I’ll show a few pictures of some of the doll outfits my readers have been making, but first let me give you an update on our renovations.
You might be wondering why are we tearing up our bedroom when I only mentioned putting down new flooring? Well, the ceiling in our bedroom was the only one in the house (except for my hubby’s office) that hadn’t been painted… Now it’s very nice and there are no brown flecks in it…It really needed an update.
If you click on any picture it will enlarge.
The room has been painted that rosy (Brick Dust) color for 17 years…and it was time for a change.
We also had never finished the inside window trim since we put in the windows a few years ago…
…and my hubby said the two outlets on either side of the window, needed to be updated from the old wire that was used.
So I finished the second coat on the ceiling… Our ceilings are 8 1/2 feet tall so the paneling only goes up 8 feet and then there is a little section of paneling up above with a piece of trim hiding where the 2 pieces join. We picked up 3 new pieces of paneling today and will use that. Our whole house has paneling that I’ve painted so we are using that instead of drywall. Our house is old and with the shifting that can happen in old houses, we thought the paneling was our best option. (Plus, my hubby detests drywalling!)
My hubby rewired the outlets and put in new boxes… we also bought all white outlets and switches for the room when we went to Lowe’s this morning. After he got the wiring done, he started on the insulation… there was very little insulation in the walls but now it’s filled up wonderfully from top to bottom… He said he bought this insulation because it had my initials on it… JM… :o) Actually he bought it because he found a big bundle of it that was ripped and torn open and asked if they would discount it… they did… $20 off.
This is the floor that we have been living with for 17 years too… PLYWOOD… yep… plywood. I can’t wait to get that new vinyl loose lay flooring down…
Then after we get the bedroom finished, we will continue the flooring out into the sitting room… this is that floor… lots of different flooring going on there… along with MORE plywood out there too.
Our furniture is everywhere all over the house and guess where I’m sleeping? In my sewing room…we brought down a box spring and a twin mattress from up in the attic and I have my little sleeping area in there… it will hopefully just be for a short time… and as soon as the bedroom is finished, we will move all our stuff back in there. We started on the bedroom because we didn’t want to do the sitting room floor and then have to move the heavy bedroom stuff onto the new floor… We should be able to move the sitting room furniture from one side of the room to the other without too much trouble.
Now, do you want to see who’s been sewing what???
Linda, who just recently received a Kirsten doll, made her this very pretty skirt and apron! Kirsten looks very pleased and I’m sure she won’t let Linda get off that easy… You did a wonderful job and I think you should keep it up! ;o) Linda emailed me these comments..
“Jeanne, here are a couple of pictures of the skirt and apron I made for my new Kirsten. The vest, blouse and scarf were bought off Ebay, since i don’t have a pattern for those, and are from the Dirndl outfit the PC made for Kirsten. Since it was hard to find the whole outfit in my price range on Ebay, and the set is retired, I just decided to make a skirt for her with some contrasting color that would work with the vest. Found it at Hobby Lobby! The apron is from material I happened to have in my small little stash, and the lace is a small leftover piece from my daughter’s First Communion dress that I made about 44 years ago! I guess you could call it antique by now!!”
Next up is some special hand work done by Alina, in Poland… She went up into the mountains, so no sewing machine, but she still was able to create for her girls…
…and more…here’s a pretty crochet top for her doll, Marietka. Thanks so much for sharing Alina… you are very talented at crocheting.
Here is a closeup of Alina’s crocheting…
Then a dear friend of mine from church, was making doll clothes for some children she knew but she didn’t have the right size doll to test out her patterns on. I found this Melissa and Doug doll at the Goodwill a while back and I gave her to
Well, I know a few more of you out there are sewing, so just send me pictures when you finish something…
In the meantime, I’m hurrying as fast as I can… so I CAN GET BACK TO MY SEWING!
See you all tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
It will be so nice when your bedroom is finally finished, with finished windows, paneling that doesn’t have trim a few inches from the top, and a REAL FLOOR!!! And better wiring–one less thing to worry about.
So you’re sleeping in your sewing room. How about poor George? Did you hang him from a hook in the closet?! š¤£šš
Linda, the skirt and apron you made for Kirsten are lovely. The lace is really beautiful. That apron would probably be the one she wears on Sundays, because it is fancy.
Alina, your knitting and crocheting are lovely. Did you have a patterns to follow, or design them yourself? I think the pants/trousers would be especially hard to knit, because you have a curved seam. The gold crocheted top looks like lace!
Jeanne, can your friend at church tell us anything about the little cloth doll in her picture? I’m curious if it represents a particular country. The doll you got her is really cute–a good find!
Maya is still waiting for her picture to be taken, but I had a really busy (but fun!) day today, so hopefully tomorrow!!
Hi Charlotte,
We are moving right along today and hope to make lots of progress. Raking a short break for lunch as we’ve been at it for about 4 hours.
Actually that trim around the top will have to stay… it covers up the seam where the 8′ piece of paneling goes up to and then the 6″ piece is added on and goes up to the ceiling…
My hubby is sleeping in the recliner in the living room…
I’ll find out from Joy who the little doll is…and the other one too.
We’ll be waiting to see Maya’s new dress…
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m so happy that you are finally getting around to your bedroom, Jeanne! I know, it’s not the first thing people see when you come into a house, but it’s somehting that YOU see everyday, and won’t it be wonderful to wake up in the morning to a beautiful, well appointed room to start your day in? it’s nice to start the day on a high note! After you finish with it, you will wake up one morning thinking you are in a swanky hotel!!
Alina, what darling outfits you made! I never learned to crochet, or even knit for that matter except for a month or two of trying, then gave it up! I think having a doll to crochet or knit for makes it better than making something for a person, because you see something come of it faster! What talent you must have!
Sally asked how I store my doll clothes yesterday, so I will try to answer. If I’m not mistaken, Jeanne, you showed pictures of the doll closet I have at one time. I have turned my daughter’s closet into a doll closet, since we are empty nesters. Most of the dresses are hanging on two rods, and I use belt hangers that have ten hooks on each hanger. So one hanger could hold 10 outfits, and that was fine. HOWEVER, since I keep adding clothes, it got to be two dresses on each hook, and now I am hanging 4 on each hook!! I have 18 hangers, you add that up, and it’s quite a lot of dresses! Suprisingly they don’t get smashed very much at all! Then I have Sterilite containers, as many as I can fit, on the upper shelves with skirts, blouses, pants, etc. Shoes are in Harbor Freight tool boxes. I also have 3 under the bed storage containers for props and things other than clothes. Betsy McCall has her own chest of drawers, actually my daughter’s chest of drawers! Things are laid in the drawers with tissue bettween them. It’s exhausting just talking about this, but that’s basically how I do it.
Hi Linda,
It really will be nice to wake up in a pretty (and finished room!) I can hardly wait!! I love my kitchen wall, my sewing room, Rebecca’s room and I’m sure I’ll love my new bedroom in Agreeable Gray! It is just neutral but anything will work as an accent color.
Everyone liked seeing how you stored your doll things before…so I might show the post again where I showed it…
Thanks Linda…
The boss is calling so I have to go! :o)
What a beautiful apron you made for Kirsten, Linda. The skirt is just the right color. Great job to complete Kirstenās outfit yourself. Alina, you really have a talent for crocheting. Did you design the sweaters yourself? The doll has such a happy face even before really smiling. My grandson has that same darling cowlick in his shiny black hair. So cute! Thanks for sharing with us.
Forgot to add, thatās a cute little slacks outfit your friend made! And like Charlotte mentioned, who is that little cloth doll on her left?
Okay, Linda, I’m testing to see if this works without moderating…
Jeanne
Oh, I’m liking that ceiling! So fresh looking. Now, I’m wondering what exactly is under the tile? Glued to the roofing? A drop down ceiling? Could the room have actually had an even higher ceiling? Curious of course. š Looking forward to seeing those Agreeable Gray walls. It is going to look so pretty. So glad for the outlet updates too. Nice to have switches that actually match the plates. We still have a couple around here that we have never redone. Bad us. That JM insulation is really going to be welcome on those hot or cold days. Should really make a difference in the indoor temperature. Good job George! And the new floor is going to be so nice. Please keep the pics coming. š
Love how Linda’s skirt for Kirsten turned out. Those growth pleats are lovely. And the apron is remarkable. What a sweet touch to use the communion lace. Looks like Kirsten is very pleased. š
So jealous of Alina’s crochet work. Nothing attempted here would look even close to it. My favorite is the gold lacy top. So sweet.
Great idea Jeanne to find a perfect model for your friend to use. Cute outfit too. I’m sure her little friends will love it. š
Thanks Jeanne for sharing the update progress and Linda & Alina’s photos. Don’t work too hard. š
I am so excited for your bedroom remodel. I love gray walls. I don’t have any in the house but David painted his shop office walls gray and they are very nice. For awhile I was wanting that color called latte it seemed everyone was using but now I think I’d prefer the gray. Don’t see anything replacing what’s here for awhile but except for the guest room, I’m okay with most of it. I remember when we redid our kitchen we put in a new ceiling. A nice white ceiling really adds to the look of a room.
Linda, what a beautiful job on adding to Kirsten’s outfit. It’s a beautiful ensemble and the lace on the apron is absolutely lovely and a great addition.
Alina, one thing I love about crochet is it travels well. When I’m on vacation in Colorado with no sewing machine available I always make sure I have a crochet project with me. The weather there is so lovely David and I go to the park a lot just to be outdoors, which is not a fun thing in Texas most of the time. David reads and I crochet. Other times I crochet while watching TV. I feel I’m wasting time watching without a crochet project. Your sweaters are lovely and a very nice touch to complete the outfit. What doll is wearing your sweet outfit? One of these days I’m going to learn to knit. So many lovely patterns out there for dolls and buying ones others have made can be pricey.
Joy mentioned that if a comment isn’t saved and you move away from it what you’ve typed disappears. I’ve always had that trouble so if I want to do something like go back to another day to check on something or enlarge a picture, I copy the comment so I can paste it when I return.
Sounds like we sofa sisters have helped deplete the supply of Anaelle dolls. They are irresistible. And thanks Joy, I think, for putting me onto the Samantha’s Dolls website. Seeing all that is there made me tingly all over. Going to take some serious self discipline to not overdo it on that site. Lovely Kruseling clothes. I might consider a Kruseling doll down he road.
Jeanne, how nice you found the perfect doll to model your friends creations. Cute doll and sweet little outfit.
My doll is D’Nenes Carmen Gonzalez Marietta. I love RRFF dolls but they are too expensive and hard to get. So I found a Spanish doll.
Hi Barbara,
Anaelle is just lovely. If I were getting one, I’d pick her and wig swap her to a strawberry blond/redhead sometimes. I love her eye color and the RRFFs without bangs as I can see them as historicals. Valentina is my other favorite, though completely out of the question price-wise since she was a Russian exclusive. Can’t see myself branching out to another size though as there aren’t historical accessories to attract me.
Hi Laura! I find that the RRFF look very cute with the AG furniture and accessories. It would be like a little sister. They can use the AG chairs and look sweet. Kind of like little kids sitting at the big table. Just a thought. I saw a period costume someone had made for them and it was cute. Can’t remember where I saw it though. The originals are still the same price, but those specials keep escalating unfortunately. š
This project may go really fast if George has to sleep in his recliner until it is done. Glad you have a bedā¦you canāt work if you are tired šHe is a great carpenter so the woodwork should happen quickly and the floors too. Your project is making me want to finish my bedroom. I had a plan for the bedspreadsā¦wanted them to be fitted at the bottom ā¦like a boxā¦.but it didnāt look like I wanted it too. So going to try it again and finish valances too.
Good luck !
Hi Kathie
Sara us helping me figure this out…just testing…
Jeanne
Well, hmmmf it doesn’t look like my long comment posted and I forgot to cut and paste it as I’ve done the past few days that the blog makes you comment differently. I had a feeling something went wrong as the screen looked different when I hit post comment. I can’t type the whole thing again, so … short and to the point
Your bedroom will look so pretty when it’s finished, Jeanne.
Love the skirt and apron you made for Kirsten, Linda. You’ll probably will find yourself making and buying more for Kirsten. I see her daisy wreath already! I noticed in my collecting that those “original six” are far demanding in the acquisition of their collections than the newer AG’s. My Samantha and Felicity needed a lot. My AG girls wanted pieces of the original sixes collections though over their own.
Alina, your crocheting skills are exquisite. My grandmother taught me with crochet thread as well and I’ve made a number of flat things and a couple of 3D “wing the pattern” toys, but doll clothes is a different matter and so impressive. The gold top is just beautiful .
Dear Jeanne,
Like everyone else, I am super happy that you and George are tackling that bedroom. It sure is a great feeling to tick items off the old punch list of things to do for the home. Again, a tip of my hat. (Does sleeping in the sewing room make you dream sewing dreams??) Like all the other projects I have seen you chronicle, this is going to another feather in the cap.
Linda! The skirt and apron are amazing, and best of all, that lace trim to always remind you of a very special day in your life. That sort of thing just gives me a rush of excitement. Well done, Linda. And thanks for telling me about your āsystemā! Jeanne says maybe she will repost the former post showing it.
Alina! Just look at that dear dollās face and how grateful she looks to have such a WONDERFUL outfit made by her mama! Your stitch work is so perfect. I think this outfit is just amazing and I am so delighted you shared this with all of us. The colors are lovely. Very lucky little Marietka! Thank you, dear talented lady. I see you had a pretty nice day near Krakow with a comfortable temperature. Itās about 34C here today and the thunder is rolling in. Give Marietka a hug from me, please.
Joy and I have been discussing Meadow dolls. No, I am not going to head in that direction and unlike Barbara, I am not going to look at all the offerings at Samanthasdolls. But as I said to Joy, I found Jeanneās blog she and Jeanne did together about the little Meadow ladies that was posted exactly three years ago yesterday. Go for it, Barbara and have fun! I loved Joyās pics of her kids at camp. Super outfits and what a LOT of Meadow dolls!
Kathie, good luck getting your bedroom to get the look you want. Often these things are trial and error, but it gets discouraging if a lot of money is spent and canāt be recovered. Keep at it and keep us posted.
Jeanne, good luck with Sara this afternoon. May the magic happen! And I am thrilled you have a friend who makes doll clothes for other little girls. Thank you for finding her a model doll to use. You both are very special women!
Sally
Alina’s doll with her shiny hair and sweet face is so cute. Does she fit AG clothes? Her outfit is charming, and the lacy gold top is especially special.
Maybe I just like lace, since I also love the lace on Linda’s Kirsten’s apron. This half-homemade outfit may be prettier than the original. I like the way the skirt picks up the color of her ribbons.
Isn’t it wonderful when you find a color you love and it fits almost everywhere and helps give the house unity. I like crown molding a lot — it adds style and character to rooms. What will you be using for the molding — white like the ceiling — or is the ceiling not quite white? I’m looking forward to seeing the project progress.