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May 2004 |
Saturday,
May 22, 2004
Dolls for Lillian!
This year I've become a new honorary aunt twice over. For my
"nephew" Max, I made a
quilt. I made it within a week of finding out about
his birth. I was totally on the ball. My "niece" Lillian's family
is teeming with quilters, so her parent's Diane and Peter asked
me to make her dolls instead. This last week, I finally hunkered
down and made them.
First, a blue mouse with a nose so pointed, that it'll be set
aside until it won't threaten to poke her in the eye. Now I
know why I'm not an infant toy designer. Second, is the kissy
bird. That started out with a long scrap of pink cotton. I cut
out over a dozen arcs and sewed them into 6 pairs of lips.
Next, I saw that I had some green fabric. I split that into
6 pieces and started playing. This one has lips at the top,
so I drew bird wings and feet on it. The other five have the
lips more in the middle, so I may just paint eyes on them and
make them "kissycubes" vs. birds.
Then I cut out felt to make the next three on my flight to Pittsburgh.
I packed all the embroidery floss I needed, a few needles tucked
in a piece of felt, a handful of safety pins and a large container
of dental floss. The latter was to use the cutter to trim my
threads, since scissors are forbotten.
I started the purple bug on my cab ride and nearly finished
it. I had a lousy driver who braked hard. I nearly barfed. I
finished it waiting at the gate.
While boarding, one of the needles worked it's way loose of
the felt, through the pouch it was in and through my carry one
bag slung over my shoulder. It poked me in the ass right
as I handed my boarding pass to the gate attendant. Ouch! As
I walked towards the plane, I pulled it out and stuck it in
my hat until I could sit down. Next project - a hard case for
a mini travel sewing kit. Perhaps, I can use my large dental
floss box as the holder. I'll have to see if I can take it apart.
On the flight, I started the red bear. I was sitting next to
two very pleasant men who were talking to about their families.
The one sitting next to me finally asked me what I was making.
I explained the whole quilt vs. doll thing and how it was nice
to have something productive to do on the flight. I got some
progress made, but I admit I got more caught up talking to them.
Once I got to my final destination at Diane's house, I finished
the bear as Diane made cards for baby gifts she's working on.
Finally, the next day I sewed together the bird as we watched
TV. Five dolls for Lillian!
I really enjoy working with felt. It all started with a monkey
I made for Diane and Peter as a gonig away gift when they moved
to Pittsburgh. Since then, I made a squirrel
for my friend Jim. Felt is so easy to work with and I love the
bright colors of the felt and embroidery floss. And it's good
nearly instant gratification work!
I'm trying to get better at making a paper pattern first, so
that I can publish a zine of instructions and patterns for those
who'd like to make their own. Watch this blog - I'll annouce
it here when I finally produce it.
posted
on 5/22/2004 01:48:14 PM
Tuesday,
May 04, 2004
Free Desktops for You!
Here's are three new desktops photos for your viewing pleasure.
All three were taken in Pittsburgh, PA. The artichokes were
displayed proudly at the Whole Foods last week. The green one
is a plant I don't know the name of in a community garden in
the Mexican War Streets neighborhood, photo taken last summer.
That same day, I snapped a shot of those old, worn but gorgeous
windows.
Click
here to view and use them and all their sibling desktops.
posted
on 5/4/2004 10:37:05 PM
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