Hello everyone. Today, for my Photo101 posting, I’d like to share this “Swarm” of Kewpie Dolls.
My Sister-In-Laws doll collection is very large. You can’t help but wonder what they might be thinking, Right?
Enjoy this small sampling of some of her favorites.
A few of Ann’s Kewpie Dolls…
Her first doll was made by the Cameo company, and she received Kewpie (We call her “Number 1”) for her birthday as a small girl. “Number 1” is on the right with the necklace. If you want to read more about Cameo Dolls click here.
Today I’m blogging about “Bliss”. As you know, my primary creative outlet is quiltmaking. I love sharing my inspiration, and progress with you. By posting these entries, I hope that you find ideas that move you to be more creative.
Although, I post a lot about quilts and quilting, I also dabble in many other arts. Of course photography is a great hobby, and I think I’m getting better and better. The daily photo blog group this month is pushing me to new ideas. I also play around with scrapbooking supplies once in a while, and have a neat stash of paper, stamps, punches and embellishments tucked away in my studio drawers.
But… quilting is my passion. I love looking at new books and magazines, and I have had many terrific shopping excursions. Oh boy, have I shopped. My fabric drawers have been so full, that they could no longer contain my fabric stash.
I decided earlier this fall to create some wonderful scrap quilts to utilize some of my stash. I’m making four bed-size quilts to be gifted to some wonderful people in my life. I don’t want to name names, since it will be a surprise.
I cut up about 80 yards of fabric into 2.5″ strips, of all colors and patterns. This will yield 400 blocks, or enough for 4 king-size quilt tops. Now, all of my fabric stash in nicely contained in my drawers. I can walk around the studio, and I’ve got space on my cutting table to spread out and work.
I’ve sewn and sewn… and I now have 80 blocks completed. That’s 20% of the total. The process to me is full of bliss. I listen to music or watch shows on my DVR. Well, actually, I’m “listening” to shows. My TV is behind me, so I don’t really see the screen.
So, I bet you’re wondering what these quilts will look like. Of course they are scrappy, so no two are alike, but here is a link to the free pattern from Bonnie K. Hunter. There you will also find a treasure trove of quilting inspiration. Go have a look for yourself.
A quick snapshot of my first 80 blocks. There are 320 more to come. It’s a wonderful project to just get your hands on the fabric.
My photo today is a quick shot of the 80 blocks completed so far. I figure it will take me at least 40 more blissful hours to complete the rest… Oh happy me!
Hello everyone. Well, the Nebraska road trip is over. We had a great time visiting some of our favorite quilt shops again. We enjoyed Cottage Inspirations in Cambridge. Then we were off to Arapahoe, which was the topic of my blog post on Wednesday. After a long lunch break, we headed to Grand Island where two quilt shops were in our sights. An explosion of color, pattern and design are always how I perceive the Material Girl quilt shop. Owner, Debbie, was not there on this day… Her hubby said she was already on the way to Colorado for the big quilt event in Loveland… I guess I’ll see her there, because I plan to go on Saturday with friends, Mark, Benita and Renata.
After spending quite some time choosing at Material Girl… We had just a few minutes to hit Nana’s Quilt Shop in downtown Grand Island. This shop specializes in the more primitive, and country style. Annie B was in heaven, for sure. After our quick tour of Nana’s… We discovered an awesome quilt shop, Heartland Antique Mall was just down the street. Fun, fun, fun!
Sadly, after the overnight stay, we headed west.
We only had time for one stop, so we made it count… The Quilt Rack in North Platte! Lisa DeBord is a good friend of ours, and her shop sells just about anything quilting related. She has lots of panels, in case you need a jumping off point. Also ther are batiks, novelty prints, all the latest from top designers, etc. We stayed until the very last minute we could, because I had to be home by 3pm to leave for a convention in Denver. We sure made every second count!
Hopefully, you and some good friends will plan a similar trip, and tell us about it!
Fellow Quilter 