Quick note: Congrats to the three winners of the giveaway of Leila Miller's new book, Impossible Marriages Redeemed! (affiliate link)
If you are not one of the winners and you need this book to save your own marriage or that of a loved one, but truly can't pay for it (times are hard, we know), Leila is graciously offering to send you a free PDF of it! If you can buy it, do. If you cannot, just email her at Leila (at) leilamiller (dot) net. She will send it to you!
Doll quilt: A story
My granddaughter, Rosie's Nora, seemed to be in need of doll bedding. (Muttered to me over her head as I received clear “I want a rag doll like the one you made Josie” messages — “We have a lot of D-O-L-L-S, how about bedding.”)
Say no more.
Now, perhaps this particular design — in the center — seems a little odd to you.
Let me explain.
Because clearly this — THIS — is what is important now; we literally have nothing else to do but talk about my design decision here on this… doll quilt.
So, I pulled out my scraps — my little, tiny, itsy bitsy scraps — and started thinking… playing… looking at truly minuscule little bits… wondering what sort of strange syndrome it is that causes someone to save such things…
And then I re-discovered these:
What are these?
They are three patches left over from the little baby quilt I made Rosie when she was a little girl (not a baby — I was and am a very slow quilter, and I didn't get the idea to make quilts for my children at all until my eldest was about 5).
So yes, these are three small patches that are about 30 years old. To be fair to me, your Honor, I know my client is bonkers, but look at this workmanship:
This was back when I pieced by hand using tiny stitches and minute seam allowances (no doubt because I had made some mistake in cutting).
So I kept them. Wouldn't it be fun to use them in her daughter's doll quilt? But how? Three squares? (Thanks a lot, me of three decades ago… )
I arranged those resulting triangles into the strips, which was truly the best I could think of to use them in a pleasing fashion.
I had also saved bias binding leftover from other quilts… bias binding is a chore to make! I wasn't going to just throw it away!
So there you have it. And now those patches are no longer in my scrap bag!
bits & pieces
- The title of this piece isn't a swear — it's a description: Happy Canada Day, Bastards. The argument is essential for us to understand if we are going to meet the coming challenge, which is focused on the enemies of the family using their current advantage in law.
- I'm sure by now you've heard of or read the Harvard Magazine article condemning homeschooling as borderline abusive and anti-democratic (misogynist too, naturally). I like this rebuttal, which I think gets at the heart of the real issue. Here is the article about the upcoming Harvard conference at the Home School Legal Defense Association site.
- If you are doing traditional cursive handwriting with your children, here is a nice set of free practice exercises using prayers.
- Many of us are able to go into a church empty of a congregation — but filled with the Real Presence — to pray. Maybe now is a good time to understand the importance of adoration in the spiritual life and the spiritual renewal. I recommend this institute of priests — their site is beautiful. I did hear Fr. Davidson preach once and it was life-changing in the most quiet, peaceful way possible. Do watch his videos if you can.
- At the end of every {bits & pieces} I have a list of links for you to follow us with (by?). Just wanted to say point out two time-sensitive things:
https://www.instagram.com/daedalshop/Bridget has been posting on her IG account a good number of fiddle tunes with the hashtag covidceilidh! Enjoy!
And Deirdre and The Artist have a great giveaway going on of books they've illustrated — go to Deirdre's account for details!
from the archives
- Not too deep in the archives (from this week, actually), but you might have missed the less usual weekday posting from me: How to keep your family from being destroyed
- Did you tuck ham away in the freezer after Easter? Here is our favorite way to use it: Ham and Cheese and Spinach Pie
liturgical year
It's the feast of St. Mark! And also a Major Rogation Day.
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
Molly B. says
I love the doll quilt and pillow! It turned so beautifully and any dolly owner would be delighted with such sweet bedding. Thank you for this week’s offering of links, I especially like the story about scientists and historians collaborating to recreate and analyze medieval blue ink. Collaboration within the same field can be challenging, collaboration across fields is even more impressive and what a neat result. My homeschool medieval illuminators will be interested to learn of this story! Thank you again Auntie Leila.
Christina A says
Oh, that doll quilt is so precious! My husband’s grandma (Betty) made a doll quilt for his sister (my SIL) 40ish years ago. My SIL has only sons, so when our first daughter Betty was born, she graciously passed on the tiny quilt which is still going strong 9 years and another daughter later.
Also, my sister who was 14 when I was born made me a simple quilted doll blanket and pillow when I was a toddler, and my daughters still play with those, too. Handmade treasures are just the best!
Toni Graham says
That doll quilt is genius. I love every detail of your story of how it came to be! It makes me want to learn to quilt.
❤️
Now I will go back and read the rest of your blog post..
T-ster says
It’s lovely! About how big would you say it is?
Leila says
Thanks! Maybe 18″ by 26″? I don’t have it any more 🙂 I have one I based it on and if I find that one I’ll measure it.
Kelly says
The little doll quilt is precious!!! And fabric from so long ago just ups the sentimental value-it’s brilliant dear Auntie Leila!
Ok, that Harvard nonsense is terrifying. Truly. But, oh, the irony-calling for a summit to oust homeschooling when THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS HOMESCHOOLING!!!! Just savor that for a moment…
Kate says
Yes! Thank you for talking about something else besides the current “situation.” I’ve been doing a lot of sewing lately. I pieced together a baby quilt. The inspiration was a 4ft growth chart, cross stitched on cotton I had found at a thrift store years ago. It had a giraffe with a long neck and a pocket watch with the words “Watch me grow.” It was pretty darn vintage cute. I removed the binding and the fabric tape measure sewn to the side. I used the color scheme of the cross stitch – green, brown, yellow, orange – to chose my fabric. The growth chart is on the left of the quilt and I designed a stair step kind of pattern with the other fabric on the right to evoke growing. I think it turned out pretty well, although I still have to actually quilt it (my least favorite part). My oldest daughter is marrying in a few months and I’m hoping a future grandchild will be the recipient of my lockdown-stress sewing.
Donna L. says
Oh, what a darling quilt! I am delighted that you used some of your daughter’s quilt for your Granddaughter’s! How clever of you to think of this so long ago~
I have a handmade quilt from My Grandmother that she lovingly made for *my dolly* when I was three and it has the tiniest, most creatively-shaped pieces of flannel for it–I believe the style was a crazy quilt and it is 12″ by 10″–just right for a tiny doll. It is one of my most cherished possessions~
Bless you for bringing some light-hearted joy to my Saturday
God bless you all!
Leila says
Oh, crazy patches for a doll quilt would be a wonderful project — I don’t think I could sustain it for a large one, but this size would be so satisfying!
Let me assure you that I had no plan when I stowed these silly patches away!! I’m glad you like it though!
Dixie says
Leila, you can make a crazy quilt with strip-shaped scraps so easily and it looks so great! Maybe you know this already. Just keep a set of 10″ squares of white fabric and sew on the scraps, stich and flip, as you gather them. Use little pieces for the corners. I keep a draw full of crazy quilt blocks made this way and it makes throwing together a baby quilt for a gift so easy! The blocks are really sturdy and warm because of the double layer of fabric. Here’s a site that describes it better: https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-sew-an-easy-Crazy-Quilt-block/
Dixie says
(I mean that this is a good way to make it sustainable for a larger quilt 🙂 )
Susan says
Your doll quilt is delightful, and it bears a very closer resemblance to a traditional Jacob’s Ladder pattern!
Kelsey Beason says
That doll quilt is just perfect. What a wonderful story attached to it. Do you have a picture of the rag doll anywhere? That sounds like a perfect birthday gift for a little girl in our family. This is the type of thing where I get those pesky voices in my head telling myself I am lacking as a mother. I do many, many other things that you talk about on your blog here very well, but I am just not a maker. There are no handmade quilts from me to our children (or anything else handmade for that matter), and oh, how I lament this. But I just don’t enjoy doing those types of things. I wonder if I should just let it go and focus on those other aspects of mothering I am good at and do enjoy, or should I push through and learn those skills? Maybe I *would* enjoy them if I was any good at them. I think mothers are always quick to focus on their shortcomings rather than their successes. I think I need to ponder this more. Maybe I could handle a rag doll!
Also, that Harvard article is terrifying and makes me feel so helpless!
Mrs. Bee says
I believe there is a craft for everyone, and the right one is the one that uses/springs from your natural talents. Just think of “craft” in very broad terms. And the result needs not be anything fancy: everyday cooking can be a craft, if done intentionally and cheerfully. What do you like, what are you like? Think about it, and you will find the right craft, or maybe you will find you’ve already been crafting, and you didn’t even know!
Leila says
Kelsey, things here should be inspiring, not discouraging! No discouragement allowed! 😉
Being creative is about enjoyment, and furthermore, you’d be surprised how things get you in their grip — I didn’t start knitting until I was 50!
You can see a glimpse of the rag doll here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7AIy9ql6ap/
I had fun making her clothes and knitting her fichu!
Mrs. Bee says
This is deleterious, a hymn to “never throw anything away, you never know what cuteness might come out of it 30 years from now”… You shouldn’t be encouraging this kind of dangerous mentality in us weak readers.
😉
Lynda says
The little quilt and pillow are beautiful !! xx
Catherine says
What a darling baby quilt! Those scraps you have are treasures. My older daughter and I have used this time to experiment with English Paper Piecing—the perfect way to use up all of the tiniest scraps lying around. It’s surprising how quickly they get turned into something useful!