DON’T FORGET:
Both of my Little Darling fur coats are ending this evening on Ebay. The brown mink coat, “Frosty Fur” is up first and then 2 minutes later the gray coat, “Fluffy Fur” ends. There is just enough time to get both of them if you like! :o) If you have missed seeing them, or want to be in on fun at the end of the auction, :o) you can click on the pictures at the right side bar, or click HERE and HERE.
Charlotte, from Washington state, sent this email to me…
“Hi Jeanne,
One of the gals (Joy?) wanted to see the picture of our snow, so here it is! This is out the back door to our deck.
Hopefully in the next day or two I will have more pictures to share–I Finally finished those two purses I was working on!!
Charlotte”
That’s NO LITTLE snowfall, Charlotte! Please be careful if and when you go out!
I don’t know WHY this coat took me so long to finish today… well, I do partly… I had to take off the buttons probably 4 times because they looked crooked every time I tried. I finally got them…then the hem was a booger… (can I say that?) :o) Oh, I better just show you…
First I had a dentist appointment, then I headed to Hobby Lobby for buttons. The snow leopard fur is kind of a gray/brown/white mixture, so certain buttons just didn’t work at all, like I thought they might… I brought home 2 different cards of buttons and one strand of silver beads.
I debated and debated and finally decided on the simple silver buttons… they are a shank button and heavier than they look. In fact, once I put the coat on Chrissa, I had to kind of finger the buttons in place, as they got lost in the fur somewhat…
Now for a fun surprise… look at the inside of this fur! Isn’t it neat? I just love it!
The hem on this coat was finished by hand, but it’s a little wavy as the fabric kind of stretched when I serged the bottom edge. I put the coat on Chrissa and used a marker to make the bottom of the coat even from my cutting table to the hem.
Instead of using regular snaps for this coat, I decided to try magnetic snaps. Has anyone ever used them? They are pretty neat and I’ll be using them again. I wish they made them in smaller sizes… I may have to check out Ebay and see if they DO come in smaller sizes. This size though is about a 1/2″ square silver snap. The 2 sides snap together very well and I was impressed!
So here is Chrissa in her new coat…
We’ve got to find some boots and finish the rest of this set…
BUT… I’m probably not going to get much done on it today… We are having Jean and Bithar (from Haiti) and their 6 kids over for a very belated Thanksgiving dinner, Thursday, with a turkey and all some of the fixings… I have got house cleaning, gift wrapping and cooking to do… so I don’t think sewing will fit into my day… but if it does, you know what I’ll be working on!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi all! Thanks for showing my picture, Jeanne; this was an unusual amount for us–about 5″, I’d guess, and the temps are staying in the 20s, so it’s staying pretty.
I went out to clear off my car today, and found my next door neighbor shoveling our driveway! I had him do especially the part behind my car, so I’d be able to get back UP my driveway; he also did our front walk/steps and helped me clear off my car, too!
So…I did get to the library, PO, and grocery store today. The main roads are sanded, and not too bad at all, if you don’t try to hurry! Being just north of Seattle, we do have some hills, but our little area has mostly gradual, small slopes, not some of the big steep ones that are in other parts of our town, so it’s fairly easy to drive to those places. I only found two spots that were a bit slippery–and one of those was my own driveway!!
Jeanne, I think those buttons are lovely on the coat; the fabric itself is “fancy”, so the simple style just accents the beautiful fabric. Can’t wait to see what else you make to go with it! (And I love the inside, too! I wonder if I can find any like that…)
As to the magnetic snaps, I’ve used them on the first purse I had made, and they do have you heavily interface the area into which you insert the snaps (mine had tabs that were inserted into slits and the snap back, and then bent to hold them in place), as they are quite heavy. My main problem with them is that the fabric over the snap wore thru (granted, this was a Purse, and it got a Lot of wear….) You might also check Wawak (website is just wawak.com); they have oodles of sewing notions, and will send you a free catalog if you ask. (they call it a “sewing source book”!) It looks like their smallest magnetic snaps are 1/2″–I just checked.)
Wow, Charlotte, you certainly DO live in a winter wonderland! How beautiful that scene is that you get to look out at! What a wonderful neighbor you have to clear off the driveway and sidewalk! Be careful for overnight icing though.
Oh, how lovely Chrissa’s coat is and it looks like she is ready to visit Charlotte, but still needs a hat!! Charlotte’s snow picture and Chrissa’s pretty coat certainly do belong in the same blog! The buttons are the perfect ones I think, since the real accent is on the beautiful fur, but those buttons certainly do show it off perfectly, and I like the double rows of them.
I was just thinking, a different type of hat would be better than the ones you have been doing lately. I think one that covers her whole head, just a simple hat would look more grown up than one tied beneath the chin. I hope you know what I mean!
Of course, I have no idea about those magnetic snaps, but it looks like they fit the bill .
Don’t tell me you are going through Thanksgiving and Christmas all over again! Where is all that energy coming from? š
The fur coats are darling! Something has been bothering me, though. Iām sending along a picture of whatās generally used as closures on fur coats. They are covered sewing hook & eye closure sets. Buttonholes are impossible to place in real fur, unlike faux fur in which itās okay. The relatively new snaps would be the perfect closure for both doll and people fur coats.
I live a few miles back from the ocean where itās highly unusual to have snow, only a few flakes twice in the last 30 years, but we can see the snow on the mountains which are 70 miles inland. Itās 17 degrees there and 46 here, so itāll be beautiful and the ski slopes will finally be open after the roads are cleared. No, Iām not going skiing!
Have fun with your sisters and brother if heās coming too.
Thanks so much for sharing the snow picture, Charlotte and Jeanne. Looks like a winter wonderland. Your deck railing looks a lot like ours too, minus the snow. Like Susette, it is a rarity that we get snow, but the high mountains here and in next county have snow we’ve been told. Just can’t see it because it has been cloudy. With the cold temps we’ve been having, it might stick around for a bit. š
The sneak preview of RRFF core doll Alex is interesting. He is supposed to be a surfer. No word on when he will actually be available, but figure some time in the new year. Also, nothing on Alexandra, last heard from in Germany. Hope to hear something when the holiday packages mess clears.
Thatās the type of snow Iām use to in Ohio – it isnāt to often. Be careful Charlotte going out in it. Ohioās rain is wet also and melts away by afternoon in some cases.
Jeanne, Chrissy coat is cute and I like the buttons you chose.
Enjoy your family this coming weekend!
I meant the snow in Ohio is wet – good grief.., any rain is wet! Lol! š³
LOL, That is too funny, Paula. We had a tad of wet rain this morning.
Too funny! I think we should use that phrase! Wet Rain!!
This coat is really so terrific and the idea of magnetic snaps is brilliant. Maybe a toque hat? And boots? Good luck tonight, Jeanne, and happy thanksgiving again! Youāre so thoughtful.
Thanks to Charlotte and Jeanne for that picture of snow. Sure wish it looked like that here. We have minimal chance of any precipitation here for the next two weeks. The mountains have snow for skiing, though. Salida is in what is called āthe Banana Beltā, always sunny. Charlotte, three fat cheers for such a considerate neighbor. Do be careful, though I am sure you will.
Joy, I do believe when the new year arrives, so will Alexandra. She is worth the wait. No further word here on Alice ordered in July. As for Alex, I gathered from what the company rep said, that booklet wasnāt properly edited. I do believe they will be releasing a core line boy this year. The old cat and mouse game with that company.
Debbie, I made a late reply to you yesterday.
Hi Sally,
I saw your reply this morning and am getting to Jeanne’s blog early instead of unpacking : ) I found my “memory boxes” at a catalog company called Exposures back in the 90’s and early 2’s. They have been reduced to a third party Amazon retailer and sell mostly photo albums which are a shadow of the quality they used to sell . These boxes were heavy coated cardboard with label slots on the front, about 12″x10″. I have recently bought from Gaylord Archival but they are very pricey and I would rather buy dolls! I do like Northern Lights not so much for the theme but because I wanted a blue eyed Bella. I am not sure I will dress her in her factory outfit or wait for just the right outfit. Thank you for the update on Alice. The Jan/Feb issue of Dolls features a Red Queen doll and the White Rabbit which led to questioning Alice’s whereabouts. Thankfully she was bobbing around in the winter and not in the heat of summer!
We are very near Pinehurst which is an hour or so northeast of Charlotte. The winters here are very mild and the terrain is similar to the northern Gulf of Mexico which we refer to as home. North Carolina has it all, beaches to mountains. The area where we now live is called the “sand hills” because it was an ancient inland sea. It is very sandy like being at the beach.
Those memory boxes were unopened during our 10 years in Knoxville. We opened them while packing thinking we would toss them. Once you touch them back in the box they go! We are resigned to storing them in the large hall closet with the Christmas ornaments, dolls, and unused kitchen gadgets! I am afraid I am useless when it comes to decluttering.
Hi, Debbie,
Thanks for all the info. I remember getting Exposures catalogs for a long time though I donāt think I ever purchased. It is sad how a good product gets watered down with company takeovers. I will look at Gaylord Archival, but all those mementos out in the front garage are likely to remain packed from the last move. If anything, I need to just plain ditch all that stuff. It will never see light of day again.
In reference to your Northern Lights doll, I am so glad you like her. My first Bella was By the Sea and I donāt love herā¦I have her in a cute short wig that I like ever so much better. Then I got the combo Bella/Bailey and was worried after I ordered the set that I wouldnāt like it. I saw some FB pictures that made me want to cry. Well, my set is really cute and I am very happy.
Soā¦if you think you might want to sell that Northern Lights outfit, write Jeanne for my email. You have a ātakerā here.
Thanks again for your reply. Sounds like you have landed in a really good spot. ā¤ļøšš Have a wonderful day!
Thatās funny about the Northern Lights outfit because I bought the doll for the outfit. I didnāt really need another doll! Ha, ha! She finally arrived yesterday. I havenāt open nor āassembledā her yet. Maybe sheāll be a Happy New Year Doll.
That is what I love about your creations Jeanne. Your attention to detail is what sets everything you make head and shoulders above the rest. Best of luck with the two auctions ending tonight. And Happy Thanksgiving, again : )
That is a gorgeous winter wonderland Charlotte! Your deck and backyard look like a postcard. Do you have cardinals where you live? I love a red cardinal against a snowy background.
Your snow is beautiful, Charlotte. We’re in the high 40’s again today and I can’t say I mind. Actually, where I am in Ohio we usually get a big snow or two most winters do to the “lake effect” of lake Erie.
Chrissa’s coat is lovely and so cozy looking. The buttons look nice. I’ve had a couple of purses with magnetic snaps and they are neat.
I love Charlotte’s snow picture. I would say enjoy it while you can, Charlotte, since you don’t get it that often. I wish I could have enjoyed our snow last February. It was beautiful but when the inside of your house is as cold as the outside looking at snow just seemed to make the house colder. Not to mention the lack of water situation we had. To make matters worse we (the city of Sealy) got gouged by our gas supplier and we ended up with a surcharge on our bill that we are still paying for – until March. We had a year to pay it. We are also paying the gas for Jason’s mobile home because A/C work has been down. Usually it’s no big deal and is about $15 to $20. This surcharge added another almost $50 a month to it so you can figure how bad the gouging was. We have more than one income stream, but you can see how hard that has been for some people with really limited income. A couple people did get the ability to pay longer, but you had to be really desperate. Our state senator and congressman tried to help, but it fell on deaf ears. I can’t believe the city renewed the contract with that same company. Evidently normally they are the best, but they sure took advantage of a bad situation when they could.
I love Chrissa’s coat, both outside and inside. What a unique piece of fabric. I love the idea of the magnetic snaps. Can’t wait to see what you put with the coat. Waiting in anticipation is always fun. Once the holiday season is over my two 18″ MA dolls (Gracie and Natalie) are going to visit their Auntie Kathie for some rehabilitation. Once they return I will be sewing for them again. They have tons of clothes, but they need some newer more au courant wearing attire. With their limbs being so flimsy they were not much fun to sew for or to dress at the moment.
David went to his shop yesterday to clear out some e-mail and read some of the articles he gets. Unfortunately he is having computer issues so he’s staying home today. Tomorrow Sean is going to help him get the problem fixed. I hope. Could be a modem problem or he may need to contact the Geek Squad. Whatever it is I hope it’s fixed quickly.
We have postponed our annual New Year’s Eve visit to Texas Roadhouse this year. We usually meet Sean and family there and have an early dinner and get off the roads as quickly as we can. But David doesn’t think he’s up to doing it this year, especially since the seating is mostly booths and he cannot do booths right now. But Sean and his family and Jason will be here on New Year’s Day for our annual fondue tradition. Many, many years ago we got a fondue pot for Christmas and we started this tradition. We’ve missed a few years but not many. If we cancel that we would need a better excuse than knee surgery.
Have a wonderful time celebrating with Bithar and her family. And also with your family when they arrive.
It’s up to 30 here (from 13) so it’s coat weather here for sure. I’m glad the coats are taking off and even more glad that you’ll be seeing our favorite Haitians. A replay of Thanksgiving is a great idea.
We may get snow tomorrow. We need it. Snow now = fewer fires in summer. Keep producing those coats.