Saturday, September 06, 2008


Design Wall

Look what I have. I got some help and hung up a design wall in my den. Just no room in my sewing room for it.
We actually put up regular quilt hangers so I can easily take it down and put up a finished quilt for display. I'll probably get a couple more hangers to hold a finished quilt but I only had two in the house and they are fine for the design wall. I was using a sheet of plastic table cloth with flannel-type background but it didn't hold the fabric well so I put a layer of cotton bating over it and it works fine. What do you use for your design wall?

I'm still working on preparing UFO's to be quilted. Remember this flimsy that I made in FL last winter? Actually, I have two of them. I thought about using one for the backing but decided to piece some other fabrics and made two backings. I only took a pic of one of them.

Then I used the leftover cut pieces to make eight more 12" blocks. I put six of them together to make a doll blankie and used the last two
to make pillows or are they doll beds? They have a double layer of thick poly batting in them. I'm thinking I'll do some quilting in them - just to hold the batting in place. I plan to get the back for the doll blankie pieced today. I made enough binding for the two big quilts and wonder if there will be enough to the doll one. Probably not.

My LQS is dressing orphan dolls. They were acquired from garage sales. They also are making doll blankets so I decided to add a couple blankets for the child too.

This brings back great memories. I was a Girl Scout leader for many years. We had a large project of dressing dolls for donations. Our local Good Will kept all the dolls that were donated and the Girl Scouts made clothes for them. We would display them in a store window and any girl would love them. I wish I had a pic of them. I'm sure I took some but...

As I've told you before, my area here in MI is hurting so much. Lately, there has been a drive for school supplies. Some churches have been taking children to the store and getting them new shoes to start school. Ninety-seven percent of the students in an area elementary school qualify for free hot lunches. They are also giving them breakfasts. Now they are doing a back pack program for weekends. Every Friday the students get a backpack to take home. It has enough food for two meals and two snacks for the child to eat over the weekend. The kids bring back the empty backpack to be filled for the next weekend. There is some government subsidy for the hot lunches but all the backpack food is donations. Regardless of your political inclinations, I urge you to support programs like Head Start and hot lunches in schools. And health care too. Money put into children's needs will only pay back multiple-fold in the future.

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5 comments:

Jeanne said...

Great idea using quilt hangers to hold your design wall! Today's paper said it will be 2010 before Michigan recovers economically.

Clare said...

Great idea for a design wall.

It's the kids I feel sorry for.

Myra said...

Love that simple quilt pattern! So easy, but effective!
I use a piece of left over Arctic Fleece as a design wall, but it isn't big enough, so my quilty friends suggested buying a flannel sheet to hang on the wall. It apparently work well...
Happy stitchings! 8-)

Myra said...

Beautiful bird appliques you have on you blog there also...

Fran said...

I'm so sorry to hear how hard things have gotten for the kids. I sure hope the new president, whoever that may be, will put the kids first on their agenda.

Love your colorful quilts, I've decided to try my hand at a doll quilt right after Thanksgiving. Ours is the second Monday in October. We will be visiting with our boys in the east for Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to it and to spending time with my grandkids.

My design wall is (LOL) my bed. <:c)) I flip over the quilt, the back is white so I just lay my pieces on the bed to "play" with them. I just don't have room for a design wall, sure wish I did.
Take care and I will send some words Upstairs so He may look down on Michigan and send some much needed blessings.

~~Fran...:c)