Okay, so I don't post often, but when I do, look out.

This is my latest fiasco, (I find that a better term than latest "work") This is Libelle, the dragonfly by Sherry Goshen. You can find her class here.

http://webstore.quiltropolis.net/stores_app/Browse_Item_Details.asp?Shopper_id=922212312342489222&Store_id=235&page_id=23&Item_ID=1365, I think this doll (Sherry's version) is fabulous. My SIL would love her. So, my mom bought me the class for my Christmas present and the plan was for me to make Libelle for my SIL for her Christmas present. So, I jumped in and got started. Sherry's class is great and so are her instructions. I am the problem. I got her to this stage, but cracked her poor face and she had cracks all over her body. I tried to photo the cracks but they didn't turn out too well. Sherry gave me some great advice on how I might fix the cracks which I haven't tried yet. I am debating about just starting over since her face is cracked too. I came home on the eve of Christmas eve, after taking Christmas Eve off from work in hopes I could finish her before Christmas and discovered all the cracking. I pretty much scrubbed her for Christmas but am looking forward to trying again. Learning new things is such fun, even when you screw it up. I gave my SIL a different doll and told her about all the drama and she was perfectly happy with her substitute. She is great. She always loves whatever I make for her and really values that it is hand made and not bought. Here is the one I gave her (the fairy) from a class by Paula Johnson and Emmet who I made for my mom. I told mom I got her a man for Christmas...one that doesn't talk back, but he does have a comb over, hair in his ears and skinny white legs with big feet. He is from a pattern by Plain Jane Dolls.

My niece got her hair cut and I have always asked her to save me some because it is a beautiful red color. Last summer she did give me an envelope with her hair. I was planning to use it on a fairy or something. About Halloween she asked me to make her a doll using her hair. Well, of course I will. I went on a search for which doll. She is a little beyond a "baby doll" and a little before an "art doll". This doll is from Judi Ward's Whatever, Whatever class. http://dollnetmarket.ivisions.com/product.php?productid=110&cat=13&page=1 I have to say that this doll is well worth the price of the class. She goes together beautifully, stands on her own, I just can't say enough good about it. Anyway, I have never worked with real hair before and had to weft it first. I found different instructions on the net. One way was to sew it and one way was to glue it. Glueing was easier, but it was pretty stiff on the glued ends. The 2 rows of hair above are the 2 techniques. The bottom one is sewn and the top one is glued. Then I followed instructions to put the hair on. That is the next couple of pictures. Yikes, talk about a bad hair day. What you see is how the hair sat on the head and it did not want to move. Course I glued it on and didn't sew it to the head. It is about 2 days before Christmas and I have no more hair and if I can't salvedge this hair then what is the point in the doll? I am fretting.....big time at this point. The hair is too short to really pull it up like the directions suggest in order to hide all the wefting, but in the end all turned out well. I took her to work and everyone went crazy over her. My niece just loved her. The only thing that might have been better, in my niece's eyes, would have been if she could play with her. I was pretty proud of her too. Did you check out those gorgeous feet? I did have to remake the skirt because since she stands rather knock kneeed and pidgeon toed it makes the back of the skirt kind of ride up and the first skirt was way too short. With that skirt, Whatever looked more like a floozy than a tween.

This is a quilt I made for my BF. She was living in GA and had no family except her DH. One day she was telling me that there are days she doesn't even speak till 4pm or later and that she does get really lonely since all their family and friends are here in Ohio. I felt so bad for her that I decided to make her a quilt. Something she could wrap around her whenever she felt like she needed a hug and know I was giving her one. She loves flowers and likes oriental so I thought this quilt fit perfectly. She was really happy with it and I wish I had made one for myself because on a dreary winter day those flowers are surely uplifting. She has moved back to Ohio now and DH is coming in February. I am so HAPPY. I missed them more than I ever could have known I would. YIPPEE 2009 is looking better already.

Well, here it is New Year's Eve and what do you suppose I am doing? BABYSITTING!!! I am, as I write, watching Horton sees a Who giving you some idea of how exciting this evening will be. DH is working till 10pm and very likely will get froze over to 3rd shift. My SIL, who always spends New Year's Eve with me worked 3rd shift last night and forgot to bother with sleeping today so she is sleeping instead of partying with me and my 3 year old GD and 8 month GS. My BF, who I just went to Georgia and picked up last week, went and got herself in a car accident yesterday (thankfully she is ok) but today is sore and bruised and not moving much. Sighhhhhhhh, so this must be a true sign that I am getting old....all alone with the babies on New Year's Eve. But hey, Horton is starting to look pretty interesting. I went to the video store and rented a bunch of "chic" flicks but they are so much more fun when you have at least 1 chic to watch them with. Kyleigh is just too young to get it. TeeHee.

I also knitted a scarf for a gift exchange at work, which I didn't remember to get a picture of. The recipient loved it tho. I think that about sums up all the stuff I worked on this year. Course, we aren't adding in any of the UFO's. I think I have 4 or 5 dolls in some stage of completion, several dolls with "stuff" gathered for them and so many patterns that I want to make. I started a cathedral window quilt. I am mixing machine & hand sewing on those. I'll post some pics of the progress on that next time. Speaking of patterns, I just have to put a plug in to go check out Shelley Hawkey. Her muse has been working overtime and I have been snapping up her new patterns as fast as she has been creating them. http://www.abracreations.net/

I am fairly happy to start a new year. This year has seen the loss of a dear friend, an old friend, a favorite aunt, and a niece. On the up side, I have wonderful grandchildren, my health and those closest to me and we are all working....at least so far. Here is to a peaceful and fullfilling year to come with as little heartache and as much joy as possible and the strength we all need to deal. God bless till next time.