Bella Babushka

   

...is the name of a quilt pattern created by 

Natalie Lymer of Cinderberrystitches. 

 I love this pattern! 

The "Matryoshka" dolls (Russian stacking dolls) hold special meaning for our family, having lived in Russia from 1994-2000.

See that teensy doll?  It measures barely 3/8" high.

Since around November, I've been working on this project whilst finishing up the market season with my glass work.

 



I couldn't locate the lovely fabric prints shown in the pattern, so I dug out some stash:

  

A layer cake. 

 

The fabric was part of a kit for a different quilt, but I wasn't fond of the pattern design.  These colors were spot on, and the cake was almost the perfect size for blocks. 

The Bella pattern called for another size of squares, but as a layer cake contains 10 inch squares, slicing the cake into quarters gave me plenty of 5 inch squares.  

And since I was adjusting the pattern for a queen size, I just added a few more rows of squares...

 

and (yay!) a 2nd row of dolls.

Still fairly new to quilting, I made some adjustments to suit my abilities:  I used fusible web on the doll bodies, cutting web 1/4" smaller than the template.  I turned the edges in over the webbing, then ironed flat. 
 

I machine appliqued the dolls, having needle-turned only their faces.

 Adorbs!

Now to work on borders.