It's September and the start of the Doll House block of the month. If you saw my post last month you know that this year we will be making the Dollhouse quilt by Amy Bradley Designs. Anyone that is interested can purchase the pattern from Amy Bradley Designs and join in the fun. The pattern comes as a paper pattern or the digital download pattern is now available. I won't be giving out any patterns or instructions, so you need to purchase your own pattern - you'll be very happy when you do! Her patterns and instructions are fantastic.
The paper pattern costs $29.00. The download pattern costs $12, but be aware you will be printing out about 100 pages of patterns and instructions. There are a limited amount of paper patterns available, so be sure and order soon if you want it.
This month I will be going over the pattern and giving you an outline of the schedule so if you haven't gotten your pattern yet you still have time. The first block we will be making starts in Oct. although you can start at any time along the way.
So- the Dollhouse pattern has everything you need - full size patterns, full size placement sheets and instructions for a doll house with 13 rooms (48 1/2" x 70 1/2") or a doll house with 10 rooms (48 1/2" x 59 1/2"). It may seem like a lot of paper, but it is all very easy to understand and work with.
The first thing Amy suggests is to read thru the instructions. This doesn't take long and is very helpful. There are also some instructions printed on the pattern sheets.
The next thing I think you need to do is decide if you want to make a 10 room house or a 13 room house. You can always change your mind later, but it's good to have an idea of what you want to make at the start. I personally decided to make the 10 room house, but anyone making the 13 room house can follow along at the same pace.
The patterns are terrific. There is a pink sheet that has a materials list for both the 13 room and the 10 room house. This is very detailed and really helpful. I'm glad she made it pink so it's easy to see and pull out when you need it.
One thing on the list is how much Wonder Under Fusible you will need for each house. I think it's good to get this as soon as you get the pattern so you are ready to go!
Here is the schedule of what block we'll be doing each month for the next year:
Oct - Front Door Nov - Kitchen Dec - Living Room Jan - Sewing Room Feb - Nursery March - Bathroom (s) April - Girls Bedroom (other Bedrooms) May - Laundry Room June - Office July - Attic August - Borders and appliques Sept - Assembling blocks, quilting and finishing the Quilt.
I'm not giving any instructions, but will give a helpful hint once in awhile. I have 3 for you today!
Hint number 1: Once you look over the patterns and instructions, lay the pattern sheets out and cut them apart. For the most part they are one room per half sheet. This makes them more manageable and once you finish a room you can put the paper aside. As Amy states in the directions- you can iron these sheets to make them flat.
Hint number 2: Once you have your pattern and you are ready to get started, you might want to start tracing your pattern pieces onto the Wonder Under. This gives you a little head start and something to do until we start work on the first block.
I have to admit that I started tracing my patterns during a 2 1/2 day power outage when I couldn't do any other sewing! I put the patterns for each room in a plastic bag that was labeled and then I clipped all the bags together. I have a basket where all the patterns and instructions fit nicely and I can just pick it up and move it to where ever I'm working.
Hint number 3: If you are like me, you've looked at the cute pattern and can't wait to get started. You might want to spend some time pulling fabrics you might like to use as backgrounds and foregrounds for the rooms. Amy's designs are bright and whimsical and each room has different colors.
One of my goals in making this quilt is to only use fabrics that I have, so that can be an interesting challenge!
Well, this is a very wordy blog post. I hope I haven't bored you. This is just a short overview of what I will be presenting each month. I hope many of you will join in the fun. Please post comments and photos as we progress along.
*For those of you who have never seen other patterns by Amy Bradley, you can check out her fun patterns at her website here: Amy Bradley Designs
