The Village-House

This is my last structure of the village and it is the cutest, well they are all pretty cute. I'm having one of those moments where I look at my work and think....where did I come up with all those ideas?

Flowers, lace and free flow curtains add to the sparkling roof.

The chimney is a sweet idea, cute, huh? (Forgive the sun in the photo).

Can't you see a fairy living here? C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

The Village-Store

I don't know if I mentioned my buildings from my note paper or not but it's changed. Initially it had a school, church, hospital and 2 houses...well, a school, church, hospital and a store!....makes more sense. So, one of the houses has a penciled x through it, replaced with a building that houses food.


I have saved the house for last because it's the most flexible for applique ideas, I can always come up with something even though I used the first idea on another building.

So, what does a shoppe usually look like? It has neon "open" signs and some sort of advertisement for a beverage, beer or soda, it's always there. I figured the most recognized insignia is "Coke a cola" or something similar to it. I came up with a combination of Coke and Pepsi, ha! You get the idea.

The grey square on top of the building is a A/C and heating unit, it also adds another shape although smaller in version.

My canopy windows are close, close, close. They are bright on the brown and are clearly windows.

Note: Next time make canopy with a steeper side angle. C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

The Village-Hospital

I'm working on my village at a consistent speed, I know what I'm sewing as a basic plan but I'm adding embellishments as I go. I'm having a grand time brainstorming on each structure. I kinda thought since there is a possibility of making a mat and the mat will be without water, only land, blue would be the perfect color for a hospital. The original drawing called for a plain square building but since my roofing mistake, I changed the plan.

I thought about a emergency entrance and came up with another shape, another way to use color.

This is another building that has writing on it. My dilemma was the writing will have to go on the backside due to the entrance taking up so much space.

This is my idea in my mind, see the yellow door entrance? And my helicopter pad? I thought that was in genius. My hubby told me he wants to see them all stuffed, phooey. I'm still going to be pleased with myself. I hope the village all works together but don't tell him that.

In the long run though, it didn't matter where the entrance was place because there are doors on all four sides of the building.

Imagination at play. C&G Design :)

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

The Village-Church

Going back to my note paper, I can see the church is to be white with a yellow roof. Other than that, what else? I know they have b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l stained glass windows, but how do you do that with a scale so small? You don't. You give your applique bright color so the playing participants can get the idea. I also put opening shutters along side the windows, just to dress it up a bit.

Following my drawing, and not really thinking, considering I made 2 black roof peak for the school, I made another peak roof for the church. If you look close you can see that I even stitched the centers to give it the appearance of a steeple. I guess I had to do it......but a peaked roof isn't going to work, back to the drawing board.

Much better, better color too.

Funny, this is a set to appeal to kids ages 3-7, a play set to help learn shapes and I can't figure a triangle plain from a regular triangle, oay vey.

I'll just figure the peaked roof to be used somewhere else. C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

The Village-Schoolhouse

I had planned on unveiling my studio starting this week, I've decided it's about as done as it's going to get. My decision was to post on a studio item on Raggedy Wednesday and then get some really long shots of all the set-ups in the studio. The cutest blog on the block changed that and I'm having to post a new header on this coming Wednesday. It was really no big deal because I was due for a header change next week but it cramps everything else. Oh well, I can't complain they have nice backgrounds and maybe I'll still unveil.
Meanwhile, I had my first time at working with my new room and I'm loving it! I started two projects that have been in my thought for quite some time. The first involves glue drying so I will save that for later but look here.

This is my note page, for noting adjustment on the project pieces as I go. I had to start with a drawing though because I needed to get the ideas of the appliques, as it was I changed it all around anyway. I selected to start with the schoolhouse since it seems so elaborate.

Ah....I have my seamstress chalk and room for a ruler to make straight lines. I'm tickled with the chalk though, it will get use!

This village will be all felt and it will have unchangeable features to the houses. I'm not sure about making a complimentary mat yet, but it's a thought. Off to the sewing machine. Oh, did I mention everything is pinked?

I've limited the lettering and decided to best thing is to stitch the ones I am using. I had a question for a buyer on Etsy about the paint I use being non-toxic. The best I could say was to tell her the brands and let her know they are on the market. Anyway, it is touch and go while trying to write with a small zig-zag but I managed something close.

There are windows around the building with a fence on one side and two color shrubs with a tree on the other'

Of course you won't be able to see the full effects until I've put the foam inside but since I have a large piece, the rest of the village will be made up before I take the electric knife out of my kitchen.

Off to do the church. C&G Design

Words and photos by Dawn,C&G Design.

Blanket Stitch

I want to talk about the blanket stitch, it is the stitch that I'm using while I make my penny rug. As you might guess, it is the stitch found on the satin edging of a blanket, and very easy to do. I drew the graphic for to mechanic to this embroidery, 3 easy steps and then repeat.....

Be aware and well informed, the blanket stitch uses twice the amount the plain running stitch would. Buy a lot of your colors! My bags are quart size.

Once done....it becomes a real asset to the piece.

Alright, I found my thread at a yard sale. C&G Design

Penny Rug, Candle mat, Buffet cover

Imagine how excited I was to find a outlet place that has all the colors of the rainbow, in felt! Seventy five inches wide! Price...$5.99 a yard, well, not too bad. On this day I looked farther and found they had a over abundance of navy blue, it is only thirty inches wide at $0.99. I think....I could do something with that. How about a penny rug? Since I need something on Etsy, that what it'll be.

It's also my first TRUE, BLUE primitive. I posted about these quite some time ago, you can read about them by clicking here. Like the design I came up with?

I've got the pennies done, soon you'll see the rest! C&G Design

Sunbonnet Sue

A nice gift for the girl newborn baby, Sunbonnet Sue crib quilt, she has been designed in quilts since the 1900. Sunbonnets have definite characteristics and folklore, the face is forever hidden and they are always doing something.


Materials: 1/2 yard of white for blocks; small pieces of print and solids for the appliques'; 1/3 yard print for sashing; 3'' x 27'' of print for the corner squares; 1/2 yard print for the borders; 1 yard print or solid for backing; 3/4 yard for the binding; 45'' x 36'' batting. (all fabric is 45'' wide)

Make a applique' template for each numbered part (in first photo), make a template of the full figure also. From white fabric cut four foundation blocks 15'' x 11'', press two guideline creases into each block; 21/2'' from the bottom; 21/2'' from the left edge. Match the guideline crease to the outline of each applique'.

First stitching should be done to the hand, applique' it to the arm, and the band to the bonnet. Note in block A and B the balloons are behind the bonnet so therefore they must be appliqued first before Sue herself. Using the graphics in photo #2 place the pieces in the approximate spots for all four blocks. Applique'.

Crosscut the 3'' x27'' into 9 3'' x 3'' corner squares, cut sashing fabric into 4 3'' x 45'', crosscut these into six 15'' x 11''. Sew 11'' to the corner blocks and the 15'' sashing strips to the blocks. (between blocks) Sew rows together.

From the border fabric, cut two side borders, each 3'' x 35'' and top and bottom borders each 3'' x 31''. Sew side borders to sash. Following the quilt mark, lightly draw lines inside each block. Smooth batting over backing, rt side down, center quilt on top with quilt right side facing up. Quilt the quilting lines. Trim the batting and backing. Cut and piece a double border, 2 1/2'' wide, overlapping corners by 2 1/2'', with appliqued side of quilt, pin the rt side of double border, stitch, miter corners. Turn double border over quilt edge, blind stitch to quilt. Using a permanent pen mark the back of the quilt with your name, saying, birth date of baby and baby's name.

Special thanks to Ms Wolff.

C&G Design

Two More Quilts!

Urggh! Sooner or later I'll have all my crafts in one spot, like a craft room!!!!
I digress,....or,...when I find a project (unfinished, of course), it will have the required tools with it. No such luck. Two more quilts, minus what I need to have with it.




I purchased the basket pieces at a auction.
They sat in a shirt box until I decided what exactly it was.
This is a version on Grandmother's Basket.....but my version.
It's hard to see in the picture, but the finished looking basket in the foreground is pieced. The basket is a big triangle with two smaller triangles on each side. The muslin is 4 pieces, two for the side of the basket, 1 strip below and one square for the top.

You can see the baskets, with the complimentary colors, that are left to piece!

My intention is to applique the handle, and several flowers around it using gathered rick-rack, yo-yo puffs, and embroidery. I've yet to locate them!

Stitching the pieces together is quite easy. (I'll be making new templates for the colored fabric yet to be cut)!

I've got a good eye on my sewing machine, iron, and sleeve board...now where's the thread? Just kidding. This is a beautiful quilt.

I picked these up at a yard sale, I can't remember what I paid for them but it wasn't much.

See the instructions at the top of the picture? Notice the large "R" in the pink palette? This is Artex, paint in a tube. I've misplaced mine......not Artex but paint in a tube.....This quilt is just for fun.

Both are airing out on my deck, storage wreaks havoc. C&G Design.

Picture Quilts

One of these days, I'll find a good subject matter to forever immortalize in a large quilt. These are gorgeous and many times, a subject of conversation. They are picture quilts and have less structural rules than regular quilting, the biggest rule change is....you don't have to have the same color background. Or you don't need a background at all like in the upper photo and the one below. I love the Monopoly.

A picture quilt can be your house, landscape with horizons, or even leaves of a particular tree, but always a theme. The color fabric of the picture is appliqued, with embroidery being the main staple of detail.

A variation of the picture quilt is the portrait quilt, it is assembled the same way. Many quilters use a group of textiles, such as this Marilyn Monroe done in silks. The quilting is generally a wave pattern.

Plan on investing in a whole lotta scotch guard. C & G Design.

Skeeter's Family Heirlooms-World without End

Still Skeeter's family heirloom but this one came to Skeeter by way of her hubby, The Saint. It's a crib quilt made for the Saint by his great grandmother, it's a variation of World without End. I call it a a variation because the Saint's great grandmother carried each color through the center, and I like this look much better than the other.

World without End falls in the same category as the star quilts. The stars quilts are the chosen favorite for crib quilts or youth blankets. Young children enjoy the geometric effects of the star patterns and I see why this is called ''World without End."

This pattern can either be appliqued on a solid background or pieced with a second sized triangle fitting each star together.

I'm guessing each star in The Saints quilt is approximately 6'' when finished, it's made with 12 x 9 stars and is superb work.

My Quilting primer book suggest this pattern should be made with Early American cottons and linens, this crib quilt seems to display that quality quite well and is in great shape!

Thanks again Skeeter! C & G Design.