Doll Quilts

Hello everyone! In the previous post I shared the antique doll quilts, in this post are the remaining doll quits on Quilting stories.

1. Nine Patch
2. Rail Fence
3. Eight Point Stars 
4. Double Four Patch 
5. Four Houses
6. Amish Doll Quilt
7. Scrappy Log Cabin

Antique Doll Quilts

Hi Again! Further to the previous post, I have compiled a selection of 6 antique doll quilts this time.

You can find each of them through a Quilting Stories post:

1. Brown and Pink
2. Lone Star Antique Gold Rush Doll Quilt
3. Antique Doll quilt  
4. Nine Patch 2
5. Four Patch

Three Amish Dolls

The doll on the first picture is not made by me, it is a present that my son brought me from Shipshewana.

On the other pictures, the two dolls are done by myself and already shown in previous posts, but I enjoyed taking pictures of the "mother and daughter" together in the garden with lavenders.

Vintage Doll Clothes

This post is a tribute to my talented mother. All the knittings where done by her. She used to knit our pullovers, jackets... and after some calculations (that I would be unable to do) she was reducing the sizes and knitting the same clothes for my little doll. I loved to see my doll dressed like me! Coming back from school I was so happy to have the surprise of finding those sweet little things on my bed. 

The first year I went skiing my mother knitted for me and my doll this cute jumper with its bonnet.

The first two pictures show some other doll clothes from my childhood. 

All those little doll clothes are the only remains, rescued from the clearing away obsession of my mother. My little favorite doll was given, as well as all my toys. I wish I still had them, they were such treasures!

Amish Doll and Clothes

This Amish doll is in fact the first one I did about twenty years ago when I received from my sister a n American book with Amish dolls and Amish clothes patterns. I must say that it was not easy for me but I sustained my efforts and managed at the end. Those patterns were done to make perfect details and I suppose that they were rather adapted for experimented dressmakers when I was just starting sewing at that time! But with the neophyte's zeal and enthusiasm I finally succeeded!

Regarding the clothes, The most difficult part was the black hat with very tiny details. The pattern was such that the finished should have been as perfect outside as inside where the seams are invisible!

For the body itself, the legs and the arms are attached with buttons so that they can move.

Together with my obsession with bags, pouches... I had my doll making passion!  However, this little Amish doll is my most precious one.

Amish Doll and Amish Doll Quilt

When I entered a quilting group in Athens twenty years ago, together with finding a passion for quilting, another passion was revealed to me : the Amish art and way of life. I was absolutely fascinated by this community and its history. Needless to talk about their quilting art... I discovered the incomparable beauty of their quilts. Their patterns and colors reminded me of modern art such as Vasarely's paintings. I learnt later that this painter was probably inspired by the Amish quilts.

A dream of mine was to visit an Amish community, but I thought this would happen in another life... when six years ago my eldest son moved to Chicago for his job. I went then to visit him and he had prepared a surprise for me : a road trip to Indiana where an Amish village called Shipshewana is located. We spent few days there and I thought I was in paradise, but my son was feeling rather  like being in purgatory! Anyway, we both enjoyed this wonderful area. I enjoyed the extraordinary quilt shops. I will remember this trip as one of the most beautiful I ever did and will always be grateful to my adorable son for this gift!

Before this, when I discovered the Amish art, I bought from an American book shop in Paris (there was not internet and Amazon at that time) all sorts of books, patterns... relative to the Amish way of life and quilting art.

This doll I did about twenty years ago is adapted from a 19th century pattern by a doll maker called
 Lizzie Lap.
The lack of facial features is due to Old Testament commandment against graven images.

After I finished my doll, I thought of sewing her a little quilt, and I chose the Rail Fence pattern, and
fabrics matching her clothes. It is machine pieced an hand quilted. The size is 18.50"x14". The finished blocks measure 2.125"x2.125".

At Ginette's

 

Last Monday our quilting gathering took place at Ginette's home. As usual we had a wonderful time

sewing together. Ginette has a very original and personal quilting approach. I took pictures of a part of her numerous quilts and dolls to share with you her talented work. Her two daughters are quilting as well and the last two pictures show their own scrap creations.

Of course, a quilting meeting does not go without coffee, tea and cakes. We all love the fine Ginette's pies!

Miscellaneous from Paris

Last month I was in Paris at my sister's house and I re-discovered some things I had done for her and her daughter Lea a long time ago, so I took pictures as a souvenir.

The yellow patchwork bag is the first one I sewed, all hand pieced and hand quilted, as I had not yet a sewing machine. The little red and blue bag comes from Provence in the south of France, from the Souleiado shop. I love this shop, they have such beautiful things and great traditional fabrics from this part of France.

As a matter of fact, this yellow fabric is as well typical from Provence.

This little doll is dressed with clothes knitted by my mother when we were children.

Blue drawstring bag.

Some years ago, more than quilts, I enjoyed making dolls, such as this one.

I used also to make various objects for Christmas :  decorative trees, hearts, stars...

My sister Dominique is a sculptor and this little sculpture is one of her works. Together, on the table are some parts of her collection of antique Barbotines.

I love the colors of this antique pot.

This is an incredible antique Barbotine dish... inspiring colors again!

Greetings to all my friends!

Christine