Hi everyone,
I’ve been busy the last few days and just wanted to catch up on a few things…
Friday was my uncle’s funeral and afterwards we went to my Aunt Bonnie’s house… She is a seamstress/quilter/crafter all wrapped up in one. While we were waiting for everyone to come to her house for lunch, I asked her if I could take some pictures of things she had made in her house… (well, the quilted ones, that is…) She said it was fine, so I have a few things to show you…
This was just inside her front porch… I used to do houses too… applique them using pieces of different fabrics to bring them alive.
This wall hanging was in her living room…
I think this one was in a hallway… can’t quite remember…
I saw this small quilt on a table…
She has a HUGE collection of roosters and hens in every color, shape and texture… glass, ceramic, wood, metal, fabric, paper, etc… There’s a whole lot of chickens in her house! :o)
I spied a wall of pictures on her hallway…
…and thought, “I know those people!” (Cindy, Deb, Momma and me…) from YEARS ago!
She said I could go down to her sewing room in the basement… she has a huge long arm quilting machine… and LOTS more…
I noticed a couple of American Girl doll outfits she was working on. I think she makes them and sells them at a shop downtown…
I recognized this skirt as the one I reduced for the Effner Little Darlings dolls and made recently…this is what it looks like on the American Girl dolls.
Thanks for letting me invade your sewing areas, Aunt Bonnie…and share them with everyone… Love you!
Now, back to Stella… I did make a little progress over my weekend.
Since Stella’s dress was lined with the fabric and I had to make my side seams and serge them, there were 2 layers of fabric that I had to turn up for the hem. There was no other way to do it… So I actually cut the fabric that was turned up and on the inside off at the hemline so it was slightly less bulky. I had to use some lace hem tape to get it to lay as flat as possible. This is how it looks. I searched everywhere for some brown, but there was none anywhere… the dress was hand hemmed…
It looks like this now… all neat and “finished!”
Here it is on Stella… she likes it…
Next I made the Newsboy cap…using the pattern from Designs by Jude. It’s a free download on Youtube. (I think!)
It’s unlined so it lays flat and is made as neatly as possible on the inside.
I thought it might be too much plaid, but I don’t think it is…
I’m working on a few more pieces, and will try to get them done quickly… Here’s one last look at Stella… she was twirling around on the cutting table… I think she likes it!
Well, that was all I got accomplished over the weekend… did anyone else have a good weekend?
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
What fun, to see some of the lovely things your Aunt Bonnie has made! It was fun to see her huge sewing space, too!
Thank you for sharing, and thank her for us.
That outfit is really cute! The newsboy cap is just the perfect accessorily, and I’m quite sure Ron would give his approval. He loved that style of cap, and owned quite a few in different colors. I think you might have another winner here!
The family genes sure show up in your family, Jeanne! What a creative group of people that excels in almost every type of arts, music and crafting! Your aunt’s downstairs “workshop” looks like the storage room of a craft shop! My goodness, what a varied amount of material she has! I love that first American Girl dress with the ruffled skirt! Molly would too!
Thank your Aunt Bonnie for showing us all the wonderful things she makes!
The picture in the hallway was interesting! I think we know that group too! Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m guessing that your Aunt Bonnie is your mother’s sister?
Well, that jumper, blouse and cap are just darling! No, that is not too much plaid, it is just perfect the way it is!
WOW your Aunt Bonnie is my kinda aunt! What a treasure those little quilts are.
Her sewing space is heavenly and very much looking like my sewing space!!!
Six months! and we are moving to a smaller new home. I do need to start packing some stuff. It is a crazy thing to do now.
I love Stella’s new outfit. It is really trendy, I know it would have been something my fashionable sister would have worn in the 60’s. I love Stella’s red hair!!
I am sorry for the loss of your uncle, Jeanne. May he rest in peace.
Your aunt seems very talented! I especially like her clothesline craft. One time I saw something similar that was made with alpaca fibers. My mother’s name is Bonita, but people call her Bonnie. 🙂
Stella is looking nice with her new outfit. I like the buttons on the side.
The house quilt is wonderful! All the myriad of tiny details! I think I’d mat and frame it. Don’t know whether that’s done with quilts. It would have fit right in at the biggest quilt show in Southern California that I attended several years ago and would have won a prize. Thanks for sharing it.
The outfit is great, especially with the newsboy cap. You wouldn’t believe what passes for school clothes here! Yikes!
Jeanne, I love the new outfit, but I am sorry you didn’t reach out for colored lace hem tape. I have a lot of colors. I bought an old sewing basket on ebay years ago and it was full of stuff, included hem tape, both kinds. I am sure I have brown.
Your aunt’s things are amazing and fun seeing them as well as your family photo. Her basement makes me want one, but they don’t have them here on the coast.
Next time, give me a holler if you need a colored tape!
Love the outfit Jeanne the cap is just darling.
Most schools here still have school uniforms but Ash’s school doesn’t so she wears one set of clothes for school, changes and puts them in the wash then puts what she changed into in her washing basket and it all starts again the next day. The washing turns up in the laundry when she has nothing left to wear. This can take a long time as she has a LOT of clothes, she doesn’t have a problem with second hand and op shop bargains so the pile keeps getting bigger!
Loved your aunts work Jeanne, especially the house picture. Her sewing room looks a bit like mine. I saw a quote many years ago that said ‘housework expands to fill the time available plus half an hour’. I think it works with crafters as well, ‘crafts expand to fill the space available plus one cupboard’. I am working on a wedding quilt at the moment for my foster daughter’s daughter. It will also go into our exhibition next month.
How nice of you to make a special quilt for your foster daughter’s daughter. Hope you can get a pic before sending it off to share with us. 🙂
Running very late today because the retaining wall guys started early. Then, I started in on the house. Vacuumed two baths and the bedroom and also washed the floors in the baths. Then the same with the kitchen. Washed and dried two sets of rugs as well. Looks a lot better. Other person helped out with the living room vacuuming and actually emptied the vacuum. 🙂 Watered the backyard beds so, my labor for Labor Day is almost done. And I know the celebration is for the labor already done Ha ha.
Jeanne’s aunt has a lovely home and what wonderful quilted pieces she displays. And a whole room for sewing sounds delightful to me. Thanks Bonnie and Jeanne for sharing.
Stella’s outfit looks finished. She’ll look so cute wearing it heading to the Apple Fair. Fresh baked pie sounds delightful.
I forgot to comment on the beautiful blue-and-white dress and another one your aunt made. The sleeves are very original and so well done. What a lovely dress. Looks like crafts and sewing run in at least two generations of your family. All are artists in their own rights.
Stella’s outfit is adorable. I love her cap and no there is not too much plaid. Perfect.
I love your Aunt Bonnie’s craft endeavors. The picture of the house with all the quilts hanging on the wash line is so creative. The American girl outfits are wonderful. I had to go back and check out the sleeves on the one after Susette mentioned them. I only “saw” part of them the first time. How clever.
Sean and family and Jason and Steph came for ribs today. We had a nice time. Speaking of quilting I have an Accuquilt Go Big for cutting shapes. I used to use it a lot for applique but haven’t much lately. I’ve wanted to get back to it and today I got the notice of a sale for three new dies. I wanted them all but they are expensive so I opted for the cute Kitty and one for a Scottie Dog. Both came with embroidery designs for finishing the edges if you don’t want to just zig zag them (which is what I usually do) or stitch around the edges within the design. Options like blanket stitch, etc. Hopefully I will find the time to try them out soon. But first it’s some back-to-school sewing for the dolly girls. It’s seems most of them have picked out a pattern and fabric when I wasn’t aware. I saw it stacked on my sewing table and several pleading looks on little dolly faces. Actually I’m looking forward to making something besides shorts and t-shirts.
How cute is this outfit!! I’d never heard of Designs by Jude, so thank you for sharing. I love the Newsboy hat. Did you scale the pattern at all to make it fit Stella? I don’t have a lot of dolls, but the RRFF is one I couldn’t resist (I’ve wanted a Little Darling doll for many years now, but they’re just out of my price range, so a RRFF is my substitute)! Not to mention she’s pretty close in size to Wellie Wishers (which my granddaughters have)
I did enlarge the pattern somewhat for Stella… I’m not exactly sure what size I used, but Ellowyne wears a size 6 wig and Stella is a 9…
I hope that helps…
Blessings, Jeanne