well, it must be time for DQS10*

i've made my inspiration mosaic for Doll Quilt Swap 10 (DQS10), and this is some of the goodness that i dream of...

(rats! i always forget that blogger cuts off the right side of my photos, so if you don't click the above photo to take you over to flickr, you are missing out on 5 sweet things. anyone else on blogger who can tip me off on how to fix this?)

it is customary to gather together some of your most favorite things from flickr so that your secret partner has an illustrated starting point. when i signed up for round 10 (there was a lottery! and not everyone was going to get in! the dread! i had my fingers crossed! i got my acceptance + secret partner email! excitement! stalking commences!), i added this hodgepodge of loves for my secret partner:
::linen
::gingham
::hand embroidery
::lots of little handstitching
::freshly washed, dried, and puckered quilts (i'm in the minority on this one)
::fairy tales
::forests
::trees
::birds
::green with a touch of red
::aqua + red
::gray + yellow
::white + lots of different prints (tana lawn liberty...sigh)
::sweet, but not cutesy
::with a touch of darkness (think neko case's, fox confessor brings the flood, especially)
::gees bend-ish quilts
::impromptu quilting
::making do with what one already has! (seriously. do not go out and buy any special fabrics for me. do not. unless you absolutely must. and then i totally understand.)
::a bit of vintage thrown in for good measure
::children's drawings
::and what the heck...rainbows can be cool, too (think sarah of the small object)
::odd little creatures
::oh, and hexagon quilts...can't forget about those lovelies
::and pink...how could i forget pink?!
::polka dotty goodness
::and wonky...intentional (or usually for me, *not* intentional!) or serendipitous, a little wonky is a good thing.

i'll say it here once again (secret partner, if you are quietly peeking about), but what i love so much about this swap (it's really the only one that i do, and i have done it now 6 times...it's *that* good) is that i am totally open to what my DQSer wants to make. really, i see my "likes" and mosaic as an inspiration but surely not a prescription. i adore all 5 of my doll quilts that i have received in this swap, and i am going to be soooo excited to add a 6th one to our collection (sweet secret swapper, dear heart, you know this, right?!).

i almost sat out this round simply because i know how much time i pour into it, and i have some other *really big projects* that are at the top of my list...but it seemed just so wrong to not be making another doll quilt. it will all work out, you'll see. ;) (more on that at a later date!)



oh, and secret partner, we do actually use our doll quilts in this house. most days the quilties are pinned to the walls of the kitchen, playroom, living room, and bedroom (which is why i simply use quilting pins to pin straight through the corners of the quilt and into the wall. easy peasy.), and DQS9 is clipped to the lower shutters on the breakfast room window so that cate can play with it (okay...let's just be honest here and say that it is rare that we actually eat at the table in the breakfast/dining room --and really, should i even call it that? that makes it sounds all fancyschmancy, which it absolutely isn't. it's all just one good-sized kitchen...with a table to sit at, or not-- it's the counter/bar in the kitchen for us. good thing this is agreable to everyone because really people, i need a place to sew. and lay out fabrics. and cut fabrics. and iron fabrics. and sew. and sketch. and write. and sew. i think you see where i am going with this. we've thought about moving it all to the playroom, but not. the kitchen is where i need to be; it's the heart of our home, and that, i think, is essential. um, wow. if you followed all of that, give yourself a gold star. whew.). and so yes (really, i am making you work for this, aren't i?), we like to use our quilts. the girls also use strips (3 inches wide, selvedge to selvedge is the perfect doorway hammock!) and pieces of fabrics to snuggle up the stuffeds + dolls. so, dear secret partner, if you have too much time on your hands, a teeny little quiltie (x3) would go over very well around here. ;)

*820 views...that's what i saw when my stats came up on flickr this evening! anyone who is part of DQS10 saw their stats shoot up (way up!) recently. it's all that excited stalking at the very beginning of a swap!

p.s. i am totally not asking for someone to make me three doll quilts!!