Friday, July 25, 2014

American Doll

For many of you, that special someone in your life has an American Doll.  These dolls have been around for years with my own daughters loving them too.  In fact, two of my daughters saved their money so that they could have shoes from the American Doll store.  Oh my!  One of the wonderful things about Olive Ann Designs is that each little girl pattern has a matching pattern for the American Doll...which I think is pretty terrific!  Here is the matching outfit for Addie's American doll.  Happy Birthday sweetheart!







Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Out To Lunch!

So I made this lunch bag a few months back...along with the pillow from my previous post..using a pattern made by My Favorite Things.  I have used their patterns before and for the most part sincerely enjoy using them.  Their directions are laid out very nicely and are easy to follow.  Trust me, it is getting harder and harder to find patterns that even make sense any more let alone come together like they should.  I have gotten pretty picky any more when it comes to patterns, but this little company does a nice job.  There are some things that I would change however.  For one, I would extend the front flap by at least another 2".  Since I made sure to use the right batting for a lunch bag  (an insulated batting by the name of Insul-Bright) and then lined it with a water proof fabric, (PUL) I was hoping to have a great insulated bag when taking my lunch to work.  But as you can see, the flap does not come down far enough to prevent those pesky sides from opening at the top of the bag.  I love the side pockets though that can be used for utensils, napkins, money, or for whatever else you would like to put in them.

I of course decided that it needed a little embroidery on  the front...I do after all have an embroidery machine!  And since buttons have always been my thing, I was more than satisfied with the one I found  to match my Amanda Murphy fabric that I used for the bag.



 Time to enjoy lunch!  Next time, not only would I make the front flap longer,  I would also make a pocket for the inside using that pet netting that so many of you use to make your beach purses.  It would be perfect to hold one of those slim  ice packs on the side to keep my food cold!  Don't forget to click on the images for a closer look!  Enjoy!!

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Jaybird

I'm back in town and am excited to share with you a pillow that I made a several months ago using Little Jaybird Quilt Designs.   I also had the pleasure of using the Downton Abbey fabric line that had recently come into the shop.  The dark blue fabric is entitled 'Lady Mary' and the border, along with the lower  portion of a hexagon is 'Lady Edith'.  I have seen pillows, purses, etc. made using the Downton Abbey fabric and it is always fun to see what other women will come up with just to use this line of material!   The series certainly has captured the interest and hearts of a lot of gals who venture into Cozy.


On the back of my pillow, I decided to embroider Downton Abbey to bring familiarity to the fabric line.



I hunted high and low for just the right buttons.  I thought these were perfect!



 Enjoy...Until next time!