangle borders. I clearly need more work at this. But I think that sailboats would fit nicely, don’t you?

I still have a few more things to organize. And small children who need to go to bed.

Have a good night!

The Calendar says it’s Summer for another week or more, but the weather doesn’t seem to agree. Here in the wilds of West Michigan, Fall is starting to peek around the corner. I start waiting for Jeanne Crain to start warbling a version of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “It Might As Well Be Spring,” but with an Autumn theme.

All the signs are here. The SweeTango apples are here in the market. I’ll spare you all my Johnny Appleseed screed on the horror of grocery store apples and say simply that Honeycrisps are seriously overrated. It’s less Martha Stewart-y sister, the SweeTango, is where it’s at. Equal parts tart and sweet, and pretty to look at, too.

Another sure sign that Autumnal Splendor – snow fencing that marches across the beach like ranks of Red Coats, futilely attempting to hold the sand in place. In spite of this, sand will pile up on Northshore Drive all winter long, as the bitter winds have the whole of Lake Michigan to build up before they get here. Still, they leave gaps in the fencing so that people can still walk down to the water, even in the face of a December gale, should you be hardy enough to do so. Right now, it’s still pretty.

Most of the tourists have gone, and downtown is quiet again. There will be some leaf peepers yet to come and the occasional hardy traveler. But, for the most part, Grand Haven once again belongs to the locals.

Now that my kids are back in school, I’ve had a little tiny bit of sewing time. With the help of that new rag doll book I shared, I’ve made a sweet little dolly of my own. She seems to like apples.

She also seems to enjoy hanging out at the beach.

She does still need a name. Since my youngest, who has claimed her, is mostly nonverbal, I may have to provide that service. I haven’t settled on anything firm yet. She also needs some clothes. I’m planning on sharing her new outfits and accessories as they’re made. And, since I have TWO daughters – I’ll probably make another doll. I might even do that as a “dolly-along,” since the book is great but instructions are a bit vague. That way, you can get a copy of the book and I’ll walk you through the construction.

In the meantime, dolly and I are going to watch the sunset and dream of colored leaves, crisp air, hot cocoa, and new quilts.