This is made by Lilly Bean for Mahar dry Goods So I saw it yesterday and now I am debating because
I was going to make felt paper dolls for my girls for Christmas. But this is amazing. Here is another lovely I found amazing Are you drooling yet?
Friday was my quilt guild’s fall retreat. I learned some great new techniques for quilting, it was so exciting. I learned a new way to paper piece from a book called “Painless Paperpiecing”. If you are the kind of person who loves the idea of paperpiecing, but want to tear your hair out when you actually try it, I really reccomend this book. I also learned how to make this:
It is an Ozark Patchwork Ball. It is beautiful, fun to make, and mindless enough that you can watch a movie at the same time. The Perfect Craft!!
I also learned how to make a quilt-as -you -go table runner. It is also lovely, and I will post a pic as soon as it is done, which should be in another hour or two. I just love beautiful, QUICK projects!!!
**Edit: I found instructions online for how to make the quilt ball.
Try make-stuff
Here is a nice picture of one where they got ornamental pins and put them on the outside of the fabric.
Actually, I don’t think the Make-stuff instructions are clear enough, though they have a couple of helpful diagrams. I will work up a tutorial as soon as I can.
Here is a really great tutorial to make a potholder using the same technique. potholder
I bought the pattern for this cutie from Ana Paula
She has some free patterns too, and they are all marvelous. The most marvelous part is that they are easy. I am not exactly great at crochet. The last pattern I tried was supposed to be doll booties, but they turned out to be flat oval coasters. So, if I can do it, you can do it.
My new idea for Christmas is that I am going to make up a bunch of homemade toys and then let my kids “shop” for each other. In a couple of years, the kids might be able to make nice things for each other. At this point, the best they could do is string necklaces for each other. (which we might just do…what a great idea…)
I have my sister Amanda for our family’s christmas gift exchange this year. Because she never reads blogs, I can talk about it all I want without fear of giving away the surprise. She is a Math professor at a college. She has taught English and Literature in the past and she is amazing at both. She is witty, intelligent, loves clothing and pretty smelling lotions. None of us in the family escaped from having a little Trekkie blood in us.
What do I get for Christmas for an amazing woman like this? My standard gift of Mary Kay products, although fabulous and always well recieved, just didn’t seem personal enough. I googled “Math gifts.” This brought up a large number of t-shirt and mug stores. Now I know that I don’t want to get her a T-shirt, even though it is her favorite gift to give others, so she must love them herself. But I looked through a few anyway. I found this amazing quote:
“The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God.” (Euclid, 365 – 275 BC)”
Now what to do with it….. As my current crafting tends to quilting, I am thinking I will make a quilted wallhanging. I will base the design on either the Golden ratio sea shell or a sierpins Triangle (a fractal)
I am leaning toward the sea shell.
If any of you have some suggestions, I would welcome them. Those of you who know Amanda can tell me if my idea is good or if it would register a big ZERO on her “give-a-crap o-meter”
Marvelous Pigs in Satin 