this morning the sun is shining and the snow is continuing to melt. i decided to make some bread and while i was in the midst of that i noticed these reflections and shadows on the table. i couldn't resist getting a shot of the wonders of sunshine within the bread making process. i have been interested in participating in the "Dress Up 2010" project/challenge hosted by Margaret at her blog Alice and Camilla for months now. if you're ready to see lots of arty cuteness you should go right over and check it out: http://www.aliceandcamilla.blogspot.com/ and so yesterday i ignored everything else that needed doing and concentrated on making a dolly. i found a couple of soft doll patterns that i liked various components of and had some ideas of my own, so i sort of Frankensteined together my own pattern. her head is stuffed with sawdust from dh's workshop and her body and legs are stuffed with, well, stuffing. she is approximately nine inches tall. her (once lovely) locks are made of a linen thread and her mismatched brown eyes are buttons. her mouth has been stitched on in a perpetual chuckle. she underwent a bath of warm spices and tea in order to obtain that lovely (and aromatic) "patina". she's not fancy which is exactly what i was going for and i am pleased with the much loved and played with look of her. her name is sage, which i thought very regionally appropriate to her "birthplace".

she is wearing her first "Dress Up" dress for the month of April. it's a simple chambray frock with a bit of antique lace used for the collar and a few humble embroidery stitches added to the skirt for the special occasion of Easter. this morning was just nice enough to take her outside to get her portraits. see how happy she is that the sun shines on her~!?!~

AND she discovered the very first spring crocus growing in the garden. i think she was even more excited than i was~!~

i have also completed another carrot quilt (#7)~!!!!!!!~

this cute little pink confection was put together using left overs from a guild round robin that i participated in. it is all my own work. this piece measures approximately 15 inches x 17 inches.

this second one was one of two small quilts that i had in the round robin. i stitched the bee skep in the center and one of my guild sisters added the tiny zig zag pieced border. the next talented lady added a simple double border and then appliqued/embroidered the cute bees onto the top. when i got the top back i added the muslin border and the embroidered words. i've actually had this one finished for quite some time and may have even included photos of it previously in my blog (or maybe that was flickr) but i thought that all three quilts should be pictured together since they are somewhat "related". this piece measures approximately 18 inches square.

this is the second round robin top that was created within that same guild challenge. it also happens to be my sixth carrot quilt. i appliqued the little bean tree/berry branch block and the next person added a panel with the words "Love Life" embroidered on it as well as a sun with rays. the last lady within the exchange appliqued the cute primitive house onto a funky pieced checkerboard background. when it came back to me i added some more funky pieced checkerboard background and some appliqued pumpkins as well as a few more rays of sunshine. this piece measures approximately twenty three and a half inches x twenty five inches.

i have also shown it within the blog very recently.

i think that they all turned out totally full of cuteness and am looking forward to displaying them, each in it's own appropriate season, on my walls.