Have you seen my horse?

Meet (well I don't have a name yet) Dresden!

This little colt is from the "Henry" pattern in Jill Hamor's lovely pattern book, Storybook Toys.  It's the first project I've made after more than a month of ooh-ing and aah-ing and generally drooling over the dollies within.  I added an applique (the barn from Violet Craft's Madrona Road) but otherwise stuck straight to the pattern; one thing I might change would be to make the  mane longer.

I used fabric and yarn I had on hand but I still have the saddle to sew up.  I can't get over how cute this little guy is!  He stands well but his back legs splay out a little and it could be the direction I cut the fabric or uneven stuffing but his head tilts a tad.  However, I believe these two mistakes features really add to the newborn foal appeal.

What do you think?

Coin Strips in hot colors

Otherwise in the sewing world I'm woefully behind on the quilt I was supposed to be working on all month.  Instead, I've been tinkering with smaller projects.  I made a name tag (it's a secret!) and two blocks (four actually) for tomorrow's MMQG meeting.  

It's also my month as QUEEN BEE in the Modern Stash Quilting Bee on Flickr.  I picked an original paper-piecing pattern by Marcia Hohn at Quilter's Cache; it's called the Tallahassee block and I'm really pleased with my first few tries at it.

I call them "Blooms." Sewn together, four make a 12 inch block.  The inspiration for all of this was the Quilter's Cache block I bookmarked almost one year ago (before I knew how to paper-piece!) and this pillow made by Jennifer LGB on Flickr; it's one of my all time favorites in my "favorites" on Flickr.

All month long, my quilting bee "hive" mates will be stitching up these little goodies for me; I can't wait until all those awesome little packages start to arrive!  Did I mention my birthday is in April?