HI everyone,
I had a REALLY wonderful time with my sisters this past weekend! The only part I didn’t like was when they had to leave to go home. However, when I say that, I always think of Anne, down in New Zealand, who hasn’t seen her sister in I don’t know how many years, and it makes me grateful for the time I DO get to spend with my sisters!
We didn’t do a lot this visit, but we did get in a fair amount of shopping… just no antique stores this time. We hit several thrift shops, Goodwill stores, T.J. Maxx, Kohls, and of course, Panera’s, 17th St. Barbeque, and Italian Village Pizza!
So I only have one picture to share with you… (Just between you and me, I’m not crazy about the picture, but only the part on the left side… I think it’s GREAT of my sisters!)
I did find something to use with Ten Ping when I take some pictures of her in her new school outfit! (School is STILL in session, isn’t it?) I found this fun desk and bench grouping at a thrift shop for $2.00 and Ten Ping looks pretty cute sitting at it! I am hoping to do some picture taking tomorrow!
Saturday evening we were in my sewing room, altering a Ralph Lauren trench coat Deb had gotten. The sleeves were about 3 1/2″ too long and since I know a thing or two about sewing, we got the job done…The coat had suede bound button holes and suede trim around the sleeves, so it took a little longer than just turning them up and hemming them. We all helped, Cindy was picking up all the fuzzies from the suede trim when we removed it, and also using a seam ripper to help take it off. Deb was searching for the right color thread in all my spools, threading needles for sewing the buttons back on and being a very patient sister while trying it on many times. They were both the BEST cheerleaders! I didn’t take any “before” pictures, but only the “after” shot. The tabs for the buttons on the sleeves had to be moved up too, since the sleeves were shortened.
The coat was missing the buckle on the belt, so we were on the hunt looking to find a belt in one of the thrift shops we visited. We did find one at the last shop we were in. So here is the final look of the coat…
So my next goal is the get Ten Ping’s school set listed on Ebay, but here are some other things coming up… a Dream Baby doll, a dolly cabinet, some hat molds, some pictures from Susette and a bit about Wellie Wishers, Emerson’s faceup, plus something I learned about reducing patterns for Little Darlings to fit Boneka dolls…
I hope this will feel more like a Dolly Blog shortly!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
That’s a lovely picture of all three of you girls, Jeanne!! (I think we are always are own worst critics, when it comes to things like photos!) I’m glad you had such a good time with your sisters; as I’ve said before, you’re fortunate to even Have sisters. Not all of us do!! I for one have only one brother. And I’m pretty sure we don’t have quite the same bond you enjoy with your sisters!
What a find that little desk was! Can’t wait to see TenPing sitting at it! i’m sure she’s thrilled to have something her bigger dolly sisters won’t be able to share–her very own desk!!
Good job on altering the sleeves on that jacket! A few years ago I did a very similar adjustment to the sleeves of a Land’s End rain jacket I bought. It had those long tabs going around the sleeves at the wrists, too, and I had to remove them and move them up and shortened the sleeves probably about 3″, too, as I recall. And….my jacket is lined, which means I had to go in thru the lining!! It was quite a job, but I think (even though I really don’t enjoy alterations) maybe one of the sewing projects of which I’m most proud. If you didn’t know I’d altered the sleeves, you would not be able to guess unless you had an original one next to it, and then the differences are very small (I didn’t use bartacks, just did back stitching, for instance).
That’s a cute picture of the three of you Jeanne! I can really tell you are sisters, since that’s not the case with myself and my sisters!
Ten Ping is really going to like that desk and with her new outfit, she will certainly be ready to learn her A,B’s and C’s now! That sertainly was a steal at $2.00!
What a lovely jacket Deb has now that it is fixed! Oh, to find something with sleeves too LONG! Being on the tall side, you just don’t get that very often, and there is really nothing you can do to make them longer! I’m sure your Rebecca has the same problem!
I am anxious to get back to the “dolly” blog and am looking forward to seeing who you sew for next!
What happened to my correction? I mentioned that “sertainly” should have been “certainly”, but it never showed up, so here it is again!
Linda, you made me laugh! 😆 Thanks for that! I needed a laugh!
Jeanne, what a nice picture of the three of you. Such lovely ladies too! Whenever I see pictures of the three of you, i think of the Christmas movie, White Christmas and song about sisters. ( Rosemary Clooney.)
Glad you had a good time with them.
Deb’s jacket looks nice – I’m sure she’s happy with it.
My sister finds the neatest stuff at thrift shops too. She always dresses so elegantly with her finds – no one would know where she finds these fabulous clothes that were once very expensive. In her younger years, she was a buyer at a well known store for women’s clothing- she always had a talent for putting outfits together and has an eye for something special in the clothing line.
What a perfect desk for little Ten Ping. You find the cutest accessories for your models.
Humm, wonder why Jeanne, doesn’t like the left half of the sister photo? I think everyone looks adorable. This is a classic photo and so nicely done. Congrats to the three sister musketeers. 🙂
Great job on the RL jacket. A very nice save and perfect on Deb. So fun to find something at a thrift store.
Can’t wait to see TP’s forthcoming pics. Her outfit is such a winner. 🙂
Great picture, Jeanne! All of it. I can’t imagine the work that went into altering your sister’s coat. It’s almost like you remade the sleeves. Ten Ping’s desk is adorable. Can’t wait to see her sitting there and studiously doing her schoolwork.
Antique stores are great but shopping anywhere is fun. These days for me it’s usually online, especially living in a small town with not a lot of shops around, but I have a great time indulging online. Found this great store for sewing items called WAWAK. Maybe some have heard of it but it’s new to me. When I had my previous serger I decided not to buy four spools of each color thread I would use so I got a bob’n serge. You thread bobbins and put them in a case and set it on one of the spool holders. I soon found out that one of the bobbins would always run out before the others so redoing the set-up was a pain. When I got my new air threading serger I decided to buy the rest of the spools so I would have four of each color since now changing colors was easy. The only place I was able to do that was WAWAK and they actually had all the colors I already had in the right brand so adding the additional three spools per color was painless. I also have an oversized ironing board and finding a new cover for it is difficult. They had what I needed. WAWAK and Home Sew are my two favorite places to shop online. They always have what I need.
I have a question for my Sofa Sisters who sew. What is your favorite brand of sewing thread? I grew up with Coats & Clark and was pretty much dedicated to using their products but lately they are using the plastic spools that break and chip and often make it hard to use a spool of thread without constantly stopping to pull thread so it doesn’t snag. I have a friend who likes Gutterman but that thread breaks a lot for no reason that I can find. Recently I bought some Mettler Metrosene from my quilting shop and find I really like it but the spools don’t have a lot of yardage. But still the spools don’t break or crack or snag or any of those other problems I’ve been having. Just curious if anyone has time to answer I’d be most appreciative.
Those thread issues would make me crazy…you have so much patience my dear.🫣 IMHO it sounds like your machine. Are you married to it? Maybe it is time to change. I have a Bernina.The 1980 era 930 Not a computer. I can use ANY thread. Cotton, cotton blend, Coats and Clark, old thread, new poly, even some old K Mart spools. I have a thread shelf where it is sorted by color in baskets. Most have come from Estate Sales in bags of assorted kinds. My girls know to come here to get what they need….thread is just so pricey now. Good luck🫶
Hi Barbara, I want to agree that maybe it’s your machine or maybe the needle? My mom’s is a Viking Husqvarna and she uses Gutermann thread usually, but the machine works equally well with Coats & Clark. Never had a thread break. We don’t use the old Coat & Clark on the wooden spools because they are left from my grandmother’s supplies.
I definitely seem to be the only one who has a problem with Gutterman thread since it was recommended to me by many. Because of this when I had a problem I changed my needle thinking it was cutting the thread but using the same needle I had no breaking problems with other threads. But my biggest problem is the one with the Coats & Clark plastic spools themselves breaking and snagging the thread.
Kathie and Laura thanks for responding but it has nothing to do with my machine which is a Husqvarna Viking sewing/embroidery/quilting machine that I love. It is the spools of thread themselves that are the problem. The spools are plastic and in one case the whole top of the spool broke off making the spool useless. In other cases the spools developed nicks that catch the thread. If I’m lucky this will only happen on one end and I can flip the spool but in some cases the nicks are on both sides. I can’t even use a thread net because the problem is with the spool. Surely I’m not the only one having these problems. As for types of thread, I can use anything I want as long as it comes on a decent spool.
My sister gets home tonight..she went to be with her daughter again because she was so sick and kept working so she got worse instead of better. Mom to the rescue. ☺️
That is an awesome picture of the three of you. You all do resemble each other too…me and my siblings are all different looking🫣 The jacket turned out so cute.
The little desk is adorable! Ten ping will be the cutest student in it! Lucky she bends in so many places.Can’t wait to see her in it.
What a nice photo to have as a memory of your special time together. Yes, you’re so lucky to have not just one sister, but two.
The little desk is so cute. Reminds me of Samantha’s (the only one I have and favorite by far).
The RL coat turned out so well. I’m sure Deb was very pleased.
The picture of you three together reminds me of the one of the five little girls together, definitely a keeper.
I can’t believe the job you tackled on the jacket! You didn’t mention the piping! And to magically find the belt in another store on the same lucky day! Wow!
Love the little desk for Ten Ping complete with a piece of chalk in the pencil groove. I remember painting a few of those plaster pieces. You really are the luckiest thrift shopper!