The Door Closes Slowly

Vintage Stitchers had a party to say goodbye to me.

It was an exciting day, because my rear-view mirror fell off. That would have made it dangerous to drive, so I called my local Vintage Stitchers friends to see if one of them could pick me up. Julie was available, and it was nice to have a chat in the car on the way to Barbara's and back.

We started our meeting a little later than usual, so we could have lunch. Everyone brought quilting projects to work on. Barbara had some blocks I believe were part of a BOM from Kim McLean. Here's a sampling:

That one included some Kaffe Fassett fabrics. Then there was this one:

I think I've shown this one before. Then there was this one.

It's clever using a flower (chrysanthemum?) for the sun. Then there's the moon.

This was a crazy quilt block.

Barbara also used some of the flowers in her garden to make her own fabric design. She pounded the fabrics into the fabric. 

I believe it's this technique. Janet and Rebecca were working on projects from Sue Spargo's Fresh Cut Quilt. Everyone had a look at Rebecca's copy of the book.

Lunch was potluck. I was touched that my friends in Vintage Stitchers said that they would not be friends with all these others if it were not for me. I've been lucky to have such great friends. I hope they will come to visit me and go to the Sisters Quilt Show, perhaps next year. I'll miss Barbara's fantastic back yard.

That afternoon I took my car to the place that replaced our windshield. They stuck my rear-view mirror back on at no charge.

I had some business cards made up for the blog "The Doll's Storybook." I take a few with me when I go places. When I see someone with children or who might have children, I offer the card, so people can check out the blog if they like. I didn't put my name on them, because people can get that from the blog. Here's a photo that shows both sides.

The latest story is about the struggles of learning to be good at music and dance. 

I didn't get a chance to try out my attachments for the Eversewn Sparrow 15, but I'm still enjoying it. I keep learning new things with the machine. I made another peasant blouse for Vroni, and some leggings. I didn't have any purple thread, so I had to use white. I decided to use zigzag to make the casing for the elastic (shirring elastic, threaded through with a yarn needle) so it would look like a design feature. I covered the hem thread with a decorative design.

I think Vroni was appreciative.

The pups and I went to Run-A-Muk Dog Park a couple of times during the week. It had rained, so the stream had doggie Koolaid again. For some reason, the water that has some color to it tastes better than the Reverse Osmosis water I carry with me.

Our deadline for "due diligence" on the sale of our home has passed. They asked for another $10,000 to pay for improvements they would like to do. We stuck with paying for the radon abatement, as we had planned, and a couple of necessary plumbing fixes that showed up in the inspection. We had planned on doing some other things voluntarily, but we scrapped those items, because we're already way under market for the amenities we have. So our house is sold. We expect to be moving out toward the end of the month, as planned.



What's on my needles: Still the Kisu Cardigan for Jolena, and still att the BO for the neck. Also the Coastal Skies shawl for me, which I worked on a bit this week.

What's on my Sparrow 15: On to using the overcast foot.

What's in my hoop: Still the Spring Flowers quilt, a little more done during Vintage Stitchers.

What's on my wheel: Stanzi is still waiting patiently. I may have to pack her up before I get back to spinning.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen. Just started to listen for a bit this week, as things have been busy.

What's in my wine glass: Bonair Late Harvest Riesling, 1999, found at the back of one of our Wine Cellars, but still good.

What's my tip of the week: Speed up defrosting a freezer by parking a fan in front of the open door. (You do have to turn the fan on, of course.)


Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

March Like a Lion

Let's start at the end.

Dusty and I participated in the March For Our Lives in Park City on Saturday. I was amazed to find out that we had present at our little march three of the survivors of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14th. During the rally held at the end of the march, they stood hand-in-hand with the student organizers from Park City High School. 

Dusty and I parked the car at The Market in Park City and walked up to the Wasatch Brew Pub at the top of Main St. to meet up with other members of my congregation at St. Luke's Episcopal Church and a lot of local people, including most of the students of the local high school. Dusty and I used the Walk for a Dog app to keep track of our outing.

If you can read the fine print, you can see that we walked a total of more than four miles, counting the walk to the staging area, the march and the walk back to the car from the park where the rally was held. The estimated size of the march was 3,000, which was impressive, considering the size of our town. Salt Lake City had an estimated 7,000 participants. We were very impressed with the young people who organized the event and spoke to us. They did this all on their own. I have hope for our future.

Earlier in the week, Vintage Stitchers met at Rebecca's. She was working on this block from the Borboleta BOM quilt from Hat Creek Quilts.

It uses washed woven wool fabric for the appliqué pieces, which enables more intricate designs than needleturn appliqué. Rebecca has the next one ready to go.

I believe she said she uses Roxanne's Glue Baste-it to attach the appliqué pieces. She is using a simple whip stitch to appliqué the pieces on.

Carol had a lot for show-and-tell. This quilt top started out as an attempt by Carol to make braid blocks, which she ended up cutting up to make blocks she liked better.

She showed us this fabric called "lollies." You can cut this up to sew together any way you want. (The fabric comes like this.)

She also had this small piece we thought looked like an "I-spy" quilt for adults.

I was hand quilting during the meeting, but I've been sewing with some fabric I picked up from Rebecca the last time we met at her house. We often bring out boxes of fabric we don't think we need anymore to share with others, and I grabbed some nice small-scale fabric designs for doll clothes.

The Götz girls needed Easter dresses, and since I can't make any more quilts until after we move because of adding bulk to what we have to move, I had some sewing fun that doesn't produce something that takes up a whole box. This dress was for Lotte.

Vroni has this one.

Mandy wanted green.

The girls need cardigans, unless it's a lot warmer on Easter Day. Lotte already has a pink one and Vroni has one in a lime green. Mandy didn't have one in a color that would go with her dress. She wanted white. Fortunately, she can help with the knitting.

This was the first time she had worked on a sweater. She has only made mittens, scarves and hats before, but she knew how to purl from making the ribbing on Dolly's mittens.

By Sunday, we were on the second sleeve. Mandy had begged me to let her knit the second sleeve by herself, which went great until later in the day. In exasperation, she asked me why the second sleeve seemed to take longer. I suggested that maybe it was "Second Sleeve Syndrome." Like knitting the second sock in a pair.

We put on "Frozen," which we have as an audiobook, and finally got the sweater finished, so the girls were ready to pose with their Easter dresses and their coordinating cardigans. (No, Mandy didn't make the sleeves shorter because she was tired of knitting around and around. The puffy dress sleeves take up space in the cardigan.)

The girls wondered why the eggs didn't weigh very much.

They're just props, girls. We'll dye some real eggs next Saturday. Pose nicely in your Easter dresses and wish everyone a blessed Holy Week and a happy Easter, as well as a wonderful Passover, which we also celebrate in our family, both human and vinyl.

What's on my needles: My Coastal Skies Shawl, using Knockout Round, a free pattern. This time the pattern seems to be satisfying..

What's on my Featherweight: Raincoat for doll…prototype.

What's in my hoop: Still the Spring Flowers quilt. Some progress taking place.

What's on my wheel: Stanzi is put away. 

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Listening to Russian Roulette by David Corn and Michael Isikoff. (Chilling, but it puts all the little bits in context.) Then listened to Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen. (Her books are always fun.) Now listening to Georgette Heyer's The Unfinished Clue.

What's in my wine glass: Gato Negro Malbec 2016. Not bad.

What's my tip of the week: Have trouble sleeping at night? Try melatonin (which is natural) before resorting to sleeping pills. This will only work at night, when it's dark, unless you use a sleep mask. Daylight destroys the melatonin. On the bright side (ha-ha), when daylight comes, it won't leave you groggy.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.

No Rest for the Wicked...or the Weary

Common Threads met at Carol's.

She had this great quilt top finished. It was made from a pack of 19th Century Reproduction fabrics from a fabric/fiber museum, which has since closed. I was hand-quilting (my Sistine Chapel), Margareth was working on her appliqué quilt top, and several people were knitting various projects.

Park City Quilt Guild met that evening. I asked for volunteers to make house blocks for a quilt for Habitat for Humanity, for the silent auction. Several people offered. I'll pick the finished blocks up at Davidene's on September 1st. We had a small turnout, probably because many people have fled to Montana, Idaho and Oregon to view the eclipse. However, we had a rewarding show-and-tell.

This quilt was based on the instructions and quilts in the book “One Block Wonders” by Jan Krenz. 

This baby quilt was made from a panel that was cut apart and then sewn together with other fabrics.

A member of an Airstream trailer organization made this quilt as a fundraiser for her group.

This quilt is in the process of quilting. It will be a gift for a friend of the quilter.

The doll-clothes sweat shop is still in operation. I finished a robe for Carter to go with his PJs. The robe is based on McCalls 2506, but without the extra thicknesses of facings and lined collar. Fleece is thick, but it doesn't fray, so I only hemmed the edges where I needed to cover seams.

I made one for the Habitat girl, too, but in purple. Then I made a hat and scarf for each, while I was working with the fleece. It was like this one I made for Daphne's Hannah last year. 

For the hat, you cut a rectangle 7" X 14", then make cuts 1/2" apart and 2" deep slong one of the long sides. Sew the short sides together and tie the "fringe" together with a 1/2" X 7" strip of fleece. Cut the ends of the tie off to match the fringe. For the scarf, cut a strip 1 1/2" X 21" and make cuts 1/2" apart and 2" deep on each end. There's only one seam for the hat and none for the scarf. Easy.

Then I made a shirt and trousers for Carter.

The shirt is based on the Cowgirl Shirt in Fancywork and Fashion’s Best Doll Clothes Book by Joan Hinds. I used the pattern to draw a new one, with the bottom cut straight instead of curved, and the length the same as the center front and back. I also made short sleeves. The trousers were based on Liberty Jane’s Boot-cut Jeans pattern, but since they would be skin tight on Carter, I added 1/4" to the width of each pattern piece for the front and the back. I left off the back pockets, but made everything else the same. Here you can see one of the front pockets.

The Habitat girl needed a sun hat, too, so I made one for her with denim and a blue quilting fabric lining. She also needed a water bottle. Since I didn't have any more Thyrovet bottles (yet), I used a party-favor bubble-stuff bottle, with the bubble stuff still inside. I glued a bead on top. The recipient can have fun making bubbles, and then have the water bottle for her doll.

I made the mistake of posting photos of Carter on Facebook. Someone from Therapy Animals of Utah (an organization I belong to) saw it and recruited me to dress a doll for their silent auction in early November. My deadline is October 28th. Yesterday my Habitat contact brought the Creatology girl over for "fittings." Fortunately, the clothes I've made that have been modeled by my in-house models fit her, so I'll be good for both dolls. We picked out some things for the Habitat girl, and there was plenty left, so other than making more PJs, another Jacket, scarf and winter hat and a sun hat, I may not have to make too much for the second one.


Carter went off with them. He will be interviewed by our local paper on Thursday, and I hope to have a link to the interview for next week's post.

I took time out from Habitat duty to proofread a sewing tutorial for a dress for Götz Happy Kidz dolls designed by a friend and test-sew it for her. Here's my version of her dress (she has four other test-sewers):

I'll share the information when she's ready to publish the pattern. For a preview, see Andrea's blog.

And because Mandy is so stinkin' cute, here's a closeup.

I did finish my spinning project. Here it is on the bobbin.

As I'm writing this, the yarn has been washed and is hanging up to dry. I'll try to get a yardage count when it's dry. I've been busy.

What's on my needles: Still the Gracie Cardigan in “Cyan” for Mandy. Ready to start the "sleeves" (they're very short).

What's on my Featherweight: Still clothes for the Habitat for Humanity dolls, a house block for the Habitat quilt and…doll clothes for Therapy Animals of Utah.

What's on my loom: Still waiting.

What's on my wheel: Finished spinning the Woodland Woolworks Merino Combed Top Multicolor Mojave Heather and N-plied it. Stanzi is now awaiting her next task. 

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished listening to Stranger Child by Rachel Abbott (One of my favorite authors). Now listening to And the Rest is History by Jodi Taylor, one of the Chronicles of St. Mary’s novels. On the Kindle app, still reading Undeniable by Laura Stapleton.

What's in my wine glass: Two-buck Chuck (Charles Shaw from Trader Joe’s) Merlot. I prefer their Shiraz, but the Merlot is pretty good, and certainly a good value.

What's my tip of the week: Dropping freshly hard-boiled eggs into cold water makes them easier to peel.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Drive Slow!

Common Threads met at Karan’s. Remember this?

It was great to see Karan’s appliqué quilt on the wall.

Several people were leaving town for the first week in July, when we usually have our meetings, but we had a fifth Thursday, so we decided to meet. Karan is working on her Christmas appliqué quilt. Remember this?

Now she has also finished this snowman block.

And now she’s working on this one.

It was good to see everyone. It has been awhile. While there, I CO for Matty’s Layered Look pullover. It’s a quick knit, and now it’s done.

The yarn is Knit Picks Imagination in "Woodsman" (discontinued) and Palette in "Golden Heather." 

Next I made Matty a shirt and shorts set out of homespun from my stash.

For one final outfit, I sewed some long pants to go with Matty’s French Back-to-school Cardigan. The long-sleeve T-shirt is from this seller on eBay. It comes in a set of four: blue, lavender, orange and red.

When I ordered Matty, I also ordered some PJs for him from the company, so they should be there already. The clothes I made him are in the mail and could be delivered today, but Johan's birthday party is July 8th, so there's plenty of time. Now I’m working on a more or less identical Layered-look pullover for Carter to keep.

Matty and Carter are My Sibling/My Pal dolls. An internet friend who lives in the UK saw the photos of Carter and decided, after checking out the cost of shipping, to purchase one for herself. It will be fun to see what she makes for him.

It was making me hot to look at Mandy in her steampunk costume, so I changed her into something casual. Here she is, ready to go berry picking. I didn’t have the heart to tell her we don’t have berries yet.

I didn't notice as I was taking the photos, but the bright blue sky was reflected in Mandy's red hair, making it look the same color as her shirt, and the wood behind her is almost the same color as her hair.

I need to get busy on making clothes for Carter and the Habitat Girl. I’m looking at outfits a little more stylish than the basic patterns I used last year, so I’m doing some experimentation. I dove into my quilting stash and put together this outfit for Vroni (for now, then at Christmas, it will go to DGD2’s dolls).

I think it needs to be a little baggier, especially for the Creatology doll I’m expecting to be outfitting for Habitat’s silent auction. I picked up some fabric at the quilt shop because I have very little pink, and I wanted something to go with the pink and white striped leggings I got on sale awhile back.

The pups received their summer haircuts on Wednesday. We have so many burrs in the backyard and on the hiking trails now, it isn’t practical for them to be in something more poodle-ish. We went to Gorgoza Pond later that day, then to Run-A-Muk Dog Park on Friday. (You can just see his pink tongue as he runs down the stone walkway.)

On Saturday, it was Toll Canyon. We noticed a lot of new signage for the trails, so Basin Rec has been busy. The Fairy Tree had a couple of Barbies.This was something new. You never know what you're going to see hanging from the Fairy Tree.

I took a photo of my boys. (Guess which one hasn't had his summer haircut yet.)

We stopped at the “Watering Hole” on the way back. Dusty is getting much braver about getting into the water now. I’m hoping we’ll have him swimming this summer.

Rocky is back to his old trick of running ahead on the way back, and Dusty should have been worn out from tearing like mad up and down the trail, trying to keep track of all of us.

One of our grandkitties, Fluffy, had surgery on Tuesday to remove a mass from her mouth. It was scary, but she came through the surgery well. The biopsy came back on Thursday, and it was negative. Whew!

Tour de Fleece has started on Ravelry. I'm participating, but nothing much to show yet.

Happy anniversary to DS and DDIL2 today!

Lighted sign as you enter our neighborhood: "Drive Slow." I need to lose a few IQ points to be able to do that, but I'll happily drive slowly. Happy Independence Day to all you US Americans. Don't catch anything on fire, and drive slowly!

What's on my needles: Carter’s Layered-look Pullover, this time to keep.

What's on my Featherweight: More doll clothes.

What's on my loom: Still waiting.

What's on my wheel: Stanzi is out and at work.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas is for the road. Listened to Mercedes Lackey’s Fortune’s Fool. Now listening to Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick, another of the Cobbled Court Quilts series. On the Kindle app, still reading Undeniable by Laura Stapleton.

What's in my wine glass: Frontera Cabernet Merlot in the big bottle.

What's my tip of the week: We all know tape is good for putting things together, but did you know it can be good for taking things apart? Fine cactus needles, splinters and insect stingers can be removed by applying tape (transparent, cellophane, masking or duct) gently to the affected area and pull off. Just be careful with insect stingers; some insects, like bees, leave behind the little sack with venom, and if you squeeze that, you can make matters worse. Tape can also be used to pull the tiny bits of threads away from a seam you’ve ripped. Also for lint or cat hair.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.