Isn't that just the cutest kid? Mine, of course. She's still quite beautiful.

Look below to see more Salvation Army doll quilts I've made over the years (plus some of the dolls I've dressed).

Shortly after I joined the Country School Quilters chapter of the Richmond Quilters Guild in 1991, I signed up to particpate in a project to help the local Salvation Army. They provide dolls, and volunteers make clothes for them. Our chapter also made quilts to go with the dolls. They are then given as gifts to local children, although some of the dolls are selected for an annual auction; the proceeds of the auction buy the next year's dolls.

I had *no clue* what I was doing, I wanted something simple but clever. So I cut a bunch of squares of all different fabrics, and arranged them as you see in the picture--light to dark by color family. I had never seen a Watercolor quilt; it wasn't trendy yet. I remember when I showed the quilt at guild show and tell--people were really quiet (as they often are for my show and tell). I don't know if that's because they think my stuff is awesome, or they think it's weird. Probably both. Or maybe it's because I hand-quilted a quilt that was going to charity.

* Unvented is a word coined by Elizabeth Zimmerman, knitter extraordinaire. She used it to describe the process of discovering something that is new to you, but probably has been discovered by others before you. I've always thought it to be a very useful word. Clearly I didn't "invent" Watercolor quilting; but neither did anyone else. :-) (Dec 2000)