Free Sailboat Pattern

Hello again! Thought I'd offer a little pattern up for anyone who's interested. I made this Sailboat for a doll to hold, but it could be used so many different ways.

Okay here we go...here's the actual pattern, instructions below.



Sailboat

1. Print out pattern on cardstock, or print on regular paper, cut out and trace onto heavier cardboard.

2. Cut a 5 inch piece of a wood skewer (just like you'd use for kabobs!). Sand off the rough end.

3. Trace pattern of boat, sails, and flag onto muslin (or whatever kind of fabric you wish to use). Cut out allowing about 1/4 inch seam allowance.

4. Stitch all pieces, leaving enough opening to be able to turn them easily. I left the entire ends of them open on the sails and flag, but just a small opening on the bottom of the boat.




5. Clip all curves and corners. Turn inside out and stuff VERY lightly... just enough to give it a little bit of body. Stitch the openings closed.




6. Cut a tiny (1/4 inch) slit in the middle of the top of the boat. Squirt a dab of glue into the hole and put a bit on the end of the skewer. Insert skewer into the hole and let dry.



7. With embroidery floss (I used brown, 3 strands) stitch the top points of each sail to the skewer, wrapping the floss around the skewer as if they were rope. Do the same to the bottom inside point. Then stitch the outer points of each sail to the top of the boat. Last, stitch the flag to the top of the skewer.



8. Dab on some glue over the stitches at the top, where you have attached the flag.
Let dry.



9. I painted the boat brown with artist's acrylics and the little flag with a dark red. You can use any colors you wish.Let dry completely then sand lightly.



FINISHED! I think this little sailboat is darling. It certainly makes a cute Ornie for a doll to hold, or to hang in your home.

Happy stitching!
Penny

New Members of my Dolly Family

Hello all! Hope you're having a wonderful day. It stormed here in Overland Park last night and some this morning early. I woke up soooo early, at least it was early for me, 4:40 am! Now of course I'm pooped and wish I could go to bed early.

I have a few more dollies listed on eBay right now. I will create links to each of them so you can just click on their names and it will take you to that auction. OR if you just want to see all I have listed just click on that cute graphic over there to the left.

The first doll is a Cat and a tiny little Kittie. Their names are Beulah Cat & Olive Kittie. Beulah's Ornie says, "Her children arise up and call her blessed..." Proverbs 31:28.



Next is Rita Mae & Her daughter Mavis. Her Ornie says, ""The Heart of a Mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness."





Finally a set of two cats. Minuet Cat & Adele Kittie. Minuet holds a little Spring Basket of Flowers.



Hope you enjoyed meeting my little ones. Of course I have a pile of bodies, limbs, and stuffing just waiting for me to return to them...LOL.

Have a Blessed Tomorrow,

Penny

Just wanted to share...

Hello everyone! Hope your Monday has been a good one. I've had quite a productive day and I'm excited to share it with you.

Lately I've been checking out other crafter's blogs and one in particular just catches my eye and stimulates my imagination constantly. Jo of Cart Before The Horse consistently inspires me. If you've never looked at their creations, you really should. Just wonderful!!! Jo has been making some gorgeous little goodies lately that she calls "Cheater Quilts". I've found other Cheater Quilts before, but none as creative and unique as her's.

Sooo... I decided to give it a try. I started my 1st Cheater Quilt last night. I cut out a front of Osnaburg, a back of stained muslin, and a piece of batting sandwiched between the two. Then I drew out the painting/quilting on the cloth surface that I had earlier sketched on paper. Then I stitched the quilting lines. Here's how it looked at that point.









Next came the paint. I use acrylics and layed in the basic colors. It looks really bright at this point.








The next two photos show the piece when I had accomplished more painting, then did some sanding to tone down the look. I 'stained' the entire piece w/ a colorwash of watered down acrylics, then w/ a wet sponge, wiped most of the paint away. After it dried I sanded it...that's when it starts to look old.










Next I started embroidering. To make it look even more quilted, I stitched between the 'blocks', all around the edge of the painting, and on the painting itself. I dug into my stash of vintage buttons and found lots of them to add to the piece.







I feel like it's finished now. I hemmed the piece all around the edge with a running stitch. I'll add a dowel to the back/top edge to stabilize the piece when it's hung.
I don't know for sure... so you all think it needs something more? I wish my photos could be better so you could get a better look at it.

Here's some assorted pics of my new/old sewing machine I just bought. I just LOVE her. I named her Bertha. She will probably outlive me, she's a TANK! There's a pic of part of my work area where I store most of my buttons, and a pic of a fabric picture my sweet Momma made years ago. My Daddy made the frame out of some old, OLD barnwood from their place. Good memories there!



















God Bless You All!!!
Hope your Tuesday is memorable and blessed!

Penny

Wonderful Fabric Shop I Found!

Ok... I just have to do this!

If anyone lives in Northeast Kansas I want to tell you about the most WONDERFUL Fabric Shop I found today. The name of it is Addadi's Fabrics and they've been in business since 1979.

It's in Overland Park, Kansas, 9629 W. 87th St. It's small, but absolutely stuffed with fabric. I found prints that I've never seen before. I usually shop at JoAnns or Hobby Lobby but not any more!

It's kind of a 'Mom n Pop' store and the couple running it (I assume the owners) were so nice and helpful. I bought 32 1/4 yards of assorted fabrics for $118.00.

Now let me tell ya... they had tons of civil war reproduction prints, and assorted quilting fabrics. They're 'normal' price was $4.99 a yard and this same fabric goes for $8 or more a yd. at JoAnns. They ended up giving me the fabric for $3.99 a yard.

I am just thrilled! Can't wait to churn out dollies dressed in my new fabrics~!

What a great day!
God Bless,
Penny

Beautiful work!

I ran across this blog today and now just have to share it. I don't know if I've ever seen dolls more beautifully executed and so lifelike. I don't even know the lady's name but she is an artist in the truest sense of the word.

The blog is called "ClothnClay". Take a look I know you won't be disappointed. Seeing those gorgeous dolls makes me want to pull my clay out and get busy.

I've got a few dolls on eBay that I'm excited about. They're a bit different, but they are still the same. I don't know... do you all think I should change my 'style' of doll, or do something completely different?

I really enjoy the 'cheater quilts' that Jo at Cart Before the Horse makes. So attractive and fun. I would love to try my hand at some of them.

I also miss painting. My watercolors have just sat in the closet now forever. I haven't painted anything, well... other than dolls, in a long, long time. Maybe it's spring fever???

Here's a couple of my newest babies.

God Bless you all,

Penny

You Know What Happens...

when you leave rabbits alone??? MORE RABBITS! heehee



This little lady's name is Fawn. Yep, she has eyeglasses. I picked up a large lot of little glasses from a really nice seller on eBay. They are sooo cute. Some of them I've used on dolls in combination with lyrics on their ornies like, "Turn Your EYES upon Jesus...". I love it! I'm trying to find some more scriptures and lyrics to use to work with the glasses. Right now Fawn is listed on eBay.



This is Charlotte. She is holding a Lil' rabbit that is just so cute. Her Ornie says, "Blessed Assurance Jesus Is Mine". Don't you just love old hymns? They are so comforting, so familiar. I think that my buyers love them too! God ALWAYS knows what He is doing, doesn't He?

Well.. time to go for now. God Bless you all,

Penny