Doll UFO Makeover

I belong to a small doll club and we had a challenge to make a doll related to Alice and Wonderland. I had this stuffed doll who needed a makeover. I removed her clothes and started a modern outfit for Alice in Wonderland. I thought it could also be a gift for my 4 year old granddaughter, Hazel, who loves babies.

Here's the before.

Here's the front of the after. I finished the dress and apron, made pantaloons and a head scarf.

Here's the back. It has a velcro closure so that she can change the clothes.

This is a finish for the challenge at The Littlest Thistle. This is goal #1.

More to come!

Kathy

May Blocks

Okay! This is my block total for May and this year so far! I am participating in the block project over at Prairie Moon.

These are 11 small quilts I made for my husband's graduating senior basketball players  and managers for 2014 and 2013. I am counting these as 11 blocks. Each quilt has the player's number and is foundation paper pieced. Shown is one block. the rest are wrapped like diplomas. I had them wrapped before I thought to take pics.

I took a class at Pieces and Patches Quilt Guild on making houses without a blueprint from Sharon Phillips. This is my completed block. Do you see the monkey and bird in the windows? I'm thinking this might make the start of a book about Monkey and Bird!

This is a block I made at Scrappy Ladies. Sue Goldman and Loneta Blevins gave us instructions for this. Fun block! It will make an interesting quilt. I used 2 1/2 strips cut from my scraps. It will all be yellow and blue!

Well, my total for May is 13. My total so far this year is 184. I am over halfway to my goal after 5 months. 

Kathy

April Fun with the Grands

Last month the grandkids came for a few days. We went to a couple of our favorite places. On our way back from Tulsa we went to Wilson Park in Fayetteville. It is a magical place with a castle and pond, flowers, clay flower benches, and many avenues for imaginative play.

Ash and Eowyn in the top of the castle, hanging out with the Gargoyles!

 They are now coming down the back of the castle, heading out on adventure!

                                     Eowyn, I believe, is a fairy hanging out on a flower!

 Hazel, of course, in her favorite role--Queen!

 Close-up of the Queen!

 Grey enjoyed climbing on everything. You can see some of the artwork on the floor of the castle.

Ash enjoyed climbing on the roof.

Quite a sighting of wildlife hanging out on a flower!

The next day we went to Terra Studios/Bluebird Factory in Durham, AR. We picnicked and played for part of the day. Some of the same artists that created the clay structures at Wilson Park created the magical gnomes and structures here.

 Grey visits with the troll under the bridge. Such a brave boy!

 Ash and Eowyn had to climb the lamppost--too tempting!

                                       Papaw, Grey and Hazel climbed atop of the giant bug!

 Every time we go we have to pose with our friend,

the gnome.

                                                                    Good friends!

 No trip would be complete without a tea party with the gnomes.

 The Queen and her attendants, both real and clay!

 Ash loves the dragons! No fear!

Another tradition--Papaw throwing a grandkid in the Monster trash can.

The most amazing part of this place is that it is FREE!!!

On my way to meet Joel in OK, I stopped at the park in Siloam Springs. Eva has promised the kids a puppy when Grey gets a little older. Everyone but Hazel petted the dog in the park. After it left she said she wanted to pet it also. Convenient? Eowyn has gotten so much better with dogs.  She really wants a puppy!

Brave little girl!

Grey has no fear. He let the dog nibble on his hand.

We had such a great time and I also wanted to share with you our little corner of the world! 

Kathy

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Baby Quilts!

In March I started blocks for baby quilts for my guild QUILT. They are a pattern from Bonnie Hunter, called Crayon Box. I finished the 24 blocks in April.

Well, I took the pieced blocks and put them together with yellow, blue and pink blocks and made 3 quilts instead of just one.

I gave 2 of them to our baby quilt project and kept one so that for once I will have a baby quilt on hand when I need one in a pinch. It seems I never have one when I really need one in a hurry.

This is my Finish # 1 for My Littlest Thistle Finish Along. I have almost all of my goals either finished or almost completed! Now to take the time to finish, label and blog about them!

This is short and sweet!!!!

Kathy

April Block Challenge Results

My April Blocks!

I got quite a bit accomplished on the Prairie Moon Block Challenge this month. I had the bright idea of taking the pics outside and boy was it windy! I had to chase a few. I used a rock to hold down the star blocks long enough to take the picture!

This is a selvage block(12X12 finished) to go along with 2 others I have started. It is sewn with a muslin foundation underneath in a kind of log cabin style.

These are star blocks for a flag quilt we are making at our featherweight club at Sager Creek Quilt and Yarn Shop. There are 14 blocks. We will start the stripe section at our next meeting.

These are foundation, quilt as you go, strip blocks started be a friend, Grace.  I cut the batting and backing and quilted the 3 together. I did 13 to add to hers to make a donation baby quilt for the Pieces and Patches Quilt Guild in Rogers, AR.

These are 24 scrap blocks made from a Bonnie Hunter pattern. It is the Crayon Box free pattern on her blog. I am putting them together with solid blocks to make 2 donation baby quilts and 1 baby quilt for a niece. You can spy many cool things. Can you see the frog, turtle, pink panther, 2 fish, glasses, cat and the hat, funky alphabet, stick figures.......?

No! I did not make all of these! These were blocks a group of us made at a retreat last week. I made the very intricately pieced 36 patch block second from the left on the bottom row. Aren't you impressed! 3 Retreaters won the blocks along with a signature block for each. We had a great time on the retreat at Lake Ft Smith.

That makes a total of 53 blocks for this month. I have some more done, but they are gifts for next month and I don't want to take a chance that the recipients might see them. I'll include them next month.

My total so far for the year is 171! Woohoo!!!!! I am almost 1/2 way to the goal of 350. It has been neat to keep track. Sometimes we don't realize what we have accomplished!

I think I "May" reach the 1/2 way point this month.

Kathy

UFO Goals for Second Quarter

In January I mentioned in a blog that I joined in the Finish Along with Littlest Thistle. Well, I worked very hard and completed all my goal projects. I was so proud of myself! Did I tell you that prizes were involved with finished projects?  Visions of Quilting Goodies danced in my head! Katy sent out very specific guidlines including the deadline, midnight, April 6. Guess what? I didn't pay enough attention to where she was located——England!

                                          I missed it! I missed it! Phooey, I missed it!

Boy was I disappointed, but I dried my tears, pulled on my big girl pants and decided to try it again. So here goes.

FIRST GOAL:  This is a doll I started for an Alice in Wonderland challenge from a doll group I meet with once a month. We have not met since 2013 due to all the lovely weather we had—you know, ice, snow, etc. I took a rag doll I bought at a yard sale, removed her clothes and started a new dress. I need to finish the dress, make some bloomers and fix her hair and/or make a hat. When we met Monday I forgot I had started it. I will finish it and take it next month. After that I will give it to my 3 year old granddaughter for part of her birthday in May.

SECOND GOAL:  Tree topper angel. I bought this at a yard sale for $1 about 20 years ago. Someone had started the embroidery and I used some of my sewing machine embroidery stitches to do some more. It got packed away until November of 2013. I pulled it out and stitched on it at ballgames. I need to cut it out, stuff it, and sew it. It will go to my grands for their Christmas tree.

THIRD GOAL: Scrap blocks started at our guild's baby quilt workshop in March. There are enough there to make 2 baby quilts. I need to add a couple more rounds, put blocks together, add borders, quilt and bind.

FOURTH GOAL: I started this in a Thread Painting workshop from Heather Thomas with our guild in March. I actually quilted it yesterday and forgot to get a pic of it unquilted for this challenge. So technically I quilted and still need to bind or finish in some way for a completion. I'm not sure what  will do with it.

FIFTH GOAL: Okay, these are the chenille blocks that I have been working on which were started by my deceased friend Margaret. I put it down as a completed project for last quarter, but it is not finished. I still have to go sit with it at the laundromat, wash and dry it so it will fray and be fluffy. I have procrastinated over this because I did not want to spend 2 hrs of my life at the laundromat. Hopefully stating it here will get my butt to the laundry.

SIXTH GOAL: 11 paper pieced shoe small quilts. I need to piece 2 more blocks, applique on each, quilt and finish edges. These are gifts so I can't say anymore.

SEVENTH GOAL: This little quilt was started in a guild workshop by Wendy Butler Berns in October. I still need to quilt and finish the edges. 

EIGTH GOAL: Link up on time in June so that I am eligible for prizes!!!!

Just realized that I never published this. So here goes.

   Kathy

UFO No Longer!!!!!!!

This is my last UFO completion for the first quarter of the 2014 Finish Along from Littlest Thistle. I posted a goal for the quarter in an earlier post.

This is "You Are My Sunshine". I started it in October of 2012 at our guild retreat in a class taught by Nora Krein. It will hang in my sunroom, aka playroom, where my grands keep their toys at my house. I have sung "You Are My Sunshine" as a bedtime lullaby to all of them. I ironed on interfacing to the back and then stitched down the various suns in raw edge applique. I couched fuzzy yarns down and I love the texture. After that was done, I loaded it on my longarm with some heavy wool felt for backing and quilted it with gold metallic thread. I used the felt because I didn't want the puff look of batting. I used a facing on the back instead of binding. 

Here is a close up of one of the suns. Did I say how much I love the fuzzy yarns?

It was a very busy month for me with lots of basketball games and I doubted at one point if I would get this completed. Once I started, it went quickly. Isn't that true with most things? It's all about getting started! I'm glad I joined this challenge because I don't think I would have gotten this particular project finished without it.

I'm leaving for MQS early in the morning and will post my goal for the next quarter when I get back. I certainly have no shortage of UFOs!!!!!!!

Kathy