There are perks to cleaning and organizing my sewing room… I found something I had started a while back, but never had gotten back to it. Remarkably, the bodice and the one extra scrap of fabric I had for it were still folded together! Miracle of miracles in this mess I created. :o)
I was working on something this morning and someone came over to pay me for some alterations I had done… then there was lunch and the plan was to start on this “something” I found, but we had another “someone” who came over and that was the end of my thinking I could get it finished… They stayed for 3 hours and then it was time for dinner… so I never actually got started on it until almost 10:00 tonight, but I do have something to show you… it’s just not finished.
Anyone remember when I got my Stella, a Ruby Red Fashion Friends doll, and I was trying to draft the perfect bodice pattern for the dolls? Well, that’s what I found in a box… along with a strip of fabric that would be enough to make the skirt from. I decided as late as it was, that I could still do “something” to show you… (I remember when I made the bodice and it was a wonderful fit, several of you suggested I turn this into a pretty dress.)
I did add the skirt and got the inside all stitched down. The lining in the bodice is a tiny pink and white check. Then I tied a sliver of the fabric edge in her hair (just for looks tonight) and added a cream piece of cluny lace around her waist. I have a few other ideas for it, but here is something “dolly wise” to keep you smiling today…
This was a fabric from my mom, I think. I’m pretty sure I made a dress for her from it…
I also discovered something new… on my phone, there is a setting for pictures called “Night” and I used it for the first time tonight…and I have to say, the colors are identical on my phone to what they are in person. I am THRILLED!
…and I’ll let you guess what this might be for! :o) Another miracle of miracles to have this exact color that compliments the fabric so well.
I hope to find some sewing time tomorrow…
I just now finished reading your comments… Linda, I cleaned up what I had gotten out and put everything away except for what I’ll be needing… YAY!
Anne and Barbara, I loved reading your comments about how and where you have to sew and how you organize and purge and “Creative Junk” sounds like a fun place to visit!
Thanks everyone,
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I sure understand what you mean, about other things pulling you away from your sewing projects, Jeanne! This week is that way for me, too. Our church is hosting evangelist Ken Lynch, who is holding services Mon.-Thurs. nights, and although he’s a musician and much of his services include music, after last night I was tapped to provide the music for the congregational hymns (in fact, I played one of them at last night’s service, since it was one he didn’t really know)! So I spent an hour at church this afternoon, working thru sections of the hymnal, and choosing and practicing hymns for the rest of the services! What with other things I had to do, it left very little time in my sewing room.
I like what you’ve done thus far for Stella’s dress, although I do have to confess it might not have been my first choice in colors! But I think it will end up very elegant-looking–sometimes it’s those more muted tones that lead to a more sophisticated-looking garment. I can’t wait to see what you do with it! And how perfect, that you had just the right color of leather on hand!! A purse? Shoes? Maybe both???
Barbara, I was reading yesterday’s comments tonight, and I don’t remember our meteorologists saying anything about that Omega Block. I guess that explains why our temps in the Seattle area are still 10-15 degrees below normal, and we are having a Very wet May! Today was partly sunny, but this evening we had a shower, which yielded a most unusual set of rainbows! The main rainbow had its double somewhat above it (not super unusual) but intersecting one side/end of that rainbow was ANOTHER rainbow! (In other words, the right end of the first rainbow crossed the left end of the one beside it.) I wish I’d had my camera with me! Several of us saw it, and we all commented on how unusual it was.
It looks like you are on the right track there, Jeanne, putting things away that you are not currently using. It really does help! Now why don’t I do the same thing?😊
I kind of remember that bodice, and love muted colors, especially when you have a beautiful doll like Stella to model it with that gorgeous, shiny red hair! Although I think anyone would love it, I do think adult collectors will appreciate it more. You certainly know your clientele! And you found the perfect leather for making shoes or a purse!
After working in the yard a bit in this heat we are having, I feel a bit wilted when I come back in. Another day of this to look forward to, even tomorrow too! Where did spring go?
I wanted to say something before you finished the giant (and admirable) re-organizing project, but I was off being infused. Why are doctor’s offices so cold? Sitting still with a needle in my arm for 3 1/2 hours made me very stiff and wobbly, but I feel better today.
Julia Child said a lot of intelligent things, like “Things take as long as they take” — a lot of things can’t be hurried — bread rises at its own rate, cakes bake in their own time.
She also said that a pot-washer was a self-hamperer. Basically, do one thing at a time — cook, then clean; sew, then organize or organize and then sew. One thing at a time means that you accomplish one thing and that encourages you to do the next instead of wearing you down trying to do both at once.
You did the right thing, organizing, then moving on in a lovely clean space. And what a reward. I love those colors, especially with that lovely red hair. The leather is perfect with the dress colors. This is going to be another winner. If your doll lived here, she could still use a jacket and boots — in Seattle, boots and a raincoat would work, in St. Louis she could use an umbrella one minute and a sunshade the next. Whatever you decide will suit someone and probably several someones.
Thanks for working overtime to have something to show us. Perfect on Stella, and maybe you’re going to make ballet flats for her to wear with it? or a little clutch bag? The fabric is definitely her colors. And you might mention to her that Luca has also taken notice. 🙂 Spring is in the air!
Couldn’t believe the hail we had yesterday, and with the cold nighttime temperatures we’ve been having, I’m actually glad that we haven’t planted anything yet. It was nice to look out this morning to clear skies and see that everything in the yard is damp. Yay, no watering today. 🙂
RRFF Alex is due in today and hopefully tomorrow from Kentucky, Miss Giggi Twinkle. 🙂
Dear Jeanne, the fabric looks very pretty. I think you are going to make shoes and a bag for the ensemble.
You will have to put a sign on your front door that says “Gone Sewing” when you want to let visitors know that you are otherwise occupied (laugh).
Very pretty fabric choice for Stella. Obviously the leather is for a purse and or shoes.
Sorry to run, but i just put a bunch of groceries away and need some lunch.
I’m surprised you didn’t get comments on the fabric for the dress. I remember it …I had a blouse made from it…in maybe the early 80’s? It came in several color combos but that was my favorite too. She looks so happy in those colors. The leather match is right on! Will it be shoes? Will it be the cute purse? Or maybe something else?
I did actually sort of clean my sewing, doll repair, laundry room because the old original “ fuse box” had to be replaced and the wiring was in the ceiling over the sewing machine and washer dryer. It is amazing how quick you can clear off spaces when the electrician says he will be there at 8:00AM ☺️
94 predicted here today…has Mother Nature had some kind of weird nervous breakdown? Winter till mid April and now no Spring…just summer?
Kathie, you can send some of your heat out to the Seattle area! Tomorrow our “HIGH” is expected to be 50!!!!
I totally don’t remember this fabric. It is making a lovely dress. I really need to do more sewing for my Stella. She is quite lovely.
Kathie’s comment about having to clean up her sewing room to make way for some electrical work brought to mind that sometime in the near future I will be evicted from my sewing room for several days (since nothing happens fast around here) to enable some construction work in there. The sun pipe my husband installed years ago is breaking down and started leaking. They used Flex Seal and stopped the leak but before they put on the new roof the sun pipe will have to be removed and the ceiling and roof patched. I have my two sewing machines facing each other in the center of the floor, right under the sun pipe, so there is no way of working in there while it is being removed and the patching done. I’m thinking of maybe moving my embroidery machine to the dining room table so I can continue to sew, but the lighting is not the best in there so I don’t see it being used much during that time.
Charlotte’s rainbow sounds like a lovely experience. I’ve never seen anything like what she described.
Marilyn’s post made some really good points. I’ve never been a huge fan of multi-tasking. Often it is necessary but it seemed to me that I never did as good a job multi-tasking as I did when I concentrated on doing one thing at a time well. And that seemed to be a more efficient way to do things since when I left an unfinished project to take up another when I returned to the previous project I had to reorient myself as to where I was when I left it and what still needed to be done.
Joy, I hope you were prepared for the hail. That stuff can really be a problem. One year it hailed on our wheat crop in Kansas after it had headed out. The crop was a total loss. Thankfully our other wheat field didn’t get the hail. With that and the insurance, we could at least pay the bills, but there was no profit that year. Another time we had a hail prediction here. Our car was in the garage but there was no protection for David’s pick-up down at his shop. Sean and Dionne were living in the mobile home next door at the time and their cars had no protection in their driveway. So David and I were down at his shop in the dark using some materials he had to cover the vehicles to prevent them from damage. We did his truck and then brought the stuff up to the house and covered the other vehicles. Dionne said she heard the thunder and looked out the window. Seeing their cars she was a bit freaked out. Sean figured it out pretty quickly. We didn’t get the predicted hail but if we had the cars would have done fine.
I like Dorothy in PA’s idea of a sign that says “gone sewing”. Very clever.
I love the fabric especially on Stella. I’m looking forward to seeing it finished
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Dorothy and Jeanne, Creative Junk is a recycling place that you can go to for all those odd items like bottle tops, off cuts of fabric, empty wool cones plastic packing strips that kind of thing. It isn’t a thrift store (or what we’d call an Op Shop) basically just junk. You can be a member (not sure how much it costs) and you fill a bag cheaper than the general public. Stuff like leather and a few other items that have a little value might have an individual price on them but most things are just part of “fill a bag”. Sam picked up a half roll of newsprint a while ago and I use it a lot for patterns. Pre Covid when we still had a Santa parade they had a float that was decorated with only stuff from the store. Any children could join it but had to be dressed in costumes made from their store too. Ashley joined them once. They used to have workshops too in the holidays for the kids to make things. As I said yesterday, when we do our sorting in my room we take rubbish to the dump, we give away what is still in good condition, mostly on our free table at Guild or Sam puts it outside the front gate for people to help themselves then anything else goes to Creative Junk. Much better than sending to to landfill.
My workroom is starting to look more presentable. Still no room to move mainly because we have so many empty boxes and containers but the shelves are clean and Sam has moved all my books to a different shelf where I can actually reach them. A few years ago I bought a table that my sewing machine sits into with a perspex plate that make it all flat and also bought an extension table to go behind it so I had a large flat space for the quilts, much easier than the very old formica table I used to sew on. When I tried to put this new set in the same place it came out much to far into the room so there was no space for my cutting table. When I moved it to the only other place it would fit it meant I couldn’t easily reach my books. Sam has moved them all to a different shelf and used the other for stuff I don’t need so often. Yay much easier for me. I will take a photo of my room when we have finished (and before Jono moves into the kitchen area).
We really need to get finished, the temp wasn’t quite freezing last night but pretty close and Jono slept in his jacket the caravan was so cold!!!
Just in case you don’t know, the blog for the 12th is missing. I hope that’s because you forgot to press a button and not hat there’s a real problem.
Hope there isn’t a problem. Thought maybe it was just me that didn’t see the blog. Maybe it will appear later?