Car quilt

finished quilt

I have to tell you about when I gifted this quilt.  It's for my grandson, The King, and I took it when I was going to babysit.  When I got there, he was napping and DD was about to leave, so I showed it to her before he was up.  His sister, The Princess, looked at it and said, "That was so sweet of you!  He loves cars!"  This from a three year old!!!  She didn't ask about one for her - just said how much he'd love it.  I was totally impressed.

I finished this quilt while I was waiting for Cherry Trees block 25 to be posted.  The pattern is from Patchwork and Stitching (from Australia), Vol. 12, No. 6 and first I have to make a correction to the materials list in magazine if anyone else decides to make it.  The blue behind the cars says 1/3 yard and I wish I'd read the directions before I bought the fabrics.  First, take that blue and cut two 10 1/2" strips.  Since 1/3 yard is only 12", it just doesn't work.  I got five background pieces from the strip and found another blue in my stash for the sixth.  

I did this on the machine, thinking it would be finished faster, but I really prefer my finished product when I do it by hand.  I used a method I think I saw demonstrated by Eleanor Burns on her old show.  I stitched a light weight fusible interfacing to the car shapes, glue facing the right side of the fabric, stitched around them, slashed the interfacing, and then turned right side out.  I think fusible interfacing is softer and more flexible than two sided products and I have a finished edge.  The picture is stitched and trimmed but not turned. 

fabric right side

I cut out the section of fusible where the windows go and literally had to sleep on it to figure a way to fuse the edges of the windows.  I used Wonder Under Light (but will have raw edges) and here it is again before the pieces were turned ---

fabric wrong side

I cut out the inside of the windows and then pressed the cars in place and stitched around the edges.  The ladder on the fire truck was a challenge but it's intended to be a drag-around quilt for a two year old and used up so I didn't stress over it.

Oh - middle car on the right?  The checkered one in the pictures?  It's a cab - get it?  Checkered cab???

The blocks are together!

I have a hard time picking a project up after it's been sitting for a while and this is the first block of the (fill in any time period) I've ever done.  There were months I had to force myself to do the next block and I quite often printed the patterns and then waited till I was between other projects.  I've made I don't know how many quilts (I've been quilting for close to 40 years so that happens) but I finish one before I'm on to the next.  Some of us are just like that!  The floor is the only place any where near big enough to spread this out so you get to see a lot of the other things that live there.  Thank my dog.

Now it's on to the borders.  I have one side of the vine sewn on one of them, the leaves prepped for three of them, about half the cherries I need for all four of them, and I bought two 10' boards to use when I baste them.  I think I'm set!

Cherry Tree block 25

block 25 - last one

This is the last of the individual blocks.  I'll trim them to size and stitch them together tomorrow.  Last night, I cut out the freezer paper for the leaves on the three borders we've gotten so far.  The last border will be posted Feb. 10th.  Tonight, I'll work on berries.    Lots and lots of berries.  I have them all cut out but need to stitch the gathering threads and pull them up over the templates, then press them.

Schnibbles Full House

I really planned to join in the Year of Schnibbles (hosted by Sinta at http://pinkpincushion.blogspot.com/ and and Sherri at http://www.aquiltinglife.com/) last year and just never did.  No excuses.  It just didn't happen.  This year I have two resolutions - the first is to not buy any candy in January.  (If I can get through one month, it's a good start. right?)  The second is to join Another Year of Schnibbles and actually make them, not just look.  Full House! by Carrie Nelson of Schnibbles fame is the first pattern and it's so cute!  I made mine into a doll quilt for my grandchildren to use. 

doll pillow

I also made a pillow because I really wanted to do more than two rows.  The fabric is Simple Abundance by Bonnie and Camille.  Last year (or the year before???), I won a charm pack of this fabric in a give away and the name Abundance just screamed Full House - houses full of love, full of family, full of whatever makes you happy.

Doll all snug in the cradle

Blog names

When I started my blog, the name was a problem as all of the names I wanted (and still want) were already taken.  What I really wanted was MaryMade, no other descriptors, no limiters, no numbers, just MaryMade.  It was taken.  As was Mary Made This, Mary Made That, Mary Made It, Look What Mary Made, and everything else I tried including a slew of titles without mention of Mary.  So I settled on Gwendie's Quilts since my cat seems to think all my quilts are hers but most importantly because it was available.  The problem, as I'm sure you've noticed, is I don't make only quilts.  I sew.  I seriously sew.  I also knit, crochet, paint, bake, garden, and a lot of other things that give me enjoyment and I blog about all of them.   If I only posted about quilts I make, there are times I'd have one a year.  They take time since I hand applique (I admit I've machine appliqued two quilts) and almost always hand quilt.

There is one other name I could use that isn't taken but I'm a bit worried about just what type of reader, and so other links which are not at all what I want, I'd be attracting!  So I'm not using it even though, to me, it's a very innocent name.  Maybe I could have picked Gwendie's Person Did This but I don't like that name.

I just wanted to get this out there because I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's had a problem like this.  I thought I'd explain how I got the name and to tell you why my quilt blog is about more than quilting.  And ask - how did you pick your blog names, especially if your first pick was already in use??? 

Abigail's Christening Dress

I spent last week working on the Christening dress for Abigail.  I'd made one that her mother and both of my other daughters wore, and then The Princess wore it when she was baptized.  Abigail was a month older, though, and that dress was too small.  When First Daughter was married five years ago (before I had a blog) I made her wedding gown.  It's all silk - lining, underlining, organza for interfacing, outer dress, the whole works.  I bought a bolt of fabric (on a roll, not folded, but that's another post) and have some left so made Abagail's dress from that.  I had just enough lace to put on the hem.  I had about 3" left when I was finished but enough works.  You can see the detail in the picture.  The wedding gown has flowers on the back and I made one like that for the bodice of Abigail's gown.  

The whole dress doesn't show in the collage so here's a longer view.

The ball gown

Blogger is really playing with me today.  It just doesn't seem to like me posting pictures.  Well, I disagree!

This is the ball gown I made my granddaughter for Christmas and the reason I had to have a new machine.  (Any excuse will do!)

On a hanger before being wrapped

Every one of those dots sparkles!

The Princess on Christmas

And when at a ball, you dance!

Doll got a matching dress and shoes plus a raincoat and hat
that apparently had to be worn together

Baby quilt

Now that Christmas is over, I can post some of the projects I've finished.  This is the quilt I made my newest grandchild, Abigail.  The pattern is Lollipop Hill from Reets Rags to Stitches.  Their pattens are mostly prim and, while I love prim, I wanted this to be a bright and cheerful quilt since it's for a baby.  Abigail's mom, AKA DD#1, had to hear the whole time I was working on it, "I like the quilts I've made all the other kids but I think this is my favorite child's quilt EVER!"   I think she heard it several times a day.  It's hand appliqued and hand quilted.

It's hard to see the quilting in a picture but there's a path leading up the hill to the lollipops and they have spiral stitching to look like actual lollipops.  I also put a ball with a star on it between the horses but that doesn't even really show when you're holding the quilt.  Still, I like knowing it's there.  Some of the fabrics were new, others from my stash.  I buy brights sometimes but need a special quilt to use them and this one is definitely special to me!

Lollipop Hill