bybido

Sleep. Sew. Play.

2012-01-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

The Pink Room. My youngest daughter's bedroom. Our sewing space. Pinky's. This is where my girls and I spend a bit of our time together each day.

It's a tiny room. And it has the worst natural light out of any room in the house. But we're making it work for now. This is the general layout below.

As soon as you enter the room, this wooden kitchen is to your right, right next to the door. My youngest spends a lot of her time playing/making messes/drawing, etc., while seated on this little carpet. Behind the cupboard doors are loads of wooden food items, tea cups, plates, bowls and utensils. The older girls' sewing stuff is on the right. Their fabric stash is in the clear container and their baskets, etc. are on top.

This is my messy work table. It is huge (it folds out to twice this size) but it also folds down if I/we want. I usually keep it like this, though, half-open. My Featherweight and coverstitch machine are stored below the table, next to a big basket of patterns. The large plastic bins underneath could be stored in a closet, but I like to see some of my fabric. The first bin holds wovens, the second holds knits, the third holds doll and toys in progress, and the fourth holds wool felt. Any smaller shoebox containers store projects I'm also working on. (Those boxes are scattered all over!)

This basket at the back corner of my table holds some knits that will shortly become pajamas, playdresses, and leggings.

Some knits I'm working with this week.

These are our miniature dog making supplies. My girls have sacrificed a few of their stuffed animals to be reincarnated as tiny dogs :). I'm thinking I can eek out at least a litter or two...

I love Sarah Jane's Children at Play fabric line. I keep this stack here because I'm still thinking about what to do with it. The fabric at the bottom (Japanese candy print) we're using to cover a family book we're writing for my youngest.

This is where my youngest takes some naps, plays while I sew, and where she is supposed to sleep at night :). I'm still trying to find the perfect "something" to put on the wall directly above her bed...I haven't found it yet. My husband built the bed using some awesome plans from the Ana White site. My mother made the quilt/bedding.

We're looking for the right-sized dresser to put at the foot of her bed (there are baskets and a canvas bucket there now). For now, her clothes are hung in the closet or otherwise stored in our room.

This is the sewing area. The ceilings in our house are all sloped with exposed beams. The wall is really high on this side, perfect for added wall space :). Those marionettes stands come nowhere close to the high ceiling!

My sewing cabinet is also gigantic, but can be folded up as well. My serger is stored behind the door on the right. That door can flip out, the top flips over, and the table can be expanded even more. And then there is even a smaller table that folds out from the door (at a right angle). And the back can flip out. This thing is crazy! I usually leave it as is and place my coverstitch machine or serger in front of the lamp. I don't need three machines out at once. I'm not very fast with my projects, in case that isn't already apparent :).

This is a little print I saw on etsy last year and just had to buy. It reminds me of three girls I know.

So...this is where we spend some of our time together. Always listening to music, drinking some tea, and working on some sewing projects.

The girls genuinely seem to enjoy this time together. They ask for it, even. The occasional treats, of course, don't hurt :).

They love this little room. So do I. Especially because they enjoy spending time with me in there. It's ours.

Distractions, distractions

2012-01-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

But she's a really cute, furry, lovable distraction.

We've wanted a dog for years, but knew we needed to wait for the right time...and the right dog. And here she is. Our sweet pup, Lily.

She was an early Christmas present (we actually rescued her the week before Thanksgiving), and having her around, wagging that tail, waiting patiently by the back door to go outside and play a game a fetch (again)...well, she was quite a distraction through the holidays. I had to push aside a lot of the projects I was working on. But I know her time as a puppy is going to fly by and she needs my/our attention. She is the sweetest dog...such a loving temperament. We're thrilled with her.

I did finish matching pajamas for the girls and their cousins (for the 8th year straight), I pulled together this stocking (I think I need to embroider her name on the cuff?), and helped my oldest sew some felt Christmas mice. But other than that...it's been puppy-time all the time.

She's inspired me to dig out some old fabric and buy some new...

And purchase a few books that the girls are SO EXCITED about...

So now I'm embarking on a hunt for miniature dog-making supplies...

...after I go play fetch and rub a little furry belly some more. Priorities :).

Mice are nice

2011-11-07T14:26:00.000-08:00

Large mouse by Fox and Owl

I'm here! Thank you for the emails (sorry if I haven't responded yet). Life is good. I've just been a big slacker on the blog front.

On the contrary, I've been busy stirring up a tangle of fabric, yarn, and wool felt in The Pink Room. I actually spent much of Saturday cleaning up and trying to contain a lot of my mess because I was completely taking over my littlest one's bedroom. I even folded down my cutting table to half its size. Now, at least she has her part of the room back and it looks orderly again.

I have to finish up a few projects over the next couple weeks and then it's on to some Christmas dolls. It wouldn't be Christmas without a new addition or two.

Otherwise, we've been preoccupied with mice. Little toy ones, not real - like this little adorable guy.

My oldest daughter and I are loving these little mice by this company called Maileg. A few of our favorites...

Source: Maileg

There is a cigar box that the mother and father mice sleep in and look at this house. So cute!

Source: Maile g

We ordered some plain DIY matchboxes off etsy and my daughter plans to make her own simpler variation of matchbox mice as Christmas gifts this year for her sisters and perhaps a few lucky cousins.

Of course, we had to buy the real deal as well. We found this mouse at one of our favorite toy stores in Berkeley. So sweet in person...

I understand why my daughter is so taken by these mice. I had an impressive collection of little fur mice when I was around her age. They were all in costume...a queen, a cowboy/cowgirl, a witch, a bride and groom, a baby, etc. Who knows what happened to them (Mom?!?). I remember lining them all up on a shelf in the bedroom that I shared with my younger sister. Occasionally, I come across a few for sale on etsy or ebay...but I'm actually very content with the one piece I have left from my childhood collection - I'll leave it to my girls to do the "collecting" these days.

This is the sole mouse that I have left. I found it a year or two ago in a box at my parents' house. It looks scared.

I have no idea what its costume once was; there is no sign of it left. It has one deformed ear and is missing almost all the fur on its tail and a bit from around its nose. Maybe I'll have my daughter make it some clothes.

Poor thing is in the care of the beautiful mouse my daughter and I bought at the Renegade Fair earlier this summer. We were there the first day as the doors opened and bee-lined to Fox and Owl's booth, chatted with Erika a bit (uh, she's awesome and super super super talented), and happily walked away with "Miss Mouse", as my daughters call her.

My daughter pleaded for one of these, too. How could I resist? So many people stopped to ask her where she got it from :).

When not being played with, Miss Mouse usually sits up on a shelf in The Pink Room with the little pig we bought last year at the Renegade Fair. The pig is from Oh Ma Felt and was a perfect birthday gift for my "Year of the Pig" baby. It's actually one of her favorites :).

Off to go pick-up the girls from their schools...

August...

2011-08-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

means Christmas is already on the brain! It's still a long ways off, but my plate is extremely full these days. I have to start thinking about it now and what I realistically have time to make. Matching pajamas are a must. What else can I fit in? My youngest really wants a doll...one like her sisters have.

In the meantime, there are a few back-to-school projects on the table...

Source: Superbuzzy

And thanks to Sew Mama Sew, I know what I'll be making out of the Ed Emberley fabric above.

Source: Sew Mama Sew

These pencil cases! Maybe with some matching travel art folios for car trips.

I love this Ed Emberley fabric. I am confident that I've drawn every animal featured on that fabric at least a dozen times during my childhood (easily more!). I remember that book so well and have tried my best to introduce Ed Emberley books to my girls; they just aren't as drawn to his books as I was as a kid (no pun intended :) ).

Superbuzzy has a few other Ed Emberley items I'm eyeing, including a few fabrics, some trims and a couple bento bags. I like this fabric, too.

My middle daughter is the kid in our family who draws a lot these days. A LOT. She's been into this book lately. I'll have to snap some photos of her artwork. Drawings are scattered all over the house this summer.

Source: Amazon

Besides drawing, the girls have been enjoying lots of down-time this summer. Very few scheduled activities. Lots of time to lounge around the house, swim, play soccer, and make messes/"be creative" :). And time with family, of course. One last trip next week to see more cousins and spend time at the beach and then it's back to school!

These last few pictures are for the Grandparents, specifically those on the East Coast (though, I'm sure both sets will enjoy them).

My sweet new niece with a tasty flip-flop.

Another adorable nephew.

Youngest.

Middle.

And, of course, a few of the "matching" shots.

Cousin love.

Oldest.

Thanks for the past couple weeks!

Happy Cousins, Cape Cod, 2011.

More Summer Sewing

2011-06-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

My oldest and I were at Michael's the other day, stocking up on art and craft supplies for summertime. While I was picking up a few skeins of embroidery floss, she spotted these felt doll kits in a new area of the store that also had sheets of wool felt, felted wool, wool roving, and other felting supplies (and cute felt and embroidery kits!). Go Michaels!

Source Amazon

I had some coupons handy and had been eyeing similar kits online**, so it was hard to say no. She picked out the doll kit above for my middle daughter and the one below for herself.

Source Borders

I couldn't find the actual pictures on Michael's site, but as you can see, these kits are available elsewhere (Borders, even?!?). The felt already has holes punched making it easy for kids to sew themselves. Everything is included: needle, thread, beads, stuffing, etc. The girls both started them during their Sunday Sister Sewing Session last night.

**A few months ago, I had spotted these doll kits at one of my favorite online stores, Lark.

Source Lark

I'm glad I found them locally! I may go back with this week's coupon and pick up one more for my youngest. She obviously can't make it yet, but her sisters can.

The only drawback to these kits is that the felt they use is craft felt/acrylic (blah!). The girls noticed the difference right away. But then again, for $5 (with a coupon), I can't complain really. And they have something to work on for at least one more Sunday!

Keep your eye out for these kits if you have a daughter who likes to sew!

Fiber Treasures

2011-06-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

I love to buy fabric and yarn in person. While I do my best to support local stores, I also can't resist purchasing fiber souvenirs whenever I'm on "vacation"... this includes seasonal pilgrimages to Hart's Fabrics in Santa Cruz and semi-frequent road trips down the coast to visit family in Southern California.

Unfortunately, one of the stores I often stop at on my trips to SoCal is about to close. So sad! Stopping there has been sort of a ritual over the years...I look forward to fabric and yarn and the girls look forward to walking over to Coffee, Bean and Tea Leaf for an ice-blended drink or hot chocolate, depending on the time of year.

My husband pointed out all the fabric and yarn stores that I buy from online (and how it's easier and sometimes cheaper to do so), but I tried my best to convey to him the importance of seeing and touching fabric in person. Everytime I venture into a store, I find fabric that I otherwise would have passed on if I had only seen it online. Likewise, there are sometimes prints that I'm happy I passed on (the scale or color or feel may not be as appealing in person).

Luckily, on our most recent trip down the coast a few weekends ago, I discovered a new-to-me (brick and mortar) fabric store, but one that I've bought plenty of fabric from online...

Um, anyone heard of FABRIC WORM?!?!

I guess I never paid much attention to the "Visit Our Store" part of their website.. Paso Robles is directly on our route down the 101! And it's actually a better 1/2 way point for us to stop, stretch, eat...and buy fabric! Awesome.

On my inaugural visit to Birch Fabrics/Fabric Worm, I purchased some of this lovely Japanese fabric that is destined to become a sewing machine cover for the sweet Bernina my mother just passed down to me (she bought herself a new, even fancier embroidery-does-everything machine). See, as I explained to my husband, now when I look at my machine with it's cover on, I'll remember the trip we took to celebrate my Grandmother's 90th birthday. My purchases are sentimental like that :).

Two road trips ago, on my last visit to the aforementioned store that's about to close, I bought a bunch of this Brown Sheep Burly Spun Yarn; it was on sale and I thought I'd use it for doll hair. But when I tested it out on a doll that I'm making, I not so sure it will work - the doll looks very washed out. Hmm. Maybe once I've finished embroidering her eyes/face, things will look better.

But...but, see if it does work, I'll think of that fabric store whenever I look at this new doll and her lovely hair. :-P

For now, the yarn is entertaining my youngest. We've never had a ball of yarn around here that comes close to the size of this one. And that's saying something!

Sunday Sister Sewing Sessions

2011-05-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday Sister Sewing Sessions are a tradition we started at the beginning of the new year. I had been noticing that whenever I tried to sneak a few minutes away in the Pink Room (aka "Pinkies"), my girls were just a step or two behind me. And while I love that they're so eager to sew, it's hard to accomplish much if I'm also working with them. So I decided to establish a set time every Sunday afternoon for mother-daughter sewing time. Just me and my two older girls. So far, it's been a remarkable success.

We made up rules during our first official session. 1) You have to be at least 5 1/2 to participate (my middle daughter's rule); 2) try your best (my oldest's rule); and 3) if there is any squabbling, the session is canceled (my rule). To my surprise, they've been incredibly cooperative and kind and my oldest is even helping my middle daughter with her stitches (!!!). They are extra-nice during this special hour on Sundays. Perhaps I should extend the duration of our weekly sessions - a whole afternoon of cooperation and sweetness? Hmmm...

The only music we ever play in Pinkies is this awesome radio station - music from the 1930s and 40s. The songs remind me of being in my Grandma's house as a kid and helps set the mood for sewing - with my girls or by myself. Plus, the station also plays old radio shows/mysteries from that era, which the girls love to listen to.

Each Sunday Sister Sewing Session includes tea and a special treat of some kind. We've been using coffee mugs that the girls designed (I'll have to take a real picture of these) and little tea plates and spoons that were passed down from my Grandmother.

For the past few months, the girls have been working on rabbits from the Kata Golda book. For my middle daughter, I used a small 1/16" hole-punch and made holes for her to then blanket-stitch. My oldest daughter already knew what to do here, so I let her do her thing.

On a few Sundays, the girls have worked on other sewing projects (the projects here for my oldest and my middle daughter worked with me a few times on repairing a Pillow Pet and some other store-bought toys that had sprouted holes).

We're now midway through May and we've only missed one Sunday that we've been in town! The girls honestly seem to look forward to this weekly event. And it has kept them from asking "can I help? can I sew?" whenever they see me in the Pink Room. I try and update the chalkboard (pictured up top) with what step/project they'll be working on each Sunday so they have something to look forward to.

Using buttons to "mark" where she wants the eyes to go.

They finally finished their rabbits this past weekend. Both designed their rabbit's face themselves (I assisted a bit with embroidering features- mostly playing "clean up" :) ).

My oldest daughter and I are now going to start back on her Mary Frances sewing. My middle daughter wants to work on a tooth fairy pillow.

So that's a little of what's been going on here every Sunday afternoon :).

(Sorry for all the poor quality photos. Better photos next time :) ).

The Unfinished Sisters Sewing Sketch

2011-04-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Every so often when tiding up my sewing space I come across this unfinished rough sketch of mine from more than 2 years ago. Whenever I look at this sketch, I laugh a bit because the girls in the drawing are supposed to be my daughters - and they are...but they aren't. For one...their hair is brushed and styled so nicely. That doesn't happen very often around here. Also, my middle daughter is actually wearing what looks like matching socks (she likes to "layer" in real life...mismatching socks on top of leggings on top of tights, under a dress, of course, etc.). And the two older ones are sewing...on their own...cooperatively. Pure fantasy?

I never finished the sketch because I wasn't sure where I was going with it. Did I eventually want to frame it and put it up in my sewing space? Did I want to convert it to a line drawing and embroider it? I never decided so I never finished it.

To be honest and fair, I should add that the sketch is not original. It was inspired (that doesn't feel like a strong enough word here!) by this vintage needlebook that I am still on the hunt for (if anyone comes across it, let me know). I thought this needlebook picture was incredibly charming and decided to draw my own version of my girls for purely personal reasons. Look at how adorable the needlebook is. I want it! I need it!

Source: Unknown! Downloaded it a few years back!

Side note: I did eventually use the sketch of my youngest on a Christmas stocking I made later that year. I changed the doll to one I knit for her and had placed in the stocking.

(The reindeer is from Badbird.)

As I was saying, the sketch used to make me laugh because the girls were sewing and all getting along so nicely...helping to mend a shoe and a dress for their baby sister's doll!?! How sweet of them. Every sewing mother's dream...

But actually, these days, it's not so much a fantasy anymore. We've started a new tradition this year...and it has caused me to reflect on this sketch and consider what I want it to become because of my girls and who they are becoming. I think the sketch has a place in our sewing space/The Pink Room/"Pinkies"...somehow.

I'm also intent on finding that needlebook!

I'll post more about this next week...

Are you looking at me?

2011-03-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about keeping a flickr stream and, over the past year, a blog, is that it has provided me with the opportunity to watch my artistic style evolve. Over the years, there have been a few subtle changes (improvements!) in the way I make dolls. At the same time, there are a few things that I do/techniques that I use that have held fast - I do them for personal and peculiar reasons and it's not likely they'll change. I thought I'd provide some insight here:

1) Hair parts! Have you noticed how I consistently part my dolls' hair on the same side of the head? Every doll I've made (with the exception of the marionettes and Goldilocks back in 2008) has a hair part on the same side as the doll up in my blog's banner/avatar. Always. The reason why I always do it this way?

Her:

Her:

And her:
Notice that they all have hair parts on that side of their head. So the dolls I make do, too. Naturally! Even when the hair is felt :).

2) The Eyes! Not only do I always purposefully put three lashes on each side (we have a thing about doing things in three around this house), but I always put the highlight in the same exact spot, and if the doll is looking in any sort of direction, it's toward my left side. See?

The reason why is because I'm left-handed and oftentimes it's much easier for me to draw or embroider with the eyes of the doll looking at my hand. (Hence the blog post title). It's hard for me to explain, but it's as if my hand is an eye, too. Does anyone else feel this way? Often, when I'm sketching, I can actually draw better with the subject looking in that direction. Strange. I should scan some of my sketchbooks sometime.

Anyways, that's why you see the highlights in the same spot, three eyelashes per side, and sometimes the dolls glancing in that direction.

So, yes, that's part of my style ("signature" as one of you emailed me). The hair part, the eyes, the red mouth...that's how I do things.

I recently asked one of my favorite bloggers/dollmakers to test something out for me. At some point in the future, we can both show you what she did because the end result is beautiful...and it is "her" (the blogger/dollmaker). I love that I gave her the tools to make something "just like me/just like I do it", but she did it her way. It looks like one of her dolls (you'd all agree) and not like a copy of mine. She put her signature on it and I love it! Thank you, (you know who you are), and thanks to the rest of you who have emailed me over the past couple days! I appreciate your kind words!

I need to run and get a pedicure. It is hot today!

Little Stitches

2011-03-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Sewn by my oldest daughter for her friend. Spring 2011.

Over the weekend my oldest daughter attended a birthday party for one of her favorite friends. From the moment she received the invitation she started planning all the gifts she would make. She poured over Kata Golda's book as well as a new book I picked up at the Japanese book store a few weeks back (though you can buy this book many places), Felt Friends from Japan.

Her list was long and her ambitions were high. She picked out five toys that she planned on making (!?!?). And she wanted to cross-stitch something for her friend, too, and then make something from it. A pillow? A purse? A bookmark? All three!

I ended up taking her to the craft store and we found an inexpensive unfinished wood box (a jewelry box?). The lid has a 3 x 5 glass opening that would be perfect for a photo...or a little cross-stitch design? That works!

I made a few modifications to one of Wee Wonderful's X-Stitchette designs so that it would resemble her friend and be a bit more simple for my daughter to follow (including enlarging the pattern). My daughter pulled the rest off herself and even had time to make one of the five toys she had originally planned on making - the tiny wool felt bunny pictured up top. I cut that pattern out for her and she did all the sewing on her own. Hundreds of tiny stitches and several hours between the two presents!!!

She lined the box with wool felt and placed the bunny and a few other gifts inside the box.

And she is extremely proud, as you can see. I'm proud of her, too. Serious dedication!

On an unrelated note: If anyone knows of a toy/doll drive for Japan that's being organized here in the US, please let me know. I have a doll I made that I'd like to contribute. Thanks!

Belle and Boo and Bunny Love

2011-03-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

Picture source: Belle and Boo

One of my favorite illustrators at the moment is Mandy Sutcliffe of Belle and Boo. I simply adore all her work and have a special fondness for her characters, Belle and Boo. I have purchased several items from her shop and recently (finally!) had this lovely print framed and placed on the wall of my little sewing space. I love it!

Here's a (really bad) picture...the Pink Room had little sunlight this day.

The Belle and Boo characters remind me so much of my childhood. Like many women my age, I grew up with Belle's hairstyle. I had it for many, many, many years. Usually, it was a bit shorter than shown here...

I can't say I was thrilled with the hairstyle as a kid. I always wanted long hair. But looking at the Belle and Boo characters helps me look back and smile :).

And Boo! Boo reminds me of the little house rabbit that I had for seven+ years. She passed away shortly after my oldest daughter was born :(. I loved that bunny so much. And like Boo, my sweet bunny was light brown and had a little white around her nose.

I believe Mandy is working on another book (yay!!!!). I commented in one of her posts a few weeks back that I had a house rabbit that I used to dress up a few times a year (simple Halloween costumes and reindeer antlers at Christmas). I came across this picture the other day and thought I'd offer it up as proof. In the picture below, we were dressed as witches. I am missing my hat and she is missing her cape, though...

Me and my bunny back in Grad School. A very long time ago...

Needless to say, I love Belle and Boo! Every picture of these two makes me happy. And I'm glad I had a little "Boo" there in my life for awhile. Bunnies are awesome.

Picture source: Belle and Boo

A Bear for Valentine's Day

2011-02-16T08:34:00.000-08:00

I hand-sewed this little guy as a Valentine's Day gift for my girls. It's my first mohair teddy bear and probably won't be my last.

Many months ago, I purchased some mohair fabric from Intercal. But after considering it's price - and the fact that I didn't know where to begin - I just tucked it away while continuing to admire the work of a few of my favorite artists.

Then I saw this pattern by Sasha Pokrass and decided it would be perfect for trying my hand at making a bear (for a few reasons): 1) I wanted to use a tested pattern for my first bear; 2) I needed instructions on how to make a bear in the first place (cotter pins, washers, glass eyes?); and, 3) Although the bear in the pattern is mostly mohair (except his boots), I decided that I could use mohair just for the head. Perfect for learning in case I messed up!

For the body, I used boiled wool from a maternity coat that I wore over the years while pregnant with all three girls. I've been trying to decide what to make out of it for quite a long time. This project seemed ideal. I lined it with red Kona cotton and the little guy is quite sturdy.

He needs a ruffled collar like the original pattern. I just haven't decided what fabric/lace to use. In the meantime, he's borrowing a scarf from a little dog :).

And yes (I'm sure a few of you are cringing looking at my bear :) ), when my hand gets steadier, I know I need to go back and work on his muzzle more. He definitely needs some grooming and a trim. I just keep having flashbacks to the first time I took tweezers to my eyebrows and ended up with one arched ridiculously high. Just one. It took weeks to correct and I looked so silly. So...I didn't want to overdo it on his nose and left him a bit scruffy for now.

Besides, that's a huge part of the joy in sewing for my children - they don't notice these things (right now) and love what I make them (again, for now!).

Handmade Olympics!!!

2011-02-15T08:42:00.000-08:00

Have any of you checked out the finalists in this year's Handmade Olympics? Noelle (the Christmas doll) is one of the finalists in Event 2 and the Lonely Goatherd Marionettes are finalists in Event 7!!! The short-lists were posted yesterday and voting has just begun.

If any of you feel like voting (for my dolls or any of the other finalists), here are links to both Events. You can only vote once in each category!

Event 2 - "Our favorite handmade goodie for kids"

Event 7 - ""Our favorite handmade or vintage item that's fun!"

And check out the other Events (there are 8!). I'm sure you'll see some familiar names/blogs.

I'll be back tomorrow or Thursday with some pictures of the little guy I made my girls for Valentine's Day. It's a bit dreary out for photos right now...and I have to head to the co-op nursery school. It's my workday today :).

Mary Frances Sewing

2011-02-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

Projects 8 and 9 in the Mary Frances Sewing Book are now done. The outfit above is the Morning Dress. I did the cutting, ironing and basting and my daughter did all the sewing, some on the machine (the arm bands, joining the sides, and the placket) and some by hand (the hem and neck band). We took a short cut on the arm bands and used pinking shears instead of French seams, but otherwise followed the rest of the pattern. Pretty much.

A close-up of her hand-sewing.

And here is Project 8, the pinafore. For some reason, it's shorter than the pattern. I can't remember why :).

Again, my daughter did some of the sewing on the machine and some by hand (the hem, the pocket, and the button-holes specifically). I did a lot of ironing and basting and helped her with the outer edge sewing of the linen tape. She handled the rest on her own.

The fit is a bit funky...maybe over a different dress it would look better? Or maybe it is just the style? Or perhaps I should have re-sized it better? Probably the latter...

Oh well! Next up is a petticoat.

Hello Spring?

2011-02-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

Spring already? That's what it has felt like around the Bay Area recently. In fact, we had record-setting temps yesterday (in the high 70s)! The girls were outside playing in short sleeves and soaking up the sun.

All this warmer weather has prompted my middle daughter to urge me/remind me/pester me to make something more appropriate for her doll, Noelle. I had to agree. The velvet dress and fur-lined cape were definitely looking out-of-season.

So I quickly sewed up this dress above yesterday. I used a bit of fabric that one of my husband's colleagues so kindly brought back from a trip to China. (Thank you Grace!) Perfect for Spring.

I should have a few more posts later this week and early next week. Several projects are almost done! Finally...some progress :).

A Slow Month...

2011-01-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

January is quickly coming to an end - and I sure didn't accomplish a lot!!! Not like I was hoping to.

In between the girls playing "pass the sickness", I spent a solid two+weeks with at least one of the three girls home from school/nursery school. On top of that, my husband has taken a few trips this month, including a 9-day business trip to Korea. And when he's gone and the girls are sick, life sorta grinds to a halt.

Now things are getting back to "normal" once again (which is still chaotic, just more everyday-ish...and I have help).

Just the other day, my oldest and I re-read the chapter we're on in the Mary Frances Sewing Book. Over the holidays, my daughter had spent some time sewing little dolls as presents and our "lessons" were put on hold. Now they have resumed :). She even picked the fabric for her next sewing project (a pinafore) and it is now cut and partially sewn.

In the meantime, while dreaming up lots of projects for the coming year, I've been contemplating making a quilt for my youngest daughter. My husband just built her a new toddler-sized bed following the wonderful tutorial on this awesome site. It turned out adorable! As I've mentioned before, my sewing space is in my daughter's tiny bedroom, so I'm trying to make the limited space work for both of us (i.e., there are a lot of handmade dolls and toys perched on shelves...it looks almost like a doll/toy workshop). Anyways, I thought this fabric collection would be perfect for her room/bedding. It is by Lecien and called Caramel Town. You can see a much better picture of the print in the picture above. This picture below just shows all the prints/colors. I ordered a ton of this stuff!

But after mulling it over, I'm thinking of asking for my Mom's help instead. She quilts day and night and I know she could do a better job here than me. Plus, it would free up some time for me to work on other projects. It's a win-win. Sound okay, Mom?

Speaking of other projects, I'm still working on one I started a few weeks ago. It's totally new to me and involves a lot of hand-sewing. I plan to have it finished by Valentine's Day (it will be a present for the girls). I hope it turns out. We'll see. It's not stuffed yet, so it's hard for me to tell...

Anyways, thanks so much to those of you who emailed about my silence. Things are okay here! It's sweet of you to be concerned.

And just because this picture makes me smile, I'm putting it here. This is my baby...she is now three!

Love her!

New Year, New Projects!

2011-01-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning, 2010.

January always felt so gloomy when I was a kid. All that build up before the holidays, the anticipation for Christmas Day and even New Year's Eve...and then it would be over. *Poof*

Nowadays, I actually love this time of year. It feels so full of potential. A time of renewal and change. I don't mind packing away the holiday decorations, clearing the fabric remnants off my cutting table, vacuuming beneath my sewing cabinet, stashing away the serger and coversticher after my annual pajama-making marathon (10 matching nightgowns/pajamas sets this year!). I actually feel excited. Invigorated!

I have some cool things I'm working on right now, including a new toy that I've been daunted by in the past, but would love to make; I think I'm going to give it a try this month. I have a few more things in store for the new year...

But just to wrap up the holidays (and since a few of you so kindly emailed and asked) - yes, my middle daughter loved her doll! Loved her! She brings her other dolls/toys into "the Pink Room" daily (that's my sewing space/youngest daughter's room) to visit Noelle. Lots of sweet conversation and imaginative play.

And the marionettes! We surprised our girls with them the night after Christmas because The Sound of Music happened to be on TV. We walked them out during "The Lonely Goatherd" scene :). My youngest was controlling the goat and my husband and I maneuvered the boy and the little girl in her pale pink coat. I wish we had someone video tape their reactions. My middle daughter responded as I guessed she would - FULL of excitement and ran over and grasped one of puppets. My oldest daughter, however, was visually torn between the marionettes and her intense concentration on assembling her Harry Potter LEGO Hogwarts set. It's a little hard to compete with Harry Potter, it seems.

But now that Hogwarts is all complete, my oldest has played with the puppets quite a bit and seems intent on figuring out how to manipulate them.

And we've had ample talks about future puppet-making/The Lonely Goatherd projects. Just as I hoped.

For a Sweet Little Girl

2010-12-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

When I first saw a picture of this vintage card in Jenny B. Harris's Allsorts blog, I felt so inspired. Look how adorable.

Photos courtesy of Jenny b. Harris

So I bought a vintage red doll trunk off ebay. Luckily, it's in great condition and it was very inexpensive.

I made a doll for my 5 1/2 year old and the doll fits perfectly inside.

My daughter asked for braided loops and glittery red shoes. She also requested a black velvet dress. As I mentioned in a previous post, her name is Noelle.

This will be the doll that my middle daughter will learn to sew for, just like my older daughter's Marie doll. The trunk will be able to hold the clothes and Noelle.

I can't wait to see my daughter's expression on Christmas morning. I think she'll be pleased.

High on a Hill Was a Lonely Goatherd

2010-12-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo

(Mystery project solved!)

My childhood was not full of traditions. It just wasn't how we were raised.

But one of the few family traditions we did have was watching the annual TV airing of The Sound of Music.* My parents, sisters and I loved/love that movie. I think even my brother likes it more than he cares to admit.

Like many fans, my absolute favorite scene and song in the movie was/is "The Lonely Goatherd". Who can resist singing along? What child didn't dream of being one of the von Trapp family children, maneuvering the marionettes with Maria, singing and yodeling away? Those amazing puppets! That fantastic set! Brilliant!

Not surprisingly, my girls love the movie, the soundtrack, and "The Lonely Goatherd", too. They go nuts when the song comes on, interlocking elbows and swinging each other around. They sing and yodel words that oftentimes mimic the actual lyrics.

I thought what better present for my girls than a few marionettes of their own so that they can re-enact that scene over and over again here at home?

Obviously, there is no way I could ever come close to recreating the masterpieces created by Bil Baird. Not in this lifetime. So, I went with very simple and used some cloth, wool and bits of string and came up with these two little ones.

I aimed for "resemble" rather than replicate. Much easier that way. My "little girl in a pale pink coat" also looks less curvy, more young...modest :)

I am so excited about this project because this is JUST THE BEGINNING. Think of all the things the girls and I can make! A collapsible stage made out of a tri-fold display board (cover it with paper or paint? fabric or felt? adorn it with trims?)! Background scenery drawn by the girls using pastels and butcher paper! Playsilks for the curtains! More puppets! A few more marionettes! My brain is on overdrive!

I have a different cloth doll body in mind for making the "Mama" (a more floppy version so that one can control her head). Perhaps we'll make the "Men on a road with a load to tote" hand puppets out of wool felt. Maybe my husband can stand in for the "Men drinking beer with the foam afloat".

And I've been having fun playing with these little marionettes in the meantime, making them dance around the floor (I had to make sure they work!), testing out which control would work best for the girls (they are temporarily stringed up right now as my husband and I fine-tune/sand the real controls). I've been joined by my youngest who has been also testing out an inexpensive goat marionette I bought for Christmas so there are three marionettes to start with (no fighting! everyone gets one!). My older two daughters have no idea about this project.

Still, even the goat is a placeholder, until I/we can make the goat marionettes, too. Knowing my girls, they'll want to start with the baby goat...who wouldn't.

I am so excited about this project. Seriously excited. I think it will be something to pull out on a rainy day, something we can revisit year after year. I know the girls will have fun. I just know it.

(Her eyes don't glow and aren't as bright as these pictures depict.They are a deep turquoise/blue...not bright/blinding aqua :(. One of my New Year's resolutions will be to improve my photography skills! I wish you could see her in person.)

*For several years, my parents conned us kids into believing that the movie ended when the children went to bed (after singing "So Long, Farewell"). I was stunned...absolutely stunned when I discovered that the movie kept going for long after that scene.

Summary of Clues 1 - 6

2010-12-15T09:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a summary of the clues and a few additional hints.

1. I used this fabric for part of her outfit.

2. I used this felt to make a little hat.

3. I used this yarn for hair. Hint: for both.

4. Here is the hat. Hint: for him.

5. She has little black flats and he has little tan shoes.

6. I made her a pale pink coat.

Hope that helps!

Clue #6

2010-12-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

I meant to post the next clue yesterday. Unfortunately, we were without internet access due to home renovations. So sorry! Here is Clue #6.

Yesterday, while our new floor was being installed in our family room, I finally completed sewing the last bit of clothing for her. I made a coat.

One of the many things I love about this project is that I was able to recycle various scraps of clothing, felt, and bits of yarn. Yesterday, I was able to reuse the sleeve of a soft, pale pink sleeper that my girls' all wore in their infancy. I had it stored away, trying to decide what to do with it and then this project came along. I love when that happens.

Anyways, I keep waiting for bright sunshine to take a few pictures. It only seems sunny when the kids are around (and I don't want them to see their gifts!). Right now, the sky is dark, the house is darker...which of course means I'll be all alone for one hour and I have the perfect chance to snap some photos. I'll have to give it a try. This may be my only chance!

Clue #5

2010-12-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

I just completed hand-sewing a pair of black shoes out of wool felt for her. They are ordinary little flats. Nothing fancy.

I also finished up a pair of plain, tan shoes for him.

I'll be back on Monday with another Clue...if needed :^)

My Creative Space - A Christmas Doll

2010-12-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Meet Noelle. She was almost a "Clara", but my daughter settled on Noelle. She is a Christmas doll that I am finishing up for my 5-year old.

I'll take more photos of her once the rain and dark clouds have left the Bay Area. Right now, our house is so dark!

Next time I take photos, I'll remove her lined hooded cape to show her cute little hairstyle. It was requested by my daughter (the hairstyle), as was the black velvet dress and red sparkly shoes.

Note to self...sewing with velvet is not fun. At all! I ended up doing a lot of hand-sewing because the lint factor was driving me nuts.

My daughter is so excited about this doll. Of course, she hasn't seen her yet, but she asks about her daily. And everytime "The First Noel" comes on the radio, she screams, "Mom, just like my Christmas doll!"

I'll post more photos of Noelle later this week/early next week.

And I'll reveal the next clue by Friday!!! I'm putting together a little box of treats for the first person to guess correctly. Keep guessing!

Clue #4 and a Scary Tree

2010-12-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

We're all moved into our new house! It will take weeks (months!) to really settle in here, but I have my sewing space set up so its functional, allowing me to finish up several Christmas presents. Once the holidays are over, I'll work on that space a little more.

The picture above is Clue #4. It's the hat. I need to clean up the edges a litle, but its otherwise done.

I'm working hard on this project and should have a few more clues later this week. Hopefully, I'll be all done with this gift by early next week (Monday/Tuesday) for the grand reveal :). Stay tuned and keep guessing!

On a totally different note, look at this Christmas tree!

Yes, those are blue LED lights. My husband took the younger girls on an errand run yesterday and they picked up a new strand of lights for our Christmas tree. We're going with a small tree this year and its currently perched up on the entertainment center in the darkest corner of the room (we desperately need more lights in this house!). He said the girls wanted blue lights so he bought them. However, they turn the tree BLACK! It looks absolutely dreadful in person. He tried to sell it to the kids ("The tree looks RAD!") but they don't like it. At all. We left it up last night just to laugh at it but I'm about to head to the store to buy some white lights. And then we'll actually decorate the tree.

Clue #3

2010-11-29T08:48:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of those who are playing along with my "Guess What I'm Making Game". I love reading all the responses. So many clever and interesting ideas!

Here is Clue #3: I'm using the yarn pictured for hair.

All my projects, make that all our belongings, are being packed away. We recently purchased a house nearby and are in the process of moving. I'll be so excited once we're all settled in. The first room I want to set up is my sewing space! I'll be sharing part of my youngest daughter's bedroom. I don't think she'll mind for another year or two. We'll figure out a way to make it work in the meantime :).

Great Guess/Idea and Clue #2

2010-11-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

Someone emailed me last night, and took a guess at what I am making: a Milly-Molly-Mandy doll! It's not the correct answer, but isn't it a fabulous idea? I told her I thought it was. And of course, the pink and white striped fabric in my last post would be perfect for her outfit.

Ever since then I have been thinking I *need* to make a Milly-Molly-Mandy inspired doll at some point. My girls have the book already, so maybe it will be a gift (the doll + the books) for another little girl someday. Hmmm.

And moments ago, while searching around Amazon for an image of the book, I found this gift set. How sweet !

You can buy this gift set on Amazon here.

Still, I plan to make one. I think I have to :-P.

Anyways, here is Clue #2:

I plan on using this felt to make a little hat.

Any ideas?

Take a Guess...

2010-11-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

I have one little Christmas present I'm working on that I'm really excited about. It's something I would have loved to have had as a child. I know my sisters and I would have had fun. And knowing my girls, they'll love this present, too.

I'll offer up some clues over the next few weeks (if it takes that long!). If you guess correctly, I'll send a little something your way.

These hints will be vague at first, but I'll get more specific over time.

Clue #1:
I'm using this fabric below for part of her outfit.

And the answer isn't just a "doll". Stay tuned...

Several dolls in progress

2010-11-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here is one that I think is ready for her ears and limbs to be attached. After that, she'll get some hair - a super cool hairstyle for a very special kid.

Right now, I'm waiting for the air erasable marker to disappear while I intermittently gaze at her face, making sure I don't want to work on her features any more.

I think she's ready for her ears...

Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall

2010-10-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the King's horses and all the King's men...

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

My two older daughters took a look at these photos moments ago and have several issues with them/me. "Why isn't his head cracked on top? He fell on his head, Mom! Why is he still smiling? Why did his hat stay on?"

Okay, okay. Now go to school, girls.

I finished up this little guy over the weekend. He was inspired by a picture I had seen several months ago on flickr of what I originally thought was a wooden Humpty Dumpty. I sketched the face quickly in my book and decided to make a little cloth Humpty at some point.

It wasn't until recently that I realized the wooden Humpty was actually part of a common vintage nursery lamp (many are listed on etsy.com). Coincidentally, I also just saw the lamp in Alicia Paulson's Stitched in Time book while I was flipping through it on Sunday night.

My little Humpty doll was really easy to draft and make. His body is cloth stuffed with wool and the rest of him is made from wool felt. I put pipe cleaners inside his legs (at the last minute) so I can bend his knees/legs.

His hat is a copy of a little hat on a pig that I bought a few months back from OhMaFelt, minus the pom-pom at the end. (Check out that etsy store. Cute stuff!).

Despite their critique of the pictures above, the girls like him and call him my "shelf elf". The reference is apparently from some book at their school library. I haven't read it. I hope shelf elves are good.

He fits in up there, though.

Five Things I'm Excited About

2010-10-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

Image from Etsy Shop A Little Sweetness

#1. I received this fabric a few days ago in the mail from Tasha at A Little Sweetness. (Thank you, Tasha!) Isn't her fabric lovely? I won this half-yard in a giveaway and I have been dreaming up what to make with it ever since. I thought at first that I'd incorporate it into some doll-quilts for the girls, but I also think it would work well as *something* around my sewing space. I just haven't decided what that something should be. The fabric is adorable in person. Check out her etsy shop - so many cute things!

#2. The girls and I had a successful, creative weekend. Crammed in between potlucks, soccer games, birthday parties, and baseball watching, my oldest daughter finished Project #7 in the Mary Frances Sewing Book. It is a Dressing Sack made of some fabric I purchased several months ago from Bessie Mary. She used the sewing machine for all sewing. I only had to use the seam-ripper once :).

Last night I finished off the nightclothes wardrobe for her with some little bunny slippers I made out of some extra-thick wool felt.

(A close-up, in case you have any doubt that a 7 year-old made this :) ).

Next up in the Mary Frances wardrobe is a pinafore!

#3. I also spent some quality time with my middle daughter in the sewing/office/guest room. She drew a doll that she'd like me to make. I'm going to try and recreate it for her - either out of wool felt or embroidery or print it out on some fabric. I haven't decided yet.

She and I also worked on knitting. She perched on my lap and held the needles with me and we did the knit stitch over and over and over again, all the while she chanted, "In through the front door, around the back, out through the window and off jumps Jack." We're working on a basic garter stitch scarf.

#4. AND...I'm super excited because I made something based off one of my many sketches and it turned out PERFECT! I'll show it here at some point. But I was so happy things came together. The end product is really cute. At least to me :). It's sitting up on a shelf right now and makes me smile whenever I look at it.

#5. I'm also making progress on several other projects. I have another doll almost stuffed, one ready to sew, and today I'm preparing a smaller version of my doll as well as a few other variations.

Busy week ahead! Hope it's a good week for everyone.

Mary Frances Kimono and WIP

2010-10-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

Project #6 from the Mary Frances Sewing Book is complete. My daughter picked out this Baby Nay floral print which I think was perfect for the project. Instead of using ribbon, we used bias tape.

She has used my sewing machine just a handful of times in the past (usually, just sitting on my lap), but this was her first time using it on her own since starting our lessons.

And after all that hand-sewing that she has done over the past several months, she thinks the sewing machine is the GREATEST INVENTION EVER. She's eager to finish up the dressing sack now (Project #7) and plow through the remaining patterns.

In the meantime, I have this doll above that I'm still stuffing. I'm timing myself...and so far, this doll has taken 2 hours to stuff. Of course, I was watching some fluff on TV, but still. Perhaps I'm just a big slowpoke.

And this morning, I'm redrafting the doll pattern a bit. There are a few areas that I need to improve. I'm positive there are easier ways to do this (that I'm unaware of), but for me, I use string, pins, freezer paper, etc. It works! But someday, I'm sure I'll learn how much time I wasted doing it this way and how much more precise and efficient I could have been from the beginning :).

Halloween Pop-Up Cone Puppet Tutorial

2010-09-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

After finishing up my witch doll cone puppet over the weekend, the girls were eager to make their own.

Guess what we did yesterday after school?

Here is what you'll need for this simple, fun, seasonal project:
- Paper mache cones - I found the ones we used in the Christmas section at Michael's. If you can't find the paper mache kind (don't forget to check online!), you can make your own out of poster-board.
- Wooden dowel sticks
- Styrofoam balls or wooden balls - These are for the heads. You can also make a Waldorf or cloth doll head (like I used for my puppet), or even just some stuffing, depending on the type of puppet you're making.
- White/black/green socks or tights (or orange if you're making a pumpkin!) - This is a great project for those lone socks you may have laying around. Or for tights that have a hole or snag. Just make sure the socks are large enough. Adult socks work best. FYI, we used child-sized white tights for the ghost(s) below.
- Various craft supplies/Halloween decorations - You name it...paint, pom-pom trims, ribbons, stickers, felt, glitter, etc.

Here is some of what we had on hand (minus the socks/tights and paints).

And here is what we did...
1. Saw off the end of the cone(s) to make a snug opening for the dowel and decorate! My girls wanted to paint their cones. You/your child could also use paper, fabric**, felt...whatever you'd like!

2. Glue dowel stick into Styrofoam head. If you and your child are using a wooden head, paint it first (I'll explain why below***). In the picture below, my daughter is using the dowel to hold the wooden head...nothing has been glued yet.

For the ghost and cat:
3. Cover the head with the sock (we used old white tights for the ghost(s) and a stray black sock for the cat) and tie/secure around neck.

For the witch***:
3. Insert wooden dowel into black sock and then glue to the wooden head. Make sure the hole drilled into the wooden head is large enough for the sock and dowel.

Once the glue has set, for all three puppets:
4. Fit the sock around the top of the cone, deciding on the approximate height of the puppet when fully extended. Cut the sock so that 3/4 - 1 inch remains below the top of the cone.

5. Glue the bottom edge of the sock to the upper outside ridge of the cone.

6. Glue a trim around the upper edge of the cone to partially hide the edge of the sock.

7. Keep on decorating!

8. Add faces and features! Eyes. Ears. Hair. A witch's hat. My girls helped each other with this part. Mainly, my oldest daughter helped the other two.

And there you go!

**Earlier in the day, I made this ghost pop-up cone puppet with my youngest daughter (she's 2 1/2). I wasn't sure how engaged she'd be with this project. So initially, I used fabric backed with Heat-and-Bond Lite and we glued that to the cone (over the tights) and then added the trim. My oldest later finished the ghost's face.

Simple enough!

But, it turns out, my youngest was really into painting with her sisters and wanted to do another puppet. Pink and purple paint, of course.

And she's pretty happy with the result.

Little Witch Doll Puppet

2010-09-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a little witch doll cone puppet I finished up over the weekend. My daughters all made their own yesterday afternoon (kid tutorial coming!).

The girls (mostly my 5 year-old) really wanted this doll to have black eyes. "Black as night Mom, Black as niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!" They also wanted her to have purple hair, but I overruled them because bulky black yarn (I have no bulky purple) = quick ponytails on a teeny tiny doll head.

With black eyes and black hair and a black velvet cape, this doll was looking incredibly somber. I tried my best to make her NOT SCARY. That was my goal. But she looks so sad. So I gave her a purple hat.

Not that the hat helped at all. I just had to throw another color in there besides black.

I don't think she looks scary. In fact, I think she looks scared.

I've actually been having a lot of fun playing with this puppet. My 2 1/2 year old is mesmerized by it. The way the puppet moves, turns from side to side, up and down. My youngest giggles and smiles and laughs. I wish I had four hands so I could capture a picture of it.

I could have spent days on this project. Easily. I had originally planned to devote more time to the cone part of the puppet - a few cute Halloween wool felt appliques, maybe some cool embroidery, etc. Then my oldest daughter suggested making the cone a giant candy corn and I jumped on the idea. Excellent!

Good Morning!

2010-09-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

The light in the house is hard to find these days. It's definitely starting to feel a bit like Fall. I couldn't take pictures in my usual spot :).

Here is the completed Project # 5 from the Mary Frances Sewing Book. We skipped over/changed a few things (#1. the eyelet loops, I'll have her practice on a dress that needs one. #2. instead of a cord for the waist, she just made a simple belt).

I cut, ironed, basted, and tied off loose ends. She sewed, as you can see :).

She is extremely pleased with herself. And now we get to bring out MaChine! A kimono is up next. A few more projects, and then she'll be working on some dresses. I may make a little pair of slippers for her doll in the meantime.

And as of last week, all three girls are now in school! I'm hoping to have a bit more time to work on some projects. My youngest is only in school twice a week (and I work at her school one of those two days). But I'll have one morning. That's something!

I'd like to cut and sew a few regular dolls this week and try and keep track of how long they actually take me to make. I also have a few fun projects in the works. Something Halloween-themed...and maybe a tutorial in October. Stay tuned.

Here are some BTS pictures, mostly for the girls' Grandmas that lurk here :). Sorry, I forgot to email these to both of you!

And on the little one's first day...

I never got around to making her a dress to wear on her first day and last day of preschool. Instead, I pulled this from my 5-year old's wardrobe. I figure this one will work on the youngest one's last day of preschool, in May 2013 :)!

It's hard to get a normal picture of her these days. She's goofy.

Determined

2010-08-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

If I had written this post on Sunday night, it would have been titled "Frustration", or perhaps worse. This weekend I had HOURS of uninterrupted sewing time. My husband graciously took the three girls on various outings both Saturday and Sunday. And yet all I could seem to do was make a complete mess of everything I tried to sew. I was so frustrated.

One of the things I've repeatedly stressed to my oldest daughter as I'm teaching her to sew is, "if you're feeling frustrated and/or don't feel like sewing, put it down." Yet, I couldn't follow my own advice because how often do I get whole mornings to sew? Never! I felt compelled to make something work. And the harder I tried, the more mistakes I made, the more frustrated I became, the more determined I was to sew...it was this vicious cycle. I should have just given up on Saturday afternoon. Treated myself to a pedicure. Taken a nap. Tackled the laundry. Maybe it wasn't the best time to test out a new pattern I'm drafting. Maybe I need to look at what I did accomplish as a "prototype"(a prototype I can't even look at right now). But at least I know where I need to make improvements. I'll try again later...

Anyways, I went to bed really early on Sunday night and woke up yesterday feeling much more invigorated. I knew better than to go anywhere near my sewing machine and instead looked to my giant pile of unfinished projects and decided to finish up something that would be relatively easy/head-ache free.

I started this project a few weeks ago on our roadtrip down to San Diego. I had with me the new Wee Wonderfuls book and I was lamenting the fact that I haven't yet made the sleeping bag project, especially because it would have been perfect to take on the trip. My girls always like to bring a small stuffed companion with them whenever we go out of town. In fact, it would be perfect for dolls like the Annabelle doll I made a few months ago.

Anyways, I was then flipping through a catalog from Kata Golda that I had picked up from her stall at the Renegade Fair. And I saw these little guys...

How cute are they?

Luckily, because I always bring along a tote containing a stack of wool felt, yarn, knitting needles, and notions with me on roadtrips (you all do this, too, right?), I was able to pull out some scraps of felt and started to work on this project making a little Kata Golda-style sleeping case/stuffed companions. Again, how great for trips?!? Each of my girls gets a little mouse which they can tuck into their little sleeping bag/bed on those nights we're away. Plus, this little set fits nicely in the pocket of a suitcase/tote. And we don't have to worry about leaving their beloved stuffed animals/dolls behind at anyone's home/hotel rooms, either.

I permanently sewed a little pillow and "toy mouse" for each of the mice companions that will fit into these little sleeping bags/pockets. Because I didn't bring any wool with me, I tore apart 100% cotton squares that were in my toiletry bag and used those for stuffing.

I still have to finish the larger (2 inch! they're tiny!) brown and tan mice. I love hand-sewing, so these will be great simple projects to take along with me as I sit around in the minivan waiting at school pick-ups this week.

If you're looking for your own little set of these guys, Kata Golda has them for sale in her shop here. Mice or bunnies! And all her stuff is so cute. Her book is also adorable. Take a look around her shop :).

In My Creative Space...

2010-08-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Two new doll patterns/designs! Well...actually, they are still works in progress. One is just a sketch (but it's a final sketch!) and the other is being tested using some cheap muslin. I'm excited about both of them. Hopefully, when two of my three girls are back in school next week, I'll have a bit more time to finish up these patterns. Maybe I'll have a sneak peek or two by the month's end. My goal is to actually have a few dolls up for sale sometime this Fall.

That picture above has nothing to do with this post, but it was in my flickr stream and it makes me smile :-). More creative spaces here.

Mary Frances Nightgown

2010-08-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

My daughter has just completed Project #4 in the Mary Frances Sewing Book. It is a nightgown for her new doll, made of white lawn and sewn entirely by hand. Needless to say, this one took her awhile.

As you might expect, I helped with some key parts along the way. I cut the fabric (it's just one piece of fabric, folded over - super easy) and did all the ironing and basting in between steps. I also drew lines with an air erasable marker for her to sew along. She did the running stitch first along the seams and then we flipped the gown inside out and she did a back-stitch. Here is a close-up of the inside of the dress and the resulting French seams. Sweet tiny crooked stitches.

The neck and arm holes required us to make small slashes which you then press to the right side of the fabric. Around these openings, my daughter then sewed beading lace (over the "turned back goods"...I love the language in this book) and another lace trim after that. I basted the beading lace, the lace trim, and the bottom hem for her and even drew "dots" for her to follow so she could hem/overcast with much easier success. It took her many days, but she did pretty well. And the fact that the neck and arm openings gather once the baby ribbon is threaded through the beading lace...well, it looks almost perfect for a 7-year old! The sleeves actually are even...I just didn't adjust them correctly for these pictures. Nor did I bother to iron as you can see. *Ahem*.

She's pretty happy and eager to keep sewing. Before our camping trip last weekend, she hand-sewed this little Alice doll sent to us a few months back by Ricebabies. Again, I drew a line for her to follow with the air erasable marker.

And now she thinks she's in business :). I've shown her how there are sellers on ETSY who make stuffed little dolls out of the Paper Doll fabric by Windham for $15/doll (her jaw literally dropped when she heard this). We have some yardage of that fabric, as well as the new line for Christmas. I like the Christmas line much better than the original.

Anyways, I told her to keep practicing. She's going to make some dolls from the Christmas doll line for presents this year.

Oh, and here is a poorly-taken picture of the completed doll handkerchief (Project #3). Now she's onto Project #5 - a hand-sewn bathrobe. Project #6 introduces Ma Chine (another character in the book), so things should move along more quickly after she gets to start using a sewing machine.

Art for My Sewing Space

2010-08-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I snuck away from a camping trip and rushed up to San Francisco's Renegade Craft Fair. I missed last year's festivities and I wasn't about to miss it again, even if I couldn't stay long.

My first stop was Emily Martin's booth. Her work is amazing. She is so incredibly talented and creative. I love the variety of items she offers - from buttons to dolls, notebooks, paintings, prints...all of it, simply beautiful. I bought the paper doll set to use as art for my sewing space. One doll has already found a place on the wall.

It faces this mounted poster, which has been up forever.

As you might imagine, my sewing space looks more like a doll factory these days. The girls love to draw pictures of their dolls. A few of their masterpieces are up on my inspiration board, too.

See? Emily's dolls fit right in :). And I think they add a bit of needed sophistication. I need to find frames and wall spaces for these two.

Oh, and though this won't go in the sewing/office/guest room, I also bought this print for my little blond, brown-eyed daughter. She tagged along for the trip and slept in her stroller the whole time I rushed around the fair. I think this will go in the girls' room eventually.

I love this print. It's timeless. The girls won't "outgrow" it. Plus, the elephant reminds me so much of an elephant I sketched and had screen-printed back in junior high.

Back to finishing up a few more Oliver + S Ice Cream dresses...

Doll Hair Tutorial (Ponytails)

2010-07-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Over the past year, I've received several requests for help with doll hair. I've admitted to many of you that I just sort of "wing-it" and that my process isn't the most expedient, practical, or intelligible. I'm sure there are more effective ways to attain a similar look...but, hey, I like it. It works for me. Maybe this will help someone out there :). A few things...

First, please keep in mind that I am self-taught and am by no means an expert at any of this! Quite the opposite.

Second, there are already several great tutorials out there, like this tutorial and this one, both illustrating two common methods for working with yarn and cloth dolls. And Beth at By Hook by Hand has an AMAZING tutorial on crocheting a wig/cap which can then be used to create various hairstyles for Waldorf or cloth dolls here. Check those out!!! Please!

But for those who have asked...
The method I use involves lots of pins and lots of hand-sewing. I started using this technique on my first doll over 5 years ago (it was a Waldorf doll) and I have used it in various ways ever since then. It was a picture in this book, Kinder Dolls: A Waldorf Doll-Making Handbook, that started me down this path. If you click on this picture below, you might even be able to read the description.

I prefer this technique because the dolls that I have made thus far are meant to be played with by kids. Using this method, I feel like the hair is very secure since each strand is sewn to the head individually. Also, I like working with the yarn...building the hairstyle as I go...adding more yarn if I need it, adjusting the length of each loop, etc. That, and I don't know how to crochet a wig! But after viewing Beth's tutorial on flickr, I may just have to give it a try!

But whereas this book has you wrapping yarn around pins and then back around a needle/focal point (where you later sew/attach a ponytail or braid), I make longer loops that become the ponytail/braid or curls, etc. - whatever hairstyle I'm going for. I have to say, there are advantages to doing it the book's way - you can change out the ponytail/braid at a later point if you need to, etc. And I have used this technique once when attaching buns (I didn't want huge ones at the end :) ). But usually, I use the process described below.

Materials
I use upholstery weight/carpet thread that best matches whatever yarn(s) I'm using. The yarn I use is either bulky weight or super bulky weight. It's easier to fill in the head this way. My favorite yarn is wool or a wool/mohair blend. Lamb's Pride by the Brown Sheep Co. has a great bulky weight yarn that I like to work with. There are lots of great yarns, though. A few blends I've used I've found to get "fuzzy", but Lamb's Pride and 100% wool hold up well.

Step One - Find and Mark your Part(s), Hairline, Ponytails
First, I play around with the yarn and decide where I want the part (usually to the side...it helps me to not focus on issues of facial symmetry or the lack thereof). I place a pin at the front/beginning of the TOP part ( the pin is not shown in the picture below) and the back of the TOP part (BLUE pin), and then another at the center/top of the head where the BACK hair part will begin (WHITE pin). I then place three more pins about 3/8 to 1/4 inch apart in front of the BLUE pin (PURPLE, YELLOW, RED below). The placement of these pins depends on the size of the doll's head, the weight of the yarn, but it really doesn't matter that much because I end up going around the head a few times to fill in any gaps. So, no need to fret over this step.

I place a pin or a long thin doll-needle behind the doll's ears around where the ponytails will be fastened and secured later with a hairband (GREEN pin below). I also use a knitting needle placed behind the doll's back and secured by a few hairbands (acting like a belt). The placement of the knitting needle marks the length of the ponytails (though keep in mind that the yarn will spring up a bit when complete). This sounds confusing, I'm sure. Maybe these pictures will help.

Step Two - Start Wrapping the Yarn
Okay...so I leave a long tail of yarn on the side (that I'll cut even with the ponytail when done) and start wrapping the yarn behind/over the GREEN pin, in front of the WHITE pin, clockwise around the BLUE pin, back behind/over the GREEN pin, down around the knitting needle, back behind/over the GREEN pin, up around the PURPLE pin, etc.

This makes no sense, right? My husband is chuckling at me right now as I read this out loud and says I should just make a video. Maybe on my next doll. Here are a few pictures that might help.

After I've wrapped the FOUR pins on top of the head with yarn loops that are all also wrapped around the knitting needle, I wrap the yarn around the knitting needle a second time to temporarily hold it in place (see below) and start to work on hand-sewing the loops at the TOP of the head.

I work with FOUR pins at a time because it makes things manageable for me. Plus, it's easy for me to keep track of how many rounds of four I used up the side of one part so that I can make sure to use the same amount on the way back on the other side of the part. I don't want one ponytail bulkier than the other.

Step Three - Start Sewing
This picture below shows the first loop of yarn already secured. The second loop is being secured. I take the needle and thread up through the loop of yarn. Then I take a stitch through the doll's head...

(I tried to do this as a right-hander would...)

...and then BACK through the loop of thread and pull/tighten.

I then re-enter the needle into the doll's head at yarn loop #2 and exit at yarn loop #3. Sometimes I simply remove the pin holding the yarn loop and bring my needle up in that exact spot.

Again, up through the yarn loop.

The first four loops are secured*.

I place the four pins in place again, slide the first four yarn loops off the knitting needle (temporarily tying them back out of the way) and wrap the yarn around the pins/needle again...

When I switch to the other side, I simply go across the head a few loops back and make sure to secure this piece of yarn while stitching down one of the loops on that side. I never cut the yarn - not until I'm completely finished.

This picture below shows Round #1 of the top-right side completed and the four pins placed on the left side and wrapped ready to sew. Pay no attention to the color of these pins...I forgot to keep them consistent here :). The YELLOW pin is marking the hairline, that's all. The other four are the pins I'm wrapping. I try to place the pins on Side 2 in between the loops on Side 1. It's easier this way (to provide coverage, too).

As I work down this side of the head, I tie the loops I've sewn toward the front to keep them out of the way. Well, it looks like I failed to actually tie the purple thread in this picture, but you understand, right?

Is anyone still trying to follow this?

Okay, once I get to the top of the head (the WHITE pin) I move the part to the center and start down the back of the head in the same manner. Wrap four pins, (always going around the GREEN pin - up/over on the back part) and wrap around the knitting needle, sew/secure, etc.

Step Four - Filling in Spaces/Styling the Hair
I go around the head a SECOND time at the very least on the top of the head, to fill in any sparse areas and to give more of a style to the head (making sure the hair has enough length to sweep like I want, etc.). For me, it depends on the weight of the yarn and the recipient of the doll (if the doll is going to sit on a shelf, like the one for my Mom, I'm less concerned with how thoroughly "covered" the head is). And I'll often use more pins on Round Two...but always making sure to use the same amount on each side of the part. I often also start using a doll needle instead of the GREEN pin behind the ears (it's easier to use at this point, though you can use it from the beginning, too).

Once I have the head filled in like I want it, I cut the yarn, making sure its end is on the opposite side of the head from where I started.

Step Five - Secure, Secure, Secure (if Needed)
Even once I'm done with the yarn, I often go around the head here and there and secure a second time with the upholstery/carpet thread, especially if the doll is for a wee one - not necessarily every loop, but until I feel like things are really secure.

Step Six - Make Ponytails
I use regular hairbands for the ponytails, usually in a color matching the yarn, but not always. You may want to finger-comb the loops and play with them a bit to get the style you're looking for. Again, depending on how young the child is, I also secure these ponytails to the doll's head going through the hairbands (like the yarn) with the carpet thread and then through the doll's head using a doll needle and through the hairband on the other side and back and forth. I didn't take pictures of this part. Let me know if anyone needs to see one.

And that's it! Clear as mud, right? Let me know if I need to clarify anything.

AND PLEASE leave a comment if you find this tutorial helpful. If its helpful to enough people, I'll put together a few more showing how I make curls, etc.

A Doll for my Oldest

2010-07-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is a doll I just finished up over the weekend for my oldest daughter. We'll call her "Marie". My daughter is using her as the model for the clothes she's making from the Mary Frances Sewing Book.

I'm currently participating in the Oliver + S Ice Cream Social Sew-Along and I got a bit distracted :). Instead of making two dresses, it looks like I'll be making four. I'm now working on the size 7 version of this dress and my 5-year old wants a matching set for her and a doll, too.

The dress isn't to scale, of course. My dolls have large heads, chubby arms, etc. that needed to be taken into consideration when altering this pattern.

And this doll, Marie, still needs some shoes. I have a little pair of black corduroy ones all cut out. I'm just waiting for the patience and precision needed (for me) to fiddle with them. Right now, I'm busy sewing normal-sized things.

The feature I love best about this doll is her eyes. My daughter's eyes are dark grey/grey with some hazel right around the pupil. It's hard to see in these pictures, but I tried to replicate those eye colors on her doll.

Her hair is 100% wool. She is also stuffed with clean-carded eco-wool, as always. And guess what? I took pictures while adding her hair...so a tutorial will be up later this week. Finally!

Aprons and Hem-Stitching

2010-07-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

The apron is done, for now. My daughter hand-stitched the one on the right out of a delicate white lawn. I quickly sewed up the one on the left out of a teeny scrap of Japanese fabric. I used the machine for most of mine, but hand-stitched the hem and the band to the skirt with her so she could follow along with what I was doing. She learned a new hemming technique and also how to gather by-hand.

I realized after cutting out the apron I made that I really need to test these patterns first. The apron is meant for a 16 inch doll...but not a doll as chubby as the ones I make :). So I had her cut her apron a bit wider and she made the ties a little longer, too. Considering the first few garments are sewn entirely by hand, I'd hate for her to spend a week making something that won't even fit her dolls. Even if I have to make quick, toss-away versions out of paper towels, I need to ensure that these patterns will fit and redraft where necessary.

Anyways, the final step on the apron involves embroidering three kittens in an outline stitch onto the skirt. You can see a tiny picture of the apron here.

I scanned and then enlarged the kittens for her to work on her embroidery on the side. She wakes up earlier than anyone in this house - embroidery work is a perfect quiet morning activity for her. At some point, she can add the trio of kittens...for now, we consider the apron project done!

Today she is finishing up this linen handkerchief below (she's worked on this project quite a bit since I snapped this picture). She is hem-stitching the hem, a new technique for both of us! We/she followed the instructions in the book and online, but I realized half-way through, that it would be easier for her to work from left-to-right, so the second half of this handkerchief is moving along a bit quicker now. She just needs to finish up a bit more on the last side, remove the basting, whip-stitch some lace edging, learn how to make a fell, and she'll be ready to move on to her first garment, a nightgown for her doll.

And her Wee Wonderfuls X-Stitchette is done. I imagine this sampler will be covered by the year's end - so many more stitches to learn/embroidery techniques. The "S" in the top corner is her practicing the outline stitch.

That's it for now!

A Doll for My Niece

2010-07-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is a doll for one of my three nieces. Last week we had an unexpected, but WELCOME, visit by my older sister and her family. We have been busy (everything but sewing)! So I finally just got around to finishing this doll last night and snapped a few pictures to share this morning.

For Christmas 2008, I made dolls for my three daughters and my youngest niece. A few months later, I learned that one of my older nieces wanted me to make her a doll, too. Uh, OF COURSE!!! I was touched. And even though it's taken me a long time to get around to making her doll, she still seems eager to have it (she's now 9). She actually saw the doll last week while it was still in progress and seems happy with it :).

I used a premium-quality muslin for this doll and she is stuffed with wool, as usual. Her hair is Lamb's Pride Bulky weight yarn (85% wool and 15% mohair). Her eyes, though not photographed well, are actually 3 different shades of blue. They don't "glow" so much in real life as these pictures might depict :). We still need our camera fixed (it's letting in too much light).

My niece's one request was that her doll have orange converse-style tennis shoes. I special-ordered them just for her. I thought the shoes would go well with this Heather Ross VW van fabric. Plus, the fabric is cool just like my niece. The dress is the same Vogue one I've used in the past (Vogue 7486) and it has orange metal snaps on the back. Cute!

Now I'm working on another doll for my oldest daughter. It will be the doll that she makes doll clothes for this summer/upcoming year(s). She's already named it...

I'll do a Mary Frances/summer sewing update later this week. My daughter has been busy.

I've also been getting several requests about doll hair...so I'm trying to put together a tutorial. Stay tuned!

Mary Frances Doll Laundry Bag

2010-06-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

My daughter just finished up the first sewing project in the Mary Frances Sewing Book. It is a Doll Laundry bag. She sewed it entirely by hand using basting, half-backstitching, hemming, and overcasting hand-sewing techniques. It's all good practice for her.

I gave her this little scrap of Lecien fabric and thought the stripes would help her keep her stitches straight (sewing up the sides) and even (hemming and backstitching the casing for the ties). Plus, she *really* wants to try and do things as close to the book as possible, and it looks like Mary Frances used some striped fabric as well.

She's very proud.

And she is completely entranced by the book itself. I keep finding these little set-ups around my sewing table. If you look closely at the basket, it holds a lot of the "characters" in the book that she's made or found objects to represent - the Fairy Lady, Mr. Silver Thimble (it looks like she made him out of wax and a rubber thimble), Tommy Pin Cushion, Scissor Shears, Needle Book (I need to actually make her one), Pen Cil, Work Basket, Bees Wax, the Needle of Don't Have to Try (which ends up being me :) ), and of course, the little bird she has perched on a clothespin - the Sewing Bird.

Ironically, the other night I was assisting her with ironing the laundry bag. We were using a tiny iron, which I thought would be easier for her to use. I had my hand placed over hers and I was explaining why I thought there was no mention of irons in the Mary Frances book - how ironing can be dangerous for kids to do without adult supervision...and then I placed my left index finger directly on the rod!!! Oww. You can still kind of see my fingerprint below.

So that has slowed me up this week a bit. Being left-handed, I really need that finger!

Anyways, I am almost done with a doll for my niece! I should have pictures up next week. I have a second doll I'm working on for my oldest that she's already named and will be making the doll wardrobe for from the Mary Frances book.

Right now, she's onto project #2 - a doll apron. Project #3 is a doll handkerchief and then she'll move onto to the clothes!

Sewing in Summer

2010-06-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is our first week of summer vacation. Deliberately, our summer should be less busy and more relaxing than past years. We have not scheduled very much for the girls to do. I want them to play outside, explore, read each day, swim, and play some more. For my two older girls, I have one specific goal for them each: to help my middle daughter with reading and to *really* teach my oldest daughter to sew.

We've started working towards those goals this week. For my oldest, we started reading The Mary Frances Sewing Book: Adventures Among the Thimble People. I blogged about this book a few months ago here. The book covers many basic hand-sewing/sewing techniques. So far, my daughter has learned/practiced the following: basting, uneven basting, running stitch, back stitch, half-backstitch, catch stitch, overhanding, overcatching, hemming, blanket stitch, buttonhole stitch (I now understand the difference between these last two!), and cross-stitching. The picture above is the sampler she's been working on with all these techniques.

She's currently working on a cross-stitch Farm Folk X-Stitchette by Wee Wonderfuls. I enlarged the pattern for her to see more clearly, but it's been slow-going thus far. Once she's finishes this, we'll move ahead and start to work on all the doll clothes patterns in the book. I think there are around 33 patterns in total. I plan to have her sew some of the clothes entirely by hand, others on the machine with some hand-finishing.

I'm not sure how many of the patterns we'll work our way through this summer. I want her to be able to do a lot of the work herself, so we'll take our time if necessary. So far, we're both enjoying the book and learning together. And being that we're both lefties, I feel like I'm the perfect teacher for her (fellow lefties may understand)! :)

Etsy Love

2010-06-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

Adorable!

Image from Crafty is Cool

This pattern by Crafty is Cool almost makes me want to learn how to crochet. So cute. If I wasn't already so short on time these days...

For Halloween in 2004 (almost six years ago?!?), my husband and I and our oldest (back then our only child) were a few of the characters from Where the Wild Things Are. I made my mask and my husband made his. My daughter wouldn't wear the wolf hood/ears, but she was fine with the crown.

I later knitted/felted a Wild Things crown and attempted to take some pictures of the two older girls in the same costumes a few years ago, but "Max" wouldn't cooperate/stay still. Hmmm, I'll have to try this again with all three girls.

Speaking of Etsy Love and Where the Wild Things Are, this crown by Rice Babies is simply awesome. So so cute! Her Etsy store is here. She has lots of great things in her store :).

Image from Rice Babies

And back to crochet patterns, my girls love this one, found at Pepika's Etsy store. Why are there so many cute crochet patterns, but not as many for knitters?

Image from Pepika

Preschool Days - The Start and Finish

2010-05-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Two summers ago, I made this oliver + s tea party sundress for my middle daughter to wear on her first day of preschool. (I also made a size 5 in different fabric for my oldest to wear to Kindergarten).

Here she is on her first day almost two years ago, age 3, size 3. It was a little loose in the bodice...

...but that worked out great because she was able to wear it as a tunic yesterday on her last day of preschool, almost 2 years later! Here she is almost FIVE years old and officially no longer a preschooler. Sniff.

Though I didn't intend for her to be able to wear the same dress at the start and finish of 2 years of preschool, I love that she was able to do this. It really shows how much she has grown!

Now, I want to make a dress for my youngest to wear on her first and last day. Problem is, she'll be starting this fall at age 2.5 and she'll go for three years. I was thinking I could make her a little smocked sundress (like the one in Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing book). I have the book, but a free tutorial for the dress is here on Martha Stewart's site. I think that would work. It would fit her as a dress this fall and then as a top in three years. I'll have to use both my youngest and middle daughter as models during this process...make sure the dress/top fits them both.

Plus, it will give me a great excuse to use some of my favorite fabric that I've been hoarding for years. I have yards of Munki Munki and Baby Lulu that needs to be used. Time to use it!

Fun with Markers

2010-05-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

We've been having fun drawing these days. It's something that works with my girls - a somewhat quiet afternoon activity. I draw...they draw. We can stay busy sketching and coloring for a good 20 minutes before someone inevitably falls off their chair, steals a marker their sister was using (or "thinking of using"), colors on the couch/their sister(s)/the rug, etc.

The picture above is one of a few drawings I sketched for our "Mystery Child" at our middle daughter's preschool (every family is assigned one). My husband and I made an accordion-style album out of binder board and covered it with some cute fabric book cloth. It was actually the first time I made our own book cloth, with just Heat-and Bond Lite, fabric, and tissue paper. In the past, I've fused fabric to Japanese book cloth, but found that can be expensive. This seemed to work well.

The inside "pages"/boards are filled with a few matted drawings/pictures and a written section that describes this little girl and many "interesting" facts about her (this has been an ongoing project over the past few months).

My husband also wrote a nice poem about our Mystery Child that he'll read to all the parents tonight. I hope the parents are happy with what we've done. I'm not sure what to expect!

More lessons in sewing

2010-05-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Add this experience to my growing list of lessons learned...

Last week I made this dress for my oldest's 7th birthday. We were quite busy the day before with an unplanned excursion to the East Bay, and being the procrastinator that I am, I ended up cutting and sewing this dress late late at night, rushing to have it completed for my daughter to wear to school in the morning. Even though I'd love to blame my mistakes on fatigue, I'm sure I would have made a few of these errors even if I had taken my time.

My inspiration for the dress came from some knit dresses I've seen over the past few years in Mini Boden, the ones with the large applique on the side, like this:

(Image from Mini Boden website)

How cute is that dress? I should have looked at it more closely before cutting out this one.

For my daughter's dress, I used an Ottobre t-shirt pattern and then extended the shirt into a dress. So simple! Right?

Again, I really should have looked at the Mini Boden dress more closely. If I had just drawn the lines of the dress more like a simple t-shirt dress (slight A-line) versus the curves I ended up giving it, I'd be much happier with the result. As it turned out, the dress flares much like the Olivia hooded dress by Farbenmix. I think I've made too many Olivia's...it was just instinct to do this :). And while the flared look is cute, it didn't work well here due to the stripes - they ended up meeting in "v's" instead of a straight line. Why this didn't occur to me as I was drawing the lines of the dress?!?!

And not only that, but I didn't even match up the stripes on one side (above the flower). If I had taken my time here, I know at least this wouldn't have happened.

Plus, the dress is just *big*, but my daughter thinks the size is perfect. That's the joy in sewing for kids. My daughter even wore this dress twice last week; she loves it so much.

And I can't overlook the cost factor. I bought the brown/white striped knit in Berkeley on sale for $5/yard and cut up a race t-shirt to make the sunflower. I also used up some scraps of brown ribknit for the circle and the neck-binding. Money saved!!! So, there's that.

Still, I hate mediocre sewing jobs. It's like an itch...I'll have to try again and get it right (redraft the lines, move the applique forwards, etc.) and then I'll feel better. Until then, I'm bothered.

A Doll for My Mother

2010-05-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Meet Graciela. I just completed this doll for my mom for Mother's Day. My mom is 65 years old and this is the first doll she has ever been given (bought or handmade).

My mother grew up in much rougher circumstances than most children, impoverished in so many ways. Even if anyone in her life had been able to afford to buy her a doll (let alone cared to do so), dolls when she was a child did not look like her. Most dolls in the 1940s/1950s were "white", often with blond hair and blue eyes - none of which describe my mom.

Anyways, I thought it was about time she had a doll of her own :). My mom spends hours a day in her sewing room (quilting), so I'm hoping my parents can put up a shelf for Graciela to sit on and keep her company.

Details on the doll:

* The hair is Blue Sky Alpaca - a Wool/Alpaca blend. I would NEVER use this yarn for a child's doll. It sheds *so much*. But the color is beautiful, it almost looks like real hair (the color differentiation is striking).

* Though I didn't intend this - doesn't she look a bit like Frida? Maybe it's the flower...or the braids wrapped around her head/hairstyle?

* Speaking of the hairstyle, I can't decide what to do with the felt flower. Right now, it's on a little hair clip and I keep moving it around. Hmmm.

* I made a simple peasant dress for her, with embroidered flowers. I like it enough, but am not 100% happy with the sleeves. Maybe I'll knit a simple shawl? Redo the sleeves? Let it go? Ah, I should just let it go. Move on to some drawings and a few more dolls.

Next up is a doll for my niece...

Family Day Fun

2010-04-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, along with what seemed like every other family on the Peninsula, we took the girls to the Cantor Arts Center, a beautiful museum on the campus of Stanford University. It was Family Day - a free event - and the focus of this year's celebration was on bringing Chinese culture to life.

There were several awesome art projects for the kids, including making their own Chinese opera masks...

not sure which opera this mask is from...

I love the eyebrow!

The kids could also make blossom trees, dragon puppets, paper lanterns, and ink drawings. Here is my oldest working on her ink drawing.

And each of the girls decorated a "brick" that they then used to build the Great Wall of China. Here is my youngest and her brick.

And my oldest next to the Great Wall.

There were also lion dancers, tea ceremonies, storytelling and lots of other entertainment for the kids. All in all, it was a great family outing. Very crowded, but fun.

A Glimpse

2010-04-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

A glimpse of one of three dolls I'm working on at the moment. I'm not sure I'm ready to sew on the ears yet (to put an end to the embroidery). Maybe.

I'll be trying out a new hairstyle and a different dress with this one. We'll see if things turn out!

Lessons

2010-04-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, my oldest daughter and I spent a bit of time sewing. I never got around to making her piano bag a few weeks back, so I used the opportunity to give her some sewing lessons and let her make much of the bag herself. I figured a simple tote would be an easy beginner sewing project.

This was our fabric.

I had plenty of this Japanese cotton/linen print, but only a FQ of the Moda dots. So, I tried to draft up a pattern that only used a FQ. Mistake Number One.

Still, I'm trying to look at the bright side! Here is my daughter sewing away. I raised the foot pedal so she could reach it and adjusted the speed to its lowest possible setting.

She did really well, stopping to take each pin out. It was a great beginner project. Quick...and it should have been easy.

However, *I* totally messed up. Not only did I draft a tote pattern that was too narrow to begin with, I then boxed the corners of the bag making it even narrower! Mistake Number Two!

Ah, well. It *will work* for now. Barely. And I still have lots of the outer fabric, enough to make a roomier piano tote. And this will still make a cute tote bag when it's eventually replaced. And my daughter sewed much of it herself and she is happy with the outcome. I need to really focus on that last part.

Lessons learned, for both of us :).

Wool Felt Sugar Egg

2010-04-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

The idea for this project came to me while watching my kids make their Easter egg dioramas a few weeks ago. I was thinking back to my childhood and a fascination I had with these types of sugar eggs. I vaguely remember having at least one at some point. Mostly, I remember trying to gnaw away at part of it where (I thought) no one could see and hoping that by "accident" some of the frosting flowers, chicks, etc. would fall off/dislodge so I could eat them. But that's a whole different story.

Anyways, I thought I'd make a sugar egg that could be a permanent Easter decoration here in our house - a sugar egg that wouldn't attract ants or the mouths of my kids. It is hand-stitched entirely out of wool felt. The outside of the egg is a thick pink wool felt and the inside is lined with white. There are various flowers, a chocolate felt bunny and some green wool-roving "grass" on the inside - which may or may not be hard to see**. I had planned to add a few smaller rosettes on top of the egg, but it already looked like it was drowning in frosting, so I stopped with one larger rose.

This project didn't turn out exactly as I had planned;I have a few key structural improvements in mind and several more ideas for a making a better one. I'm even hoping to put together a tutorial - but since Easter just ended a few days back, I can table all this for several months and focus on the various projects I pushed aside to finish this.

In the meantime, I have three larger dolls coming up. One is for a niece. One is for my daughter's 7th birthday. The other is stuffed and waiting for her face. :)

**Sorry for the lack of more and better photos. We're having some technical difficulties and I cannot open/edit any photos at the moment.

Fun Craft Project for Kids

2010-04-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

We're in birthday party planning mode here at my house. My oldest will be turning seven next month, and as we were thinking back to last year's party successes/failures, I thought I'd share one craft project we did that was a hit with both kids and parents.

We found these unfinished wooden people/picture frames at Michael's for $1 a piece. I still see them there every time we go, so if you have one nearby, snag a few! I bought a bunch. They have them both in a "girl"/dress-style and a regular cut-out that can be used for a boy or girl.

I used acrylic craft paint and wool felt for the hair and made a up a few samples for the kids to see.

This is my youngest daughter. She's wearing her favorite Robeez of last summer.

And since my girls' cousins couldn't attend the party, I painted a few wooden people frames so that they could at least be there in pictures (we posed them with all the other picture stands being painted/drying at the time). This one just shows one of the cousins who was missing. She likes to wear a lot of Hanna Andersson :).

I had all the wooden people frames ready with pictures of all the kids that were coming to the party (boys and girls). I also had all sorts of hairstyles cut out of wool felt for the kids to choose from and felt scraps available in case kids wanted to cut out their own hairstyle, or make clothes, etc. I put out an array of fabric/felt scraps, stickers, etc. for them to use as accessories.

Here are two that my older girls painted. My oldest daughter is the blond and my middle daughter painted the other one. She was 3 at the time.

I have a few wonderful pictures of all the wooden frames lined up once they were finished, but out of respect for others' privacy, I'll just share those of my kids :).

I thought this project was really fun. And it was part of their party favor to take home, right before Mother's Day. They all turned out really cute :).

Easter Crafts

2010-03-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

The girls were busy working on their Easter egg dioramas today. Other than using too much flour in the paper mache mix, the project was definitely a success. The girls are proud. They also spent some time making small "eggs" out of wool roving and hot, soapy water. Those are buried somewhere under the paper grass above. And they sort of look like eggs :).

Watching them, however, got me thinking. I had one of those ideas that seems so brilliant and easy in your head. But then it doesn't turn out the way you envisioned. And it's taking more time than I hoped. Hmph. Here is a sneak peek. This chick must have escaped from one of the dioramas. Not sure what it's doing here.

Tomorrow morning, the girls and I are headed down to SoCal to see my parents and older sister/family. I'm bringing the project above and lots of wool felt. We'll see if I can make it work.

Otherwise, I'm also bringing the fabric below to make a simple tote bag for my oldest daughter; she desperately needs one for piano lessons. The adorable fabric alone assures me success with this project. And it will be an excuse to use my mom's fancy sewing machine.

Have a good week!

Meet Beatrice

2010-03-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

This little one is named Beatrice. She was a recent birthday present for a special family friend who just turned three. The doll has short blond curls and big brown eyes, just like the Birthday Girl.

I actually sewed this doll last summer, but as my first blo g post described, I got stuck on her face. I fixed her up as best I could and made her a sweet pink dress. Then last month when I saw the Birthday Girl, she was wearing a sparkly red headband to hold back her curls. I decided her doll needed a headband, just the same.

And the Birthday Girl had on glittery red slippers. Her doll needed those, too.

The doll's hair was made using a bulky wool/cashmere yarn. It is so soft, but to be honest, I'm a bit worried about the fuzz-factor. The Birthday Girl's mom has assured me, though, that this doll will have a safe place up on a shelf for awhile, until her daughter is a bit older. Also, I don't have a problem re-doing the hair a few years down the line if it proves to be a problem.

Here is a close-up of her curls.

And here is Little Bea and Louisa :).

Meet Lily

2010-03-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Wow. Nothing like an icky virus to knock us all out for far too long. It's like life was on pause there for awhile.

Luckily, this morning the windows are open, the washer and dryer are churning, the living room is tidied up (the bedrooms need lots of work), and most importantly, we are all on the mend! Now I'm trying to figure out what was going on in my sewing space. From the looks of all the fabric and patterns strewn about, I had a lot going on. I just don't know what.

As I figure this all out, here is another post about a doll I made last Fall. Meet Lily.

She is the first doll that I have made that is now "out there" in the world. Ok, not quite; she did go to a little girl at my daughter's preschool (the family who won the silent auction item for the custom doll). But still, this Fall my daughter will be off to Kindergarten and I won't see this family anymore. All my dolls and toys thus far have gone exclusively to family and a few good friends.

I loved making this doll. I loved the yarn I used and plan to use it for future dolls (some yarns hold up better than others...this is a really good yarn). The color is so rich and dark.

The dress is made from the same Vogue pattern I used for Louisa. She has lined corduroy shoes, thanks to an awesome doll shoe tutorial by one of my favorite dollmakers ever, Elise of zippypops. I wish she posted more (hint hint), because her work is so meticulous. She has some amazing tutorials on her site - for doll hair, a free teddy bear pattern, tea dying cloth dolls, and the one I use most often, her doll shoe tutorial. To be honest, making doll shoes is one of my least favorite things. Unless they are handsewn with wool felt, sewing little shoes on a machine can be a headache. But Elise's tutorial is so straight-forward and the lined shoes look so nice and polished when completed.

There are still a few alterations I need to make to the doll pattern. I have a few sewn bodies left to finish up (more trial and errors that I'm trying to make the most of). I'm really hoping that my next batch will look better.

And now, I think I'll take the younger girls on morning errands and then a quick visit to the park before preschool.

Happy Monday!

Meet Louisa

2010-03-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

This is Louisa. I made her last fall for the annual auction at my middle daughter's preschool. She was meant to be an example of my work (the highest bidder would win a "custom made doll") and I figured I would find someone to give this particular doll to after the auction was over.

Did that happen? Uh, no. I kept her for myself! She is the first (and so far, only) doll that is MINE. Not my girls'. They play heavily with their dolls. Their dolls are well-loved and it shows. I wanted a doll that would remain in "new" condition, that I could continue to refer to as an example of my work. Not that my daughters' dolls look bad, but they are slept with (or on) every night, carried around by an arm, accidentally stepped upon, etc.

Her dress is a Vogue pattern and I love it! In fact, it may just be a staple on dolls to come. I had to make some alterations, but it fits great! And my husband used our snap-press to put a few snaps on the back.

Above is sort of how we had the display set up at the auction. The auction went well and I'm glad I offered to make one. It was well worth my time :).

And this picture below is one that I sketched up, influenced by a picture in a book called Doctor Dan (?) that had a little blond girl holding a doll. So, not an original drawing at all. But it did allow me to play with my Copic markers, which I still don't know how to use very well :). I need more time to draw!!!

Meet Annabelle

2010-03-01T09:35:00.000-08:00

This was my I have to make this right now project this weekend. And actually, I made her for two very good reasons:

1. We're taking a trip soon and my middle daughter (the 4 1/2 year old) kept asking me which of her dolls she could bring with us and pack away in a suitcase. I thought I should just make her a simple flatdoll that could be squished like a pancake and would still maintain its shape :).

2. This same daughter is my Project Runway pal. We watch every episode together on Friday mornings, her day off from preschool. She tries to create outfits of her own for her dolls after the show is over (tying silk scarves around them). And so I thought, a simple flatdoll would be a perfect doll for her to start actually sewing doll clothes.

(And it is worth mentioning, I drafted this doll to be made with only ONE pattern piece. ONE!)

At first I was stumped on the mouth (see the picture in yesterday's post), but I just decided it was best to go with a smirk to match my daughter's.

(We used the scraps from the dress above for the Hope doll we made for the Dolly Donations drive!)

To make her clothes, I literally placed her on a sheet of freezer paper. With my daughter at my side, I drew a dress shape around half her body. Rudimentary...yes.

I sewed up her bloomers, and then we moved on to her dress.

I wanted my daughter to do the applique herself. But I did use a 1/16" craft punch to help her out (I sometimes do this to assist the girls with hand-sewing).

One of my daughter's favorite books is Fanny, a story about a little girl who initially wants the dolls that all her friends have (very Bratz-like looking dolls). Her mom says no. So, Fanny sets out to make her own doll.

So, of course, my daughter just loved this part. She really felt like she was part of everything from this point on.

Perched on my lap, she helped me sew the dress. I had my machine set on its slowest speed, and while I kept my foot on the pedal, she helped to guide the fabric. (I had drawn lines to help her follow).

And here is her finished "Annabelle" doll. The dress fits kinda funny, which I guess is to be expected :). Next time, I'm sure we'll do better. I am now working on a second doll for my oldest daughter. And then we'll be making little bags (using the fabric in the backdrop below) for the dolls to travel in.

Wanted: Craft Coach

2010-02-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

Is there such a thing? Kind of like a life coach...someone who could come and sit with me in my sewing space and help me prioritize and focus and work more effectively.

Because really, I think I have ADD or something when it comes to "my creativity" (not sure how to word that?). I have so many projects all in various stages of completion and yet I'll often sit with my morning coffee, admiring others' projects, or some new idea will come to me as I'm shuttling my kids around town, and then I'll think I have to make THAT...NOW!!!

Many times, I'll go rummage through my supplies and find what's needed. Or I'll spend my spare minutes that day driving around, buying the necessary yarn/fabric/supplies. Some of the time, I'll even trace and cut patterns or cast on stitches. I'll work for a day or two...and then I'll see or think of something else I HAVE TO MAKE (and the project I was working on gets cast aside) and it all starts again.

Okay, and some of the time, I actually finish a project or two. But seriously, I need to stop this and just finish many of the projects I have already started.

For instance, this weekend, this is one of my distractions. Not at all what I intended to work on, but something I just have make right now!. And now that this "one-piece wonder" :) is almost done, I've already started on my second one.

But I have another big doll that still needs hair! And doll clothes that need to be sewn! And those Valentine's PJs that are cut, but still need to be serged! Argh. I need an intervention.

Meet Goldilocks

2010-02-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

I love looking through flickr sets or scrolling back to the beginning of someone's blog and watching their creative-style really develop. Part of me wishes I had started this blog a few years back for that reason.

So, while I have a couple dolls that are *almost* done, I thought I could post about a few past dolls that I've made. This was a key one. A topsy-turvy Goldilocks doll.

I started this doll during the Summer of 2008. And she started out as a regular doll for my youngest. I used a vintage pattern for her head/torso and arms. I believe the pattern was either an Alice Brooks or Laura Wheeler one. But after I sewed/stuffed the head and body, I just did not like it. The torso was so TINY and the head was so BIG. The limbs were supposed to be button jointed, and maybe it all would have looked fine when done, but I scrapped the project for a few months.

Eventually I decided to use the head for practice and went ahead and hand-embroidered the facial features. It was my first time doing embroidery like this.

And at the time, I was really happy with the results (I've gotten more critical these days :-P). I hated not doing something with her, so I somehow came to the decision to make a topsy-turvy doll. The tiny torso would be hidden this way.

While I do own a vintage pattern for a cloth Goldilocks/Three Bears topsy-turvy (the very pattern my mom used to make one when I was little), I went ahead and tried to do this on my own. And I learned a few things about making dolls like this.

For example - the reason the arms on topsy-turvy dolls are so little is because they get in the way otherwise when you flip the doll over. Of course, I didn't realize that until afterward. Look at how long I made the bears' arms! They are hard to stuff under Goldilocks's dress. And their head is too huge!!! But because Goldilocks had such a big head, I thought the bears' head should be bigger :).

It took me two attempts to get Goldilocks's dress right. And while I usually only use wool stuffing for my dolls and toys, I did have to use a bit of polyfil for the bears' head so that it wouldn't be so heavy and dense. I think I used bamboo, too, I can't remember.

I made up the design for the bears' head and then used one of those Carol's Zoo patterns for Baby Bear.

Okay, and this is one of my favorite parts of this doll - Papa Bear's overalls (which you can only see part of here...he's sitting in a canvas bucket for the picture). The overalls are made out of a pair of my husband's old jeans. I ripped off one of the back pockets and used that, too. It's not just Mama Bear's job to carry Baby around!

Anyways, the reason this doll was so important was because it really started me on my journey into making my own dolls. The toys we've always chosen for our kids have been those made of natural fibers - wood, cotton, wool, etc. We are big fans of Waldorf toys. I've even made some Waldorf dolls for my girls. And while I love Waldorf dolls, I realized that I could make dolls that are just as "natural" in content, but different...still wholesome. I can use 100% organic fabrics for doll bodies, clean-carded wool to stuff them, and natural fibers for their hair. And even more, I love making their faces (the primary thing that really sets them apart from Waldorf dolls). I told my husband that hand-sewing their facial expressions feels like drawing with a needle and thread.

After toying with a few other vintage patterns, I started to draft my own design, redrawing lines/curves numerous times. I love the "baseball" style head construction, but I am not a fan of button-joints myself. The doll pattern that I've been working on for over a year has the baseball-style head, but with a more traditional rag-doll style body. There are still kinks I'm working out, but the design gets a little better each time I make one.

In bloom

2010-02-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

While much of the country continues to enjoy its snow and winter-like weather, it feels like nothing but Spring around here. Our neighborhood trees are covered with blossoms. Pink and white trees everywhere! Quite beautiful. And actually, I think their appearance has peaked; we're starting to see more and more tiny flowers dusting the ground and little purple or green leaves sprouting on branches.

Most of the trees are pink, much to my girls' delight.

To mark the occassion, the older girls and I made our annual cherry blossom branch last night. They had more fun with it this year (less frustration with the glue and tissue paper sticking to their fingers).

My oldest used a watercolor pencil to draw/paint a branch and covered that with a few blossoms as well.

And I made a wee blossom doll to add to the nature/seasonal shelf while watching American Idol. Of course, I had my youngest daughter's *help*. I can't begin to count the number of times I had to re-thread my needle :).

I'm not sure when Spring officially starts, but today was full of sunshine and warm temperatures. There are rumors that rain is on its way this weekend. Still, Spring appears to be just around the corner. At least it is for some of us :).

Kinokuniya

2010-02-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, I finally made a trip to Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore not far from here. After walking around the store a bit and I discovered a goldmine...a whole aisle of sewing books! Shelves and shelves - and of course, I couldn't read any of the titles!!! I had no idea how to even begin looking through these books. I spotted Girly Style Wardrobe, which I already own and LOVE, and dozens more books like that. It was actually overwhelming.

My younger two daughters were with me and, as if on cue, they started racing and yelling up and down the aisles. Ugh. I knew my time there was limited so I just started yanking books off the shelves and flipping through them as quickly as I could. I ended up just buying one book but plan to go back soon. Next time I will go ALONE :).

This is the book I bought (for cheaper than I could have on etsy). It's cute and I'm sure I'll try out this pattern at some point. Lots of cute doll clothes, too!

I love the hairstyle on the redhead below.

Lots of cute accessories and shoes, too.

There were several aisles full of cute Japanese notebooks, pens, bento supplies, you name it. The girls were falling apart by that point, so I just needed to pay and get out of there. I did manage to grab this little guy on the way to the cashier. He currently has a spot up on our seasonal/nature shelf. It is Year of the Tiger, after all.

Hope for Haiti

2010-02-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughter and I just finished up this doll, who will eventually be sent off to Haiti as part of a larger effort coordinated by Sarah Hanson, of Dolly Donations. Sarah is partnering with The Abundant Ground Foundation to bring 181 handmade dolls to an orphanage in Haiti. Her website is exciting to follow, watching the dolls trickle in from around the globe :). She also has a great (free!) rag doll pattern, as well as tutorials on painting features and other doll-making techniques.

More information on the doll donation drive is available from the Abundant Ground Foundation here.

We decided to add a little pocket so her new owner can store a tiny treasure or two.

We'll be sending off Hope (what my daughter has named her) to The Abundant Ground Foundation tomorrow. My daughter is working on a little note to tuck in the pocket.

Thank you, Sarah, for organizing this effort! It was a cause we couldn't pass up.

ETA: This doll was made from the (free!) pattern designed by Emily Martin/Inside a Black Apple available here.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T15:10:00.000-08:00

The girls and I have been busy working on Valentine's Day crafts. One more day and there are still a few projects left to complete.

So far, there has been a little hand-sewing (by my oldest daughter),

...a little hair clip for middle daughter, made from the rose barrette tutorial at The Purl Bee,

...a few little hair clips for youngest daughter's playgroup friends,

...some Valentine's-themed recycled crayons for preschool classmates (inspired by this post at thelongthread.com),

...and, a whole bunch of Valentine's (we made over 50!). Both older daughters chose to do the usual around here - watercolors in reds and purples on several sheets of watercolor paper. We then cut out heart-shapes and the girls have fun decorating with an assortment of stickers and doilies. Here is one before it is slathered in stickers :).

Back to work...

The Thimble People!?!?

2010-02-07T17:56:00.000-08:00

How is that I've never heard of The Mary Frances Sewing Book: Adventures Among the Thimble People before? I'm amazed. To think that online stores that I buy from regularly (like A Child's Dream Come True), carry/carried the book and I've only recently stumbled upon this sweeet find. Where have I been?

And by stumble...I mean stumble. Several weeks ago, I purchased a page that was pulled from an old, original edition, 1913 children's sewing book. The etsy ad said that the sale included the pattern for the dress below. I had planned to crop and frame this page, though, now that I have it in my possession, I want to keep it intact (the page features a different dress below it and has the pattern, including tissue paper, adhered to the back). I think I'll just have a nice print made of it and frame that instead. How cute is this? (The colors are a bit off here.)

The seller also sent this page and the patterns for these pieces.

Anyways, after the etsy purchase, I decided to look into what this "1913 sewing book" was all about...and I fell in love :). I now own a new copy of the book and all the patterns (I had to buy the patterns separately). I've put the book aside for my oldest daughter's birthday in May, but I can't resist flipping through it almost every day. And I've already picked out the fabric to try out the Afternoon Dress above. I'm not waiting until May to make the dress, either.

I can't wait to read this book with my girls! These illustrations...the characters...the basic hand-sewing techniques covered.

Perfect and lovely.

Saved From the Scrap Pile

2010-01-31T18:12:00.000-08:00

She looks just like a Scottish twin, doesn't she? :-)

Again, here's a picture of the 1974 McCall's pattern:

In my last post about this doll, I was seriously thinking about scrapping things and starting over. I went ahead and embroidered the eyes/facial features, yet even after trying out various hairstyles, I still wasn't happy with things.

Problem solved! I ended up permanently sewing on this hood/capelet. It masks the funny head shape. Kind of. And then I discovered this Euro corduroy in my stash (I love finding forgotten fabric!). Since she's so small (9.5 inches), I hardly used any corduroy at all, and it seemed to coordinate nicely with the faux-sherpa fleece hood thing.

Other than working a bit more on her shoes, she's done and has been claimed by my youngest (she "helped" me sew the shoes last night). This project definitely inspired me and I have lots of ideas swirling around in my head...but more on that later. For now, I need to turn my attention back to my regular dolls and some sewing for my daughters.

Oh, the possibilities!

2010-01-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

This makes me so excited.

My middle daughter is 4 1/2 and she has been eager to start learning to sew. Today, she drew a heart on a small scrap of muslin. I threaded the needle, guided her through her first few stitches, and she went off and finished it on her own. I think she did a great job! She's very excited and wants to make a pillow out of the square above. Maybe I'll show her how to use the sewing machine.

Up until now, I've only worked on sewing a bit here and there with my oldest daughter. But I think her younger sister is ready to learn and may just be a natural.

"Q" is for Quilts

2010-01-25T14:05:00.001-08:00

Q is for Quilt
Originally uploaded by jcecil08

My older sister had this great, yet simple suggestion for my youngest daughter's birthday - make her an alphabet photo album. I loved the idea! Better than making more felt food.

On Friday, I went to Michael's, intending to walk out with just a plain 4 x 6 photo album. My original plans were to hand-sew a wool felt cover for it; on the left side of the inside page(s), there would be the uppercase/lowercase letters and on the right side(s), a personal picture that corresponded to the letter.

I never walk out of Michael's with only what I intended to walk in there to buy. Never. I have no problem with JoAnn's, perhaps because I buy the bulk of my fabric on-line. But Michaels...it's my downfall.

I ended up buying a small bright pink scrapbook that holds ten 8 x 8 pages. I also bought several Martha Stewart scrapbook items, like a paper pad of pastel insert pages, animal stickers, alphabet stickers, and some other little, fun, decorative items.

I have tried my best to keep this project simple. Since my daughter's birthday was yesterday, I've already presented her with the album, but I am actually still working on it - filling in the words under/next to the pictures. Needless to say, she LOVES it. Loves it! And it has been really fun looking through pictures and trying to match them up with a particular letter. For all the family we have, many of the "ABC's" were easy, but there were still a few letters that I was stuck on.

Like "Q".

But then my oldest daughter suggested "quilts"!!! My mother makes beautiful quilts and has filled our tiny house with them over the years. So yesterday I snapped a picture of the birthday girl, wrapped in two of her favorite quilts from Grandma G. The picture at the top of this post is the picture that is now on the "Q" page. Perfect.

I also had to include this one. Such a happy kid!

Pass and Fail (x2)

2010-01-21T10:43:00.001-08:00

I'll start with the fails.

1. The "simple doll" is not so simple. Yes, the pattern is easy enough, but I'm not liking how it's turning out and can't decide what to do. After sewing and prior to stuffing, I could tell instantly that I didn't like the shape of the head. It's too small and short, but also a bit wide for my tastes. Here is a close-up of the pattern cover.

You can't really tell, but I think it's the hair that makes the head look a little "taller" in these pictures. This is compounded by the fact that I drew the eyes much too big. Maybe that's the real problem. I can't decide whether I should scrap it or just finish it to the best of my ability. I can learn from it, right?

2. My second "fail" is not having anything made yet for my youngest daughter's 2nd birthday on Sunday. I have a bit of time still, but nothing planned. As the youngest of 3 girls, she has so much. And I just gave her a knitted doll for Christmas, so I don't want to give her another doll just yet. I think I'll just make some felt food. I better get started on it ASAP.

And my pass...

I reworked the eyes a bit on the doll I showed on my first blog post. My husband literally laughed out loud when I showed it to him, not seeing the "difference" at all between the before and after. But to me, the eyes look decent enough for me to move forward and finish this doll. They're not perfect (and seeing this picture makes me want to go back and work on them a little bit more), but they are good enough. Plus, I already sewed the ears back on. Time to move on.

before

and after

She'll be getting little blond curls.

A Special Delivery

2010-01-18T15:17:00.001-08:00

My younger sister is due to have a baby boy this week! It will be a first on my side of the family; a good new thing for all of us. I, for one, will have to venture into "boy" fabrics and sewing boy clothes. At least I'll have a wonderful reason to buy more fabric.

I just completed some 0-3 month clothes for him and I hope to get this all in the mail tomorrow, along with some other gifts. The outfits are from the NCBE pattern. I've used the pattern a few times in the past, but it's the first time I have also made the hats and bottoms. What a great pattern! So easy and fun to make. The fabric is all Chez Ami, except for the tiny cars.

I did take some shortcuts (no top-stitching!), but I have a feeling he won't be going out too much these next few months anyways. Next time I'll pay a bit more attention to detail/finishing.

Since I don't have any size tags or labels, I used a bit of Japanese linen trim to mark the back of the pants. It's so hard to tell front from back on these little pants sometimes! That's a tiny sewing machine on the "label". It's sort of hard to see in this picture.

I also made a little sleep sack and a coordinating nightgown for his big sister. The sleep sack is made from the softest fabric ever and lined in a 100% cotton ribknit, both by Chez Ami. Looks like I should have taken the time to press these two pieces before taking a picture. :)

I can't wait to get the phone call that he's here!

A Simple Doll

2010-01-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

While I love the dolls I have been working on lately, I've been itching to sew a simpler doll, one that isn't so labor-intensive. Last night, while searching through my doll pattern stash, I found an old 1974 McCall's pattern for a small, flat doll. Actually, it is for "Scottish Twins", but I'll make a regular doll. Nothing too fancy. What excites me is that there are only two pattern pieces. Two! I've been busy sketching out facial features, hairstyles, and clothing options, while also clicking around etsy and flickr for inspiration.

I have to say, there are so many adorable handmade dolls out there. Really. Every time I think I have some unique idea (how to do the face, etc.), I stumble upon someone who is doing something very similar. Why is that? This seems to happen to me a lot. Maybe creative minds think alike. Perhaps I'm not all that creative to begin with. Who knows! Either way, I love seeing what others are creating. I spend much of my on-line time these days scrolling through photosets on flickr, admiring what others have sewn, painted, made.

I guess there are only so many ways to make a simple, flat doll. I see several people using the Black Apple pattern, Bit of Whimsy patterns, or variations of them. Many have designed their own doll patterns. Lots of artists are using felt for hair. Wool felt offers possibilities...a simple, expedient hairstyle that can withstand lots of love at the hands of a child. And I see many dolls with felt circle eyes. I have used that technique myself in the past. Like this Spaceboy from a Wee Wonderfuls pattern. I believe this was from 2007.

Or this one from another Wee Wonderfuls pattern.

These days, I prefer to hand-embroider eyes. Even though I lightly sketch before I start sewing, I have no idea how the face will really appear until the doll is complete.

So, I look at these pieces of fabric and still don't know what they will become. Yarn or felt for hair? Eye color? Facial expression? We'll see when she's finished.

Holiday Hangover

2010-01-06T23:22:00.000-08:00

I have so many projects in mind for the coming months and weeks, and yet here I sit - paralyzed, due in part to my unfinished Christmas gifts. It is January 7th and I really haven't completed or, to be quite honest, worked on much (besides a lot of cleaning/purging around the house) since the day after Christmas.

Unlike most recent years, the amount of unfinished work isn't overwhelming. Too often, I've left those UFOs to sit far too long and many remain unfinished to this day.

But this year, there are really only three projects I should complete: 1) a sweater for my second daughter's "Rose Doll"; 2) finish the hair on a knitted doll for daughter #3; and, 3) finish a sweater for the knitted doll. Ooh, and #4) hand-sew the lining (better) on third daughter's Christmas stocking. But actually, I don't mind if #4 waits until next Nov/Dec.

In the meantime, I have this basket of fabric calling to me.

I have a new nephew who is due to be born later this month and I'm hoping to send my younger sister some layette clothing for him, made from some of the fabric to the right. There is also some Valentine's Day fabric in there. Pajamas? Dresses? Plus, my youngest daughter's birthday is later this month and I'd like to make her a few things...an apron? felt play food?

And then there is this fabric awaiting to become some doll dresses.

What should I work on first? Perhaps I'll cut out some patterns and fabric tonight. Maybe if I tackle one Christmas UFO a month, that will help move me along with my projects.

Because right now, I just want to work on something new :).

A New Face

2010-01-05T09:55:00.001-08:00

This doll was sewn several months ago, but I have yet to finish her. I'm thinking she needs her eyes touched up, specifically the one to the left (in the photo). It's a bit too small...and her eyes overall need more work. I don't like that left "highlight". Hmmm, that will involve removing her ears (where I hide embroidery knots) and the highlight/pupil, etc. for both eyes. Probably a solid hour of hand-sewing.

But then again, she definitely has an expression...kind of like she's smirking.

Should I leave her alone? Should I go back and try again? I'm thinking I should try again...

We'll see. A new face could make a difference.