American Girl sewing and knitting

When I'm in Arizona I sew on my 31 year old Bernina.  I know it is not the best for quilt piecing now that I have my Bernina 750, but I still love my old 830 for garment sewing including for the grandgirls' dolls.  I bought the kit for this dress and hat from Piper's Quilts & Comforts in Salt Lake City over a year ago.  It was a great pattern and went together easily.

The hat also went together well and had interfacing to give it shape.  My Kirsten doll is my model and I have taught my grandgirls that her hair will remain braided and in the original blue bows even if they don't match the outfit.

There is pleating on the back as well.  The back comes fully open making it easy for little fingers.  The kit came with buttons and button band instructions.  I chose to go the velcro way instead.  This outfit was for my Julianna.

On the drive down, I knitted the hat to go with the sweater dress I had just finished.

I think the hat is a bit big.  Good thing that Kirsten has those braids.

One of my goals for 2014 is to make each American Girl doll owner in the family a knitted outfit for their doll(s).

This one is for Heather and she is first because I fear that she may be outgrowing this phase of her life.  Sigh. . . . . . . . .

"Knits for Dolls" by Nicky Epstein, which I found at JoAnn's, was my inspiration.  Only five more outfits to go!

It's Spring in Arizona

You may feel like I do today and need a dash of something besides cold and snow.  I took these photos last week while in Arizona where Spring has already sprung. I also ended a touch of Fall.

I planted this sunflower mix last August in hopes of sunflowers for Thanksgiving.

They delivered and continued to grow and grow.  The bottom stems were so ugly I finally clipped them but  I couldn't throw away those last top blooms so put them in a bucket with water for my Arizona time enjoyment.

Glen was thrilled to find his flowering pear tree in full bloom. 

He requested another post birthday picture by his tree.  Once again I have to say the tree is winning.

Our Icelandic poppies were happy and dancing in the breeze.

That made me happy.

It was an unseasonably warm January in Arizona and all the flowers looked happy.

So warm that my ranunculus are blooming early.  They are supposed to be my Easter time flowers!

This is Glen's heat loving black-eyed Susan vine.  Maybe the iris can hold out until Easter.

Disclaimer:  Remember that come May it will already be triple digit temperatures in sunny Arizona.  But I also have to brag that I brought a large basket full of ripe tomatoes from my Arizona garden back with me to Utah.  I made a large batch of pico de gallo last night to eat during the Olympics.

Cousin quilts

In about another month, I will welcome my 6th grandson.  So excited!  I made him a contemporary crib size quilt with some navy blue as requested by his mommy.

 

Once again I used six fat quarters and the Yellow Brick Road pattern. 

  The border fabrics were extra.

As were the backing and binding.  I love to split the backing piece and add a strip down the middle.

Several of these modern prints were directional.  Yellow Brick Road really doesn't account for directional, so I usually just pick the dominate print like the blue bubbles to go all one direction.

And there it is . . .

Held up by this cute man and my finger.  I just noticed that his down under pots match this quilt.

Remember when I posted this quilt in progress a couple of weeks ago?

It was for my DIL's sister's new baby boy.  Yep, boy cousins with similar quilts and birth days just a few months apart. 

And matching quilt backs.  I'll bet they will be best buds, too.

The new Gilbert Arizona Temple

While in Arizona last week we had the privilege of seeing the new Gilbert Arizona Temple.  It is beautiful both inside and out.  This is a view of the east side of the temple and the main entryway.  When the Angel Moroni is placed on a Mormon temple, he is always facing east.

This photo was taken on the south side of the temple.  The beautiful fountain seems to be coming out from the building and is symbolic of the "living water" received inside during instruction.

This beautiful fountain was designed by Dennis Call whom my family knew when in the Tempe 2nd Ward.  He was living in Tempe while attending ASU those many years ago.

This is a long view of the south side and I loved how the palm trees framed the temple.

To the east, there is also a new chapel.  Chapels are for Sunday worship services and all are welcome.  The temple is for sacred instruction and ordinances and after the open house, during which all are welcome to view inside, it will only be used for that purpose.  Only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing will be allowed inside after the formal dedication on March 2.  The temple will be open to the general public through February 15.

The agave plant is used symbolically throughout the temple from the stained glass to wood cravings on furniture.  It is a desert plant with leaves growing upward and then out as new leaves appear.  An impression of the old is left on the underside of the new leaves, just as much of the ordinance work done inside is for the old by the new and influenced by the old.

These are the windows on the west side.  The windows are beautiful.  That is the back of Angel Moroni visible at the top.

There are additional palms on the north side as well as a peaceful garden

This is the north side of the temple.  I really like the symmetry found in this temple.

Glen with our two visitors in the royal blue and black shirts.  We also took them to Joe's Farm Grill for lunch.

This is the northeast corner of the temple with palm trees lining the walkway.

The lovely north garden.

And a final view looking south from the street and through the fence.  Isn't it lovely?

For more about the purpose of temples and this temple in particular, go HERE.

A local Arizona TV station produced a great series about Mormons and this new temple.  You can view the series HERE as well as some photos of the interior.

More pictures also available HERE.

Valentine pillows ready for February

I finished my three Valentine pillows just in time for the month of hearts.

Each pillow has a scrappy heart. Some of the fabrics used have a "sewing" theme including spools, buttons, and sewing instructions.

Each heart is surrounded by a "ball headed pins" on white fabric.

 Each pillow has a different outer border.

They also have different backs.

After doing a small amount of machine quilting on the fronts, I made spilt backs for ease in the insertion of 14 inch pillow forms.  Fronts and backs were sewn together wrong sides together on the outer edge.

Then I cut 3 inch wide strips to make a binding wide enough to cover the seam.  I bound the edges just like I would with a quilt by sewing with machine to the right side and then hand stitching it down on the back.

I planned on scrappy binding, but ran out of fabric. I found this fabric in my stash for the final binding.

The other two were scrappy.

I love these on my red sofa.  Only two are staying.  The one that is not quite like the others is going to another home.  Shhhhsh!  It is a surprise!