Doll Quilts

Rectangle Quilt

Well, my first Honey Bun did not disappoint!

I successfully made 2 doll quilts before Christmas, and I started them only 10 days beforehand.

I was able to make 2 separate quilts out of only 18 strips of the Honey Bun, and they come with 40, so you could make double the quilts from one Honey Bun! One quilt completed at around 17 1/2 inches square and the other at about 17 1/2 by 23 1/2 inches. Excuse the poor lighting, the picture of the strips below is the true colors, I am not a photographer, or maybe it's the camera... I'll go with that.

Square Quilt

Here's what I did:

Supplies:
18 Strips from a Honey Bun

(for square one)
18 inch square piece of batting
18 inch square piece of muslin

(For rectangle)
18x24 inch rectangle of batting
18x24 inch rectangle of muslin
18x1 1/2 inch strip of muslin



I sewed the strips together in sets of 6, and pressed them all seams in the same direction. Then cut 2 18 inches from each section of 6. Now you have 2 sections of each set of strips that are 18 inches long (6 sections total). Set the remnants aside for rectangle quilt.

For the square quilt, take one of each different section and simply sew them together. The top is done! As an added detail for the back of the square, I cut my muslin in half and used the scraps of strips to make a 1 inch strip between the 2 halves. Make sure to cut out all the pieces for both quilts before doing this just incase you don't have enough left over.

For the rectangle quilt, sew the remaining 3 sections of together. Sew the 1 1/2 section of muslin across the top. Cut 1 1/2 inch sections of the remnants of the origional 3 section, you should have 3- 1 1/2 inch strips from each section (total of 9). Lay them out making a rectangle that has 3 sections across and 3 high, re-arange them so that it's not the same pattern all the way up. sew the strips together in rows across, then sew the rows together. Now sew this smaller rectangle to the top of the muslin, and the top is done.

For both quilts, lay the quilt top down, right side up, then the muslin, then the batting. Sew around the edge using about 1/3 inch seam allowance, leaving a gap for turning (about 4 to 5 inches). Trim corners and turn right-side out. Now, top-stitch all the way around using about 1/8 to 1/4 inch seam allowance, this will sew the opening shut that you used for turning, and give a nice edge. Quilt as desired, I simply used a wave stitch on the diagonal for the square one.

Edited to add: I would LOVE to see any blocks/projects you create with this pattern! Feel free to join & share in my Flickr group: Your Lyanna Jean Designs.

Just a reminder, my patterns are for your personal use and enjoyment only. They have not been tested, so if you find an error feel free to let me know at lyannajeandesigns@gmail.com.

10 More & 10 Less for 2010

So, I have been thinking about this since watching the Ball Drop.

I have never been one to have a New Year's Resolution, I think they're kinda a cop-out. What I mean to say is, if you really want to change something about yourself or your habits, don't wait until it's time to jump on the bandwagon. Be like Nike and just do it.

However, I really wanted to have 10 things I want to have or do more of and 10 things I want to have or do less of, so here's my lists, not in any specific order:

10 More:

• Trips to the Beach (I'm only 1 hour away now...)
• Fresh flowers, I love Tulips
• Special moments with the kids, you know, the good ones
  
• Showing my Hubs how much I love him, I seem to tell the kids all the time
  
• Sewing
• Letters to Family, I think handwritten letters are so special
• Pictures, I really started slacking last year
• Gardening, it helps that I finally have a yard that we own
• Serving others, I try now, but want to do more
• Being Outdoors!!
  

10 Less:

• Stress... seriously
• UFOs (un-finished objects)
• Messes
• Saying No to my kids just cause I don't feel like cleaning up afterwards...
• Sharing words with other drivers that I know can't hear me anyway
• Doubting myself and others
• Being impatient
• Excuses
• Take-Out
• Gossip, I know, sometimes it's a little fun, but seriously... no good.

This was actually a bit harder than I though it would be, try it.

This Week's Ups and Downs

This week has been quite fun...

Monday I went to Sam's Club, and Tuesday the grocery store. Typical stuff right?

Well, Wednesday, I woke up at 5:30 and went downstairs to switch the laundry around. Squish is what I heard/felt with my first step into the basement. Mind you, earlier Wednesday morning it was raining cats and dogs. I mean, the kind of rain that if you were standing out in it it would beat your clothes off (ha ha, sorry, inside joke... post for another day). I then proceed to walk, still squishing, into the laundry room where there is no carpet. My door creates a wave... oh happy day...This is what my living room into the dining room looks like now... uhh, and I just got everything organized after moving...

Now, there are still 3 dehumidifiers in my basement drying it out as best they can. We still need to replace the padding under our carpet once that is done, and install a sump pump. Why would none of the previous owners of our home install one in the 33 years since this thing was built. Seriously??? It does rain in Delaware, and quite a bit at times.

Thursday rolls around to an adventure to storytime at the library. My 2 boys start beating each other in the middle of it, and of course won't stop until I get up and grab ahold of them and threaten. This feels like only the beginning of it too...

Friday is finish up some Christmas shopping morning! Woo hoo, just a little candy and I'm DONE!

Ah yes, and Saturday, lovely Saturday. Today is the second Saturday of the month. What does that mean you ask? Well, that means that I get to go, without ANY children for the morning!! I LOVE my kids, but once a month, I KNOW I will get a small break. Everyone needs one of those right? I get to go to Lil' Country Quilt Shop for Show n Tell from 9-10 am, then off to the Quilting group at the Middletown Library from 10-12. Oh it was wonderful!
I bought my very first Honey Bun!!! I'm so very excited to use it, I plan to make doll quilts for my nieces, hopefully by Christmas. Definitely a tutorial soon to come. There was also this extremely beautiful quilt on display that they will be doing their quilt-block of the month thing this next year for. I mean Beautiful, so of course I bought the pattern :)Here's the Honey Bun I got. It's Moda, Spring Magic line. The Quilted Castle also has it for sale.

MIA Hiatus

Yes, I admit it, I have been MIA from the blog-o-sphere for almost a month now. sorry. I guess I was feeling like I was a little addicted... can you blame me? I could sit and read blogs for hours, literally. I can honestly say that I have wasted quite a few nap-time in my day just reading and clicking away. And, by wasting, I mean collecting tons and tons of awesome ideas and brainstorming ;)

However, I have been trying to be as productive as possible!

So, I have realized that there is definitely one thing I LOVE about moving, and that is organizing. Everything needs to find it's new home! I love it!

Another thing about moving is that one has a lot of this problem:


Therefore, I have been piping away at curtains, and now that we've had our first "snow fall" I need to get the curtains up in the bedrooms ASAP!!

We have also got up most of our holiday decorations: the tree, our doorknob hangers, a couple snowmen, you know. I have to say I have come across quite a few holiday items that need to be made for my house!

And, finally, my fireplace has been fixed!!! Yay!! Needless to say, there have been just a few (wink wink) nights that I have sat by my fire instead of plugging away on my blog. Oh the joys of colder weather.

Hot cocoa, here I come!