EASTER COMING FAST

How the year has flown by so fast nearly Easter cannot believe it, have been busy trying to do the mother thing and help with the grandies as much as I can... I came home with a real dose of the gastic virus which has slowed me down or should I say I lost a week of catching up my work???  I am working on a Wedding quilt for my youngest who is getting married in August and having a baby Boy .... I used to winge about having a boy and now they have taken over so as to say.... how cute!
Anyways I will upload the wedding quilt which I chose to be plain and in blue (I wonder why made the decision before I knew) also blue is a pleasant colour so I  thought for a bedroom and I wanted to pursue the quilt in the hoop technique ....with my new Pfaff Creative sensation...

 The Block which is cut 1/2" all around shows the main design and if you look at it you can see it is all done in the hoop. I like it plain and simple especially if is for a gift. The little flower pattern in the corners I chose cause I saw her put on a dress to see what she was going to wear going out!  I love the simple quilting in the background which I did with a soft blue embroidery thread not to overpower the whole quilt .... I have to do 122 of these blocks  then 22 of the border ones...........that's a lot of sewing!

These are how the blocks will form the whole pattern of the quilt when it is all finished.......

MAY WHAT I AM UP TO

Today is the 4th May very cold here on the Mid-North Coast the icy winds are blowing indeed plants are not confused  now winter is definitely here on its way...Here are pics of my projects I set myself to keep me busy and active making  my days worth my while.. My children say I am crazy to dig a hole and get rid of it and chill out.....well I am certainly doing that in this weather chilling out!

There is my first projects I have had in boxes for quite a while I cannot for the life of me throw them out it would be such a shame I thought I know the doll world has died but thinking about the work already and the costs involved would be such a waste like in this world today.... a throw away world...I  will work on them and put step by step photos...I have no choice sitting in this quiet place no-one around doing nothing ...

My purple Charming Boudouir doll I undressed her fixed her up especially her hat she looks and sits very well .... now for my new head I am experimenting with I want more real look so I put a fine layer of clay sculpting  her nose not the best but am learning I also gave her lips and painted her with a layer of gesso then painted her I drew in eyes and kept looking at her they were at first too small so I kept drawing and drawing till finally I can't draw no more and painted what I could this is the best result after months and months of drawing....now I will move on...

MY PACIFIC GEMS

It took me a while to finish this quilt ... I have never done anything like this before I nearly went bald trying to do it, I thought I was smart but had to sleep on a lot of ideas .... I asked everyone up here for help but no-one knew anything about it....NOR DO I....it was 2013 BOM it looked good on paper but using the software and doing it was so different ...even the instructions I just didn't understand I cried a lot till hubby mentioned to lay it all out and then it will come...........IT DID!

The Quilt although I still have to make the edging border

Close up pic of the quilt with the diamond middle section in the square of quilting design that was done in the 5Dsoftware

Closer view of the design

The sun Ray which was taken of a design in the software enlarged to size on the block satin underneath the cutwork and stitched in triple stitch

taken at a different angle to show the paisley design and the corner cutwork on the innder square

a close look at the quilt with the wave border on the outside

middle square with the paisley design encored four times

the quilting in gold threads on the square (triangle showing the quilted endless quilting design border and piping

a larger view of the SUN RAY

The star jewel cutwork design

the outer Wave design which was done completely in the software and transferred to the endless design  in an ordinary hoop using template and markings to position

Paisley design to represent a sea creative

Cnr jewel cutwork design with quilted machine design with endless hoop.....I extended the quilt with a larger edging (Peacock free)  and then the binding in dark blue binding to complete the quilt to a large size quilt....

WHAT I AM UP TO NOW...

I have been catching up on everything I can think of.....coming here with the weather slightly more extreme things have come a little tired I guess getting older you keep on the same thing and they just fade out in time...I have to change, have to modernise things and keep them to the taste and flavour of the era!  Crafting has really deteriorated to my point of view, I love going to the shows what is the go but in reality what comes into my mind is that I can do that....I just have to find the techniques and I
find that my computer or the net is just an awesome tool, I don't like the games people play I love my own games of creating something quite extraordinary...... I don't want to do what people around me do I want to be different so how do I go about it.......I have talent so where do I start.....

I have fired the kiln back up going through the boxes of unfinished dolls and such even the dolls that are left behind, look so tired, so behind the times, they have no colour they just don't look right so on the net I go for ideas, there is nothing to look at around here and the petrol makes it unrealistic, so I set out and here are some new ideas....

Daddy's Boy Old Vintage

Daddy's Boy modern

Aaron modern real 000 baby wear

Crying Colin baby wear 0000

 I

Closeup of Modern Crying Colin

Dear Jane

Creative sewing / It took 2years and a lot of tears! My very first quilt. I would love to do it again but need more experience still. This will have to do. I would NOT recommend it to anyone for their first quilt! The story behind the quilt and watching the experienced gave me inspiration.

XMAS COUNTRY ANGEL

First on the list of my angels which are all different is a green/gold angel she's $12 plus postage! Travels well.. made very plain and simple and poseable on a shelf wherever you are, as a gift or stocking filler shes perfect....a real Madam...sweet angel with gold tinsel wings...

DRESSING MORE VINTAGE DOLLS

Have dressed a large Pedigree a walker, repainted her face taking away the faded white look of the early plastic, added to her real hair I don't believe in stripping off the wig if possible I like the doll when she first came out of the factory, most didn't have clothing on them they were the cheaper dolls, I still remember dressing my doll Mary........the only doll I had although this is not Mary..

DOLL DRESSING-LARGE BABY CELLULOID

Have been dressing more dolls this time a Celluloid large doll fixed it up and repainted the doll then sprayed with a paint fix to preserve it. Noticed that the early form of plastic (celluloid) is slowly breaking down so a covering makes it much stronger and wear the time longer........This is a very popular baby doll and the size of a baby that they used to put baby clothing on. I have put on her/him a real christening outfit to pose like they did many many years ago in department stores......like Anthony Hordens, Mark Foyes but this dress is in today's modern fashion and the OLD WORLD creating a new fashion simple and elegant.....you don't need to iron it just wash it and when dry put it back on....You can use the outfit for a SPECIAL CHRISTENING ocasion fitting a baby from 0-6months.......

SUGAR BRITCHES ALL DRESSED

Finally after looking on the internet for what people want I found the last material in bits and pieces I have sewn on many dolls years ago.  This time it is a cream crushed tafetta crushed very finely and easy to maintain no ironing.....just hand or machine wash put on the line to dry and put it straight back onto the doll.

 

At first the design was boring just with the panel on the front and some lace I found a wide lace and looking on the heirlooms of the internet I stitched the lace on the yoke like Bat wings or a large frill catching it at the waste and tying it up with ribbon and letting the tails hang.  It reminded me of a butterfly so I digitised a butterfly my first try handyed it and I sewed it onto the front yoke to add colour and interest of the old world without spoiling too much of the cream. I stitched the same wide lace at the bottom of the dress making it very long and old world....She also has a petticoat, and hat to match the outfit and bootees to follow on order..

SUGAR BRITCHES



full length sleeping



I have pulled out all the baby dolls I guess they have been stale or people cannot see what they look like. Sugar Britches is my all time favourite she came out many many years ago when the doll game was new and



sleeping pose



exciting.  Shes simple, a sleeping babe to me its a lovely doll to put on the bed sleeping away, an awake doll I prefer in the cabinet.. Lots of people in this modern world don't put much on their bed but rubbish and their rooms to me don't look inviting or interesting...I still remember going into places of years ago although some were cluttered some were so so pretty and very interesting... I guess these days people do go into their bedrooms and close them off completely hiding away the interest, showing off their places of living so they are not talking points.  I don't believe in over cluttering things but I a home is your heart memories of yesterday, today and maybe tomorrows......A home is only while you live on this earth to enjoy the fruits of living.......



sitting position








handmade artist name on body for authenicity



tummy pose