A peek

I have had the drawings for another one of Annabelle's adventures.  A patriotic theme...flags, sparklers, even a bald eagle!  I was still missing one important element for the quilt.  It finally came to me...every patriotic celebration has a parade.  Annabelle and a few of her mouse friends are all in the parade.  For now, only a little peek...;)

 

I am very happy with how the flag turned out. :)

Now a few more drawings have to be finalized before they can be added to this new adventure.  Annabelle in her "Uncle Sam" top hat and coat with tails will be coming soon!

I do want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for visiting my blog and leaving some great comments this year.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  I will also take this time to wish you all a very happy, exciting and stitchy new year!

Merry, Merry!

A very Merry Christmas to all!  Annabelle says, " Enjoy this time with family and friends!"

We have a finish!

Yeah!  This was one of the few BOM's  I managed to keep up with all year.  Shabby Fabrics Country Cottages BOM (patterns still available for free on the website!).  I started putting it all together late Saturday; messed around with it a little more on Sunday; and put the final border on this morning.
  
Ta Da!!

 

It is placed across the back of my sofa, since I didn't have anyone available at the time to hold it up for me.  

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Here it is!  The last block for Shabby Fabrics Country Cottage BOM!  I have started the assembly of the entire quilt, with only the outer border remaining to be attached.  Done just in time for the Christmas holidays!


(Not sure why my camera is making all those lines appear....)

Pumpkins

Don't know what it is...quilts with pumpkins appeal to me...the whole autumn theme I guess is a favorite of mine.  Needless to say, when I saw Bunny Hill's Pumpkinville, I signed up for a BOM right away.  I really liked the wool version (Pumpkin Hollow), but couldn't find a shop who was doing it, at the time.  This is the first time I have done a BOM through The Fat Quarter Shop.  You receive the entire set of patterns at once.  You are also to complete two sections of the quilt, which is the equivalent of three blocks. 

Here is Block #1: (lots of wrinkles-sorry-,as I was too impatient to iron it before the picture).

Something new...and a little different.  I made this one to display with one of the stand-up wire hangers.  Introducing Peek-a-Boo December.

It's been really busy around here.  Not because of Christmas....I have been working on making the instructions for the nine blocks of Annabelle's Christmas.  I do know that I enjoy making the patterns and actual pieces a lot more than writing instructions!

BOMs

Well....that time of year...everyone getting busy; everyone getting ready...the holiday season is upon us! :)
It really does seem that it catches me by surprise more each year.

I have managed to finish two of my freebie BOM for November.  Here is the Harrington and Hannah freebie from The Raspberry Rabbits:

Shabby Fabrics Country Cottages November block, as well:

 

Wow!  Can you believe it?  The year is almost gone!  Only one more month for each of these.

I know...

you are probably saying...'where the devil did she go?"  I guess I got carried away working on a few new things.  This latest has been a fun journey.  It is not Annabelle this time...someone new...for lack of a better name, she has become 'Mousie."  She is a stitcher's best friend.  She and her friends come in late at night, pick up all those notions you have left all over the place, and put them all back in your sewing basket.

Here is one of her little friends picking up a few buttons....

And what quilter does not have a basket full of all those 'necessary' items?

Another Halloween update

Even though Halloween has come and gone for another year, little Annabelle is still playing with all her costumes.  She was getting a wee bit tired and took a rest on a nearby pumpkin:

Here is Annabelle dressed as Little Red Riding Rabbit.  :))
Another costume Annabelle has modeled for you already:

                                                                       Pumpkin Time
Annabelle trying to magically make all those cobwebs disappear:

There are still a few more...keep watching!

"Aarrgh!" and a Happy Halloween...

to y'all!  :)) Annabelle and I hope everyone stays safe and dry during this crazy storm.

Annabelle is ready to go out and collect her treasure!   Check out Annabelle's fancy boots!

Been a while

Happens every now and then, doesn't it?  You get caught up in so many things, you forget to blog.  Well, an update with two of the freebie BOM's I have been doing follows.  First, we have The Raspberry Rabbits,  Harrington and Hannah's October block:

 

Here's one with a bit more detail of the 'straw' for the scarecrow.  It is turkey work...not too difficult, but works great!

And the October block for Shabby Fabrics Country Cottages:

 

Pumpkin Time!

It seems that at one point or another, all the little kids in the neighborhood have been dressed as a pumpkin for Halloween.  Usually, these are the very small toddlers, who look quite adorable.  Even though Annabelle is not quite the toddler, I thought she, too,  might look cute in a pumpkin costume for Halloween. 

After making Annabelle's last outfit, I decided my doll needed to be bigger.  This way, it would be a bit easier to make all those little outfits for my little bunny.  This is the new and bigger (about 10 1/2" tall) Annabelle, all dressed in her wool pumpkin costume. 

This is a closer look at her hat and collar...although a bit blurry, you can get a better idea of how the little hat with its stem and leaf look.

 

Pictures!

OK...let's just get right to it...lot's of pictures today.  Some of these I should have posted a while ago, and some were finished recently.  Updated photos of some of the projects I have in the works.
First:

The Pumpkin and Pinwheel block from Blessings of Autumn.

Next:

the Indian Corn portion of the second block from Blessings of Autumn.  There are still three large leaf applique blocks for this one.  Check out the 'corn' fabric!

Third:  An updated Block three from Merry, Merry Snowmen.  This one has been done for a while.  It still required all the embroidery.

And Block six from Merry, Merry Snowmen, finished last night:

and onto The Wish Quilt....

Here is the block with Santa and all the toys (for good little girls and boys!).  The stars with the names are little pockets that are to be used to place a small piece of paper with your 'wish(es)' for Christmas.

and last, but not least, Brutus, from The Wish Quilt:

 

 

Finishes

Done!  Here it is....Annabelle's Christmas Quilt!  It went together so quickly, that now I am having a bit of separation anxiety....I miss my little Christmas bunny!  So I got to thinking...sometimes a good thing...;)
Remember the Annabelle Doll I made?  I thought it was time for her to have a new outfit...one to match her new quilt.  It took a bit of figuring.  I even test stitched one before I made the final outfit...something highly unusual for me.  However, I did not want to waste the piece of beautiful black woven fabric I had.  It was worth it!  Here is Annabelle in her new winter outfit (just like Block 6 on the quilt!):

Her felt hat has the same holly leaves...the coat, its cute sailor collar, and the pleat in the back of the coat held together with two tiny red buttons.  Of course, just like the quilt block, four red buttons for the front and some crisp, white cuffs with their black buttons for the sleeves!

Another shot of Annabelle, showing the details of her pretty new coat:

Now, remember...I am not a doll maker, nor do I usually make doll clothes.  But.....I LOVE this little outfit for my bunny and am thrilled with out it turned out!

Block 9

I almost forgot about this one...Block 9 of The Adventures of Harrington and Hannah, by
The Raspberry Rabbits. 

The last one

Here it is...the very last block for Annabelle's quilt.  I have called it Santa's Helper because little Annabelle is wearing an elf outfit.  She is putting the finishing touch on her Christmas tree, a tiny bunny angel!

I used a chain stitch on the tree to resemble those old-fashioned paper chains, everyone made as children.

If you are interested in seeing more of Annabelle's Christmas, send me an e-mail at xstitchalley @ gmail. com (no spaces) to join Annabelle's  private blog.

Remember?

Remember all those crazy Christmas pageants you had to participate in or watch as a kid?  Well, here is Annabelle's contribution to the tradition of those pageants.

Of course, after the pageant, she came home and changed into something comfy.  She was ready to hang her stocking...which is a bit big for a little rabbit. :)

 

Now the last block is here.  I am sure you should be able to guess what it might contain.

Stay tuned!

Seasons Greetings

Yep...before you know it, it will be time to do just this:

Hang that wreath on the door, getting ready for Christmas!  Annabelle is all dressed up in her best coat and hat, helping to hang the Christmas wreath.

Annabelle

For anyone who might be interested in obtaining a design or two for Annabelle, please e-mail me at xstitchalley @ gmail . com  (eliminate the spaces).  I have set up a blog for sharing her designs, and also to show the members choices for Annabelle, whether it be applique, embroidery, redwork, etc.  Thanks!

Here is a picture of Annabelle's latest:

Snowbunny

Annabelle

I so love working with this little bunny....everything seems to take on a mind of its own.  You know how you struggle with some quilting blocks, whether applique or pieced.  Maybe because she is my own, but Annabelle's blocks come together for me very quickly and easily.

I know many have been waiting for me to publish this little bunny.  Since I am so new to all this, what would you think of being able to receive the main drawing for Annabelle, only?  You would have to make your own templates, plus decide what you wanted to do with her...whether a quilt, a pillow, handbag, etc.  The drawing would be free for about a month (I have not decided on a time limit yet), on a special blog where you would have to apply for membership.  On this blog I would show what I am doing with Annabelle.  As a member, you would be able to post your progress and ideas.  After the time limit expires for a particular block, there may be a small fee to obtain it.  Interested?  Depending on the amount of interest shown, I will move forward with this idea.  I do thank everyone for all their support along the way with Annabelle's 'growth.'

Anyway, having said all that...here is another block for my Annabelle's Christmas quilt.  It really needs a better name, I think, than the one I have given it.  "Popped!"  shows Annabelle stringing her popcorn and berry garland for the Christmas tree.  She is all cozy and warm in her hand-quilted robe with her bunny slippers.   (I added a small piece of batting beneath the robe applique piece before appliqueing it, then hand quilted it.)

A better look at the hand-quilted robe:

 

 

"Dear Santa"

Originally, I had called this block, "The List."  However, my friend, Anne Marieke referred to it as "Dear Santa" after I had shown her the sketch for it.  I thought it was a much better name for my second Annabelle's Christmas block:

 

A bit of a close-up of her dress and hat:

 

 

And the entire block with a few squares and a pinwheel:

 

 

Christmas (again!) and more

OK, I know....I have definitely been on a binge as far as Christmas goes.  What can I say?  Most of the projects I have going are for Christmas, it seems.  I guess I love doing anything Christmas, because of all the 'warm fuzziness' of it all. :))

Here is another letter from my long-neglected Merry Christmas to All.  The Letter A...buttons are merely placed for picture purposes.  I will attach them, but since there are so many for this block, probably not until the quilt top is together.  Oh, the Letter A is supposed to be decorated like a Christmas tree.

 

 

I worked on this block the day it was released.  Here is Country Cottages September block by Shabby Fabrics.



 

I

 

 



And, something new from Annabelle.  I have had the drawings completed for a while.  However, I wanted to try and get caught up on a few of my other on-going projects before starting this one.  But...all those bundles (you know, I just mistyped that word as 'fundles'...which is really what they should be called...fat quarter bundles which are sooo much fun to have, to fondle....'Fundles!') of Christmas fat quarters calling me, calling me to come play with them.  So Annabelle and I did just that!  A bit of patchwork, a bit of wool and a bit of applique.  Annabelle's latest block, "Ready!"

As always, thank you for your gracious compliments.  I appreciate you stopping by for a few moments! :) 

Merry, Merry

Another Christmas project....started a little while ago....and finished this week.

This is the overall view, without the bottom border of reindeer showing.
Close-ups of a few of the blocks follow.

Here are the two of the Jingle Mice:

The reindeer and their ornaments:

The elf stocking:

And finally, the Candy Angel:

Overall, I am happy with it.  Next time, I will have a better layout planned ahead of time, instead of creating it as I went.

My favorite holidays

Halloween and Christmas!  Well, at least as far as stitching and quilting are concerned, they are. :)

I forgot to post a picture of my Lizzie Kate Mystery Sampler progress.  I am actually up to date on this one! Part three is out and should be arriving at my doorstep soon.  Here are parts one and two (no charms or beads have been attached yet.)

Now for Christmas!
The next block for The Wish Quilt by Red Brolly has Santa, his sleigh and reindeer in the sky.  There are some appliqued stars and cute little houses.

Another picture of Santa: