When you sew as much as I do, it’s not easy to stay out of your sewing room. I tried to be good and for the most part I was. Using the crutches, I hobbled into my room and gathered some things to fix Kit’s tear in her cloth body. Then I was a good girl and went back to the couch…
When Marilyn reminded me that a pair of panties would cover the “patch,” I was all about trying to get it fixed. I just used a double layer of cotton and did a blind stitch around the edges. Fortunately that tiny little edge of fabric was still attached to the section of the leg collar, or whatever that piece is called.
Here is a before shot…
…and here it is now.
I thought I had a pair of panties, but couldn’t find them. They will cover up everything and no one will ever know…unless I show and tell…
Rebecca needed to wear her chef jacket for a nutrition class Saturday and she asked me if I thought I could embroider her name above the pocket. You don’t have to use your foot with a computerized machine so I sat down at my machine, pulled up her name, hooped her jacket and started the machine. It did all the rest…and this is how that turned out…
…she smiled…”thanks mom!”
Not a whole lot to share, but at least it was about sewing!!! Thanks again to all of you for your encouraging words. I truly do appreciate everyone who sent me their thoughts. :o)
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
It may not have been your most productive sewing day, but what you did was excellent. What I learned about replacement torsos yesterday may also be useful.
My lovely Felicity was Pleasant Company, which is one of the reasons I selected her, but all of my dolls dress in clothes from every era and Felicity was unable to wear a lot of the more recent outfits, so I reluctantly decided to ask for a new torso, requesting one the size of the original Kit’s or Lindsay’s, since I think the current bodies are a little too slim. Apparently one size is what they have.
If you replaced Kit’s body, your model would not be the size of the original Kit, which would be a disadvantage. Your choice of a very neat patch is probably, in my opinion, the best alternative.
I had hoped that your Kit came with her original panties, which would be useful, since they are not form-fitting, and knowing how the clothes you design would fit over the original underclothes would be helpful. I found one pair on Ebay, and they are with other items for a combined price — a bit expensive if you are interested in only one item. You can call American Girl and ask for a replacement — sometimes you can get items that aren’t listed for sale that way — or at least that used to be true.
I’ll bet someone else on this list will have a real solution — or maybe someone on one of the AG lists.
You are one more day better than you were and tomorrow you’ll be better still.
Hi Marilyn,
I know about the different sizes in the AG bodies. Since Kit’s leg band still had some of the fabric to catch my needle and thread, I wanted to at least try that first. Remarkably, her legs are both still very tight and she can stand easily on her own.
Since I just use my dolls for models , I’m not too concerned with her panties and the patch is pretty strong, but still allows her leg to bend just like the other one.
Thanks for your thoughts Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
I knew you’d find a way to be super-productive while healing! Beautiful job on the patch.
I wonder if you have seen stories about women who repaint the fiercely made up Bratz dolls to be sweet little girls. Enter “Repainting Bratz Dolls” in Search and find pictures and several stories about women who are doing this. I wouldn’t suggest nail polish remover on AG dolls as it sounds pretty harsh, but there may be some useful tips in there. The Bratz dolls may be made of very hard, strong plastic, but it is interesting to see the amazing change that can be accomplished using the same doll figure.
Best wishes for continued healing.
Thanks Susette,
I have seen the lady who turns the Bratz dolls into these simply painted dolls for little girls. They change dramatically, don’t they.
I looked through my paint brushes and I don’t think I have a small enough one to do Kit’s lips. Oh well…I’ll have to find something else to work on…
Blessings, Jeanne
So glad that you are still able to get some things done while you recover. The embroidery job is great!
Very professional. The AGD is looking good. The operation came out well. Hope each and every day you are feeling better and soon will be back to good health.
Thank you Sylvia,
Kit was happy to be repaired and able to stand on her own again. Now I’m trying to figure out what else I can do sitting down…
Thanks for your kind words, Sylvia,
Blessings, Jeanne
How about knitting doll sweaters???
HI Sylvia,
I wish I knew how to knit… I really do! I can crochet a little bit and thought I might try to improve on it while I was down…
Thanks for the suggestion…
Blessings, Jeanne
That’s pretty productive for being injured. 🙂
Hi Christine,
I guess it wasn’t too bad of a day, was it?
Thanks for reading!
Blessings, Jeanne
So sorry for your injury, but maybe you needed this period of time to slow down and rest. I don’t know how you do all you do in the time you do it in.
It looks like you are taking advantage of this time with Kit. Maybe she will be that doll that will always be in your heart because of your rescue of her. Oh my, those lips scared me. I don’t know if I would have had the nerve to put her on Ebay had she been my doll!! I commend you for the ingenious way you fixed her torn body. Bless her little doll heart
I have of the original white bodied dolls bought for my daughter in 87-90. Then in 91 we added the original Felicity. They are priceless to me. This week I made a Christmas dress for the original white bodied Kirsten and I really had a nostalgic few days.
Take care of yourself and rest..
Hi Anna,
Every time I look at Kit, I’ll probably remember I was trying to paint her lips when I hurt my foot. I guess we both had a little boo boo that needed taking care of…she’s all patched up…just wish I could stand on my own…? oh well…
I can’t wait to get back to my dolls Christmas dresses! Congrats on getting Kirsten’s Christmas dress made.
Blessings, Jeanne
Happy to hear that you are able to get around the house crutches and all. Better than the hop method. It’s okay for you to be couch-lodged for a while as you heal. Maybe a good time to pick up a book. I will suggest to you Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker. Very historical with a touch of fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
Prayers for you.
Hi Jeannie,
I tried the hop method, but it jars my foot too much and really makes it hurt. I think I was up too much yesterday…and today my foot is pretty achy…so I’m using the computer chair as much as possible today to keep any weight off of it. Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, huh? Another book to add to my list…
Thanks so much, Jeannie,
Blessings, Jeanne
Happy Halloween, Jeanne. I hope you have help giving out candy today. Also, I hope your day is prettier than ours is. It’s really wet!
I was going to comment yesterday, but the day got away from me. At 9:00 (my bedtime, which I didn’t make) I was still working on Talyssa’s new outfit, so sorry. I was very happy to hear that your foot doesn’t have any broken bones or tears in the ligaments. Your healing time will be much less even if it is probably as painful. I hope today starts with your foot being a bit better than it was yesterday.
Kit’s patch is really cute; now she’s a patchwork doll (whatever that is)! Kit will be a great model for you. I’ve always liked her.
Your sewing machine does a great job of embroidery. I’ve never had a sewing machine that could do anything like that. My Bernina is from 1986, she’s an old lady, but still going strong.
Enjoy your “rest”, Jeanne.
Hi Cindy,
We are having a hayride out at some friends house for our church tonight and we are really praying that it doesn’t rain on it…it’s so much work, when it rains it ruins the effects. There will be homemade applesauce cooking in pots, square dancing in the barn, making s’mores at one station, etc. I was supposed to help a friend decorate, but I sort of goofed that up…
Kit is all patched up and waiting for her new lips. I thought I had a size 0 paint brush, but my smallest size is a 2 so I probably should wait before I do the. I can do Elizabeth’s gloves for her regency dress…and work on Patsy’s jacket for her blue snowflake dress…
Did you get Talyssa’s dress set finished? I can’t wait to see it.
Thanks so much , Cindy.
Blessings, Jeanne
Good to see you are recuperating nicely…I’m like you, my hands must be busy at all times!
I enjoy your blogs…
Sincerely,
Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne,
Yes, I do like to stay busy…so this is a bit hard for me. But maybe I needed this slow down time. I will find things to do…just things that don’t require walking or standing…
Thanks for reading, Suzanne,
Blessings, Jeanne
Great patch job Jeanne and the embroidery is perfect! I know you will find lots of productive things to keep you busy while you heal. Creative people cannot be kept idle for very long!
God Bless
Thank you Marsha,
I’ve had 3 ladies unsubscribe in the last 3 days. I guess they don’t want to read about my “foot woes!” I just want to be able to keep my posts interesting enough that I don’t lose subscribers.
Thanks for your encouraging words Marsha,
Blessings, Jeanne
The unsubscribing could just be chance, too, Jeanne–not caused by anything you did or didn’t do. Sometimes people have things happen in their lives that severely cut into their computer time, things that are beyond your control, so I hope you won’t take it personally.
Charlotte
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Thanks Charlotte,
It’s not the first time someone has unsubscribed and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Thanks for your encouraging words though!
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
Glad you’re finding things to do and at the same time, resting when you need to.
How exciting to see that Kit’s surgery went well. She’s going to be very happy that she came to your home and your care.
I may never learn to sew but I sure can see how beneficial and convenient it is to know all you know about sewing and sewing repairs. I find that so remarkable and I wish I had had the desire to learn to sew.
Since you have to sit on the sofa or bed from time to time, I thought I’d email you about a doll auction I went to. All the dolls belonged to one woman who retired to a nursing home. She had hundreds of dolls, as well as bears, wagons, sleighs and more. The auctioneer told me she had 3 rooms in her home dedicated to her collections. But that’s not the “rest of the story”. I’ll email the rest and you can read it in your leisure or if you’re bored, it’s at least something to read.
By the way, did you catch ” The Hero Dogs” show last night on TV. I think I cried the through the whole show. It was so moving as well as sad. Doggies, (animals) are God’s little and big angels.
Take care and rest the foot! Blessings
Hi Paula,
Thanks for your comments today. No, I didn’t see that show last night, but it sounds like I would have been crying right along with you.
The doll auction sounds like so much fun…3 whole rooms dedicated to her doll collection…wow…that’s a lot of dolls. I’m hoping that the rest of the story is how many dolls you bought!!! I can’t wait to hear what else happened at it.
I am resting…my hubby is off to work at the hayride and all the stuff related to it, Rebecca is off to her nutrition class, so it’s just Reuben and me…and he’s sleeping right now. I am watching Cooks Country on PBS and learning about cooking roasts…?
Thanks so much, Paula,,
Blessings, Jeanne
Don’t know how you get the fabric into the hoop so straight. Rebecca’s name is perfectly spaced. I have a machine that I think can do that, but have never had the time to experiment with the hoop. Really a nice job.
Nice patch on Kit too. Now, those ugly brown blotches.
Hi Joy,
Actually I said I hooped her jacket, but I should have said I hooped sticky paper into my hoop, and then I just have to press her jacket into the hoop straight…you can lift it up a few times before you actually push it down. It’s not so hard to do…and the pocket actually made it easier to get straight.
I wish I had some Oxy clean, so I could get started on trying to remove the stains on Kits leg. There is no sunshine to set her in with her leg wrapped so I guess it doesn’t matter anyway.
Thanks for your comments Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Great repair work and your embroiderer does a great job! Sounds lke a very productive day. I have seen people use a medical device where you rest your bent knee androll along across the floor. There is also something called a knee crutch. Often items can be rented. Call your Drs and see if they can prescribe something to help you navigate your busy life. One day down and it hasn’t been too bad has it. After being sick, I have asked,myself why I didn’t try to enjoy myself without the usual obligations and impulses to just do more when sick. Now is the time to pamper yourself. Smell flowers.
Hi Jan,
Thanks for your thoughts. I was describing that bent knee scooter thing to my hubby. I think I saw it one night on an episode of Extreme Weight Loss. A lady hurt her foot but still wanted to continue. It was pretty nifty at getting her around…
It happened on Wednesday afternoon, but Thursday I was pretty much out of things…just slept a lot. I know it wil just be a slow process of recovery and I will try to be patient…but it’s not easy…
Thank you Jan,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne! Just a note to say I have been able to read your blog daily, but time is getting away from me here in Denver. Went o the Denver Botanic Gardens today with the family and it was a beautiful sunshiny day! We will be participating in the Halloween festivities tonight. I’m so glad to hear you have been able to do things in spite of your foot! You did a great job on patching Kit up, and the embroidery on Rebecca’s outfit looks really nice——-really nice! Had to say it twice!! Hang in there Jeanne Marie!
HI Linda,
I am hanging in there… not necessarily liking it, but still hanging in there!
I hope you are having a good time…it sounds like you are!
Blessings, Jeanne
When I sent Felicity off to the doll hospital, I had hoped that I could specify torso size, since they have a range of skin color — but apparently one size is it. That brings up a question — how do you decide what size to make your dresses since doll sizes vary? Everything you’ve sent me fits. Why is that?
And on to a Halloween problem. There seems to be a national movement to provide treats to children with food allergies or dietary preferences (gluten free, vegan. sugar free). This seems like a nice idea, but I’m wondering what solutions people are finding. I’m going to try quarters this year if I need something. I do have a bag of them. It’s also easy to use up the ones that remain, and I can send my leftover candy to friends, but leftover non-food treats are more challenging. You are creative — have you tackled this situation?
HI Marilyn,
My Elizabeth, Kirsten and now my Felicity all have the larger bodies. If what I’m making is for one of those dolls, I know it will most likely fit the newer bodies with ease too. I just try not to make anything too tight and if possible have a belt that can cinch up the waist. I’m glad everything you’ve bought has fit well.
We don’t get trick or treaters where we live, so I don’t really have an answer for you. If someone came to my door tonight, I’d have to give them a quarter too… glad you suggested that. We’ve lived here 11 years and haven’t had one trick or treater. Think of all the candy we’ve not had to buy! I don’t know what to tell you, maybe someone else has a suggestion… although it’s almost time for the little ones to be back home I think by now…
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Marilyn, we offer a choice of candy or pencils, and have for at least 15-20 years! About half the kids choose pencils. Michael’s usually has bags of 10 Halloween-print pencils for maybe under $3, and the other day I was at Walmart, and in the school-supply section, they had a package of 12 pencils printed with an allover star design in three different colorways, for UNDER $1.00!! I bought them to add to what I had left from last year. We don’t make a big deal about it or put out a special sign, I just say, “you can have a pencil or a candy” and about half the kids take pencils!!
Tonight we only had 16 trick-or-treaters, a new low for us (in recent years we’ve averaged about 35, but in the 70s and 80s we would get 60-75, easily), so there is a Lot of candy left, and lots of pencils. The pencils keep from year to year, which is a good thing. Too bad we’ll have to eat all that candy!! LOL
Jeanne, I wanted to tell you that Kit looks so much happier, now that she is “all better”!! I agree, it’s best to keep as much original as you can.
Charlotte
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Thanks Charlotte,
Your ideas for pencils is a great idea….guess I should have asked for ideas sooner!
We didn’t get a single knock…which is good since I’m on the couch… My hubby is still at the hayride…must be helping with all the cleanup…I sure he is.
I can’t wait to paint Kit’s lips.
Thanks so much Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne