Grammy's Art (16) The Dolls

Mary's Doll

Over the years Grammy made dolls for her many granddaughters.  Each came with its unique personality and all were well loved.

 The summer I turned ten was spent in Minnesota with grandparents.  One day as all of the cousins were together a discussion began of what dolls Grammy had made for each cousin.  Maura had Raggedy Ann and Andy, and I think that Jan and Cathy might have had the same, some had Jack and Jill as did Colleen who was home in California.

Maura's Raggedy Ann (Andy fell apart years ago) and
others that found their way to her house.

As I sat silent, Grammy turned and asked what doll she had sent for me.  When I replied I didn't have one, she looked surprised then a bit sad. 

Later that fall I got a surprise box in the mail, in it was a wonderful grown up doll with a complete wardrobe.  Well worth the wait.

That doll not only spent many a day with me, but has provided hours of entertainment to grand kids.  They loved to change her clothes, or direct their Grammy to change her clothes as they found it hard to work the tiny buttons and ties.

She has withstood the more than fifty ensuing years well and now waits for the first great-granddaughter to give her a new home.

Mom's Garden

It is day four of "shelter in place".... a day used to listen to Bach (it might be his birthday), cap my week with a step average of 15,000 a day and finish a quilt I have been envisioning for a few years, just in time for National Quilt Day!

It started as a hanging for mom a lot of years ago.  Finding its way back to me, it hung in the basement sewing room for a number of years....until recently I looked at it and decided it needed a quilt around it!

For those of you who knew my Mom in her last ten or so years, you will know that she always wore rather shapeless longish dresses that she would dress up with great vests and other embellishments.  When I made this hanging, however, that was not the case.  I liked to flatter myself that she liked the hanging so much she dressed like it!  I know, that wasn't the case...but!

Many of my favorite memories of Mom involve a garden.  I still see her in an orange sun dress (also shapeless) barefooted, weeding in the garden as I arrived home from school in the sixties.  Later, after she moved from Fair Oaks to Gig Harbor, WA her garden became a work of art, and she spent most of her days out tickling the earth, this time in rather shapeless overalls.  It became her comfort and respite as Dad fell further into the depths of Alzheimers.

I could try to describe her gardens, but then Mom could do it better.  The Garden is her tribute to her own garden, Mom's Garden includes the newspaper's tribute and her application to become a Backyard Wildlife Habitat complete with maps and plant listings.

Gardening continued after leaving Gig Harbor, her summer home in Roy and her winter home in Sacramento both benefited by her time in the outdoors.  So this quilt is a tribute to her

Mom's Garden
The Finished Quilt - 21 Mar 2020

And a treat....after I first posted this Maura sent me pictures of a couple of her paintings of Mom's Garden.

Be sure to check out Maura Madden Donovan Watercolors  for other paintings by my mega talented sister.