DQS10 Finished

On my end it's finished, anyway. I've still not received my quilt and that is a big part of the swap. But I like most doll quilts so I know that I'll love whatever comes my way. Most of my nervousness in the swap comes from worrying about whether my partner will like her/his quilt that I made. And she did!

This little quilt made it to Dena (here's her blog, complete with the photo I used for the house on this quilt there in the header) and I heard from her today so now I can talk about it freely (the doll quilt swap has secret partners so I couldn't post photos of it before for fear she'd see her house and know it was for her). I'm so excited that she liked it! It was a whole lot of fun to make, with all of the little embroidery details I so enjoy stitching.

Dena also likes to embroider so I just had to include a little embroidery/needle book. With some variegated threads. These swap packages are way too much fun to put together!

And here's the whole thing, with the 2 bits of fabric, some local tea, the needlebook, and the quilt, all smooshed into that plastic envelope to protect it in the mail. I hope the wrinkles iron out.

Now I can't wait for my quilt to come and then it's on to crossing my fingers that I get into round 11!!

Snowing Again

I was going to be back here with a post about our newly patched, painted, and decorated bathroom (not the pepto bismol bath but the other one) but I feel so whiny about the snow that was just dumped on us that I have to post photos of that instead. I just calculated a couple of days ago that at this time last year we were out working in the yard in t-shirts. Yikes!

I promise to come back soon, not whining about 3 more inches of snow but with photos of the bathroom.

Another reason for my doll quilt obsession discussed in my last post could very well be my love of miniatures. It does cause me to do some crazy things in cross stitch.

And to buy some totally adorable Lustreware salt and pepper shakers. Why wouldn't it be at least a part of the doll quilt thing? I'm off to cut up some more tiny squares!

Attack of the Doll Quilts

I seem to be addicted to doll quilts. They're just so much fun! A good place to try out new techniques that maybe I don't want to use for a full quilt. A nice practically instant-gratification project. Not to mention the fact that I've become a bit obsessed with these two photos.

My quilt for DQS10. I love this swap! Except for the fact that in this case, the secret partner thing is requiring me to keep that piece of paper over my favorite part of the quilt until I get it mailed out to my partner!

This one's backed and quilted now but this is still the best photo that I have of it -- at least it gives you an idea of the pattern.

This one's inspired by one of the ones in Hilary's photo (linked above). I do love this fabric!

But the unfortunate side effects of making this many doll quilts is that 1) a person eventually uses up every last little scrap of batting in the house and 2) the quilts all inevitably come to the part (and all at the same time if they're feeling particularly diabolical) where the binding needs to be hand-stitched onto the back of the quilt. Oops.

First Finished Knitting Project for 2011

I actually finished something! Even working in all of the loose ends, pressing the edge pieces, and sewing on the buttons! It's the Sketchbook Cardigan from Lion Brand. I knitted it exactly as written in the pattern but here's a ravelry link anyway, in case you want more details. I love the way it turned out (although the fact that every single edge is picked up, knit double-length, turned, and sewn down to the underside made me feel a bit insane as I was doing it)! I've been wearing it every day since it was knit enough to be wearable. Even before I finished knitting the trim pieces or sewing the buttons on. I love it so much that I think that my next knitting project may just be another Lion Brand pattern that I have (I picked it up on the yarn crawl last October).

And I leave you today with a button photo. Just because I love buttons. Don't you agree that they deserve a closeup, even if it is a bit poorly focused?