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  • Smatterday

    ByHeather Bailey

    NiceyJane

    I've
    had the best couple of days.  I got a ton done, which has made it more
    fun to have fun, if you know what I mean.  Of course, my list of to-dos
    is still longer than my leg, but such is life.

    SwirlW I purchased a little table at Goodwill
    two weeks ago, but forgot to go pick it up.  Today, I'm going to go see
    if it's still waiting for me — and if there's any other junk I must
    have on half-price day.  Perhaps I'll put on some make up & have my
    kids lose the pajamas.  Perhaps not.  I love you, Saturday.

    The blanket bling above is from Jamie of Sweet Baby Jamie.  To help me feather my booth at Quilt Market, Jamie made several Nicey Jane
    quilts from my sample yardage.  I'm amazed by her free-motion quilting
    skills.  I don't know how she does it so evenly, without getting stuck
    in a corner as she meanders.  Wow.

    ChurchFlowerCropT Jamie patiently kept these blankets under wraps till Nicey Jane's public debut last week. Now they are all available at her Etsy store. She has a design-your-own-Nicey-Jane-quilt listing too, and her pricing is a little ridiculous, if you ask me — ridiculously low. 

    Well,
    Happy Saturday.  Treat yourself to something fun — a new scarf, a
    candybar, a random, weird find from the thrift store, some time to
    read, a quilt from Jamie.  I might hunt down a new pair of flip-flops. 
    My last pair broke yesterday and I'm not willing to switch to winter
    shoes.

    Basket

  • Pretty Maids All in a Row

    ByHeather Bailey

    FeatureFriBanner
    Ravenhill1a

    Like
    so many others, I'm charmed by the bright colors and folky art of
    Russian dolls or matryoshka.  Over the last couple of years, demure
    little matryoshka have become a fierce trend in crafting and design. 
    Russian-doll jewelry, ornaments, beads, fabric, embroidery, and home
    decor can be spotted all over the internet and in stores.  (Fun links at the bottom of this post.)

    RussianDoll250brt Amidst the Russian bunch, the whimsical dolls of Emily Moss of
    Ravenhill stand out — playful stuffed matryoshka made with a variety
    of prints & details.

    Emily’s inspiration for creating these unique dolls was her “growing stack of
    beautiful fabrics and pretty ribbon," combined with her new-found
    enjoyment of embroidery.  As a result, each doll has her own personality. 

    I first spotted
    Emily's dolls in my Pop Garden & Bijoux Flickr group where she has
    uploaded a several cheery, floral ladies.  See a wide variety of fabric
    combinations in her Babushka Softies Flickr set as well.

    Ravenhillsze Emily’s
    dolls were not always exactly what she envisioned. Though the overall
    doll design appears simple, fine-tuning the shape & structure took time.  Emily went through several drafts to develop
    the dolls she makes today.

        “It took a lot of practice and experimentation
    with various tool and mediums… I have learned so much from this process
    and would encourage others not to give up when the first prototype is far from what was planned.
    Plow ahead and persevere.”

    Emily offers Matryoshka dolls in her Etsy store.  Or stop by her blog to see what’s new.

    More Russian doll links:

    *For more information about Feature Friday & the artists spotlighted, click here*

    Photography in this post courtesy of Emily Moss