Meet Ailene

I have finally dressed my very first Izannah Walker inspired doll, using the pattern as given in the Dixie Redmond workshop.  I trimmed the neckline using some very old off white rick-rack that was in my grandmother's things.  I've named her Ailene.  It means "Little Eve,"  which I think is a very good name for the first Izannah Walker inspired doll I've made.  I may make her a necklace, or maybe a kitty - I still feel like she needs a little something.

Almost There

My 3 Izannah Walker web-workshop dolls are nearing completion - they now have pantelettes, chemises and slips.  I've signed and numbered each doll, along with the year, on the bottom of their "chest plate" on their backs.  They are getting a bit tired of being called #1, #2, #3 - they are a bit too old-fashioned to find any similarities with Star Trek amusing!    I think the first (far left) looks a bit pensive, maybe a touch sad.  The second looks like she is thinking some happy thoughts and the third looks like she is thinking of some very grand, intellectual thoughts.  It is fun to see how these all emerged so differently.  When I do this project again, I think I will focus on only ine.  While doing three has been a great learning experience, I do think I would have taken more time to get her just right.  Three was more tiring.  Somehow, not one of these dolls ended up looking straight ahead.  I guess they are mirroring my busy, distracted mind, finding it hard to just concentrate on what is right in front of me!
So, they would like names...what do you think, should I name them alphabetically?  Agatha, Betsy, Clara...?
Know any other good, old fashioned names to suit these young ladies?

Onto dress making!

August Small Quilt of the Month

I finished the August Small Quilt of the Month on September 1st, but the rest of the Labor Day Weekend was rainy and dreary, so taking a photo was put off until today.  This one is called Charming Quilts Doll Quilt and the pattern is in Kathleen Tracy's book:  Remembering Adelia.  There are 72 different fabrics making the little rectangle coins.  I used a quilt stencil and a mechanical chalk pencil to mark the quilt, before machine quilting it.   

The September Small Quilt of the Month is a pattern that Kathy put together for her Yahoo! group, using the Dove in the Window design.  I cut out the pieces for the block today, but while I've selected the fabrics for the borders, I'm not cutting them out yet, until the center part is pieced.

Hanging Out in the August Heat

We were at my brother and sister-in-law's house earlier this month, and this squirrel was relaxing in the tree in front of their house.  There is a nest in a near by branch, but apparently, it is cooler to hang out in the trees. He was sleeping, but I think he heard us talking about him, and decided to watch us, like we were watching him.

Update on My Izannah Walkter Workshop Dolls

Least any followers think that my Izannah Walker dolls are languishing somewhere half made, never to see the light of day, rest assured, slow and steady progress is being made.  I was about to antique them one evening this week, only to read the directions on my antiquing to learn that they should be sealed with a matte sealer first, so I did that instead.

Here are my girls before antiquing.



What do you think?

Their arms and legs are all ready to be antiqued as well.  Maybe on Sunday.  Then the fun of attaching legs, making and attaching the body covering and sewing on arms!  I love to see a doll come together - and once they are together, the delight of making their clothing can begin!  I do hope to complete it all before August is out.  Time is flying by, I best get busy!

Back from Vacation

It has been about a week since we've gotten back from our wonderful vacation at Caswell Beach on Oak Island in North Carolina.  It was a wonderfully relaxing time to catch up with some family that reside closer to there than here, to spend some quality time together, enjoy the ocean and just relax and rejuvinate.  On the drive there and back, I began working on my hexie flowers for the October Small Quilt of the Month.  I finished the final 2 on the road trip home.



We enjoyed amazing views and wonderful beach walks. The view from our rental condo's deck:



We could see two lighthouses from the beach, and there was no competition for space at the beach.


As a general rule, I don't post family pictures on the web, but here are my kids on one of our evening beach walks!


We got to do a little sight-seeing in the vicinity.  Here are a few photos of some things that I found interesting and related to my interests.  This was one of the displays in the Visitor's Center at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson.  They told the history of this Colonial town that ended up being the sight of a Civil War Fort.



I found dolls at the NC Maritime Museum in Southport!


And there was a 19th century sewing machine there, too!


We really loved Oak Island, especially the Caswell Beach area.  It is a very relaxing, refreshing and rejuvinating place to stay!

July Small Quilt a Month Challenge

I think this is a new record for me, and probably not one I will beat this year - my July quilt is actually pieced, quilted and bound and it is only July 8th!  Not too shabby, considering that the July quilt wasn't announced until 7/2!

This month's quilt is from Kathleen Tracy's first book, American Doll Quilts.  It is called Indigo Blue and White Doll Quilt.  I was nervous about this one - all these triangles - how many points could I get nice and sharp - and meeting nicely with it's neighbor?  Well, I am satisfied with how it turned out.  I was tempted to go onto the web to find true "indigo" reproduction fabrics and shirtings, but I stuck to my stash and used what I had - lots of blues, but the lights are mostly not shirtings, and the darks aren't all indigos!  It was fun to do a 2 color quilt.