I’ve just wrapped up two more doll quilts.  This is it for quilting this week.  I’m having some machine issues with my precious Baby Lock Crescendo.  The machine needs a little tender loving care and now is the time.  The automatic threader isn’t working, which is very annoying.  It worked up until I had it serviced last time for something else – so frustrating.  I now have some tension issues with the machine.  I haven’t been willing to separate myself from it, so I’ve been spending way too much time threading the needle by hand. Yet today, the tension issues are worse, so I’m biting the bullet and taking my baby…lock…to the doctor.

Luckily, I have two finishes to show.  I finally photographed these two doll quilts and here’s the first one.   The sailboats, from Rosemary’s donated fabric, might have been the inspiration again for this one.  I looked for fish patterns online and found many to be the same.  Using lots of my colored scraps, I just pieced these fish freehand.  If you notice carefully, they are scrappy and in many different sizes.  I love the one little fish, fiercely independent, swimming a different way from the crowd.  I had lots of dark blue fabrics, as you can see.  I’m imagining this quilt in an aqua background and perhaps that will happen one day.  This quilt reminds me of when my niece, Daniell, was little.  She had a favorite “fishy blanket” that would go with her everywhere.   Last I saw it, the blanket was in little tattered pieces.  I can only hope that this blanket will get half as much love as that!  Fishy doll quilt, 19″ x 25″

The above orange border is from scraps of my son’s, still unfinished quilt.  I like how the different orange fabrics add a little fun to this colorful quilt.  The floral backing is another piece of donated fabric, which gives the blanket an Hawaiian feel.  And one little fish on the back makes for a cute little label.

My next quilt that got photographed today was a fun little charm pack  (Rainy Day by Me and My Sisters).  I felt that it needed one little birdie to feel complete.  I paper pieced the bird from a free pattern on Craftsy.  https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/patterns/bird-block/201540

I wish I had added a little sky blue fabric above the bird’s head, but alas, that just gives him enviably long legs.  This is a great little way to make a baby blanket or a doll one.  The squares pull together very quickly and the colors all coordinate to make a happy blanket.  I have a close up below of the birdie.

The bird pattern calls for a button for the eye.  However, I never know what to do for eyes when wanting a soft blanket.  Personally, I wouldn’t want buttons on my blankets, so especially with a baby or doll quilt, that seemed out of the question.  I went with a quilted eye and that seems to work for the bird here.  On the above fish quilt, I interfaced and zigzagged some polka dots for eyes.  I like how the fish eyes came out also.  So these are two ways to do eyes that don’t involve sewing on buttons.

All the background fabrics were donated, another win win for the stash.  The lime green border is a fabric that I’ve had around the house and I thought looked perfect with this.

I hope you enjoy seeing these little doll quilts because they’re in the washing machine and will soon be on their way to A Doll Like Me! https://www.facebook.com/nannysbabiestoodollslikeme/

Windy Day Birdie Doll Quilt,  19″ x 25″