Eternal Winter.  Oh, I am tired of the snow, cold and wind.  Come on already Spring!

ok, now that I have that off my chest.....here are some pictures of what I have been doing while shut inside during winter.

At the end of  2013, I taught a class for Gail Wilson's Raggedy Ann and Andy in all three sizes.  I think Shirley set a record for how many she made. It all started out with one for a grand child.  Then the others got wind of it and they all wanted one!  Poor Shirley was making RAs for months. The picture on the left are the larger size. They usually have brown hair, but I got a custom order for red. After class, off they went to their new owners, a brother and sister both with red hair.  All three sizes are below. A very nice doll to make.
Here's a link to Gail's cloth doll patterns and kits: GW cloth dolls

 

                                                                                                     Very recently, I got a new grand baby girl. She is a sweetie. I made her some crib sheets.  Chris, the owner of Attic Window Quilt Shop in Comstock  Park showed me an easy and economical method of making them.  I made a few in the flannel from Attic Window,  which  is very deluxe - so soft and of high quality . This sheet would be a good first sewing project for some one wanting to learn the basics. Attic Window is where we doll makers meet once a week for some doll making fun.  Stop in and get your very own impromptu crib sheet lesson!  The baby quilt is "Reveille" from Carrie Nelson's book "Another Bite of Schnibbles".  There are several more patterns in that book that are on my bucket list.

I cyber bumped into a wonderful online e-pattern place for making clothing for the grand kids.  Peek A Boo patterns are wonderful.  You purchase the pattern, it comes to you via a PDF file and you print it out and tape it together. Works like a charm for those of us who get that bug to sew after the shops are closed  and we find we don't have a pattern in the correct size.  Good thing I have a stash of fabric on hand!  I love these patterns because you buy them once, store them in digital form, and when you need it you print it out.  All the sizes are included, from baby to teen.  I made yoga pants in size 7, 5, and next up is 2T. I know I am going to be making these often, so I keep the print outs in a notebook. They are easy patterns to make. And the kids like them.

 After the red pincushion doll sold, (funny story there) I got a request for another. So this one in a colonial style with a faux grained stand had to wait to be finished.  She got finished, listed and sold on Etsy. 

hmm what else have I been doing???  Oh, we are in the middle of the Molded Head Izannah class at Attic Window.  We have the body parts made and in the painting process now.  Hair takes a few coats to get the nice dimension we want and we are taking our time.  Here's my finished version from a few years ago. I have since changed her into a new dress.  I have two in the works now, one to be a girl and one a boy. 

What are we up to next at Attic Window?  We are going to finish the Molded head Izannah and then move on to Hitty.  We all have several of the Hitty club items we will work on.  What are you up to? 

Have some doll fun this month,  thanks for stopping by - Julie

Pincushion Doll

Hello dollmakers!  You have probably been wondering what I have been up to!  New grand babies!  I have been busy.  So busy I forgot to publish this draft from a year ago!  So here it is, even though so out dated.  The Pincushion doll in reds sold on Etsy quite awhile ago.  And my sewing room is quite messy again.  sigh..... At least it's Spring right around the corner. It ends quite abruptly; I guess I was planning on going back to add more.  Here it is, and I promise I will post again soon so you can see what dolls I have been working on.

Hello dollmakers! 

Happy Spring to you!  We have spring flowers starting to make their way thru the snow and hard soil.  It won't be long and we will see the bright yellows of Narcissus and Forsythia flowers.  Spring inspired me to straighten up the sewing room and now you can see all the UFO dolls waiting to be finished.  Two black hitties and the Portrait Izannah are the two lucky ones up next.  Izannah  just needs some antiquing and clothing and she is finished.




Today I am finishing up another Pincushion Doll from Gail Wilson Designs.  She is outfitted in reds this time.  The pincushion doll can be found here.  She is available in a kit (brown or blue clothing) or as a mini kit (you supply your own clothing fabrics).  I can't tell you how much I enjoying my Pincushion Doll on my sewing table.  She holds my doll making tools, pins, needles, and many other things to keep them from getting lost on the sewing table. 
 Next week is the last class for this doll at Attic Window Quilt Shop in Comstock Park, MI.  There will be a few other dolls in their final stages that the other participants have made.  All are so cute!

To finish my doll, I need to sew her bodice.  After sewing the shoulders, adding lace, and sewing the side seams, I like to press open the seam allowances.  This is easily accomplished using the wooden handle of my stuffing fork or the handle of a wooden spoon. I keep several sizes of wooden spoons and other utensils (spurtles, etc.) just for ironing tiny sleeves.