Happy Elmo and Happy Doll Quilt

My doll quilt is done! I hand quilted in diagonal and chose yellow Kona cotton for biding. I just love this happy color. I was going to show you how to bind with a double folded bias tape and do corners, but I just couldn't stop in the middle of it to take pictures. Sorry maybe next time... I looked around the house for a right figure for a photo shoot, and here he is. My son's Elmo! He still has his very first teddy bear from a baby shower, named Teddy. Shhhh, don't tell him that I revealed this.

Elmo looks pretty content, no?

After finishing the quilt, I knew I had to make a doll figure, not a furry monster to play with. I drafted a doll pattern millions of times, and this is what I came up with. Um, it doesn't look so promising...maybe I should go look for a well balanced body figured pattern.

Sew & Tell - Ivy's Doll Outfits

Guys, please meet Miss. Doll USA. No, there is no such a thing, but I had to make it up. This is my little customer Ivy's doll. I feel bad that I didn't ask what her name was. I'm sure she has a beautiful name. And very well loved. She made her these outfits. The buttery yellow rosy blouse and chocolate brown polka dot pants. Aren't they cute? For those who sew, you could imagine how hard it is to make xxxxxsmall size clothing. And for those who don't sew, I tell you it is impossible to do the job this well. I can't believe she used a sewing machine to hem the pants and sleeves. They are tiny to fit under the foot of the machine. When Ivy's mom brought her in, I just had to take a picture. I quickly set up a corner for a photo shoot and placed Miss Doll USA on my red baby chair and hexagon placemat. I think she looks stunning! Don't you agree? Thanks Robin and Ivy!

Sew & Tell - Yufu's Matching Dresses & Valentine Cupcakes

My sweet Valentine present was delivered by these two little sisters. Little Saho and Shino helped their mom make these cupcakes for the day of love. Well, baby Shino probably didn't help physically, but just sitting there with a smile was probably a big help :-) They thought about me when they made these...isn't this sweet? Look at these smiley cupcakes. And the packaging! It's just sooooo sweet. They were as yummy as they looked.
smiley face and rosy cheeks...

four hearts make a flower for you (me)...

Oh, don't forget Sew & Tell...the main thing here is what Yufu made for the sisters. Pink dresses for their joint birthday party in March. They just couldn't wait till the big day to wear, and I don't blame them. I like the simple style when the color already has so much statement.

Yufu also made this apron dress with a smokey retro blue floral print. This is the second dress she made from the same pattern, and Saho loves this style so much. She just can't stop acting goofy when dressed in this dress. Here is her first apron dress. Thank you Yufu, Saho, Shino for a cute sew & tell and cupcakes!

A Little Heart-Warming Day

An old friend of mine surprised me by showing up at the shop yesterday. It's been more than 10 years since the last time I saw him. I didn't recognize him at first. He looked like one of the guys who would come in and ask me a non-fabric related questions. Very strange questions most of the time. So I just thought he was one of them (sorry), but he had a smile on his face. You know that kinda smile...to see an old friend for the first time in years. Yeah, that's exactly what it was. Then I saw him! He was the nicest and sweetest person among my husband's friends. Many things happened in the past, and talking about old friends and times makes me a bit emotional, but it was soooo good to see him. He looked the same, but had a more matured look. One thing for sure is we both got older :-) Hi Chad! Hi Pam! Glad that you are sewing :-)

And, at night, I sold my vintage granny love chair to a girl and her husband. She liked it, but their car wasn't big enough to take it home. I had some other potential buyers in a line, but couldn't say "too bad, next!" She looked disappointed. I felt bad, so I offered a delivery with my small SUV. It was 9pm, and yes, I was tired. And more importantly, I would loose my second best parking spot. A huge deal around here. Oh well, she liked my loving chair. She will take good care of it. I could tell. She didn't have an extra $5 for delivery, but I didn't care. We crossed the city line and arrived at the young married couple's apartment. She and her husband came out of the car and gave me a bouquet of yellow gerbera (my second favorite flower after daisy). And she couldn't help but to give me a hug. They were happy. It was a wet night, but I felt warm on the way home.

my loving granny love chair a few years ago...loved it and will continue to be loved by the new owner.

Work in Progress

My very first doll quilt and very first quilt in 2010! I have made much larger quilts in the past, but never done a doll size. I've been thinking about making another solid only quilt, but just no time for it yet. So this size is perfect for my quilt bug itching me again these days. No, I don't own any doll to play with this quilt, but it's okay. I just wanted to make one.

Momo

Some of the prints from the Momo line are reprinted again by high demand. They are as pretty as ever.

A Black Pindot Tunic

So who's sewing? I am! This is my second tunic using Amy Butler's mini dress/tunic pattern. This time I skipped a few steps to make my work easier. First, I skipped pleats on the shoulders and didn't make pockets . And like my first one, I replaced the zipper with loops and buttons.

Sorry for the wavy lines on the dress. It is impossible to get a decent picture with dot prints.

I crocheted these loops out of a vintage ecru thread. I love the delicate nostalgic look with the vintage milky buttons.