Dolls and More Dolls, Episode 2

It is a truth universally acknowledged that one thing leads to another. (Yes, I'm a Jane Austen fan and especially fond of Pride and Prejudice!)

Michelle and the Rosebud live two states away from me and I was worried that the doll clothes I was eager to sew wouldn't fit properly.  So, of course, I needed a "model" to try on the clothes.  I chose a knock-off doll, inexpensive and available.  

Meet Annabelle Kate. She has the sweetest expression.  I just love her!

She's adorable dressed for Easter here, but looks can be deceiving. 

Her Yacht Club dress, those cute slingback sandals and the Easter basket filled with Peeps probably distracted you.

The horrid truth is that she has the worst hair in the world.  It would be impossible for any little girl to comb her trainwreck of a coiffure.  All I could do was braid the disparate lengths into two thick braids, add red ribbons and call it good.  Well, not good, but the best possible.  And she stayed that way for four long years.  

Until I discovered the infinite wonder of doll wigs on Etsy.  When it arrived, I cut Annabelle Kate's hair.  It was such an improvement that I should have given her a trim years ago!

She looks much happier now with her new, very brushable, silky hair. 

Annabelle Kate wasn't the last doll to arrive at Meadowsweet Cottage.  You knew that was coming, right?

When the Rosebud visited and we played with Annabelle Kate (pre-makeover) and Michelle, the difference between American Girl doll hair and the knockoff doll hair was sadly even more apparent. I've always loved the look of a shorter-haired American Girl doll. And sure enough, I found a great buy on eBay.  If you think she looks like Kit Kittredge, you'd be right.  She even came with some of Kit's meet outfit and her book, which was a bonus.

I renamed her Mabel Gabriella--Bree, for short. Although I admit I sometimes think of her as "Kit".  It just means that the dolls need to play together more so I get used to calling her Bree. 

There's something special about owning such a great doll.  I'm not knocking the knock-offs, but she's made so well. Her hair is so silky and easy to comb and style.  She sits and stands beautifully.  I kinda love her!

 

 

Dolls and More Dolls, Episode 1

I like dolls.  

 Baby dolls, Raggedy Ann dolls, Amish dolls, Barbie dolls. Dolls from the store and home-crafted dolls. These two lovelies were made by my grandma in the 1960s.  She made them for all her grandchildren and we got to choose which one to keep.  At family reunions, the Raggedies come too! Can you tell two blondies picked these?  Mine just coincidentally happens to have brown hair and blue eyes.

 

But my current favorites have to be American Girl dolls.  I blame it on my grand-daughter.  We bought the Samantha doll at Costco for a decent price and that was her birthday present at five.  I don't think I'll ever forget her ecstatic reaction when she opened her gift!  Priceless!

I was aware of Pleasant Company and their product--dolls from various historical periods that came with appropriate clothing and accessories and a storybook of their adventures.  I didn't know that they eventually became part of Mattel. Or that there were knockoffs (which meant that little girls from less-advantaged families could enjoy imaginative doll play also.

But once Samantha, renamed Michelle, became part of the family, I wanted to sew for her--sort of a family tradition.  And I discovered doll patterns. That meant all those little scraps of cute fabrics that I couldn't bear to toss suddenly were the right size for my projects.  Do you know how dangerous it can be when literally any material can legitimately be saved?  A stash can expand exponentially!

 

For better or worse, I discovered Pixie Faire, an online shop with the cutest designs ever! Great designers like Liberty Jane, Eden Ave Couture, Forever 18, Miche Designs--I could go on and on. Basic American Girl clothes from tee shirts to mini-skirts.  Fun accessories like bunny slippers and Halloween costumes.  Furniture from bunkbeds to sofas. So I started getting their free patterns then ordering new ones.  Four years later I haven't stopped sewing and crafting for Samantha/Michelle! 

In Episode 2, one thing leads to another...

My Sunday Guidepost #115

Caring for others creates the spirit of a nation.

~Pat Nixon

Friday Fave -- Christmas in January

The nights are getting shorter and the days longer--although you can't tell if you're not paying attention because you're too busy freezing your bewhondus off.

All the twinkling lights are packed away as are the tartookers, bizilbigs, popcorn and plums. So what's a girl to do to ward off a severe case of the dreaded January Doldrums?  Funny you should ask!

It helps that I've hoarded every post-holiday sale cross-stitch ornament pattern that I've ever seen.  I have kits marked Shopko $.30--and we haven't had Shopko here for a decade, people.  And, oh, how I miss that store!  So I'm loving lots and lots of cheery projects to stitch while I watch George Eliot's Middlemarch on Netflx, with an occasional Marco Polo episode  thrown in to satisfy my sweetie's viewing habits.

It might have taken a few days of digging in various boxes and bins to round up all the kits that have scattered over the years, but I managed to herd them into one corral finally. So maybe the correct embroidery threads aren't with the right kits. Details, details.  Close enough.

I'm just started project number seven!  Which sounds impressive--especially with an exclamation mark thownin--but three of them were already mostly finished (similar to "mostly dead", but in the opposite way) and took just an evening to wind up. 

Don't you just love that little gingerbread house on the green Aida?!  It's my favorite.  Atlhough the little hen with the brown eggs that says Merry Eggsmas on it (not pictured) is darn fun too.  In a chicken-loving way.

I'm not only avoiding the post-holiday letdown but I'm a whole eleven months ahead on next year's Christmas ornaments!  Whoot!


 

My New Halloween Wallhanging or the "I Need A New Camera" Post

Black Friday can't come soon enough for me!

Not that I want Christmas to arrive any faster than usual...but I really need a new camera.  Need not want,  NEED!  Really!

But behold, Exhibit A:  The former Monster quilt in all its hideous orangeousity.
 
Kinda sorta mostly in focus (I forgot to tell you put on your sunglasses before viewing).


And Exhibit B:  The New and Greatly-Improved Monster wallhanging. Only the front is sewn but it's hangable.  And before Halloween too!
 

But is there any focus-ness going on in this photo at all, people?  And this IS the edited version with as much sharpening as I could get.

Sigh.  My lens is permanently stuck open.  The camera might focus (or it might not, depending on its mood).

It's frustrating.  I've been productive throughout the summer and fall, but haven't been able to document my accomplishments.  Have you seen any more of the wedding projects of which I'm extremely proud?  Of course not--missed the boat on those. Thank you so much, Ms. Camera, I really had a special use for those that might relate to what I want to be when I grow up.

In short, Mrs. Santa has been combing the early Black Friday ads looking for an affordable steal of a new point-and-shoot.  I'll be reading reviews and doing a hands-on trial beforehand.  And saving my nickels and dimes.

Hang in there, people.  Help is on the way thanks to the Black Friday elves!  Golly, regular posting again complete with photos that are worth looking at.  Insert Big Smile here!

Bring Joy,

p.s. I just now stepped back from hanging Monsters2 above the mantel and did a little happy dance. All the colors play so nicely with the rest of the autumn decor. It's a keeper!

Saying A Not-So-Fond Farewell to a Wallhanging

How do you define hot mess?  Let me give you a hint.

I made a Halloween quilt to display over the mantel.  I used an extraordinarily-flamboyant orange fabric.  And some seasonal black to go with it.  As well as vibrant turquoise.  And purple.  And then I hung it in a room with red-trimmed curtains. What was I thinking?

I don't have one single photo of my mantel with the wallhanging.  I realize how disappointed you must be.  Just know that your eyes are thanking me.  And you won't need counseling to overcome your PTSD.

I've hated it every single time I walked by.  For years and years.

I put up all our Halloween decor at the beginning of the month except the obnoxious wallhanging.  I told myself I'd wait until right before All Hallow's Eve so I wouldn't have to look at it for very long. 

Then I realized I had no intention of ever hanging it up again.  Ever ever ever.

No matter how much time, effort and thought go into a project, sometimes it's a failure.  I'm specifically blaming the orange in this case.  It's loud enough that it practically fluoresces in the dark.  I could donate it to a local construction company for their employees' safety vests and I can guarantee that even a driver on a cellphone would avoid them.

On the other hand, last year I grabbed a stack of nice autumnal fabric from my stash and quickly put together a little Halloween gem that I promptly gave away.

 
A small quilted wallhanging that has orange and black and purple--but in lovely mellow October shades.  It lives at my sister's home.

Have you every seen a happier Frankenstein?  He looks like he's waiting for pumpkin muffins to come out the oven.  Totally content.

The difference between the two pieces is kinda like choosing a double espresso before bedtime instead of a cup of warm milk and a cookie. 

Like feeding your toddler all the Halloween candy at one sitting and letting him wash it down with a Coke instead of dipping graham crackers in milk one by one.

Like growing your fingernails extra long to scratch that chalkboard instead of listening to a dove coo. 

Like...well, you get the idea.

Fortunately for me, I'll be at my favorite quilt show this time next week.  And I'll be looking for some fabrics that will play nicely with my family room decor.  Maybe next year, I'll have a Halloween wallhanging that doesn't make me cringe.

Bring joy,

 

Shamrocks and Irish Lace

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

Can I admit that one of my pet peeves is the pairing of four-leaf clovers with St. Patrick's Day? Silly, I know, but during my grade school days I enjoyed the story of the Irish saint illustrating the story of the Holy Trinity using the shamrock. Now  I keep wondering what comes after the Father, Son and Holy Spirit if you use a four-leaf clover? Elvis?  Don McLean?  The Fairy Godmother? Anyway, I blame the whole mix-up on Lucky Charms cereal and  mischievous leprechauns.

I was hoping my liturgically-correct shamrocks would resprout from their winter doldrums in time for March 17th, but they're just little brown nublets today. Sigh. No four-leaf clovers in evidence either.  We used to have a four-leaf clover plant--I still check each clover plant before I do my weeding!

Must be a wee bit of lace-curtain Irish in me.  These look fine from outside but inside...high water!

Recently I found a match for the soft ivory color and the filet-lace look and on Monday I added a few inches to the top.  Voila!  Long enough to brush lightly against the carpet, short enough not to tempt my Electrolux.

Happy St. Patrick's Day,, my friends! Don't forget to wear your green today or...ouch!

Just A Snowbird At Heart

Either I'm three weeks behind or else I'm eleven months ahead, 'cause every project I've worked on for the last week is either a holiday present to be (because, if recent history is any indicator, unless I start the gift making now, I likely won't have it done in time for Christmas Twenty-Ten) or it's something that I've been dying to make for myself (but refrained from finishing while I made things for other people).

So...presenting Pogonip's Winter Collection:

The beginnings of the snowflake apron. Currently unfinished while I decide what the lining will be. Do I search for a soft wintery blue print? Do I line it with the same blue? What about a white-on-white back? I'm leaning towards the white-on-white option, providing I can find one I like. I have another yard and a half of the deep blue in the workroom just in case. I couldn't resist getting more--the "hand" of this fabric is unbelievable--silky soft, quilters' quality and less than four bucks a yard. What a delight to sew on!

This tablerunner is for me! Huge grin. I don't know how long it's taken to finish. I fused the appliques ten years ago, then left them in the fabric store (!) while I was trying to find a coordinating fabric. That froze my molasses. I recovered eventually and fused a new set of poinsettias, gradually began assembling the ivory/tan/white background squares and somehow managed to almost finish blanket-stitching them (so close) before the Christmas sweatshop workshop opened for business.
If you thought the green border looked a whole lot like the blue snowflakes, you're entirely right. Another chance to work with that scrumptious fabric!

Before the border--amazing difference. Good detail of my blanket-stitching too.

More and more of our presents are getting "wrapped" in bags. They're a great way to go Green and lighten up my stash. They're also a fine excuse to buy more fabric since these Victorian Santas (who've been cluttering my workbasket for years) didn't match anything I already had. So we now possess three more bags.

This concludes my red-and-green January. I've moved on to thinking about handpainted flowers on linen pillows a la Pottery Barn.

Busy Bee Saturday

Kharma modeling the finished vinyl dogwash apron.

The linen/cotton napkins were finished well before dinnertime. I lovelovelove the plates that Santa brought me.

This is one time when the flash improved the photo by showing the true blue color of the napkins. They feel divinely crisp and heavy. I became a cloth napkin convert a long time ago and can't stand the feel of paper napkins now! We'll see how they hold up in the laundry--if they impress me I'll be going back for a neutral in the same fabric.

Carpe Diem Friday

Which translates to something like:  It's a early release day at school and all the streets are driveable so go shopping!

J.C. Penney outlet store: alas, nada.

Mill End Fabrics: 

• linen/cotton blend--napkins,
• floral vinyl--dog-bath apron, 
• indigo snowflakes--Christmas apron, 
• green cotton--border and backing for table runner.
  

(Because I don't already have enough unfinished projects.)  In my own defense I have to say that I'm ready to start sewing on both the napkins and apron and I've subjected the cottons to hot water and will iron them as soon as they come out of the dryer.  I'm on a mission.  Three day weekend!

Photos to follow.

Ten Drummers Drumming

The first complete project of the New Year:That would be moi in my new apron.
Rotten light though.

Let's turn on the flash...The front.

The back.Finally I found an apron pattern that I love, love, love!

My favorite thing might be this pocket. I adapted the plain square uninspired pocket into something cuter. Would a bit of lace finish it off? Yes or no?

Now that I think of it, there's something I like even better than the pocket. But you'll have to wait until tomorrow...I'm off to watch Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince right now before it gets too late. Suspense--I'm evil that way.

10:21 a.m.

My own personal version of Black Friday.The Queen Mother made the felt jack o'lanterns when the boys were small and I always wanted to find a fun way to display these pumpkins. I blanket-stitched the pumpkins to a suede-like black square last night while we watched a movie and digested our turkey dinner.

The Wizard of Oz was the perfect movie--Thanksgiving lends itself to "there's no place like home" and I'd just finished My Pritty the day before. Plus I was Dorothy for Halloween but I still need some ruby slippers (on my shopping list). This morning I sewed the finished pumpkin squares into pillow shams; each boy will have one of their own. Now they--the shams not the boys--can be easily used each October then stored away nicely with other Halloween paraphernalia.

I was able to complete all my cute goblins because I found a nice black wool blazer at Savers half-price sale on Veteran's Day which is regrettably after October 31st rather than before. I felted the wool in my washer with lots of hot water and agitation followed by a tumble in a hot dryer. Cutting away the lining and then using a seam ripper to deconstruct the jacket was messy but fairly easy; I had a nice selection of black wool felt to choose from when I needed a cat body or penny rug "tongues". Voila! Finished projects.

This is the last Halloween project for the year (I promise!), so I can safely pack away the Halloween/Thanksgiving storage box when I take down all our Thanksgiving decor. I don't have the hair that I need for the Queen of Halloween so she'll have to wait and I'm saving some embroidered Halloween themes for next year. Right now I'm moving on to some unfinished Christmas projects while I root through my crafts to see what new projects excite me. I'm ready for a little green and red in my life.

And I just happened to acquire a red jacket at the same Savers sale that is just begging to be used for a Santa or??

Tradition

I say I go to Pacific International Quilt Festival for the quilts and the vendors, but I really go for the friends I've been meeting there for eighteen years. It wouldn't be fun without my "peeps". We are so lucky to have two families open their homes and hearts to our huge group (California, north and south, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho and Nevada). See those smiles on our faces? Cheese ravioli with a savory topping that is still stimulating my tastebuds a day later--onions and Italian sausage and ??? I need this recipe!
Some friends have four legs, lots of toys and would rather sniff my shoes than play. I'm always eager to see Toby's new tricks.

The babysitters from eighteen years ago have become young mothers. The babies of yesteryear have grown up through the babysitter stage to the young lady stage. Fortunately a new generation is making its appearance. Last year she was a baby, this year a toddler at play. She'll be one of the babysitters before we know it.

(She's already learned that shopping is serious business. Check out her pink sparkly purse in motion.)

Coming tomorrow: quilts worth writing home about.

Yippee-Ki-Yay-Ki-Oh!

Introducing my Cowgirl Pillowcase--

--'cause I'm a cowgirl at heart and have been since I was three years old. The Queen Mother made me a leatherette vest with fringe and conchos. I'd ride my palomino stick-horse around the yard pretending I was Dale Evans riding through the hills. (Yes, I know she rode a buckskin named Buttermilk, but I idolized Trigger.)

I also had a cute little skirt and eventually a holster with an ivory-handled toy six gun. I thought Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger were way cooler than Superman, but on their best day they just couldn't compete with cowgirl fashion.

Now I have to decide which of these cowgirl beauties is the real me.

This is Red. She's very girl-next-door but with those skin-tight jeans you have to wonder just how wholesome she is. She gets top marks for coordinating her gloves and boots.
Sue has a thing for fringe. Don't let her prim looks fool you; there's a reason she's pursing her scarlet lips. I like her color sense--are those boots ostrich?

Hmmm...I've been known to wear a neckerchief like Bunny, but I usually wear my conchos somewhat less strategically placed. And who is she pointing her gun at? And why? She seems more Moonlight Bunny Ranch instead of dude ranch to me.

This is Ingrid. She's a cowgirl wanna-be although she lives in Europe. Someone needs to redesign her skirt--the fringe is great and I love the length, but we need to lose the dirndl vibe.

Patsy and I can both play "Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight" on guitar. Her Stetson is my favorite, but can you explain how she and Ingrid are apparently sharing clothes? No wait, I don't wanna know.


Lucy obviously drinks too much. But she's the best friend imaginable when she's sober. And is there anything really wrong with being a party girl?

Jill is a flirt and very good at getting attention when she wants it. She has great taste in horses.

So who's your inner cowgirl: Red, Sue, Bunny, Ingrid, Patsy, Lucy or Jill?

Hocus Pocus

Country blue curtains with ruffles--gone forever. New look says, I have nothing to hide.

On second thought...maybe I do. Hello, raw silk, good-bye junk.

Now if I could just find some nice cheap molding to frame the cabinets, I'd be happy. (And maybe this laundry room remodel will be over.)