Doll Town

It is the new site where a lot of dolls have listed. There are a lot of art dolls. I don't consider my dolls art style.
I am more the Classic Cloth style but it was a place to start in the selling market. Here is the site. I have not sold a doll in a while. They become part of the family and it is hard to send them away but the doll room is full and needs to be downsized.
This is Sami. A modified Susan Fosnot pattern. She is 24 inches tall. Oil painted. Her clothes are removable. Spread the word about Doll Town. http://dolltown.ning.com/
Have a great week.
j

A for sale listing

I finally did it I listed a doll for sale.
I read about a new site and decided to give it a try.
It is called Doll Town. This is my page.
http://dolltown.ning.com/profile/JudithAnnJaques
There are over 100 artists listed and today is the first day.
We will see what happens.It is time to do something with all the dolls in the doll room.25+ years of doll making has filled the room.
the black doll in the header is the one I listed for sale.
Wish me luck. judy j

UFO's

 Over on the small quilt yahoo group they are having a challenge. It is to find and finish an unfinished project.

Of course the project is supposed to be a small quilt.I am on a roll now. Not all small quilts but unfinished just the same.
I did get the batting and back pinned to the small blue and yellow quilt I a few weeks ago.It will be my UFO for the challenge.

I went shopping in my basement today for ribbon to finish the bonnet I made yesterday for the black doll I painted. She now has her dress bloomers and a bonnet. This doll is from a Susan Fosnot pattern. She is narrower in the shoulders than my usual dolls and needed a shawl or collar of some sort.

I found a box with ribbon and other things. A jumbled mess. Another unfinished project to sort and arrange all the odds and ends into the right boxes , label and put on the right shelf..

In this box was an old collar.It was perfect for this doll.She is now finished.

While looking for the ribbon I ran across the 2 wall hangings I started,--- 15 or more years ago. Back then I was a wanna be quilt maker. I had no idea what I was doing but I always say give me a book with pictures and I can make it.(item in the picture not a book)
It also helps to have directions. Even having directions did not help me to know how to bind a quilt. I have since learned that and it is time to finish these wall hangings even if they are out dated.

A good friend died on Tuesday. She was 83. She was one of the nicest people I have ever known. She loved people, pets and plants. Her family was the most important thing in this world to her.
Gloria you will be missed by many.

 It has been a busy week. It seems the weeks fly by.
Have a good weekend.j

Shelf

While in the kitchen this morning cleaning up and wiping off dust. *How can there be so much dust in the winter?*
I noticed the ugly cords hanging down the wall.. This area of my kitchen is where the busy things happen.the coffee pot, the toaster, the sink dishes are in the corner cupboard so lots goes on in this area.I have wanted a shelf across the wall but with the window and the drawers Mr. T says no way. Well I had a pine shelf not in use.
I pulled off the braces and turned it upside down. it is long enough to sit on each counter.YIPEE!!!
 Gives me a place for those beautiful roses to sit in the bright sunshine. The window ledge was not big enough.
The 2nd phone sits there very well and the cords are hidden. Oh man I love it when a plan works.
The best part, when I think of another clever thing that will work better, I can just make the shelf go away.No nail holes no repair of any kind
Smiling---- the sun is shining.
.j

 

Spring

Spring is 31 days away.Mother nature is giving us a sample today.
It is 63 degrees in Hardin Co. Iowa.
The furnace is off and the doors to the porch are open to let in the fresh air.
The steaks are out ready for the grill.

Yesterday I treated myself to 2 little rose bushes.1/2 price at the grocery store.I have had better luck with these tiny beauties than with the full size rose bushes. I have 4 or 5 in the garden that have come back each year. Each a different color.
God has done his magic on these beauties. The last picture is the bulbs I put in a pot a few weeks ago. Nothing more spring than roses and hyacinth.
The week has gone fast.
Have a great weekend.j

3rd little quilt

It was a productive week. 3rd little quilt binding on last night.

The weather is changing. Warming up a bit. Makes me think of gardens and yard projects. It will be spring before we know it.
There are so many inside projects to get finished. I had better get busy.j

Two little quilts finished

Last night I finished hand sewing the binding on the 2nd little quilt.
Putting on the binding is my favorite part of making a quilt.
One will be used on the wooden box I use as a coffee table.

The 2nd is on the type writer box in the corner of the living room.
Weather warming up here in Iowa.Will be in the 40's next week.
Glad for the break.
j

sewing space

Over the last few months I have seen sewing room pictures on other blogs.Some are just so organized with beautiful matching cabinets and shelves. Everything built in,----a special place for everything.They are beautiful and if I had the $ I would love to have that kind of space. It is not going to happen.
I am to frugal.(cheap).

Today I read this phrase* make do or do with out*
It is something I have done for years.

It is popular now to go to flea markets,yard sales, 2nd hand stores etc.
I have been doing that my whole life. My mom is the queen of  2nd hand. She has owned a shop for as long as I can remember and she is 83. Still buys and sells. Keeps her young.

My 5 siblings are all collectors of things. Not all the same things.
Over the years mom helped each of us acquire a set of depression glass, mine is Manhattan glass.I will share that another day.


In my world nothing matches. It is a hodge podge of things I have acquired over the years. Things I love. In my sewing space I don't have matching cabinets and shelf units for my fabric.

I have a cupboard with shelves that was my mother in laws.There is a mix and match of shelves and cupboards that have been used for lots of different things over the years since coming to live here. An oak kitchen table, A barbers cupboard,shelves for magazines and sewing books, a sewing cabinet that Mr. T( just fixed for me last weekend.)

He took out the old machine, added a brace and wood to fill the hole where the old machine sat, I recovered the bench seat. My serger now has a permanent place.The cabinet was so unique I could not throw it out.The bench slides under it, the door closes and it looks like a stack of drawers.

My ironing table is an old sorting cupboard.The fabric I used ,to cover it,was a table cloth it its other life.

 My cutting table is a small baby crib.I bought it to display dolls in the shop years ago.It is so handy to store things in the bed part. My rulers stand up in between the side rails. It is on rollers so I can move it if I need to. Mr.T added pieces to the 4 corners to make it higher and added a board for the cutting top. My cutting matte fits perfectly.I could add a pretty skirt but it would just be in my way.


Because our basement flooded in 08 I no longer use it for my sewing space. I do store totes of my fabric stash there. I took back the family room for my sewing space.
This space started out as my greenhouse when I had the flower/greenhouse business. Mr.T built it with the idea it would one day be a family room which is was while our children were here.

Mr. T . didn't mind me taking the space I left a recliner and tv in one area just so he had his space to watch nascar. I will not be sewing on those days.

I am still arranging and adjusting things. My new machine is a joy and I love being in this space. I love being able to see my fabric.

So there you have it my hodge podge sewing space.I am blessed to have such a space.

Bitter cold today -30 wind chill. A good day to stay in and sew.
j

Baking bread/ valentine's treat

I have loves of bread almost ready to bake.I had not planned on baking bread.Our freezer is full so the loves of frozen bread were on the screen porch which we use for cold storage,in a pinch, in the winter.

I had plans to bake a loaf a day.Plans changed.

The temps got warmer than I thought.I went out to take down the Christmas greens from the porch rail.

I found the 3 loaves of frozen bread were starting to raise.Good thing I went out.Yesterday they were frozen.
Stick around in Iowa you never know what the weather will be.

I decided to treat myself to a bit of spring.Aren't these little cyclamen sweet?

We have been working on the sewing room.Will share pictures in the next post.
Have a great week.j

Spring will come

March 6th 2009 the first robin was here. March 15 2010 the first robin was here.The garden gals peaking out from the bleeding heart.

I am hoping for the early robins this year. Until then here are a few pictures to make you think spring.j

fun Little quilt

I had a stack of 5 inch blocks. I"m not sure where they came from but I put them together using the Missouri quilt company tutorial.
http://www.youtube.com/user/MissouriQuiltCo#p/u/19/ekYpJzHoW6E

I then cut them to size to do another of the little quilts from the new civil war sewing circle book.It is the same pattern as the last little quilt I posted.

I am still working on the hand quilting on the first.

The quilts are taking my time away from getting the doll dresses done.
The weeks go by so fast.Can you believe it is Feb.3rd all ready?

So much to do.
Stay warm j

Table runner

Thought I would share the 10 min table runner I put together today.
I had the center sewn,left over from another project.
Once I take the class for free motion quilting I will machine quilt it.

Scalloped potatoes and ham in the oven, choc. cake for dessert.
Stay warm wind chill here is -10.
we are blessed. we have heat and food.
j

new tools

Though I would share the new tools in the house.
The first is one purchased by Mr. T.
Now he says it is for me but actually it is his way to get to buy a new toy.
He tells me it weighs only 2#.Great! He tells me I can use it to put on siding! Whoooyyyyyy nellie I am not putting up siding! Does that tell you who this, new to this household, tool is really for.

There have been other tools in the past that were * mine* funny thing I saw them when they came into the house but never again.

 I did get a new tool for sewing.
I have heard that the ott lights are really good. They are!!!It is so much easier to see to do my hand work now.

\

They had them on sale at joanne fabrics last week.
I will have to be very careful it does not disappear.
Mr.T tried out the light.
His comment about needing one in the shop was a red flag for sure.Ya have to watch out for Mr. T when he smiles.
Hope you are all in safe and staying warm.j