Maddie's New Summer Dress

My growing granddaughter modeling

her new maxi dress I made for 

her this past week.

 She enjoyed that it had a twirl in the dress!!

I purchased the pattern on Etsy and the pattern and 

website follows.

It did take about 3 1/2 yards for a size 6.

There are a lot of ruffles in the dress.

It was pretty easy to make. 

The website is here

I got the pattern very quick plus bought two more patterns

I made the lace leggings, but forgot to get a picture of her in the leggings.

They turned out very cute!

 VioletteFieldThreads is the name of the Etsy shop, love her patterns!

Lil Twister Doll Quilt

 

 

My experiment with the Lil Twister template.

I thought it came out pretty good.

 

I used 5" squares, 5 by 5 and added

a 3" wide border.

 

Then used the Lil Twister template.

Just line the template lines up with

the squares that cut.

You do end up with some waste,

but I have heard other quilters using

the smallest Twister template to

make more squares.

 

 Sew the squares together and this is how

it ends up. 

I just used muslin for the back and scrapes of blue

for the binding.

 

Now to try making the larger version.

Here is a great tutorial

http://www.quiltersclubofamerica.com/blogs/thebronwen/archive/2011/03/09/twister-quilt-part-1.aspx

 

Of course don't forget to make a label and photo

of your quilt!

 



Getting Ready for Easter

 

 

My little sweet granddaugther

spent this past weekend with us.

And we worked on some crafts for Easter.

 

First we made a garland from plastic easter eggs. 

That was fun and easy.

She picked out the color pattern and

lined up all the easter eggs to thread onto the string.

We hung the garland on the inside of the window.

You can see the garland in the picture on the inside.

 

Then we made a banner from burlap. Cut out a purple

burlap bunny attached him by sewing with some of the

purple thread from the purple burlap.

Stenciled Happy Easter on the banner.

I must admit I did most of the work on the banner,

but she picked out the colors and supervised:)

Pillows!!!

 

Two of three pillows I am sewing up for a friend.

Her sister found this wonderful corky bird fabric.

Heavy weight upholstery fabric. 

Down pillow inserts made them very nice and comfy!

I put an invisible zipper in two of the pillows and

the third did an envelope style.

 

 

 

Love the colors and the funny birds!

Had fun with these.

New Quilt Books

Just got some new quilt books in the mail the other day.

One of the books is actually an old book, but one I

have been looking for a while.

I am so excited about Civil War quilts and the history

behind them. 

A dear friend introduced me to the

'Dear Jane' quilt a couple of years ago.

While I didn't realize it at first, I was

falling in love with the stories and women behind the quilts.

Both North and South. 

My friend had already finished a lot of the Dear Jane squares and if you

haven't seen the quilt, you can find it online.  There is so much

involved in working on just one small square.

I am busy collecting civil war fabric to start mine one day.

In the mean time I started cutting our hexagons in civil war fabric.

I still have a lot more hexagons to go.

I may just make a wall hanging...will see.

Here is a picture of the fabrics I have cut out so far.

More Quilts!!!

A few more quilts from the Pensacola Quilt Show beautiful!! 

Pensacola Quilt Show March 2012

A couple of weekends ago,

Maddie and I went to the

Pensacola Quilt Show!

It was fantastic!!! Amazing quilts!!

I am posting some of our favorites. 

There were so many, it was hard to say which is my favorite.

 More Quilts On the Next Post!!!

Easter Dress

 This is the pattern that I used to make my DGD her Easter Dress. 

 It is a cute and pretty easy pattern to use.  I made it pretty much to the pattern directions, but I think next time I use it, I will disregard the tulle attached to the lining.  It does help it to flare out, but for a silky fabric, I like the dress to not be so puffy.

I used a green cotton that minics a damask.  Then used hot pink for the machine embroidery monogram and the sash,  there is also a little embroidery edging on the lining like the one on the pattern.  It is a little hard to see on the dress I made.

I think I will also make the scrug, but will use a different pattern.  This pattern uses knit for the scrug and I have another short sleeve scrug pattern for woven fabrics.

Valentine's Day Gifts

This week I made Valentine's Day gifts for my little

grandchildren!

Strawberry Shortcake for my 4 yr. old DGD,

Scooby-Do for my almost 7 yr.old DGS and

Cars for my 4 yr. old DGS.

I think they will have some fun with these.

Friday Update

First I thought I would start by sharing this picture of a quilt that I believe to be made

by my DH's grandmother. It was found among the belongs of a uncle who passed away this pass March. I don't know for sure and no one else seems to know, but from the other quilts

I have seen of hers, this one is her style of quilting. She made the most

of the scraps she had and although they are not perfect or exactly color

coordinated, they were made for use. To keep her and her family warm on some cold nights.

Unfortunately, some of the quilt is in need of repair and I am going to do the best to repair it

for our family.

I have been hiding from my blog lately.....I am thinking I need an overhaul and just not sure where to begin. I call it "Rosinton Cottage" because I live in the little community of Rosinton in Baldwin county, AL. But to tell the true, I haven't done much around and about the cottage lately. Most of my doing has been in the sewing room. So I am posting some pics of what I have been doing lately!

Also I have been a little under the weather, I have RLS (Restless Legs Syndrome) and they have been giving me a lot of pain and sleepless nights. Doctors running test by still have not found

what is going on yet. Go back to doctors this week for more test..OH Boy!!

Here are some pics of Maddie in her "Feliz" from this book. She loves to loved to wear and twirl in her dress.

Also the latest dress I made is her "pumpkin" dress. I wanted to make a fall/Halloween dress without the scary designs. Found this great little pumpkin in Etsy here

Til next time and maybe I will work on that blog restyle....

New Christmas Fabric

Home yesterday from Pensacola and a great sew/quilting shop, A & E Fabric store, actually inside a drug store, but has the largest selection of quilting fabrics I have seen in this area...Mary Jo's would be the next closes I know of...
Had to pick up on a few Christmas fabrics for a Vida dress doing for DGD.

Then ran across a couple of "filler" fabrics for maybe another Vida dress if I don't change my mind..Will post later.

What have I been up to??????

Ok, so I haven't been blogging much lately....but I have been busy! First, it is the garden, tomatoes, peas, okra, peppers, etc......we have been picking and canning and freezing. The blackberries and blueberries have all been picked or eaten :) and then there were the tomatoes. I love tomatoes, but I am tired of canning them....I know they will be good this winter when I want to make soup or sauces. And then there are the peas.....we really haven't had alot of peas this year ?? the bugs have gotten to them too fast, but did put some in the freezer. They will be great to have when it gets cold. Nothing like a pot of zipper peas with chowchow on top and a nice thick wedge of cornbread, oh with butter....hmmmm. Now the figs are coming on and I really want to put up some fig preserves this year. We have not had figs in a while. Years ago I use to make "strawberry" fig preserves and that was the only way I would eat them, but my taste have changed with age and I love good old fashion fig preserves and so does my DH. So we will see how that goes.

And then there is the cleaning out of my sewing/crafting room....I really need to downsize and I am trying to get some destashing done to put on Etsy,,,,,(to come soon). I guess going to all those yard sales and thrify stores over the many years have built up to OMGoodness! What am I doing with all this STUFF!? I hope to put much on Etsy to sell.

I have been selling a few things and hope to continue.....it is a learning process, especially about postage...I try to stay close to the actual cost of shipping but sometimes I don't charge enough for shipping and I eat that cost. It is fun to learn I have made a sale! yippeee!

Saving up for a new laptop to use with my sewing machine...one day!

And then I have been quilting, smocking and sewing a bit....working on sewing for grandchildren and doing a little mending......

One little dress I made for my DGD, much more sewing to do.

Better get back to that cleaning out! Later....