Has anyone got a quilt in progress that you love and can't wait until it's finished, but it keeps getting held back for some reason? I have one of those, and I'm super happy that I finished the top and can show it off today. Here are some fancy ladies who really want to meet you:
Happy dance! This is the finished top for a project that I started in 2015. Yes, three years ago! Making these blocks was my RSC project for the year, so all of the dresses are made from scraps. Some of those were ugly bits, too, but they work great as dresses.
The pattern for these is Paper Dolls by Cozy Quarters, and it is available HERE. (I adapted the dolls some, so mine are a little different from the pattern.) I love all of these dolls, and I feel like each of them has her own personality. Some of them are based on real people, but some of them just came about because of the scraps I had. I had a lot of fun giving them each a hairstyle and thinking up their backstories. Kind of like we used to with real paper dolls, remember?
I don't know why it took me so long to finish this top when I have such positive feelings for these blocks. When I did finally start to put it together, I had a brainstorm and added the quotation that's in the top, which delayed things a bit more. The quotation is done in freezer paper applique, stitched down by hand. Yep, that took a while! It was fun to do, though. The letters are also all scraps.
Some of you will recognize the quotation as an excerpt from the Christian New Testament, but it's not meant as a religious statement-- or a political one, either. I just felt like it added a positive note to the quilt and made it more interesting. Plus, I really do feel that women have to support, encourage, and help other women. If we won't help each other, who will?
You may have noticed that it was hard to get a picture of the whole quilt top. This baby turned out much larger than anticipated! Each of the doll blocks finishes at 8 by 10 inches, and the whole top is about 66 by 95. This is way bigger than I had planned back in 2015! I'm going to have to rig up something to get a full picture once it's quilted.
Speaking of quilting. . .
Can it be? Yes, that is the backing and batting for this quilt! I plan to quilt this myself and hopefully have it finished sometime before the end of September. No real reason for that deadline, but it seems doable to me. I'll have to get some more practice with the walking foot before that happens, but I've been working on it. It will be nice to have a project to quilt that I'm excited about.
So there we are! The project from 2015 is now ready for quilting (after a really good pressing, because it was starting to rain when I took these pictures.) I am breathing a happy sigh of relief and looking forward to a finished quilt for this fall.
Hope you all have a lovely weekend! Sunday is Mother's Day in the US, so a very happy day to all mothers of every kind. I even have some flowers for you:
Happy Mother's Day all, and happy weekend!
Sharing at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Finished or Not Friday, crazymomquilts, and soscrappy for RSC18.
29 comments:
Sure love you doll quilt. It's so cute.
Your "dolls" are very similar to Freddy Moran's "Garden Ladies/Phoebe" Hope it's not a knock off of her pattern with no credit given to her. On the other hand, I LOVE the quote :-)
It looks great! The little details on each doll really give them different "personalities."
What a fun quilt! It is fun to look at all of the different dolls and see their personalities. Such a great finish.
They really do all have different personalities! Such a fun piece. I'm glad you're moving along with it. It's really nice to read your enthusiasm for this quilt :)
I love the doll quilt, and fun to know you were giving them hairstyles and back stories. You maybe should write a few of the good ones down! Sorry about the allergies and the yuck on the car. I hope it passes soon!
love your quilt. Yes we get the pollen here in Arkansas too - sometimes it is so thick it is crazy. Most times I have to have the windows shut all of April and part of May. This year is wasn't near as thick but still enough that we couldn't have windows open except a day after it rains when it knocks it all down out of the air.
Hi Dorothy, and thanks for visiting. If you look at the post again, I give credit to the Cozy Quarters pattern and provide a link to their purchase page, as I have in almost all the posts about this project. No theft of ideas or pattern is happening here. Have a good day.
This is so beautiful! What an awesome scrap quilt. :D
Hi Mari,
OMG! What a fabulous quilt. I have so many teacher friends that this would just be PERFECT for. Just think how creative you could get for each doll - well, you know - you did it. I just HAVE to go look at this pattern, right this second. Holy moly! And big congrats to you on finishing up this lovely UFO from 2015. Hmm, now how are you going to quilt it? I can't wait to see this all finished!! Seriously - I'm going to PIN this and email this post to my niece-in-law in OK who quilts. Her daughter is a new teacher and this would be so great in her classroom. I'm so excited in case you can't tell. HAHA! Happy Mother's Day. ~smile~ Roseanne
What a wonderful creation; there's a lot of reasons why I love it being a paper doll girl and my favorite book when I was young was "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes. I've bought several patterns like yours in an attempt to make a dress quilt and maybe after seeing yours I might finally start one. I can wait to see it finish.
This is so lovely Mari. I like how you adapted the original pattern, it works so well. I love all the different hairstyles too and the nun, so many different dolls each unique with an individual personality. So clever I love it.
Your ladies are adorable and your quilt is beautiful and charming. I love how they are not "cookie cutter" ladies, just like ladies in real life.
This is absolutely my all time favorite project of yours. I loved each little block - and reading about their personalities. Honestly, my favorite!! They are all so unique (as they should be). The sentiment of the message you added is perfect. Well done Mari!!! I can't wait to see how you finish it up.
I love it!! and the quote is just appropriate for today!! Love it!
So good to see this all together! That’s quite an accomplishment given your busy time of year. I like how you grouped the dolls—some single, some in pairs or in threes. That goes so well with the words.
Great fun quilt here. So happy it is time for quilting it.
And it's Mothers Day in Australia too.
Congratulations! It is always such a great feeling to finish off a long term WIP. Your ladies are lovely. Each one does bring her own personality to the quilt. The words are a great addition. Enjoy your quilting.
This is wonderful. All the ladies and then the quote to complete the message. I love how you made each one into a real character because I found myself doing the same with my Japanese doll this week.
What a fun quilt! I love the saying, religious in origin or not, it is definitely something we all need to think about, particularly when leaving snarky comments anonymously online is so easy. Good luck quilting it - it sounds a bit like a monster, but you can do it!!!
The dools quilt is so pretty, have fun quilting it.
Beautiful white azaleas. Happy mother's day!
How nice to have that quilt top put together, love the quote.
That is so much fun, Mari! I love the words you put on it, too. Congratulations on getting the top finished, and enjoy the last steps to getting it quilted!
So beautiful! Congratulations on your finish! Happy Mothers' Day!
This is a quilt worth finishing! Love your version! You are right (and so is the New Testament); we definitely do need to encourage one another, and build one another up!
I absolutely love that pattern (thanks for the link), and your quilt top. The wording is a perfect addition. Hey, some of my quilt tops are four years old. It is easy to start a new one before finishing one. So glad you got this one done. Looking forward to seeing it all quilted.
Love the dolls and their positive message! I know this quilt will make you smile every time you use it!
applause, applause! How fun, and IMPORTANT this is! Love your sentiment and how each lady is different but all standing together. Support. You're a great support for all of us Mari! Love this. Shall I give you my address so you can send it to me??? lol! Doesn't matter how long it takes... the top is done. It should travel too by the way, be shown in quilt shows because of it's message.
LeeAnna
This is the best quilt you have made so far (in my opinion). We may look different and have unique personalities but what unites is stronger and ever-lasting. And I feel so blessed that you made a doll mini for me. I feel included in this message of strength and unity. I hope you will enter it into the next quilt show.
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