“Quilts connect the past with the present and future…”
-Unknown

Hi, my name is Dora. Welcome to a.dora.bly stitched, my blog devoted to crafting a handmade, homegrown life. I am an avid knitter and quilter and offer a number of handmade items for your home, yourself, and gift giving in my shop. You’ll also get a flavor of my other passions (gardening, traveling, and cooking) from time to time on the blog.

I have always had a love and appreciation for all things handmade and attribute my passion for making and creating to my family. I have fond childhood memories of my mom making our Halloween costumes each year and of quilts and other home décor made by relatives. I grew up watching my dad remodel our family home, making and refinishing furniture for the house, and gardening with my grandmother. Over the years, my mom’s home cooking and baked goods, as well as years of living in the Midwest and a brief stint down South, have inspired my cooking.

My aunt Jan taught me how to knit when I was home from college one year on Easter break and I instantly became hooked. I remember my mom teaching me to sew by hand when I was a child so that I could make pillows and blankets for my dolls, but it took a few more years for me to develop a true interest in sewing. Flash forward about 20 years, and I purchased my first sewing machine after landing my first REAL job as a full-fledged pharmacist so that I could begin making baby quilts for friends (just couldn’t knit them fast enough).   Not only had I found another creative outlet, but also a new form of stress relief that helped ease the transition from my young 20s into adulthood and professional life.

My style has evolved as a result of my life experiences: a combination of my Midwest roots, the old New England charm that I’ve grown to love while living in Connecticut, and a modern flare. As I enter my 30s and the baby boom amongst friends is beginning to ease (I think), I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts for you and your loved ones.

“What I make with my hands, I give of my heart.”
-Unknown