two turtles and three months

Over the past week I made these two turtles. I had originally wanted to use more shapes to create the shell part, but I learned that pentagons are one of only a few shapes that get 3d when attached on all sides. I like the way they came out I just wish there could be more variety. I started by making mock-ups in muslin to get the pattern right and then did the "final" one in the greens and browns. I don't know what I was thinking with theses colors, but they don't really appeal to me. So I went back to one of the muslin ones and tried to pretty it up. I appliqued repro feedsack pentagons on to the shell and then made yo-yo's with buttons to sew on top.

I have not done any hand applique in a long time and it was so much fun. I feel like doing some big ambitious applique wall quilt now. Since I'm having a baby in 3 months it would be a really good time to start some big million hour project. I'll do it right after I make the three cloth dolls I want to make, and the blanket I'm going to knit or crochet with the yarn I'm bidding on in E-bay.

What I'm really feeling like is that in three months from now everything in my crafting world is going to shut down. I want to get as much done now and maybe it will carry me over until I can get some time back to myself. I want to stockpile the satisfied feeling I get from creating things. It was about a year after I had Betsy that I started the dollhouse project for the girls.

This was probably the most fun I have ever had making anything (do I say that after every project?). I got the house off e-bay and it was just bare, unfinished wood. Beautifully made and incredible just as it was, but I went ahead and painted and stenciled all over it. Then I made the dollhouse family from a great pattern by Barbara Graff. They could not have come out any cuter. There are some brothers somewhere, but I could not find them for the picture. Then I painstakingly hand painted some of the furniture. My whole goal was to handcraft everything in the house. I decided that they would need tiny little quilts for their beds. Little did I know what I would fall into when I started looking into mini-quilts. Well those dollhouse dolls still don't have any quilts for their beds, but I have enjoyed making several other quilts since then.

I don't really know where all this is going. I guess I just want a reminder to myself that when the time is right, I will to come back to doing this stuff because it is something that I really enjoy. Many moms, after having a baby, look forward to getting back to their jobs or to the gym. I know, for me, it will be crafting.