2011 was a crazy year.  I did get some quilting done, but not much.  I did not have time to make a quilt for the Kuna Quilt Show, but I saw this quilt block demoed at the quilt show.  I went right home that night and made this quilt block, because I had to see how it worked for myself.  It worked wonderfully!  Then I decided I would make it into a doll quilt for Kirsten and be able to put it in the Western Idaho Fair.  The date to enter quilts in The Fair was one week off. I got it done.  My husband took me to The Fair to see how I did. First Place!  That alone made up for all the quilting I had not had time to do.  Big smile!

Shoofly-Friendship in Hideous Pink:  I had all these left over pinks from the doll quilt discussed in my previous post, so I used them to experiment with shoofly blocks and friendship star blocks.  I did have a couple other pinks in my stash from making grandma aprons, that worked well with this, especially the paisley.  I had the top pieced and hanging by magnets to the inside of my front door for two years, before I finally quilted it.  But I was real happy with how it came out.  My co-worker, who had asked for the doll quilt discussed in my prevous post, was moving out of my building and into a building across campus.  We had a big goin- away pot luck for the Research staff combined with welcoming a new employee of ours.  I decided it was the perfect gift for this co-worker.  I wrapped it in a paper bag and put curly ribbon on it and gave it to her at the pot luck.  She absolutely loved it.  She said she would keep it to play with her grandaughter when she visited.  It is so nice to know someone well enough to know when you have created exactly the thing they will cherish.  Makes me wanna cry!

Study In Pink:  The experiment that I referred to in my previous post, is what launched this mess completely by mistake.  The nice thing is, there is a little girl somewhere in the SLC area that really loves this quilt.  I am happy that it is loved.  I made it at the request of a co-worker.  She saw the other one hanging on my partition, at work, and asked if I could make one for her to give to her grandaughter.  It had to be pink and white with hearts.  Well, in October there are no pink hearts to be found, so this is what I came up with.  The fabrics, individually, were rather darling (despite being pink), but the prints were too large for the small size of the squares, but grandma and grandaughter both were thrilled with it.  So, I am happy to put this photo here with the other doll quilts I have made.

Doll Quilt Experiment

This doll bed was made by Jack Slade.  I crackle painted it with white underneath and palest pink on top with tiny crackles.  I made the mattress with the skills I learned on how to make a grocery bag out of a pillowcase.  hmmmm I will have to locate that information, so readers can access the web site of the fine creative gal who cause me to have that "ah ha!!" moment.  The doll quilt was an experiment that I rather liked the result of. The rug was made by my niece, Nicole Conrad, who is also an excellent quilter.

I was in an 1800's reproduction fabric phase when I made Kirstan's first quilt. I had a pinafore dress that my mother made in the late 1970's for a high school play "No Time for Heaven". I dug it out in 2008 and tailored it for a young lady who needed a costume for "Oklahoma". I had to shorten it for her, so then I had some scraps left, the I put into the wreath.  It all seems so pioneery!  :)

My dear friend, Susan's daughter, has two American Girl dolls.  Her Uncle Jack made her some sweet bunk beds. Her Aunt Penny made her sheets with pillows and cases, so I decided to make her a couple of quilts.  Of course, Kirstan modeled them before they went to their permanent home.

My daughter's American Girl doll, Kirstan Larsen, has been the inspiration for several doll quilts I have made.  Even though my daughter is grown, I continue to make the occassional doll quilt to get a change of pace and try something new.