Today is the last day my sisters will be here…I’m already sad…
Poppy has had to take a back seat while they were here, but she did join us for some pizza…
She said this one was hers…
Somehow pizza just tastes better when you eat it with your sisters…
I thought I’d show some things I’ve gotten in emails from many of my readers… so today will be a hodge podge but hopefully it will put a smile on your face…
Barbara is up first…and I don’t think I showed this… but if I did, maybe someone can tell us how they organize their doll patterns…
This is what Barbara said…
“It is very hard for me to expose my pattern addiction to everyone, but I’m sure the sofa sisters will understand. I thought it was easier to send pictures than try to describe it all. This is mainly how I organize my patterns. The tubs contain patterns for 18” doll clothes by category. Those patterns are in poly string-tie envelopes. Shoe patterns for 18” dolls are in a drawer. The binders are labeled by what is in them and those patterns are in sheet protectors. The colored poly envelopes lying on top contain patterns designed for Paola Reina that also fit Betsy and Little Darlings. In the beginning I just printed out patterns without thought to saving space so as I use the patterns now I make them two-sided, as I do all the patterns I download these days. At some point I’m going to have to think about some pattern downsizing though because I’m running out of room. More irresistible patterns keep being created all the time and if I don’t buy them I suffer terrible pattern fever. Anyway that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
She sent these two pictures…
Does anyone else want to tell how they store their things like patterns for the dolls?
Here are a few pictures of the snow in California, and Joy’s grandkids enjoying it at their cabin…this is what Joy had to share…
“Grands went up to the cabin for an overnight. Kind of pretty isn’t it? Cabin is in a photo hiding behind the photo of two and snowman. Can you find the cat? However, river was very low and no water in the spring. We need lots more snow and rain. But the kids had tons of fun. Wish we had been able to join them. Just thought you might get a kick out of seeing the pics of our CA snow.”
Next up is a dress Kathie made for a customer of hers…
Kathie said, ” This is a dress I made for a Madame Alexander 24” Binnie Walker. A Jeanne inspired dress… The closest pattern I had was for a Chatty Cathy. Made the slip from an old baby dress. Somehow her left arm got lost and I looked for a couple months to find one…finally had to buy a whole doll as a donor but it was a perfect match.
Becky sent me some wonderful pictures from a lady’s blog she reads… take a look at these Civil War prints and the women who may have worn them…just click the link below…
Melody Martin has some dolls to share with us today… This is what she said in her email to me…
“I thought you might like to see my two Stellas by Connie Lowe, dressed for Christmas in matching outfits by Mimi James. Big Stella Bettie and little Stella Myrna pose under the Christmas tree. Big Stella is named for my aunt, little Stella is named for my mom.
I also have RR FF Sarah, I purchased her about a year ago from FAO.”
Bobby San sent me this picture of her Kanani in a coat and hat and purse set that she made and sold… It’s very sweet…
Next up is a friend of mine from church… Joy Carter… she has some pictures of what she’s been making… crumb quilts… I’ve never heard of them but this is what she emailed me…
“I guess you could call my efforts a kind of ‘stash buster’ thing. The blue blocks was after a YouTube tutorial that instructed on several basic and common quilt blocks. I was using blue items I found kind of at the top of mother’s ‘stash’. I believe I want to finish them with a ‘shadow’ pattern.
The little purse rose from another tutorial series on ‘crumb quilting’. There’s no pattern you just attach…. great therapy 😊. At the start I had only a rather dull rotary cutter mother left behind. Continued digging unearthed a 6×24 ruler she also left! I was jumping for joy over that.
The little purse also contains cuttings from a pair of thrift store corduroy slacks that turned out not to fit me comfortably. I loved using the back pocket as part of the purse.
There’s a bit of danger of becoming overwhelmed with scraps BUT its like I need ‘new blood’ so my crumb blocks don’t become ‘ingrown’!”
“These were the first crumb blocks I started. A little late I found scraps of orange fabric… you can see they’re all ‘related’.”
Marilyn has a few dolly pictures to share… she emailed this to me…
“Combat” boots are really in style right now so they are what Kate selected to wear. They are styled perfectly especially since she updated them with patent leather.
Sophie’s knit sweater dress is really cute on its own and has a hat to match. She wanted to go outside so she is wearing a hoodie over her dress and gray boots to stay warm.
The other really popular shoe style right now is white trainer tennis shoes. Sweater vests are, as they say, “having a moment” and this one really compliments Samantha’s hair and complexion. Although skinny jeans are classic, straight jeans are making a comeback and are more comfortable so that is what Samantha decided to wear.
…and last up is something Kathie sent… for all you seamstresses (or not) here’s your first laugh for the day…
Well, I think that catches me up on all the “mostly” dolly pictures… Thank you everyone… I hope you enjoy seeing what’s going on all around you, dolly wise! Dolls are wonderful little friends to have, aren’t they?
Enjoy your day today…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I think Poppy’s eyes are bigger than her stomach!! LOL
It’s nice to see your sisters, Jeanne; I hope you all had a lovely visit together.
Wow, Barbara, I’m really impressed with how organized your doll clothes patterns are! I probably could match you pattern for pattern in some cases!! Mine are not so neatly organized, though. I have several pattern boxes full of doll clothes patterns, as well as some vinyl envelopes of them…but even more of “people clothes” patterns. (In fact, I have two filing cabinet drawers of JUST Stretch & Sew brand patterns [which are no longer being made]. I started in about 1969 or 70, when I first heard about the company, and even worked for the local store, teaching, for three years. I do use mine, though–some more than others!)
Joy, your grandkids look like they were having a blast! I’d be right out there with them, if I were there–I just love snow!!
I so enjoyed seeing all the lovely dolly pictures (thanks Kathie, Bobby, Melody and Marilyn!), and the darling little purse. I like making bags, too. Was this a particular pattern, Joy Carter, or did you just make it up as you went along? Very cute! And your Crumb Quilt blocks look like a lot of fun to make. I’ve heard of it, but haven’t tried it yet. I suppose I really Should try to get the backs/batting on several tops I have hanging around before I start a new project!!
What an interesting web site you shared, Becky! Thank you. Loved the humor, Kathie!
Fun post today!
P.S. Jeanne, looks like you might have a bidding war on Addy’s outfit–five bids so far!! Woo hoo!!
That picture of your sisters at the table with two big pizzas, and then Poppy trying to hide “her” pizza from them is hilarious, Jeanne! They don’t look THAT hungry!!!
My goodness, Barbara, you ARE a neat freak! That’s a nice set up you have there!
Joy, that is a beautiful setting of your cabin in the woods! I[m wondering how in the world those agile kids made it over those rocky boulders? I have trouble on flat land!! Darling kids!
Kathie, your doll dress is darling, and that doll is in excellent condition now! Loved the Civil War Prints from Becky and seeing Melody’s dolls, especially Sara! Marilyn’s dolls are so exquisitely dressed, love the sweater outfits! They look so comfy! Bobbie’s coat is so classic! I have one similar to that for my 40’s Molly, but in red.
Crumb quilting looks like it would be fun if you have a lot of scraps, which means you do a lot of sewing! Fantastic purses!
Thank you one and all for the great things you sent to Jeanne, and that last humorous quote from Kathie suns it all up perfectly!
Thanks for all the pics! It’s always fun to get a peek into the sofa sisters lives.
I second all of Linda’s comments and add a few. Pretty sisters and Poppy. Joy’s grandson certainly inherited her creativity. How about the whiskers made of pine needles on the Snow Puppy! Hope you get to hug them all very soon. The picture of the Sara doll finished off my reluctance to buy another doll and I ordered her after seeing that picture. Did she come with that dress? Thanks for the ideas to use up the crumbs from making masks.
Did you use a pattern to make the lovely coat, Bobby? I’ve wanted to make one for years but the stores here don’t carry wool fabric and I’d have to buy a full yard on line. Great to see Marilyn’s dolls in their sweaters. Thanks for sharing the pictures. Kathie gives me an idea to use handkerchiefs to make undies. Very creative use of crumbs. Barbara is very organized.
It was heartbreaking to see and read about the women who took care of the children in the pictures, not knowing where their own would be in a few years. Tearing up for them while seeing these pictures now. 😢.
Hi Susette. When things open back up again, I would check local thrift stores for wool blazers and skirts. They can be very reasonable in price and even a damaged piece can be used if you cut around any bad spots. I’ve had great luck finding things that can be used for coats/skirts for my dolls. I even hand wash the items with mild detergent either before or after cutting them apart. The wool fabric comes out great and can then be used for whatever you want to make. Saves on dry cleaning. You are probably way ahead of me on this, but thought I’d let you know. 🙂
Hi Susette, the dress my Sara is wearing was a commission, by Gale Torres of Wee Wardrobe. A dear friend, named Ali, had commissioned the dress for her Sara and when I finally ordered mine, I commissioned the same dress (with her permission), so we’d have twins. Unfortunately Ali passed away before I got the dress for my Sara. But she knew it was in the works and she was so pleased.
Susette, I will second what Joy says, about checking thrift stores for gently used wool garments that you can repurpose. Somewhere I have a photo (sadly, before digital photography, so I don’t think it’s on a disk or anything) of a coat and had I made for my friend’s AG doll. I had looked for plaids at the fabric store, but they were all too big for doll clothes, so I went to the thrift store. I found a wool skirt of a tiny plaid in browns (I’d hoped for different colors, but this worked). I held it up to the light and examined it carefully before I bought it, and found no holes. I took it apart and hand-washed the pieces. I got the coat and hat out of about half the skirt, so I have some left for another–some day! I bought some dark brown velveteen for the coat collar and hat trim. My friend LOVED it! (I also lined the entire coat, which helps it glide over the doll’s clothing more easily and helps it hold its shape–well worth the effort.
For my own Molly, I made a coat and hat (also lined) of green fine-wale corduroy, and that worked nicely, too.
That was fun! Barbara your patterns look so nice and organized! Mine are in tubs…but you have to search once you find the right tub!
Joy..those grands are just the cutest kids. Pics like that become more precious all the time. I couldn’t imagine California kids had snow pants and heavy winter coats.
The scrappy quilt blocks are fun…really would use up lots of scraps! Marilyn….you knitted all those darling sweaters and the dress? I’m sooo jealous
Becky those pictures are amazing. I’ve never seen pictures of babies and their mammies….so sweet.
Glad you liked the sewing humor….who thinks those up those clever things?
Glad you had fun with your sisters….any bargains while antique shopping?
Poppy is a funny one and I’m sure your sisters enjoyed seeing her.
Barbara, your organization is great. I don’t buy doll patterns, but I have every one I liked when Pixie Faire did Freebie Friday is the past and now starting again.
I do have other craft and decor ideas in binders “of the month”. I’m addicted to Avery sheet protectors to keep each set organized. I’ll bet you can find things quickly like I can.
Wonderful photos, Joy, and I love the snow kitty. we made a snow mouse one year as big as a snowman.
Super job on the doll restoration, Kathie and a darling dress. My my has one of those dolls in need of repair. I’ll mentioned you to her and see.
Civil War photos are indeed sad. I’ll have to read through them all later.
Sweet dolly photos from Melody, Bobby, and Marilyn. Your Sara is adorable, Melody. A lovely coat you made, Bobby, and Marilyn’s LDs are gorgeously dressed. Kate’s sweater and hat are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing them.
Joy Carter’s crumb quilts are lovely and interesting. What a great idea.
Thanks for the humor, Kathie. I loved that.
My goodness that’s an awful lot of pizza for such a little girl. It looks like no one is challenging her right to it though. The pizzas all look delicious.
Joy, I love the pictures of your grandkids playing in the snow. You do have a beautiful family. I don’t know where in California they live, but I assume they don’t get snow there. Cute snow man and very clever snow dog. Does your granddaughter look like your daughter when she was little? They do seem to favor each other.
Kathie, cute dress and slip. You lucked out on the donor arm. I loved the discussion with the sewing room occupants. Very poignant!
Great picture of Sara! Sweet little dress she’s wearing. Those FF dolls can be very addictive. I have three and there’s a new one I feel I must have. They also have some new outfits that are wonderful! I’ve seen the Connie Lowe dolls in my “Dolls” magazine. Melody’s look so sweet in their Christmas dresses. Bobby’s pretty coat outfit looks so warm and cozy.
Joy Carter’s sewing and quilting projects are great. I never heard of crumb quilts but I can tell you I’ve got plenty of grist for the mill if I ever wanted to make some. I just can’t seem to throw away any piece of fabric I even think I can use for or to embellish anything else.
Marilyn’s dolls are all so lovely and look ready to handle winter weather in some very nice wearing attire. I love, or should I say all my dolly girls, just love boots of all kinds. They like skinny jeans, but I prefer the regular ones. They are often easier to get on the dolls. My Hearts 4 Hearts dolls have those boots in gray and beige and my Wellie Camille has them in red, and all my girls have white tennis shoes.
A new dolly member joined our household the other day. I had wanted a Girl for all Time for quite awhile and finally found Sam, the 1960s girl, on ebay at a price I could afford. I have a lot of AGAT patterns from Pixie Faire that I use for my 16″ rescue doll and it made me want to have an actual AGAT doll. I’m still waiting to hear from Magalie about the Little Darling I ordered back in February. I’m getting antsy since it’s been almost a year now.
No snow where grands live in the SF bay area, but a 2 plus hour drive east and there you are in the sierra snow. And granddaughter does resemble her mom at that age. 🙂
Love seeing your sisters, or at least most of both. 🙂 And I’m sure Poppy received her share of the delicious looking pizzas.
I certainly wish I was as organized as Barbara in the pattern department. I’m okay with the old envelope patterns, but the downloads with 26plus pages of instructions is crazy. Mostly, I’ve been just printing the pattern and when it comes time to make something it is only occasionally that I might need those instructions, but trying to find them on the computer is a pain. Computer is not organized at all. 🙁
So glad Kathie was able to find a replacement arm for MA Binnie. Lovely doll and her dress and slip are perfect. Like the humor clip too. 🙂
The Civil War photos that Becky sent are so interesting. The dresses/styles are wonderful. So sad that the real mother’s of the children couldn’t be bothered to hold their squirming children. Really makes you think about life in those days. Sad.
Loved seeing Melody’s Connie Lowe girls. Impatiently waiting for mine to arrive. And RRFF Sarah is adorable in her green/pink ensemble.
The coat Bobby made for the 18″ girls is wonderful. Too bad poor Kanani didn’t get to keep it.
Joy C’s scrap quilting is quite an accomplishment. Beautiful color combinations.
And Marilyn’s girls are so with it! Love the winter fashions and boots and the perfect white tennies that I see everywhere on the younger set now.
Thanks for the kind remarks on the grands. They love playing in the snow such as it is. Normally, you wouldn’t be able to even see the rocks as they would be covered in snow and the river would be much fuller. Hoping we get some more rain/snow.
Congrats to Susette on her RRFF purchase. They are so posable and fun. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the photos today Jeanne. It was so fun seeing the variety.
Joy, enjoy your Stella (you did order Stella?) But be warned, she will take over everything! My big Stella is the princess of the house. She has more clothes that are just hers than any other doll I have, in fact, I need a bigger suitcase for her. I plan to put a deposit on a big Meili next month. 🙂 Are you a member of the Stella Squad on facebook? 🙂
Unfortunately, I don’t have Big Stella yet. Still waiting for her and Big Meili. Not sure when Connie is going to get to them. Hopefully soon as they were both in stock. I do have a couple of patterns as that size also fits my Meadow Ardyn. And I have joined the Stella Squad as well as the Marble Halls. Such great photography by everyone. 🙂
Interesting post Jeanne. I especially liked the photos. Loved seeing all the dolly outfits.
A few years ago now I was running out of space so I went through all my quilting magazines. I cut out all the patterns I thought I might like and put them in sleeves and ring binders. They often needed pattern sheets to go with them so they are in different binders. Then the patterns were sorted into types of quilts. I have used a few of the patterns but not many!! I still have a shelf full of magazines but they are no longer published so at least I am not adding to the supply lol. I also have two other shelves with books and patterns almost all on quilting but some knitting, crochet and embroidery as well as a few other odds and ends that I thought I might like to do. Another bookcase is devoted to my cake decorating books. Now I have to add all my doll patterns to the mix so they are in rings binders if in sheets and the pattern envelopes and books are all there together but they have had to go on the bench. These days I never cut up the patterns I only ever trace or photocopy them But I have to find a home for those pieces still! My small quilting group went on a road trip for our first meeting of the year to Rangiora. I came back with 5 new quilting patterns. Hey I couldn’t resist at $2.00 each! When we have finished sorting and tidying my workroom (lots of the stuff in it is Sam’s or ‘ours’) I will send you a photo. I wouldn’t dare send one at the moment it is such a mess.
My foster daughter (who is 44, not a child) asked me if she and her partner could stay for a couple of weeks as they are moving away but had to be out of the flat they were in by today. I wasn’t keen, she has brought me a lot of grief in the past one way or another but as it is only two weeks I said she could. Sam and I spent two days sorting out the garage where she was storing a lot of her stuff and my house where I had boxes and boxes of fabric and old clothes I thought I might use for the dolls. Anyway I spent Friday night going through the boxes and sorting all the fabric into different piles, and sorting the clothes into what I really thought I wanted to use and what I probably wouldn’t. Then on Saturday and Sunday Sam sorted the garage and put all her boxes in neat piles on one side and we went through some of the boxes that had been there for a very long time and turned out to be mostly rubbish. Then she went through the clothes I didn’t particularly want to use and found one or two things that Ashley really wanted for her dolls. I now have all my dolly fabric and clothing, my upholstery fabric (which I often use for bags), Denim fabric and jeans, and bits of batting which I like to keep for small projects all in labelled plastic boxes tidily in the garage and my house is box free, yay. Unfortunately I still have to sort my quilting cotton fabric! but that is in the workroom not the house so it is a project for another day.
Sam has dropped off several bags of clothes to the clothing bin, tomorrow she has several boxes to take to Creative Junk and on Saturday we are going to do the deck (Demelsha is giving me some cane furniture that has to be an improvement on the stuff I use at the moment) and then a trip to the dump to get rid of everything that is left.
Demelsha did us a favour really, the job had to be done but neither of us had the motivation to start as we knew how big it would be but at least it is finished. Darren and Russell have promised to come and jet wash and stain the deck so when that is all done I will send some pics, hopefully while I still have flowers.
Sorry about the long post hope you don’t find it too boring
Not boring at all Anne. Inspiring that you were able to sort, recycle, and box everything so nicely. So wish we had a garage that didn’t get damp occasionally. (Drain gets plugged or neighbors roof water pours our way.) So, that leaves the house in which to store all of those things you mentioned above. Definitely need to reorganize around here.
I’m with Joy. Not boring at all. My pattern magazines are one thing I have never gained control over. I thought of doing what you do, cutting out the patterns I will use (many I won’t) and put them in sleeves and then binders, but every time I set out to do it I seem to want to keep many books intact and I give up. I guess I just don’t have the discipline to pair down. Right now they are in magazine storage boxes, but there are so many of them and no real place to store them so they are tucked under my work table or any other nitch I can find.
I finally got around to looking at Becky’s link. What sweet pictures and lovely fabrics. I used to belong to a fat quarter club and you could pick the fabrics you wanted from different eras. I have a lot of Civil War era fat quarters.