It's getting closer to the holidays...

I finished the 'greats' dresses and the dresses for their dolls, too.... just not by the time I had hoped to complete them.  For some reason, the last two doll dresses gave me such a hard time... I couldn't get the pleats right ( had a little trouble with the third 'greats' dress from the same pattern, too); the dress starts out as a rectangle and you fold the fabric at the top and then stitch each pleat down so many inches ( just about waist level I'd guess) before folding the next pair of pleats. I finally decided that they are doll dresses and no one is going to measure the pleats to make sure they are all the same size.
 Took a pic of all of them together, but it's on my 'notebook' and I can't figure out how to get it from there to here.
I do have pics of two of the dresses..

 Camryn's ( looks just like the ones made for Rhyanna and Avery)

Kayleigh's

I found white 't-shirts' for two of the girls to wear under their dress, and found a white turtleneck for the third and a sweet white sweater to wear over her dress for Kayleigh.

Today, I started on the tablerunner... 

steps 1 and 2

step 3

step 4

and for 8 of the 12 required...there's a step 5

When I tried the practice piece, it was so easy that I thought I could almost whip the actual table runner together in no time.... IT DECEIVED ME!  These are turning out to be quite a bit more difficult to do than the practice piece was ( and it was from the same pattern?!?!)  What gives???

The curves are not stitching up as easily as they did my first try... I find I'm having to go back and pick out some stitches and re-stitching them.

I'm about 1/2 way through half of these 'blocks'... once all 12 are done, I'll still need to do some 4 patches before I can start assembling the 'blocks'; I think I need 4. 

  Having the top done by Wednesday is my goal and hoping to quilt it right after Thanksgiving.  If I succeed, then I can make microwave bowl holders and a bun holder to match over the weekend.  If  I don't make my goal, then I'll have to work around my house cleaning schedule because I have to start that on Monday (Dec. 1st).  Then, somewhere amongst the cleaning, I have to do my Christmas baking. wrap gifts, AND make sure that we have motel reservations for our trip to & from Dallas over Christmas.  Still watching the weather, hoping and praying that it won't keep us from going.