NEW VENTURE

I wanted to announce that I'm trying a new product in my Etsy shop - fabric paper dolls. I remember fondly the many, many hours I spent as a child, playing with my paper dolls. The set I remember best were of  The Lennon Sisters. And I always cut out the Betsy McCall dolls and clothes from my mom's McCall's magazines. 

Well, recently I was browsing in Etsy and found someone who was offering these fabric paper dolls. They intrigued me so I did some research. I found that the fabric was designed by Sibling Arts Studio. The fabric line all started when the three sisters inherited a 1930's paper doll collection from their Great-Aunt Lindy. They are now used in a widely-known fabric collection offered by Windham, Blue Hill and Newcastle Fabrics.

I think the fabrics were originally intended to be used for quilts and wall hangings and such, but someone got the brilliant idea of cutting out the dolls and clothes, fusing them to Peltex and fusible fleece and selling the sets as a great "quiet" toy. I also found that this has been going on for several years, unbeknownst to me, but I'm jumping in now. 

I currently have listed a collection of dolls from around the world like Colleen, from Ireland, and Tamia, from Japan. Keep on the lookout for additional dolls.

 Colleen

Tamia

I currently have 7 different dolls listed. Each comes with one or more native costumes plus dresses and accessories. The cost depends on the number of clothes. The dolls are fused to Peltex for stiffness and come with a stand. The clothes are fused to fleece and they cling very nicely to the doll.

To make it easy for a child to carry their paper dolls with them, I've designed a cute little messenger bag style tote with pockets on the outside flap as well as inside to keep everything safely stowed away. The bag has a velcro closure that's easy for little fingers to operate. The long strap is suitable for cross-body wear. I have one listed currently in sparkly pink with more on the way. I'll also be glad to work with customers on other colors.

tote - outside

tote - inside

I think these dolls are adorable and would make a great gift. They are perfect for when a quiet toy is needed like church, travel or waiting rooms. And everyone could benefit from a break from the world of cyber-electronic toys. 

Any input or feedback on these dolls would be appreciated. 

NEW TOTES IN MY SHOP

In anticipation of the upcoming "gift giving" season, I'm going to be listing a number of tote bags in my shop. They will make great holiday gifts for friends and family or to keep for yourself!

The first listing is a nifty patriotic tote in red, white and blue. The colors are more of the primitive, darker colors than the usual combo. The pattern is little squares with stars, stripes or USA. The inside is a dark blue with tiny stars and features two 9" x 9" pockets. There's also a handy little pocket on the outside that's been accented with a vintage white button.

Just in time for Halloween, I listed a beautiful orange tote with a spiderweb pattern that could carry you all the way thru the winter. Inside I went wholeheartedly Halloween with a cute print on black with bats, pumpkins and the like. The tote also has two inside pockets and one on the outside with an unusual metal button feature.

I also listed a cute tote that would be the perfect teacher gift. The print is in bright primary colors of red, blue and yellow. If you look close you will see the schoool house, the school bus, the teacher's apple and many other school related items. The background is a denim blue and the lining a great bright red. Inside are four roomy 9" x 9" pockets to handle all of the "stuff" a teacher carries around. I also included the small outside pocket with a bright red button.

The last tote I'm featuring today is perfect for the piggy collector. The print, in browns and pinks, is all pigs. The tote lining is a pale pink. Inside I placed two 9" x 9" pockets with a small pocket on the outside that has a pretty pearly accent button.

All of the totes have a fusible fleece between the fabric layers and a fabric covered matte board stabilizer in the bottom. The 10" drop in the double top-stitched straps make them great for carrying on the shoulder or in the hand. Although the totes are washable except for the stabilizer, most problems can be taken care of thru spot cleaning. And any of these would make a great diaper bag, too.

I'm also open to requests for custom made totes. Just email or convo me on Etsy with your requests or ideas. And be on the lookout for more - especially those with a Christmas/holiday theme.

PRETTY PINK BABY CLOTHES QUILT

This pretty quilt was a real pleasure to work on. The baby clothes from two little girls were just so cute and girly. Almost everything was in some shade of pink or had pink in the print. There were sparkly things and saucy things and sweet things.

What was really neat was that the customer had an item from each girl with her name on it plus tshirts that said "Big Sister" and "Little Sister". Those blocks made the quilt really personal so I put them right in the middle. The quilt was framed and backed with a pretty soft pink cotton and had white flannel in the middle.

The really sweetest thing about this quilt is that it was to be a Mother's Day gift for the customer. She put together all the clothing and made the color choice, but when I sent it back, she was not to open the box. Her husband would open it, look at the quilt and share it with the girls. Then it would be wrapped up and presented to my customer on Mother's Day. Of course she loved the quilt and I'm so happy I could help make this a very special day for the family.

MORE DESTASH!!

I'm continuing to list more fabric in my Etsy store. Keep checking in to see the latest. Here are some of my current favorites.

Is this not the cutest cupcake fabric? Good enough to eat, I say!! Nice hot pink with colorful cupcakes everywhere. 

This adorable fish print is so cute, too! I love the mottled sea blue background and the yellow, green and orange fish are too cute to eat. And the starfish . . . what can I say but star quality?



This last bundle is two half-yard cuts of the prettiest blue and yellow fabrics. They remind me of Provence and the beautiful sunlight they have their. And the bright blue is just gorgeous. This would be the perfect stash builder!

So go check out my Etsy store and you may just find the perfect fabric for your stash. Not only do I have yardage, but fat quarters and some charm squares, too.



PINK BABY CLOTHES QUILT

I finished the second baby clothes quilt for my great client. This one is predominately pink and I just love it. The framing and the backing are both in a beautiful rose pink with tiny dots in pink, green and cream.

front

butterfly appliques

love!

I also just finished two travel pillow covers to match this pink quilt and the previous blue/green one. I'll put those pics in the next blog.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS QUILT

I just wanted to let everyone know about the beautiful, queen size breast cancer awareness rag quilt that's up for auction on ebay. A whole bunch of ladies from my two online quilting groups contributed blocks for this quilt and one fantastic lady sewed it all up. The proceeds from this auction will be going to another dear friend who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. She is currently undergoing chemo and radiation therapy and, frankly, could use some help with all the medical bills. This quilt has beautiful blocks of breast cancer awareness prints and awesome embroidery. There's lots of time to get your bid in on this one of a kind heirloom quilt. Check it out at http://cgi.ebay.com/Breast-Cancer-Awareness-Rag-Quilt-Queen-Size-Fundraiser-/310260419328 This is your chance to help someone one on one.

SPECIAL ORDER LITTLE GIRL TOTE

A friend of mine asked me to make a tote for her 8-year old neice and provided me with a variety of fat quarters in shades of green, pink and yellow. Such pretty prints and bright colors. I used the fabric to make two disappearing nine patch blocks about 13" square. The lining consisted of two different pink fabrics - one with princesses and one with crowns. The tote measures roughly 10" x 12" with a 3" flat bottom. The straps are a patchwork of the various fabrics used.

I had a bit of fabric left after making the tote so I whipped up a little wonder wallet. Easy to do and sooo very handy. I found a neat vintage dome button with rhinestones to go with the crown print fabric. I hope she likes it!

I just love these fabrics - so bright and springy!! And so perfect for an 8-year old princess.

THE WALLET - ATTEMPT 1

Here's the first result of the new wallet pattern I told you about in my last blog. It turned out pretty good for a first attempt, I think. I'll be working on it for a while before any will be ready for public consumption. I'm proud that the zipper went in without a problem. That was my biggest worry. I tried my credit cards in the little slots and they fit perfectly. The wallet measures about 5" x 3" closed and 5" x 6" open so it's a nice size. There's the three credit card slots, two pockets and the zipper pocket for your change. The closure is with velcro, tho' I may experiment with different snaps which I feel would make it more secure. Anyway, here's the new wallet!!! Taa daa!!

NEW BREAST CANCER CHARITY QUILT AUCTION

My online group, Quilters Corner Group, has just listed a beautiful rag quilt on ebay. All of the proceeds of the auction will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Members of the group, including me, contributed a variety of blocks for this quilt and one member sewed it together. It is the best thing we've done so far. Go check it out at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130339687175&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT and make a bid or two. Or three or four! The auction ends October 31 so get a move on!

Isn't there someone you know who would love getting a present as beautiful as this quilt?

NEW TEDDY BEAR QUILT AND BURP CLOTH SET

I just listed another baby quilt, this one has a matching burp cloth. I just love the print in this one. It has all sorts of teddy bears in an all-over print. I paired it with a pretty dusty pink with white flannel on the back. I had enough left for one burp cloth. This would make a great shower gift. Anyway, I like it!