I was busy today working on Kit’s dress and if I hadn’t stopped to help my hubby mow our grass, I may have been able to finish it, but he needed my help. It’s almost finished… the dress part, but I’m going to redo the sleeves.. they don’t look right to me. In fact, I’m going to show you the picture of the sleeves pinned up sort of the way I want them to look first…otherwise, if I showed you how they look now, you’d go ICK! I know you would…
So here’s what they’ll sort of look like when I fix them… they are too long on the sides and need to be tapered in more…
Here’s one pinned and one the way they are now…
Here’s what they look like unpinned… see… I told you you’d go ICK!
I added a row of scalloped machine stitching in white thread to give a little interest at the hem of Kit’s dress…
Here’s the back with some white buttons and the belt tied into a bow…
I don’t know if you noticed it or now, but I took the bias trim off because I had the dots crooked… you last saw it looking like this…
When I took it off, I decided to see what one row of dots looked like. I liked it better so I just replaced the whole piece.
I’ll get the sleeve ruffles redone and then finish the rest of the set… Kit is liking this one very much and can’t wait till I get it all finished and find her some shoes and socks… and something for her hair.
On another note, I got a wonderful email from Joy, who tried my apple pie recipe and shared some pictures with me. She said it was her first apple pie, and at 67, she was quite proud of herself… She should be…it looks beautiful…
She said it was good!! Let’s all clap for Joy!!!!
If you missed my Apple Pie post, you can see it HERE.
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh my, Kit looks like she could fly away, Jeanne! I see what you mean about the sleeves, and the pinned ones are much better! When you said you had navy dotted Swiss, I was thinking of the gauzy, sheer type of material, and thought nothing of the fact that the angel wing sleeves would be any trouble at all. Now I see that your material is a heavier, less sheer one, that has more body. But the whole dress is just adorable, and she could possible wear that for the first day of school too! Put a big red bow in her hair, little red shoes, white socks on, and she will look adorable! I think what all of us ladies want is a little girl to dress up again! At least I do, and that’s why I have 8 dolls to dress!
Oh my, that pie, Joy! It certainly looks beautiful, and I am sure tasted VERY good! Congrats to you for finally baking an apple pie! What took so long?
Oh goodness, Jean, you actually were out yesterday cutting grass? It was terrible here, and I can’t imagine staying out much longer than 10 minutes, and I sure wasn’t exerting myself, just watering things.
HI Linda,
I have fixed the sleeves now and they are much better. She won’t be flying anywhere in these!
The dotted Swiss I have is fairly soft but the dots are sort of hard to sew over and I wasn’t sure how they would do with a rolled edge for my sleeves but they worked just fine.
I thought about having Kit start my school year off but she wasn’t ready to talk about school yet, so we picked something else.
Yes, I was out pushing the mower yesterday afternoon. I think it was hotter than ever! I thought I was going to pass out. In fact, I couldn’t even finish… it was miserable out…
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
Two beautiful things — Joy, that apple pie is beautiful and you’ve made the ice cream look perfect, exactly the right stage of softness and no melting — that’s one beautiful thing. Kit’s dress is of course the other. I noticed the new collar trim right away and I agree with you, Jeanne, that the single row of dots is better. I really like the bias cut belt/sash and I was so pleased when I saw the scalloped hem. Now I’m thinking of a headband with red and yellow buttons on it for accents, but you probably have something already in mind.
Don’t you think Kit looks very happy with this outfit? Is she getting a petticoat to wear with it?
It’s cooling off here and we are getting a little rain. I hope the weather is as nice for everyone else.
Thank you Marilyn,
Yes, I agree that Joy’s pie was a thing of beauty… I wonder how much of it is left today! There’d be NONE if it was at my house!
Yes, Kit got a new half slip with this one, but no headband… a pretty red hair bow…
It’s dreadfully hot and super humid here… maybe rain tomorrow…
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
My mouth is watering, Joy, and it’s only 8:30 in the morning, much too early for pie. I can’t believe that’s your first pie. It’s beautiful! Congrats!
Kit’s dress is looking even more cute than the day before, Jeanne. I like the single row of dots for the bias band much better. Her sleeves will be perfect when you’ve worked your magic on them too. It’s almost done…
We’ve had some very hot days here (pool weather andor air conditioned weather) and got a nice bit of rain last night. Now, we have a new batch of mosquitoes. Yay! 🙁
Now Cindy,
Don’t tell me you’ve never had apple pie (or any other pie) for breakfast before… I love pie for breakfast…especially pumpkin pie!
Well, it took me three tries to get her sleeves right and I’m not positive they should be called angel sleeves but they’ll do, I think. Much better than yesterday’s sleeves.
The mosquitoes are pretty bad here too. We were picking up some stuff for Jean’s new apartment and just standing in this lady’s back yard, I got attacked by them and was miserable for several hours afterwards.
Thanks for your comments Cindy,
Blessings, Jeanne
I think if you press the sleeves down after finishing, they will look okay with the way they are. Just MHO. Often it is the fault of the fabric. If it still has sizing then it will not drape the way it would after a couple washes. I remember sleeves like that and they were nice and floppy if mom did not starch. That was back when starch was in the rinse water and you used a pop bottle with a cork stopper fitted with a sprinkle cap. Dry clothes were sprinkled, rolled up and store in the frig till she could iron them… Mom did a lot of laundry and ironing for people. Spray starch was a great invention!
I too remember those cork stoppers. In fact, I’ve picked up a couple at garage sales just for the memories. I doubt many others had any idea what they were even for. My mother used to let me sprinkle the clothes before putting in the refrigerator when ironing needed to be done later. Great memory thanks April.
HI Joy,
Well, I don’t have to worry about the sleeves anymore… they have been replaced! I think they look much better. I don’t think the fabric had sizing in it, it’s just the dots make it sort of stand out where they are hemmed on the edge.
I remember those sprinkle caps fitted onto a coke bottle too… We used to sprinkle our stuff down and keep it in the deep freeze… Then when we ironed we got it out and it was this big huge wad of cold clothes…
Oh, those were the days! :o)
Blessings, Jeanne
Kit’s dress is adorable and your accents are just right. I like the yellow and red buttons, so sweet on the white collar with the navy polka dot. Crisp and sweet. I can just see her wearing this for her first day of school (with a red apple for the teacher) or a special school event.
And speaking of an apple, Joy’s pie looks so delicious and the crust looks perfectly golden brown. Like Cindy, it’s too early in the morning for apple pie but it sure makes my mouth water!! Great job for your first apple pie!
Hi Paula,
Well, Kit wasn’t ready to go back to school just yet, so we picked a different scenario for this dress, but pretty soon it will be time for school. I’ll have to decide who gets to model the first school dress of the year!
I’d love a piece of Joy’s pie right now… it did look wonderful. I hope it was as good as it looked!
Thanks Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
P.S. Jeanne, it’s hard to believe this pretty little Kit is the one that looked so bad when you first got her. Her face looks really good and I bet Kit is thrilled she lives with you!!
HI Paula,
I know… Kit certainly has had a transformation, hasn’t she?
Thanks everyone in the pie cheerleading squad. I’ve made an apple strudel like thing in the past, but never pie dough and a pie. The apples were from my dad’s old Gravenstein apple tree. Freshly picked. And the other person here did the peeling while I figured out how to roll the crust. Jeanne’s use of the stove top (we have a flat glass electric one) made it a lot easier. I found that I could see the burner outlines through the parchment paper I was rolling on so it was easy to roll out the crust round and to size. After I had the top crust on the pie, I remembered I had forgotten butter on top of the apples, 🙁 but it was just fine without it. I’m going to take a couple of pieces over to my uncle today. He’s 89.
I really like the decorative embroidery on the skirt. Wish I knew how to use that feature on my machine. Tutorial? The sleeves look fine to me, but know they will be perfect when the dress is complete. So many great ideas from everyone for finishing touches too. Looking forward to seeing the dress when complete. It is full of cuteness.
HI Joy,
I’m so glad you enjoyed your pie. I hope it was yummy from the first bite to the last. It was pretty ingenious of you to use the burners to gauge your pie shell by.
It’s easy to use the decorative stitches on your machine. If your machine has the dials, you just turn to the decorative stitch you want, adjust your stitching length and do a few trial runs… tweaking the width or the length to get it the way you want it.
If you machine is digital, it’s pretty much the same way, you just have to play around with the designs…
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a lovely dress this is turning out to be, Jeanne. Your sleeves will look great after your tweaking them…the bias single row of dots is a strong detail that adds much merit to the dress and I do like that fancy stitch you used on the skirt. What little girl wouldn’t want to wear that to school (in the past at least)?
And Joy, the pie looks picture perfect. You did a lovely job on it. Thank you for sharing those photos with Jeanne and now with us.
Take care.
Thank you Becky,
After 3 tries, the sleeves are redone and much better… they don’t look like “flaps” anymore…
I think it looks very much like a 1930’s -1940’s dress. I guess I’ll see what everyone thinks…
I hope this isn’t Joy’s first and last pie… it was too pretty not to make another one…
Blessings, Jeanne
Joy’s apple pie looks delicious, perfectly golden brown, and staged as nicely as the brownie for Jeanne’s hubby! Congratulations, Joy! I’d say your first attempt on an apple pie was a huge success. So thoughtful of you to share with your uncle, too. My son photographs a lot of food, and he could sure use some of you ladies as stagers! I must disagree with the ladies on one point, however: Apple pie is a fine choice for breakfast! Although you wouldn’t want to do it everyday, it really is not much different from a fruit pastry. I would eat a piece anytime! Thanks for the memory of starch bottles, too, Joy! I also helped momma as she stood at the ironing board for what seemed like hours. What would our mothers have done with the extra time saved with permanent press clothes?!
Kit’s dotted dress is just adorable, Jeanne. I, too, think it would be lovely for the first day of school, perhaps with a school bag and a shiny red apple for the teacher, as Paula says. Like the buttons on the yoke, red is the perfect counterpoint for the nay and white. I did notice the bias trim on the yoke. I liked it before, but it is perfection, now, as I’m sure the sleeves will be when you are finished tweaking them, Jeanne. In this longer length, they do look a bit more like flutter sleeves rather than angel wings, but I know you will make them just right for the hand of the fabric. I’ll look forward to tomorrow, when all the finishing details come together with Kit’s story. Wishing everybody a wonderful weekend!
HI Anne,
YAY… another pie eater for breakfast… We think alike! If I had a piece of apple pie or pancakes for breakfast, I know what I’d probably pick… at least every once in a while.
Well, Kit’s dress may have looked like a school dress, but she wasn’t ready for school so she’ll have to model a school dress some other time. Today she has “other” plans…
Thanks Anne,
Blessings, Jeanne
Joy, your apple pie is worthy of a Martha Stewart photo shoot. I may even try one myself as the crust looks great on the bottom. I’m always afraid it will be soggy after all that work, but yours looks great. Must be Jeanne’s crust recipe. Jeanne, another great dress. Love all the details. Can’t wait to see it finished. And Cindy, I was incorrect the other day as I also follow your lovely Posts, and you’re to blame for my ordering a Little Darling doll.
I have a question about doll sizes and appearance. I remember you mentioned you replaced your Felicity a couple of times before getting the right one. My PC Felicity and Addy have what look like hunched shoulders, the necks seem shorter and the waists are 11″ as opposed to 10″ for the AG-marked dolls; thighs, 12″ and 11-/1/4″, respectively. The funny thing is they all weigh 700 grams, +/-14 gm. Are Felicity and Addy made in AG versions and what are your dolls? Thanks for all the details of Kit’s dress.
HI Susette,
How sweet of you to compare Joy’s apple pie to one seen in a Martha Stewart photo shoot. I hope Joy saw that! I hope you’ll give the pie a try Susette… it’s really good!
Oh good, I’m not to blame for you ordering a Little Darling… not that I’d mind the blame for one of them… but it’s nice to know that it was Cindy and not me…
Most of my dolls are the older versions.. the Pleasant Company dolls and they are bigger int he waists. Their necks do seem shorter too. I’m not sure if they actually are, but they appear to be shorter. Except for Elizabeth… that’s why I sold my first Felicity in the first place… Elizabeth has this long graceful neck and she photographed so well…
There is the BeForever Addy doll but the Felicity dolls have gone by the wayside so they aren’t being produced anymore. You can find the American Girl brand Felicity dolls that were the transition ones. They have the brighter green eyes and the more auburn hair.
I hope that helps somewhat…
Blessings, Jeanne
Dress looking lovely! What a nice talent to be able to take an illustration and make a dress and be fastidious enough to undo things until they meet your expectations. Scalloped edging a nice touch. I really love piping and scallops. I would say Kit is my favorite American Girl doll other than my Molly, like the times, like the clothes. And kudos to Joy for the lovely apple pie–please email me a slice–I have the ice cream. Not sure I saw that recipe. And that is from one Joy to another.
Hey Joy, nice to meet you. I would send the pie if I could. After sending some to relatives, there is one slice left.
Just a note, how did you get your name?
My mother always told me that if she had a second child she would have named it Bliss. I was so glad I got Joy and not Bliss.
🙂
HI to both of you Joy’s!
I love to take a picture and try to replicate it. The vintage things are the most fun for me… I’m glad Kit and Molly are some of your favorites… I plan on keeping them around for a while.
Joy, you can find the recipe at the bottom of yesterday’s post.. I don’t know if you saw my link to it or not…
My daughter’s middle name is Joy too… our son picked Joy over Dawn… glad he did too…
Thanks Ladies,
Blessings, Jeanne