Sewing again!

Why is it that I can't find the time to sew but always find the time to buy fabric?  I've been picking up bits and pieces of fabric and have some great projects in mind for all of them.  Yesterday I washed and ironed all the new fabric!  I try not to put any fabric away until I've washed it.  Occasionally something sneaks, through, and there is nothing more annoying to me than thinking I'm about to start sewing and finding I haven't pre-washed the fabric.

Finally, last night I started the actual sewing part.  I took apart the slouch bag that ended up having handles that were too short.  That will be finished today.  I've got some beautiful striped fabric for a bag that has the stripes going in opposite directions for the pockets.  Hopefully, that will be finished today as well--if I can just stick to the pattern rather than trying to modify it.  I shall post the pictures tonight and include the pattern sources.

And last, I'm going to finish a sock creature (or two!).  I've also been collecting some fun socks and designing new sock creatures.  Actually I should say I'm redesigning ones that I find in books for the most part.  It's not that I'm more creative, but, rather, that I am continue to have problems with sticking to the original patterns.  I'm going to try to finish off one of those projects today as well. 

Now if I can just ignore the house and the family for the day, it should be a great day for sewing. 

With the new job settling down,  it is so nice to get back to both sewing and blogging.  I've gotten five volunteers signed on in the first month. I don't know who was more surprised and pleased--me or the nursing home.  Oh, no, scratch that.  It's a "residential health care facility."  I guess the term, "nursing home" has gone or is going the way of  "used car."   I'm surprised that nurses are still called that.  Soon I shall have to say I am going to the residential health care facility in my pre-owned car to talk to a residential health care practitioner :-)

Deep Creek, A Novel by Dan Hand

I should be finishing off the thirty sock creatures, but I found a book at the library that looked interesting.  I was browsing the shelves to find books for my 93-year old mother which is not an easy task.  Her interests have become more and more limited.  They're down to modern day romances set on ranches--only ranches.

Instead I found Deep Creek by Dan Hand.  What a great book!  I didn't want it to end.  It is historical fiction set in the Idaho-Oregon area from 1886 through 1892.  The story is built around an actual event, the murder of thirty Chinese miners.  Using the racism of the period, Indian land grabs, excessive power of publishers and land barons, along with the ensuing social intrigue, Hand develops a well-balanced and fascinating look at a period in our history that is too often overlooked.

The characters are solidly constructed and fascinating.  This alone would make it a great book club selection.  Nature vs. nurture theories of human development are tested throughout.  Yet, Hand also looks at how a single event can override all.  One wrong choice might leave damage capable of destroying one's life and affecting future generations. 

My one complaint is that in a few places (very few) the book does not move from one scene to the next well.  In some cases, I felt disoriented before realizing that this new paragraph had moved on to another subject.  These few changes within chapters felt like places where a new chapter should have begun.  Hand's chapters, however, move back and forth in time from the  murders in 1886 to the attempts to solve the crimes and bring the murderers to justice.  The places that I found problematic would not fit with that.

All in all, it was a great read that I heartily recommend.

Working is Hard!

I've been away from my blog and my sewing for too long!  Between the housework and the job, I've been a bit drained both physically and, surprisingly to me, emotionally.  While my job is to recruit volunteers, I've spent most of the week going through the facility's units meeting people, joining in activities, and pushing wheelchairs in order to get to know everyone and their needs.

The emotional impact of dealing with residents has been enormous. Nursing homes have changed!  There is a push to have people "age in place" preferably in their home.   The level of care needed by the vast majority of the residents in nursing homes today is exceptionally high.  Most have moved beyond the ability to have more than a short conversation if that.  Having to leave your home,  lose a great deal of your independence, and deal with the physical ailments of disease or aging has to be devastating.

The residence is very nice and the workers are caring, yet, I often feel a sense of despair. Smiles from residents are few.  It  may well be that I am misinterpreting the situation and creating the negative attitude myself.  I am continually thinking about how much I would want to be in my own home. I do realize, however, that the care needed by the residents would be impossible for most families to provide at home.


I am trying to stay positive and focus on how much I can enrich residents' lives by bringing the community to them.  My job is to increase volunteers and volunteer programs.  This seems to be a legitimate need.  There are programs for activities and entertainment.  The number, though, is really insufficient.  I am amazed at the isolation of the facility.  This place has been open for sixteen years and is within a quarter of a mile of where I shop all the time. I had never heard of it, nor had most of the people I've talked to about it.  How can the residents feel like a part of the community when they are unable to get out often and so few in the community even know they exist? Many do have family members visit, but family is and should be a part of our social life not all of it.  I love my family, but I need to be around others sometimes as well. 

I have one year to build this program.  I know it won't be easy.  I remember how difficult it was to get volunteers for activities at churches and schools.  I do sincerely hope I can make make this work.  Wish me luck..

Steig Larsson's Newest Book, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest"

Normally I don't read stories about spies and corporate greed. I'm also wary of foreign books because sometimes they don't translate well.  Larsson's trilogy managed to overcome my usual disinterest in the genre and translated exceptionally well.

I read the first book in this trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,  after a member of my book club raved about it.  The story lines and characters were well developed and interesting.  I liked the second one,  The Girl Who Played with Fire, even more because it more fully fleshed out the characters as well as providing a fascinating and well written story.  This last in the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, is a more than fitting end to the set.     

I'd read a negative review before getting this last book in the series that made me nervous about investing in the hardcover as soon as it came out.  I HATE it when a book doesn't measure up in a series like this, especially when I've paid a lot for it.  In some cases, it becomes blatantly obvious that an author has pushed to finish a commitment rather than create a good story.  In the end, however, I felt this book was the best of the three--and I liked the first two a lot. The reviewer's summation, as it turned out, was flawed rather than the book.  It contained information that was factually incorrect.

These books are not just episodic stories using the same characters.   Each one builds on the last.  The first two leave you wanting and needing additional information as should be expected of a trilogy.  More in-depth answers come with each book.  While the individual books certainly stand on their own, the second and third provide  information that make you more fully understand and appreciate the first.

I love the characters Larsson has created.  Throughout, Larsson uses these people to prove that sometimes what we might view as flaws in individuals are, in fact, more clearly defined as differences.  He creates an understanding that these "flaws" often have positive influences not only for the individual, but for friends, family, acquaintances, and society as a whole.

I'm glad I went ahead and purchased the book as soon as it came out.  It was well worth the price.

The Week in Sock Creatures

I've fallen behind on my sock creatures.  As a means of covering my butt, I will point out that, thankfully, I did say "thirty days or so"  on my original post about this (or words to that effect).  I got four done this week. I've decided to go for quality rather than finishing on time.  My excuse:  I've joined Americorps.  (That "s" on the end just seems wrong to me, but that's the name.)  Americorps now have a volunteer program open to everyone from college students through retirees.  I'm serving half-time as a volunteer coordinator for an elder care facility.  In any case, here are the four completed this week.

This is #10.  He's Homer Simpson's evil twin.  Don't you think they bear a resemblance or is it just me?  I've named him Gomer.  This was my first attempt at teeth.  I think it went well.  The problem I have with this one is that it completely lacks symmetry.  I love symmetry.  It's hard to get when using leftovers from other creature ventures, though.  The Stupid Sock Creatures book has some rather rustic looking ones, too.  This one actually looks good in comparison.  It's growing on me.


Number eleven:

It's definitely part hamster.  From the back you can see the coordinating sock used for the underside.

I'm particularly pleased with the ribbon tongue.

I'm doing more of the sewing around the mouth and closings by hand which looks much better.  A mistake with this one was using loose stuffing without any batting.  It's lumpy looking.  Next time I'll wrap batting around stuffing and squeeze that in.  Since she, like Bob the Blob, is rather nondescript, she has been named Bobbette the Blobbette.

Number 12:

I like this one, but it is totally different than it was supposed to be.  Those flippers were supposed to be wings.  Everyone thinks they look like flippers including me.  I placed them too far back.  I also should have put something inside to stabilize the flipper/wings since they rippled a good bit.   I sewed about a quarter of an inch in along the edge of the flipper/wings and another line about a half inch from that to try to get rid of the rippling effect.  They are better but still not flat.  To get something resembling wings next time,  I will use some stiff interfacing.

I love the tongue sticking out.  It kind of resembles something prehistoric.  Name:  Sarah Jurassica Parker.

And last, #13:

Originally I was going to have the ribbons sticking out all the way around.  Because they are several inches long, however,  I soon realized that it would be nearly impossible not to catch the edges in the other side.  I'd like to try this again with shorter ribbon pieces.  It was late when I was doing it, though, and there was no way I was going to start cutting the ribbons down.  Name:  Whiskaretta.  I am sure if sock creatures could sing, this one would have a whiskey tenor.

Goals 10, 11, 12, and 13:  complete!  I'm almost halfway there!!!

Beautiful Sunday

Despite some heavy rains, today was absolutely beautiful.  In fact, I think the rain brightened the brilliant greens of early summer especially when the sun came out right after a downpour.

I've got a new birthday camera coming in a few days.  These pictures of my flowers taken with the old one will do until then.

 

I am so looking forward to playing with the  new 14 megapixel, 10x zoom camera!!

On other fronts, I've decided to post the sock creatures once a week.  I'll be doing them every day.  I'll just put them together for a group shot once a week.  It's probably a bit of overkill to have so many posts on the individual ones.  Must be off to finish today's beast.  I do hate to leave them for the late night.

The Ninth Sock Creature is Here!

This one is already named:  Eelinore.

She does appear to be part eel, hence the name.  My knowledge of eels is pretty much limited to knowing they exist and reading tiny bits about them in books.  I'm thinking eels would not have that food bulge, though. Yes, I did that bulge on purpose.  Those who have seen Eelinor hint that I just stuffed her poorly.  That is NOT true.   The stuffing shows through in the picture but not when you see her in person--or should I say in creature?

I'm particularly fond of her multifaceted gold eyes.

I'm feeling kind of guilty for not using sock fabric for the back ridge.  Frankly, my sock supply just did not have something that would give the right effect.  The blue sequins are spectacular. 

The eyes are kind of insect-like and the belly bulge more along the line of snake.  I think those features combined with the eel-ish shape and back ridge qualify Eelinor as a true creature.  Goal 9:  completed.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my 60th birthday.  I am astounded to have lasted this long.  Actually I've been pretty cautious in life. There were those fifteen years of smoking, the early motorcycling, and a few years where I let the weight get a bit out of control.  All in all, though, I've taken better care of the "vehicle" than many.  

Lately a lot of thought has gone into what my goals will be for this new future.  They've certainly had to change. Staying home with the kids was hard work and a great pleasure.  As it turns out, there is some very real negative payback for having children a bit later in life, leaving a good number of years between each one, and staying home to home school them.  Despite two new degrees after getting the last child into high school, no good jobs have turned up.  My plan WAS to get a fairly decent job for fifteen or twenty years doing something interesting and paying off the college loans.   If I got really lucky in the salary department, I might have gotten enough money to bring in the Merry Maids service!  Reality:  with the economy, my lack of work experience, and--lets face it--my age, I've  gotten offered a couple of minimum wage jobs I could have had with just my high school degree. 

So now, I volunteer.  My first goal for turning sixty was to get a volunteer position that would use the brain a bit more than my work as cashier/maintenance worker/heavy lifter at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  Yesterday, I found that I had succeeded at that.  Starting Thursday, I'll be volunteering part-time to help develop the volunteer base for an elder care center.  Kind of funny volunteering to get volunteers, don't you think?  It is a year-long experiment really for the organization.  I'm looking forward to the challenge.

My second goal is to develop more outside interests.  I've tended to focus on family which has been great.  As the kids are moving on with their own lives now,  I want them to see parents who are well capable of having a good life on their own.  So my first goal in this area is to spend more time on my sewing.  While "thirty days of sock creatures" may seem frivolous and wasteful to many, it actually is giving me a good bit of sewing experience on fabrics I've tended to avoid. Also, while I joined a quilt guild last year, I need to really get more involved by taking classes and joining in more than the monthly meetings. 

Last, I am going to get in better shape.  I do some exercise--elliptical trainer.  I've found, though, that a sixty year old body gets pretty stiff.  It needs more than twenty minutes on the elliptical a day.  I'm going to experiment with this goal.  Yoga and pilates are first on the list. 

So, happy birthday to me!  I'm feeling good about this new part of my life.

Day 8 Goal Complete and Not Bad If I Do Say So Myself

It is not even 11 a.m.,  and I have completed the day's creature!  I think it's a record.   I am pretty happy about "it" because I don't know what to call some of the parts when describing it.  Hair or tentacles?  Nose, mouth, or something else?  That's a good thing when going for a creature.

I must admit that originally there were to be three legs just as there are three things on the top of the head.  I tried to eyeball this rather than to measure as I did the head piece.  I ended up with two fatter legs and one very thin one.  I am obsessed with symmetry.  That third skinny leg would have had to go in the middle.  With the third leg looking quite different than the other two, I feared it might be misinterpreted as being some other body part that often holds that place in the anatomy.  I decided to use it as a navel, but  it was still a little too close and open to misinterpretation.  After the debacles with the two face creatures, I am intently trying to keep the bawdy level down.  I finally settled for placing it higher up which seems to have eliminated the problem.   

Between my old camera and the fact that the "things on top of the head fall to the back or sides, it was hard to get a good picture.  In any case, here it is.  I think the third leg problem becomes more obvious here.

I'm going to have to think a while about a name for this one.  (Update:  He has been named Bob--Bob the Blob) 

Major lesson from today's work:  invest in some black stuffing.  Those legs didn't turn out as well with white stuffing.  Another piece of information:  don't use those tiny safety eyes with knits if it can be avoided.  It is difficult to poke a hole large enough for the eye stem and small enough to be  covered by the actual eye part.

Day 7 Goal: Completed But...

I did finish the sock creature yesterday, but I had to sleep on it (not literally!) to come to terms with the results.  My intention was to create one from the winking Betsey Johnson socks again.  I had two reasons for this.  First, I bought two pairs of these socks for a grand total of four faces.  I have to use them up.  Second, I was thinking about Rue McClanahan who just passed away.  I loved her in The Golden Girls. While I didn't get to see the show often when it was first on,  it was always good when I did.  I happen upon reruns of it all the time now when channel surfing, and it stands the test of time well. 

Rue's character, Blanche,  was what my niece, Binnie, would call sophisticated with a touch of sleaze.  My intention with this creature was to honor Rue by making a doll-ish creature that would also be sophisticated with a touch of sleaze.  Unfortunately, my sewing is much like my bowling.  The results are seldom what I intended.  I have just as much chance of getting a strike as a gutter ball.  Amazingly, I never improve from that.  I joined a bowling league once.  Everyone assured me I would get better.  That didn't happen, and  I was not invited back the next year.

I can kind of understand the bowling (and tennis).  I lack depth perception.  Both my eyes work, just not together.  Sewing, though, I do not understand.  Yesterday's creation should have been an improvement from the first face sock.  I tried to give this one a neck.  The garish coordinating socks were changed to a floral for the torso and arms.  This one has more hair to eliminate the punk look.  I made sure she wouldn't look naked by making the legs the same color as the face and putting a skirt on her.

Somehow, though, I missed the sophistication entirely.  This one looks like an older alcoholic housewife after a serious binge.  How I managed to make the very same face that is on Charlotte the Harlot look so different I do not know.  I've named her Betsey the Boozer.  The Betsey is, of course, for Betsey Johnson.  I think she should bear some responsibility for these off-the-mark characters.  So here it is:

Unintentionally, I left some of the oxox Betsey signature the socks have on the neck area on the doll.  It came out as, "xox ETSY" which I find rather amusing.  Can you just see the Regretsy people finding this on Etsy?  They would have a field day presenting this to their followers.  If  you have somehow not used Etsy or seen Regretsy, just click one of those words.  I've linked them all.  I just love creating links.  Etsy is an online mega-store where people can create their own smaller stores for selling handmade items.  Regretsy is an online site presenting  the bizarre and just plain bad items listed on Etsy.  By and large, Etsy has incredibly wonderful items from very creative people.  Everything I've purchased has exceeded my expectations on arrival. 

So based on past experience, I should  unintentionally over-compensate with today's creature making something that resembles a baby toy rather than a creature.  The only thing I can guarantee, however,  is that whatever does happens, it will be unintentional.

Handy Portable List Taker Giveaway at Lemon Tree Creations

Lemon Tree Creations is having a giveaway from Knitty Bitty!  You might win a "list taker."  Click here to find the site.  There are several ways to enter.  The list taker not only has a small tablet, but also a pocket for coupons.  On top of that, it's just plain cute.  If I don't win it, I'll have to buy one.  Keeping my coupons handy is not my strong suite.

Success! A True Sock Creature

Attempt #6 was  a success, I true creature.  And it was finished by 5 p.m.!

Is it acceptable to make the legs from mini boas rather than socks?  I've not seen any official rules for what constitutes a true sock creature.  The boas were supposed to be for a Charlotte the Harlot (she was creature #4, I think), but they make perfect legs for this one.  Obviously, the name had to be Bo'a-Dora.  I don't know why so many people are putting all the apostrophes and hyphens in names, but I am going with it.

I like the way the head stands up:

And that his mouth is underneath.
.

I got Zombieland from Netflix today and my night is free.  Life is good.

Removing the "Creature" From Sock Creature

I'm sorry to say that, once again, I've left the making of the new creature until 10 o'clock at night.  I'm a morning creator.  My goal, however,  is a sock creature a day for 30 days, and I will see it through.  This one actually looks far too tame to be called a creature.  Yesterday's looked like a harlot.  Today's looks like baby toy.  I'm almost ashamed to show it.  I promised to show the good and the bad, though, so here it is.

Turns out she is a gymnast.  I dropped her and look how she landed:

I did get to try out some of the safety eyes and a nose on this one. For some reason these are called safety eyes, but the package says they are not intended for children under three because of small parts.  I have searched the net for safe safety eyes, but they don't seem to exist.  In any case,  my first time using these was the larger cats eyes on #3, "Aunty."  It makes me nervous to cut the hole in the fabric to insert the stem.  With these small eyes, it was particularly nerve wracking.  I think the pressure of starting a project at 10 at night that I really want to finish THAT day might be contributing to the nerves.

Okay, goal #5 is complete! I've named her Mary Kay in honor of that cosmetics lady with a thing for pink.  Starting tomorrow I promise to put the creature into my sock creatures.

Yesterday's Sock Creature--It's Betsey Johnson's Fault

I left the sock creature job until late in the day which is never a good idea.  The scarf from my last post took priority since it was needed for yard work.  Yes, I have the flowered scarf, but it did not match my brown t-shirt.

So here is the new creation:

Oh, she's from socks all right,  Betsey Johnson socks.

There is the oxox Betsey signature still visible on the other sock.

Frankly, I'm disappointed.  The words cheap, hussy, floozy, and broad come to mind when looking at her.  It's as though I've started a whole new line of red light district creatures.  I wrapped some ruffled edging to make her a dress because she looked--well--so naked.  It's obvious, though, that she would look more appropriate in sequins, silk,  leather, feathers, and/or possibly tulle.  These are not fabrics in my collection that usually puts out utilitarian items and baby stuff.  The white silk makes her look like a tart dressed as a school girl. Now I'm going to have to go to Joann's to buy some new fabric.  (Okay, so I guess something good has come of it.)

Because the designs are weaved into the cloth, these socks have all those loose threads inside.  It was a bit more challenging for sewing and stuffing, but just a little.    Other than that and the fact that clothing becomes almost a necessity,  it is as easy to make a bawdy bimbo as any other creature.

Day 4 Goal:  Completed

The New Triangle Scarf Prototype!!!

From the Blue Shed has a tutorial for the cutest triangle scarf for a little girl.  It has a visor on it!  It is not only cute but practical.  I wanted one, so here is my adult version.

I love that it is reversible! 

I need a new camera.  The colors of the fabrics are so much prettier than they look here.

I didn't do the fold and buttons the original has because I didn't make it long enough on the pointy end.  Prototype 2 will have that. Another change I made was to press Wonder Under to one of  the pieces of visor fabric.  I wanted to be sure it would have enough stiffness since it would be much larger than the child-sized version.

The ties are extra long (26" in this case) as I did on my plain old triangle scarf from a few posts ago.  I like the tie on top of my head instead of in the back.  This length allows me to cross the ties in the back and bring the bow to the top.   My hair is fine and thin.  Ties stick out through my hair.  (On the positive side, my hair dries super fast so let's hear it for fine, thin hair!) Next time, though,  I'll do 20" ties.  These 26" ones require a bow.  I'd rather just knot the top. 


I cut my triangles on the fold using 11 1/4" for a total of 22 1/2" to go around the head and 13" for the length (from center of the head to the tip of the triangle).  I hope that makes sense.  I measured down 13 inches on the fold and 11 1/4" from the fold down on other end.  Then I used the rotary cutter from one point to the other.  I'll probably go with 23 x 15" for the next one.  It is sewed with a 1/2" seam.

For the visor pattern, I used a small dinner plate.  I cut the piece with 4 3/4" center height  x 8 1/4" length.   The 8 1/4" worked great, but I ended up pushing the visor in about an inch and a half because it would have stuck out too much.  Still, don't think I will use less than the 4 3/4" the next time.  I think that extra fabric provides some stability for the visor. 

A huge thank you to The Blue Shed for the idea.  She has some great jewelry in her Etsy shop, too.  Such talent!

Thirty Days or So of Sock Creatures

Off topic for a minute, we bicycled from Glens Falls to Lake George and back today.  Brian rides often including centuries or 100 mile rides.  I, on the other hand, am a leisure rider more interested in the ten or fifteen mile rides.  Let's call mine decades.  Lake George village was crowded! The walkway on the lake was packed with people.

I'll share Brian's picture.  He got there looking happy and rested.  I had severe helmet hair, so you can't see that picture.  It was a perfect day for biking.

Back to the sock creatures.  I've decided that I will do a sock creature a day for thirty days.  Why?  Because I want to experiment with different designs, get better at sewing knits, have an hour or so a day to just have fun, and carry through on a totally absurd goal.


After getting home today, I created Aunty Lame.  Kiefer named this one, too.  See if you can figure out why he chose that name.

Everyone thinks he looks like an anteater!  I beg to differ.  Look at those pouty lips and those cat's eyes.

I went along with the name but insisted that it be spelled Aunty.  Since aunt is pronounced ant in my neck of the woods, Kiefer and I both win. It's kind of a plain name so I'm adding Lame--Aunty Lame.

Day three goal completed!

A Much Better Way to Stuff Sock Creatures

L'ove-Lorna, of the last post, did not get a sister.  She got a brother.  I need some help coming up with a name for him.   (I really should be asking for help getting a job.  Otherwise I fear my house will soon be filled with sock creatures, and no one will have any socks to wear.)
[ UPDATE:  He has a name:  Matt.  Kiefer says that he looks like his friend, Matt.  I guess that makes him Mini-Matt actually.]

Yes, he is good looking.  He is also less lumpy and sturdier than L'ove-Lorna.  Instead of stuffing, I used rolled up batting cut to the size of the body part.  Since the socks were quite stretchy, I cut the batting to the same size as the body part it was to fill.  You stuff it in kind of like you would put a pillow into a case, just keep gently pushing and pulling.  I found the batting was actually easier than using stuffing. 

Here he is with his big sister.

L'ove-Lorna takes after the taller, Overthekneesock side of the family, while her brother takes after the Kneesock side. They do have some similarities, however,  Both  have those eyes that just scream love and both are into inter-species dating.

A special thanks to John Murphy whose book on sock creatures is so much fun. I don't know how thankful the family will be when their socks start disappearing.   

I Did It!!! My First Stupid Sock Creature

I finally decided to take the plunge and create something from John Murphy's book,  Stupid Sock Creatures:  Making Quirky, Lovable Figures from Cast-off Socks. 

I've been waiting because I didn't have any cast-off socks.  I like my socks, and no one was offering to donate theirs to the cause.  I felt a certain amount of guilt sacrificing a pair of perfectly good socks.  As it turned out, however, L'ove-Lorna was well worth it.  I am using the new style of naming I've seen in the papers lately which requires one to use an abundance of punctuation.

Is she not a thing of beauty?  Okay, she is cute, at least.  And, look at those eyes!

Filled with love.  And some stuffing.

Here she is in a more formal pose.  Those ears are great fun.

L'ove-Lorna can tie them in a knot but not a bow.

My first sock adventure!  I'm stoked!  I have some pink heart-shaped buttons.  She will probably have a sister by tomorrow.

Fabric Scraps into Simple Doll Quilts

I made my first of these doll quilts out of Keepsake Quilting's  fabric sample boxes.  Keepsake used to sell sets of tiny squares of the sample fabrics.  I loved going through them.   Even the boxes were special.  My sets came in small dark green boxes with gold lettering and gold elastic ties. They looked nice just sitting on the shelf  in my sewing room.  There was no way I could just toss them out when they were outdated.  So, this was my first doll quilt.

 This night-light doll  from a store near Lake Placid seems to enjoy them, too. 

The down side of finally using the samples is that I now know I can do something with even a two and a half inch square of scrap fabric.  When the stash of pathetically small pieces gets too out of control.  I start another doll quilt.

 The quilts also give me a chance to use up some of the children's fabrics I've bought simply because I like the design.

Who could resist this Raggedy Ann flannel I used for the backing on these two?

I was a bit disappointed to learn that Keepsake no longer sells the sample boxes.  While I really make MORE than enough scraps on my own, my collection is not nearly as diverse and exciting as the Keepsake collection.

Colorful Crib Quilt

 Good quilters gather pieces that have different scales, appropriate contrast according to the color wheel, similar hues, etc.  I, on the other hand, go for the pretty pictures.  

Then, I don't want to cut it up.  Come on!  These colorful views of childhood in the late forties-early fifties are just too cute to cut into little pieces.  This quilt was my way of having my cake and eating it, too.  I did FINALLY use it for a quilt, but the squares are large enough to provide big bold pieces of the artist's picture.

This one will probably be donated since we are still in the midst of a baby drought.