Finished my doll!

I haven't mentioned my doll that I've been working on. I wanted to make sure that I was actually able to get her done. I was asked to make a doll to display at the Houston International Quilt Show. I've never been to the Houston show but I hear it is huge and fabulous. There are also some doll exhibits.

So, a couple of months ago I set off to make a doll, I felt this was a big honor to be asked and wanted to get a doll done. I found this lantern, it is actually made for a candle, and my husband came up with the idea to make a beach scene in the lantern. I decided the beach scene wouldn't travel very well. I saw a glass lamp at Pier 1 Imports and it was filled with shells and knew right then what to do with my lantern. Then the doll came together in my head. She ended up looking almost exactly what I first thought she would look like. It was quite a journey for me considering I never designed a doll before. Five bodies and I don't know how many arms later I have my doll. I did use one of my favorite doll head patterns by Barbara Schoenoff though. So Quennachelle was born, that is Gaelic for Queen of Shells but that isn't what I really wanted to name her. She is more like the keeper of all shells. Her skirt is a shell motif batik, her top has Swarovski fish hanging down and some coral-looking fringe and she has a starfish in her hair and of course her stash of shells in her lantern. I'm pretty happy with the way she turned out so tomorrow it is off to the UPS store to get a box and bubble wrap and get her shipped off to Houston!

What I did on my summer vacation

Don't worry - I'm not going to bore you with the details!! IF anyone is interested though, after I finish going through all my pictures I will post them to Photobucket or Flickr or somewhere and put a link on my blog.

What I am going to post pictures of today is the fabrics that I bought in LA's Fashion District. I read on Patti Culea's blog a little while back that she took her sister and niece there and mentioned the streets (thank goodness) so one morning after breakfast we put in Maple St and 9th into the GPS and off we went! This is the exit we took in downtown LA - don't you just love the traffic! I don't know why people gripe about it, I had a blast. We found a parking garage and took the elevator down to the street and this is what I saw. Bolts of fabric a half a street block long! For $1.99 a yard!! OK, this is the one and only picture I took in the Fashion District. I was so fascinated with all that fabric, store after store, after store that I just forgot I had a camera in my pocket. I really restrained myself because if I didn't, I would have spent a fortune on fabric that I probably wouldn't live long enough to use. Although I do have some regrets about a few fabrics not brought home with me. I guess I just have to go back!!

Well, the first picture is all my dupioni silks. It was funny, in all the shops there is a 1 yard minimum and I really wanted 1/2 yard cuts so my husband said that I make dolls and only need 1/2 yard I saw the owner hesitate so I jumped in and said that I would buy 8 different colors and he said ok. I ended up getting 16 colors - so pretty. Then I found some gingham checks in taffetta. Then I found these feather caps that are used to make fascinator hats with. I thought I could use them for something.

So, if you ever go to LA or NY or any large city go to the fashion district, bring cash but be very careful with it and have a great time. Don't leave behind any fabric that you will think about for months.

It's been a while

Well, it has been quite a while since I've written in my blog. I guess I was exhausted after AFIC, then I've spent quite a while since training the puppy, isn't she cute? She is doing very well at puppy kindergarten too!

Then, my sister came for a week's visit in July. It was her first time in Ohio. She is a knitter so we went to 3 different yarn stores. I found a pattern for felted slippers that look like flip-flops so she made them for me. When I get them I'll post a picture because they are cute. She is also a Master Gardner so she helped me a lot with getting the front of my house looking good, at least it is a beginning and I know which direction to go in next spring. It was great to see her and spend some time together, can't believe I didn't take any pictures.

Then I'd also been planning Ed and my vacation, which we took a couple of weeks ago. We went to California for 10 days. It was a blast. I've visited San Francisco many time and San Diego 3 times but I've never been to the LA area and have wanted to visit since I was little. I absolutely had the best time ever!! We flew in and out of San Jose because Ed had a seminar and I met him there then we went to LA so it was easier to fly home from San Jose. I really like that area also, not so much downtown which is very pretty but it didn't feel very safe to me.

So on our second weekend in San Jose our son Chris and grandson Jordan, drove over from Reno and our son brought his girlfriend Shawna (so we could meet her) and she brought her youngest daughter Mackenzie. So, with all that going on this summer, I haven't made any dolls or I should say I haven't finished any dolls. I was asked to make a doll for the Houston International Quilt Show which has a very large doll exhibit as well as quilts. I've been working on that doll for months, making and remaking bodies. I'm getting close to finishing her and I'm excited to see how she will turn out - picture to come. And... I've taken 2 online classes which happened to occur on the same weeks (of course) and one of them, Street Fair by Cindee Moyer is half done. OK maybe not quite half way. And I took Cindee's class The Gatherer which I haven't even started. Then my doll club, Time For Dolls, is hosting Ute Vasina in September so I have to get ready for that. Not only the doll, but Pam and I are organizing it. Then in October I am taking a class with Coleen Babcock, Stitch in Time. And, I have to make a Christmas doll for October's meeting of our doll club. That was our challenge doll and I've had 10 months to do it, oh well.

I'm starting to whine about how much I have to do but I'm not really whining afterall, I'm making dolls!!