HI everyone,
Things are starting to slow down a bit but we are still dealing with Rebecca’s packed up boxes everywhere! They are supposed to come back and pick up her stuff this weekend…they think… We’ll see…
So I’ve been in a bit of a fog… not being able to do as much as I had hoped, but still getting some things done… I’ll be back in full dolly mode soon… hang on a little longer…
A while back I was looking on Etsy and saw this little kit for shoes…leather shoes…that were already cut out and had the holes punched in them. They came from Ukraine and were only $5.00 plus $3.00 shipping. I didn’t know if they would fit Navi or not, but I am hoping they will…They are for Blythe dolls… whose feet are smaller than Navi’s, but, like I said, I’m hoping… and will try to make them soon.
Here is the link to her shop… UnicornofMarty…
Tonight I was on my computer and don’t even know how this popped up but it caught my attention and I thought it would yours too. It is a way to tie the perfect bow by just wrapping double face satin ribbon around your fingers… The video is only 2 minutes long. I haven’t tried it, but again, I’m going to soon…
A few days ago, when we were all discussing those Our Generation dolls, Anne, from New Zealand, sent a few pictures of her doll in a machine smocked dress she had just made. In the background was one of her other dolls in a purple bustled period dress.
A few of you asked about it and I thought I’d show it again… if you missed it the first time, you are in for a treat… It’s a complicated pattern (or so it looks) and Anne did a fabulous job making it…
I found the post from September 2020 and decided to just copy the section where I was talking about her doll dress…
“Next up is Anne, from New Zealand… She has been working on a dress for her American Girl sized Our Generation doll… and this is quite the undertaking… This is some serious sewing and it turned out just beautifully, Anne!
I can’t believe how much work was involved in this…She emailed me and told me this about the project…
These are the photos that her daughter Sam took.
The pattern is from Pixie Faire and it is based on an 1876 design. The main dress is polyester silk which sometimes looks purple and sometimes turquoise blue. It was originally a very ugly jacket that I bought from a charity shop. The striped foundation skirt and reticule were from a blouse bought at a different charity shop. The flat lining was the muslin lining of one of Caitlinās dresses, except for the detachable train, that lining was the lining of the jacket. The necklace fastens with a magnetic catch and was made from pearls and crystal beads that I have had for a long time. The pendant was originally an earring that burglars left in the jewelry box, what they did with the other one I canāt imagine!
I redid her hair, wet it and put the pony tail in rollers but the curls dropped out very quickly still it looks quite pretty but might have to try something else for the exhibition. I hope you like her. I would never have tried this without your inspiring blog
…all the way down to the tiny purple matching shoes…
She used the Brighton pattern by Karen Lorraine. Looks pretty tough, doesn’t it?
The big question for Anne is… WOULD YOU DO THIS AGAIN??? :o)”
Thanks everyone,
Blessings, Jeanne
I hope the newlyweds had a safe trip to/from your house, to get all the stuff Rebecca has ready! I know, once the stuff is out, then she really IS married and on her own for sure, but, on the other hand, then it will be one more thing ticked off the list, and your life can start getting to feel “normal” again…a new normal, but….
So, it seems you are getting back to being a cobbler again!! I think those shoes are going to be very pretty when they are assembled. I hope they do fit Navi; I would bet she is crossing her fingers there on the dolly shelf!! Probably thinking, too–new shoes, maybe new outfit soon???
What a clever (and easy!) way to make a double bow! I am going to have to try that, too. It looks like there are some other bow- and trim-making videos, too–worth a bit of time to watch, I think. Thanks for the link.
So nice to see Anne’s doll in the beautiful purple gown again. She did an amazing job on the construction! It’s wonderful that two garments from two different places were such a perfect match!! (I do love cross-dyed fabric–may have a couple of pieces in my stash, in fact–but I don’t remember having a garment of it myself. Maybe some day…)
I finished the swap test garments and have now cut out and started on the “real” ones. Stay tuned!
One of these days, Jeanne, you and George will have the house all to yourselves! Just hang in there!
That little shoe kit is adorable, and look at those fancy buckles! I think Navi will love them, whether they fit or not, but hoping they do!
The bow tutorial looks so easy and who would have ever sat down to think out somethng like that? Thanks for showing us, and I hope to try it out soon.
Oh my gosh, Anne! For some reason, I do not remember seeing this dress at all! I can’t even imagine all the work to try to make it, and understand directions! I made an En Forreau dress for Felicity, and that was complicated enough, but this looks 20 times more complicated, and this turned out just beautifully! I’m guessing Anne is not going to make another one!!
Great job, Anne, on the ‘purple bustle dress’. That was a lot of work.
Well, if the shoes are too small for Navi, I’m sure they may fit one of Rose bBFlocklings little cuties. They are very tiny. How nice to have the pieces precut too. Looking forward to seeing them complete.
Why did I think that Becca and Karn were coming this past weekend? Oh well, I’m sure they will make arrangements soon. How long is the drive for them? What city are they near? My great grands were from Lititz. š
Pretty funny as I too saw that bow on my FB feed. I watched it and of course got completely lost. Maybe there is a way to slow it down, but not sure I could stop it with ribbon all over my fingers. I’d be in a complete knot. But, the bow is lovely. š
Another fire north of here yesterday in Ukiah. Burned very fast in the heat, clear over the hills to the lake. Took out a lot of homes too. We were worried as a friend lives very close, but looks like their place was spared. This one started in a dry riverbed. Guess someone had an illegal fire. Sad to see the losses today.
We seem to be having fall weather. Hot during the day, but very cool at night. Maybe we’ll have some significant rain soon. Hope so. š
Good morning,
First, JOY, I am glad your friendās home was spared, but it sure is awful for those that were not. Itās one thing, bad enough, when a fire is started by lightning, but altogether so much worse through human carelessness. Stay safe and we all will be praying for rain for CA.
JEANNE, those shoes are sure going to be sweet and hope they do fit for Navi. Can they be stretched just a tad before you begin construction? I am hoping like crazy that the newlyweds are very happy AND show up this weekend to make the big haul away, so you get your home back without the topsy turviness of all those boxes hanging around. (Do you have a garage?) Well, my prayers are for deliverance of your home back to you ASAP. BTW, was pleased to hear Mr. Reuben was getting back into his groove.
ANNE,. That purple walking suit is the oysterās ice skates! I see the pattern says āintermediateā skill level. I think that is a misnomer because this looks like a LOT of pieces to bring together to make the symphony play, so to speak. Congratulations. Your skill impresses this old girl. Thanks to you and Jeanne for sharing this. I am also impressed with the hair styling. I so wish I could do that. One other thing, the use of a single earring drop was so clever. You ladies all amaze me.
CHARLOTTE, thanks for your answer to the back opening of your tunic that I was wondering about. As I said before, I have come to prefer total back openings on dresses, tops and skirts. Thanks for your answer.
Today I am getting some fun deliveries and the hubby is out hiking for most of the day. Hot diggitydog!!
Wishing you all a fantastic day.
Sally
Hi Jeanne,
I haven’t yet had a chance to comment on Rebecca’s and Karn wedding. What a lovely couple they make and what a charming country style wedding she created. I loved every little detail. I pray God blesses them both with a lifetime of love and happiness! You looked lovely in your mother of the bride dress. So happy to hear your cute and comfie shoes were not lost. I can completely understand you still aren’t ready to get back to the day to day normal stuff… your life has changed and now normal will be quite a bit different. I know I’ve been there. You amaze me in that you put together this blog each day. Even if it’s just a few sentences and some photo’s, it still takes effort and with all that has been going on at your house… well job well done!!!
I’m still recouping from last weekend, my son and his family came for four days… so much fun! We gave a party Saturday for 35 guests that lasted from 130 in the afternoon to the wee hours of the night. Food was available the entire day. Hamburgers, hot dogs, sweet and hot italian sausage, sauteed onion and peppers, baked beans, broccoli salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad, texas caviar, assorted veggies and dip, chips of every kind and Cookies!!! I spent two days making cookies…. Did you know when you invite people to a party and ask them NOT to bring anything they bring … you guessed it COOKIES! Thank goodness the grands look cookies!
I wanted to thank you and all the ladies that sent in dolly photo’s. It’s always a treat to see everyones dolls and all their pretty outfits and accessories! Thank you for sharing your girls and boys (Joy) with us!
I’m not sure I’ve mentioned it before but my son was fresh out of school and was working for Verizon, when 9/11 happened. He was told he’d be working in NYC until communications were up and running. I remember he told us about the area underground where the phone lines were and how it was all under water. All the water that was poured on the burning buildings had to go somewhere and the basement and sub basements were flooded several floors below ground. The area he was working in was blocks away from the site, he was there in NYC for a month. When he came home he quit his job and joined the Marine Corp. I was a proud mama! I was also sick to my stomach! In the following five years my boy became a man!
Hugs to you all
Ingrid
Oops! Not sure why I said Verizon … Richard worked for Lucent Technologies. Shortly after he left they had a lay off that effected 30,000 jobs. Yikes!
Dear Jeanne, I love the shoe pieces. You will have the shoes made in no time. And I bet you will create your own pattern as you are already an accomplished shoe maker.
Anne’s little miss looks adorable. I love the necklace.
There are 103 until Christmas!
I remember Anne’s beautiful ensemble. She did a masterful job. And what a great use for used clothing. Every time I see a pattern for an outfit like the one Anne created, I thank my lucky stars that we no longer have to dress like that. It brings to mind a funny story. My grandmother was born in 1896. When my one uncle was little he asked my grandmother what it was like to wear a bustle. I never heard her answer but I would have loved to.
I haven’t checked out the bow video yet. I have so much invested in bowmakers, not to mention the one my hubby made me before they came out with them, and I mostly end up buying pre-made bows anyway. But I will take a look.
I have a Blythe but not a Navi so I can’t compare the size of the feet, but I hope the shoes do work for Navi. Maybe with some socks. Blythe’s feet are the size of a Barbie doll. Actually Blythe is just a Barbie with a very large head.
Ingrid, your story about your son was interesting. Thank him for his service for me. I’m so glad that he returned safely.
I just finished two outfits for my Siblie Sydney. You can imagine the ruckus that caused in the dolly room. Sydney got two outfits for back-to-school and the rest got none. But the pattern is so simple and lends itself to so many combinations that I just had to make more than one. And I have the pattern for Wellies and RRFF so I’m going to make Hanna and Sydney matching outfits. Then I’ll make one for my Wellie. I have the combination Wellie/RRFF pattern and there is a bit of difference in the two. I’m just glad I don’t have to do any adjusting.
Well, I really went and did it this time. My idea was to order another LD from Magalie as a Christmas gift from hubby to me. I signed onto the waiting list and figured I would have to wait several weeks to put in an order. I actually heard back from her within a week. But it will still be eight to twelve months before she arrives. She will be a Sculpt #3 (I have 1, 2 and 4 now). She will have short golden auburn hair and grey blue eyes. Her name will be Amelia Dawn. My second cousin has three daughters, Amelia, Lily and Charlotte. Since I have a Lily and Charlotte and was looking for a name for my new doll I thought why not Amelia. I always loved the name and my third cousin is growing up to be a lovely young lady. She is fourteen now. Dawn was after my all time favorite aunt. Now I need to start saving for the final payment.
I guess I assumed that Rebecca and Karn had packed up her things and took it all with them when they left. But them returning to pick them up is a chance for a visit. I’m sure you will be glad to have all the boxes on their way to PA so you can get on with other things.
So glad your friend’s home was spared, Joy.
Those little shoes look cute, Jeanne. I really like the stars on the vamp. I’d take those in PC/AG size.
So nice to see Anne’s exquisite dress again. That pattern does look extremely complicated.
You certainly transformed that thrift store jacket into something wonderful.
Thanks for all your nice words about the purple dress ladies. No I haven’t made it again, no idea what I would do with it if I did. It was pretty complicated but I find the Pixie Faire patterns very easy to follow. The pleats were the hardest part.
Jeanne that kit is just darling. I don’t have anything small enough to use it but I am looking forward to seeing it made up. I hope they do fit Navi. I haven’t looked at the video yet but I will. I have a lot of single sided satin ribbon which is quite cheap and I use it when I make fabric flowers but the double sided is very expensive in comparison.
Joy I wish I could send you some of our rain. We seem to have had a lot of it lately. Sam (who is definitely an owl whereas I am a lark) has sent me a couple of videos at around midnight when the rain has been coming down in sheets. It sounded like thunder on the roof. Some of us (like me) who were in bed asleep didn’t hear it!!! It is pouring at the moment and supposed to last all day so I guess the dog won’t get his walk! It is shopping day as well so I think I might look at my list and see if I can manage till tomorrow!! Won’t stop me going to coffee morning though, We have missed it. There has been a small spike in cases in Auckland so they have to stay in lockdown for another week and we have to stay in level 2. For Auckland that means no school for at least 2 more weeks then it is almost school holidays. There is talk going on around making the holidays now for them, to mitigate the problem a bit. It isn’t so bad for primary school but the seniors have exams after the holidays. The exams have been put forward two weeks which helps outside Auckland but not those in the city. Down here we will miss the rugby at the weekend and we have to wear a mask when we are in a public space. We are allowed to take it off when we are eating and drinking (duh) but have to have it on when ordering. Doesn’t really compare with what they are going through in our biggest city.
Some people really do feel “entitled”. A couple in Auckland decided the rules didn’t apply to them. They are “essential workers” so have a special exemption for their work which allows them to cross the city border. They used that to get to Hamilton by car then caught a plane to Queenstown (in the lower South Island), then hired a car there and travelled to Wanaka to their holiday home so they could have their skiiing holiday. Believe me if they have a holiday home in Wanaka they are not short of a dollar!. Apparently the mother of one of them is a well known lawyer in Auckland. They are going to need her. The police picked them up within hours of reaching Wanaka and returned them to Auckland. They face a $4000 fine or up to 8 months in prison. I doubt they will go to prison but I really hope this goes on their record as a conviction, which will make life very difficult for them if they want to holiday overseas when the borders open and serve them right. We have no cases here in the SI and they put us all at risk for a holiday!
OK rant over. Have a great day ladies.
Anne, I love hearing about how seriously Covid is taken in NZ. Here, people fight about having to wear a mask. So silly when it is a crisis. The anti-vaxers across the street all got sick recently and had to isolate. Shaking my head here. Hoping they will soon have the vaccine ready for our younger children. Can’t wait until the grands can be vaccinated.
Hi Anne, your purple ensemble is so pretty. I love that you recycled clothing to make it, what a clever idea! My uncle, aunt and a cousin had the Moderna vaccine when it was first offered. They all recent came down with Covid …
Stay safe!
Hugs
Ingrid
What a fun post todayš The little shoes are super cuteā¦it is hard to tell the size so hope they do fit Navi when finished.
Ann that dress is amazing. All those pleats! You did a beautiful job and I love the way you found the fabrics.
Iām on the way to my closet of supplies to see if I can make a bow to add to my latest project. It looks easy but Iāll probably have to watch it every time I need to make oneš¤
Good luck having all Rebeccaās things out of the houseā¦seems like it took lots of trips and a Garage Sale to empty ours š¤
I hope the shoes fit Navi, but whatever happens, the buckles were worth the price you paid.
Anne’s lovely dress and necklace are prettier than the ones on the pattern. That jacket is wonderful. You said the pleats were the hardest part, but they make the jacket a real standout.
Rebecca’s boxes represent 28 years of living. That’s a lot to pack and will be a lot to unpack. So — next week is the projected removal date? Good luck to you all. Reuben will be delighted.