A doll in the Spring
April 7, 2012
She arrived with a heart as big as her maker’s. A red and soft heart of felt, arms wide open for me to welcome her and eyes bright and cheerful as her dress. Who was that ? “Mara”, the cutest doll I ever received, she was created by Marie’s talented hands. A gift from her heart. http://ancientcloth.blogspot.com/
Ever seen such a pretty hairdo ? Mara also came with her arms full of presents, fabrics of all sorts, reproductions of antique materials that I cannot wait to use in a quilt, just for me. Thank you so much Marie ! For having lived several years in Africa, this adorable little doll touches my heart and brings back many memories of people, places, events. A time never to forget.
My little doll from the South arrived at the same time as Spring does in the mountains. Not many colours yet to brighten the landscape but for the catkins on some trees. Patches of snow remain in the cooler areas and green grass barely starts growing on the pastures. Still, walking along those tracks in a new Spring makes you feel good, it gives you energy and joy. It makes you feel grateful too.
The new Season gives you inspiration for whatever you need or plan to do, or so I feel. No greenness outside yet ? No problem ! I can deal with it and create my own palette of colours. I did so in sewing (of course) a heart of “Forty Shades of Green” for Irish friends of mine brought together by destiny. A happy quilting, I assure you. There were really forty different scraps of green fabrics for those who might wonder;)
I thought this fresh and green quilted heart would be nice to send you my best wishes for a Happy Easter. Green like the hope and light that we all need, at any time. A renewal in nature as in our life. A promise of better times ahead in a troubled world. I do wish you all the best.
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The picture of the scenery is quite lovely.
Thanks Sybil. Have a lovely Easter day. Tiny snowflakes are falling here right now.
Here’s wishing you a happy easter Isa. Hope you have a fabulous day. May god bless you & your family abundantly. That’s such a nice gift. I’m glad it gave you happiness. I so love the “bisse” picture. Dreaming of walking on that track along with you. Beautiful quilt that green one is. Perhaps, someday i will learn to make quilts too.
So nice to read you again, sonali, thanks for your visit and words. Easter day was spent with my “extended family”, always such a pleasure to be (almost) all together. The “bisse” is a little irrigation canal one does not see well on this picture. More will come later in the Spring/Summer. The track goes along it for miles through forests, pastures, rocky slopes, always something different to see. In India there is a wonderful quilting culture and I am admirative of the talent and inspiration of your
quilters. Why not try someday ?
Isa, I love the green heart quilt! I noticed the triquetra and spiral symbols in a couple of the corners. Very nice.
No green here this morning for Easter Sunday. Only white! We have more snow for Easter than we had for Christmas.
Rag dolls are the best aren’t they? We are only allowed plastic ‘washable’ dolls at my preschool which makes sense where germs are concerned, but rag dolls would be so much more softer to hold and cuddle.
Thanks Amy-Lynn, I loved sewing this green heart quilt. For my friends first, then in the green shades (probably my favourite colour with orange) and finally because I sewed it with scraps from previous quilts. A whole lot of stories !
Yes, rag dolls are precious because of the love sewed into them and, as you rightly say, for their soft touch, it feels so good to hold them !
Hi Isabelle,
Glad she arrived safely and she brings back memories of your trips to far away lands. Love your green heart with all the many fabrics. Wishing you and your family a joyous weekend.
xoxo ❤
Thanks again, dear Marie, for this adorable doll that is such a pleasure to look at and touch. I really love the expression of her eyes and those cute “rastas” (hair). I realize all the care and thoughts you put into my present and I am very grateful. I hope you are having a joyous weekend too. Best wishes to you and your family.
xoxo bisous
What a lovely and thoughtful present to get, and a lovely green heart you are sending.
Happy Easter, Isa.
Happy Easter weekend to you and yours, dear Birgitte. As I just wrote to Amy-Lynn, sewing this green heart was a real pleasure and a gift for myself too. Lots of hope in these forty shades of green, you know 🙂 Take care and enjoy your Danish Spring.
I really like the doll and the green heart Isa. I love the way you “layered” the heart.
Thanks Tammy. I layered the heart by using green strips of scraps, sewed them in a kind of large rectangle and then drew a heart in it. I liked the idea of quilting the heart in circles. It seems to soften the straight lines of materials.
Your doll is so precious. She reminds me me of my Raggedy-Anne, who still sits in my bedroom, wearing her dotted Swiss pantaloons and pinafore! My mother made her for me when I was perhaps five – she’s still wearing her original dress.
I can remember snuggling her in bed, and whispering secrets. How I wish I knew now what those secrets were!
I love love green, and we’re awash in it now. The post-drought rains have been sufficient for a marvelous spring, and I just posted about a weekend trip to another marvel. I learned we have 400 acres of prairie close by which never have been broken by a plow. It’s rich, verdant land – and looks very much as it would have two hundred years ago. Perhaps more.
Quilts, dolls, acres of land – we need to preserve every treasure where we find it!
Thank you so much Linda. How lovely to have this precious gift from your mother still close by. I have to come and see your prairie, verdant (love this word) land. Yes indeed, let’s preserve our treasures, as each of us may like to define them.
Green is the prevalent colour here although this morning 10cm of snow had covered the landscape. Not for long though, Spring is on his way, buds, new soft leaves and gorgeous flowers everywhere. What a joy !
That was a lovely gift, this doll – another thing to spread the joy. As the beautiful landscape you live in. And as spring. And especially your lovely green quilted heart – so beautiful – and 40 different fabrics?!!! I’m impressed…..
Hello truels and thank you ! Glad you liked these recent images that indeed brought joy in my life. Just got a card from my Irish friends, the green quilted heart arrived safely and was very appreciated in the Emerald Island. Another beautiful destination for your travels, truels 😉
I hope you had a Happy Easter, Isa. The doll is beautiful, as is your green heart. Beautiful gifts both.
I hade a nice Easter with my “extended” family. A sunny day before snow decided to fall again. Not much though, just enough to make Spring skiers grateful for this fresh snow. Thanks for your visits and thoughts, dear Janice.
I love the doll and the small quilt. Both of them are very beautiful. I was also delighted about that beautiful landscape photo.
Belle Journée.
Merci Matti, désolée du retard à te répondre, j’étais absente : le printemps à la montagne est très beau aussi 🙂
Merci.
C’est bon, pas de problème. Si tu es intéressée, mon nouveau poste présente des courtepointes.
Belle journée.
Isa – all this gift giving on your blog makes me dizzy with JOY! I love all of the stories about each exchange. How sweet. The doll is a real beauty – I agree.
May you be healthy and wealthy with love this spring.
Hello dear Sherri Lynn, I am happy you enjoyed this post. Exchanging gifts – and the thoughts put into them – is really precious, isn’t it ? This cute little doll is sitting on my desk reminding me every day how full of surprises and gifts life is. I also wish you a happy Spring, full of joy and love. Thank you