Hi everyone,
Well, I’m moving right along with the dress I started a few days ago… I had so many different opinions on where to put the buttons, or even if I should use them, should they be smaller, should they go all the way down the front, should the bows be on the sleeves, should they be bigger, should they be on the front princess seams and MANY other possibilities… my head was spinning, so what did I do?
I did a little research in some of my Civil War booklets. Guess what? I looked at about six different ones and realized in the Civil War days, the ladies, LOVED bows and buttons and ribbons and lace and trims, and it really didn’t seem like it mattered how many of any of those things they used… they all looked pretty wonderful no matter where they were placed. So, I decided to find a picture I liked and copy it… This was what I used to “sort of” finish the “embellishing.”
First, I finished the skirt, but not exactly the way the pattern suggested. They said to add a piece above that top ruffle and fold it over and make a casing out of it and run a piece of elastic through it. It would be like a pull up skirt with an elastic waist. It seemed like it would add bulk to the waist, so I gathered up the top edge and added a narrow waistband to it and topstitched it in place. I DID add a piece of Velcro to the back because there are SO MANY different sizes on the dolls nowadays.
I’m not used to the camera on this phone and not entirely sure I know how to take pictures with it… but I’ve only had it a day and I need to keep working on things… When I’m up-close things are lighter in my pictures, but when I step back, they look darker.
Okay the next thing I did was work on the top. I decided to use smaller buttons and add them down the front of the dress. I also sewed the bows to the sleeves but turned them slightly to the front, so they could be seen better. I think I must have bumped the brooch in the first picture… I need to secure it better.
Then I found a couple of links to a bracelet that I “think” Rebecca gave me. I don’t think I’ve ever used them before, but when I laid it on the fabric, the coppery edge was a perfect match and I thought it looked very nice together. I added a black lace bow behind it and spread out the tails.
So here are 2 pictures of the final look… a bit darker than what it actually is, but you can see it from head to toe.
I have made a black bow for the back but didn’t get it attached yet. I haven’t decided on what she’ll wear on her head just yet…
Well, I hope you like it because I’m going with “this” version.
I just saw an email from Joy and wanted to share it… this is what she said…
Here is a Halloween pic of one of my Ruby Reds. I bought the outfit from Amazon, but the big pumpkin, well big for her, is the one I grew this year. I’m so proud. Ha ha
Sorry it is so late for Halloween. Know you are probably all done with your post.
Take care and don’t work too hard on chopping peanuts.
Joy
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Saturday night is our church hayride and it’s supposed to be down in the 40’s! It’s going to be a chilly one!
See you Monday,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, now this dress is really coming together nicely! I like the smaller buttons, as well as the brooch, and your placement of the bows on the sleeves is perfect.
Joy, I love the picture of your Ruby Red in her Halloween outfit, and with the pumpkins! None of my smaller dolls have Halloween clothes–not costumes, not themed outfits. Just the American Girls have costumes, and some have more than one! Oh, I take that back, my 16″ Julie Good-Kruger dolls have Halloween costumes, too, but they are packed away at the moment. Those are the type of dolls Daria and 2 or 3 friends and I “played” with years ago (they even had a couple of Halloween parties for our dolls!), but after Daria passed away (18 years ago now), I think we all kind of just put them aside eventually. I still have mine; should get them out again some day, as they certainly have a lot of clothes!
Before I forget, Barbara, I did reply to your comment on my post on yesterday’s blog, about my friend Tonya.
Tks on the pic of my Ruby Red. I think that you should search for the costumes for your dolls and have a New Years costume party. That would be so fun. And next year I’d love to see your dolls in costume for Halloween. 🙂
I always go back and see what I missed from yesterday and saw your comment about Tonya calling after you got the news of Ron’s passing. It brought tears to my eyes. I’m surprised you could keep on driving. What a blessing to have such a friend. Obviously you are soul mates.
Yes, I think so. She’s young enough to be my daughter, but we get along so very well. We met in a class at Expo some years ago. Last year I had mentioned that I had ordered the “countdown box” and usually I would sit with Ron each day to open the gift, and now he wouldn’t be here, and she said, “I’ll do it with you.” So we call (arranging the day before what time works best) and put our phones on speaker, and open our gift for the day, and then discuss what it is, or what it could be used for, or maybe it’s going to be part of another day’s gift, too!
Jeanne, those buttons down the front make it look so much better and more like a Civil War dress! I really like that! The brooch and lace background look nice, but I am not sure why you picked a brooch with a pink flower for a fall dress. The metal part looks good, and also the size, just the pink is kind of jarring to me. Another pick would be a cameo button or something similar? Oh, now I see that the flowers on the print are kind of a red. Maybe my monitor is not showing the correct colors.
I also love the bows moved forward a bit where you can see them. I read somewhere that dresses during that time were full of buttons, bows and embellishments, so the more the better! I think it is just a beautiful dress! Maybe a purse with some of the beads as trim would be sweet! A bonnet too. I can’t wait for this to get to the finish line!
Joy, before I saw the doll and pumpkin, I saw the beautifully painted deck! Wonderful job on that, and how proud you must be to have grown that pumpkin! That will be a nice big pie for your Ruby Red!
Thank you Linda, for observing the new and improved deck paint. It’s been a lot of work, but we’re done with the lower deck now and almost done with the upper deck as well. And thanks on my pumpkin surprise. She is a lovely pumpkin of an heirloom varietal. 🙂
Jeanne, I love what you have put together and I know what you add will be perfect. I know your hay ride for the young people will be special as always. They are from so many places and really enjoy the new experience and the different kinds of food. I hope the weather will behave.
Off to the Y again this morning then on to a doc for Peyton, nothing terrible, just a check up.
Yesterday I was very close to having been scammed!! I received an email from a dear friend, I thought. She is ninety so when the email came from her name and was done so like something she would ask for help on her computer I fell for it. It involved my sending some money on a gift card for a friend of hers in England that she had not been able to make it work for her. She sounded desperate. When I emailed her back she answered, only is was not her! None of it was. This person stole her name and email. He/her was so clever I would have done it except that I couldn’t make the money work on an Apple card as they asked, thank goodness. If they had asked for an Amazon card I could have done it. My poor friend had to change her email and was so upset. I wasn’t the only person that sent the scam with her name and email. I have had scams that I didn’t believe, but this one really got to me. Be careful friends, these people are really clever!
Joy, I love your dolly’s dress and the huge pumpkin! It looks huge next to her, just perfect. I didn’t know you could buy doll clothes on Amazon.
So glad that you didn’t get scammed. So much going on now. And yes, Amazon has lots of dolly stuff. But, not the lovely quality that you and Jeanne make. Tks on my pumpkin scene. 🙂
Nicely done Jeanne, I am happy to see the narrow waistband, which is great for a perfect fit!
This dress is perfect. I love the ruffles and the bows. And the buttons.
What a sweet dress.
Happy Friday dear ones. why do the days just fly by now? Whyyyyy?
I sewed a few hours yesterday morning then after lunch hubbs said he was going to the old house to rake. I should help… but just said “okay”
and when he left, I felt I should be productive so I tidied up the house here, and cleaned two bathrooms and did several kitchen chores. So by the time Hubbs came back home I had not gotten back to the sewing. That was okay,
After dinner, we watched the last two episodes of an old old show Northern Exposure (just an okay show, there are really only two episodes that are hysterical- the only two with the trebuchet) and as always I have my little ironing board to iron a zillion 1.5 inch strips of various elements for the breeze blocks. I did not even finish the ironing but that is okay. no rush, I think.
We will not have any trick or treaters…. I do not think, but I do have about a dozen candy bars just in case. At the old house, 🫤🎃 we will not be there. We have the lights out.
I hope all of you have a happy day.
The dress is gorgeous. I like the glossy buttons, (one or two more than I would have used), and like Linda I found the white and pink brooch a little jarring. But when we get a certain look in our heads seeing something else is shocking. I love this pattern so much I have found and purchased it. Love the waistband change too.
Sissy thanks so much for the scary warning about the latest scam.
Have a great day all.
Well, Jeanne’s expertise shines yet again! The brooch is a perfect addition and the smaller buttons too. With those, a ribbon at the waist isn’t needed anymore in my humble opinion. I like the skirt waistband with the velcro too. Such a lovely dress. 🙂
Wow, where did yesterday go? I know we went to Target for cat food where I found the cutest little plaid cardboard suitcase for a Ruby Red or an AG and another tiny little picture frame all in the front door area. We got in a walk. Other person used his new tool to replace one deck rail. But, where did the rest of the day go? Oh, I know, we watched a neighbor below have a bunch of privet trees removed as well as some oaks on her property line thinned a lot. It was fun to see tree climbers clamoring around up and down. They were good too, so we have the company name as we need tree work at the other house. 🙂
Believe it or not, we have no candy here. I thought for sure other person would bring home a bag or two, but nope. We don’t get treaters here anyway, as it seems everyone goes down to the old victorians for party time. The main attraction being the home from the Pollyanna movie with Hayley Mills, from years past.
Be thinking of Jeanne, and the big party/bonfire in Carbondale. I’m sure it will be so much fun for the students and everyone.
Have an exciting Halloween and a great weekend!
Dear Joy, I love your Ruby Red girl. What is her name? I don’t recognize her sculpt. Is she one of the newer ones. I love the outfit. She looks like a “little Miss Halloween” model.
My Ruby Red girl is Sienna from 2014. Thanks so much. I’ll tell Sienna that she is Miss Halloween. 🙂
Perfection!! Exactly as a Civil War dress should look, Jeanne. The buttons, bows, lace, and brooch are perfect and you already know I love the fabric and the ruffles.. Yes, Civil War and also Victorian/Edwardian ladies loved button, bows, lace, and ruffles and that is also one of the reasons I love those two eras so much.
How pretty Rosanna looks, Joy, taking a break from her Titanic/ Edwardian world.. Of course, I love the black kitty tee. Congratulations on growing your own pumpkin. Whatever variety it is is nice with the lighter yellow specks on the orange. And your newly stained deck is the perfect backdrop. No giving out candy here either. Haven’t done it for decades as it was too stressful to keep pets safe and then it got too expensive. All outdoor kitties got a special extra treat this morning and my furballs will have something special later. My family and I usually watch a fun movie and have treats.
Ooops, on second look that might be Sienna. Some of the RRFFs look similar enough it is difficult to tell. Well, lovely either way.
You are right! It’s Sienna. I really couldn’t remember and had to look her up. She was from 2024. L)
Thanks so much on the deck. We’re winding down on the upper deck now. 🙂
How fun your kitties have Halloween treats. Those around here would be ringing your doorbell I’m sure. 🙂
And thanks on my special pumpkin. She’s a beauty. 🙂
Dear Jeanne, first, enjoy the hayride!
Second, I think that there will be tons of American Girl dolls and their similar sisters lining up to claim your latest ensemble. I really love the pumpkin color. It was nice of you to make the waist adjustable. I have several 18 inch dolls and some of them are not stuffed and have a smaller waist.
Third, have a nice last day of October! There are only 182 days until May.
Fourth, Boo!
I heard about that scam years ago and emailed friends about it. One replied that no one would believe it. The next email I opened was from someone trying to borrow money to send to an older friend who was away from home. I told her about the scam. She called the police in the woman’s home town, who checked — the woman was safely at home. Checking in with the police is always a good idea. We all want to help people who need it , but no one wants to be scammed.
I’m going with Linda and Dorothy on the button/pin. I do think I’m a bit too conservative and I think that last picture is lovely, but you do have dozens of alternatives and I think I’d like to see that button on different fabric. I liked the bows where they were and I like them where they are. I love the fabric, design, and the beaded trim, and the way the precision of your stitching adds to the perfection of the dress.
One of the saddest scams is the one where someone develops a relationship with a vulnerable person and then says they really want to see them in person but they need traveling money. Of course they are always someone far away so they need a lot of money. One lady was on the news one time who had fallen for this scam big time. She did not only send money to this “person” once, but a total of three times and wiped out her savings.
Yes! I love all the changes you made and how nice you made the waistband to fit different size 18″ dolls. It seems there are many. I used a pattern for an American Girl doll once for my MA 18″ doll and it was way too big. I just assumed all 18″ dolls were shaped the same. I found out the hard way that was not true. Can’t wait to see what you do for a hair adornment.
Joy, good job on the deck. And your doll is totally cute in her Halloween attire. Love the pumpkin! Good job on that too. I think I have all my dolls that have Halloween dresses ready to go now. I’m going to have to make a list of all the dolls that have Halloween clothes or costumes. Several with cute dresses but few have costumes.
Sissy, I’m so glad you avoided that scam. I’m constantly getting things that say my PayPal account has a problem and unless I click on the link my account will be cancelled. I recognize them when I see them and one of the easy ways usually is to look at the actual email it is sent from. I have had the hardest time getting David to stop responding to junk emails. He thinks that if he asks them to stop sending them they will. All it does is validate the email address they have so they send more. Also when he gets something that says an account is seriously overdue, he panics. I handle the bookkeeping around here so he doesn’t know what we have but he should know we don’t have an account with Chase Bank or Bank of America. Fortunately he asks before he does something he shouldn’t.
No trick or treaters here either. So many live in rural areas outside the city that house-to-house trick or treating was impossible for them. So their parents either brought them into town or they did without. A few years ago the city came up with the idea for a Boo Bash held in downtown. Dionne and Sean tried different things in their local area so the kids could celebrate Halloween but many were not as advertised and some cost money. A few years ago they gave up and just started coming out here for Boo Bash. It runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and then we go to a local restaurant for supper. Halloween being on Friday this year is great since no one has school or work tomorrow, but this year, sadly, we will not be joined by Skyy and Jaiden. Skyy is 15 and Jaiden almost 14 so they have friends they wish to spend the evening with. But we still have Azure and Sean and Dionne are going to bring him out since it’s still a fun time for him. His costume is a Squishable. I love Squishables and always have to stop and give them hugs when I see them. He looks adorable in his costume and definitely huggable.
It’s supposed to be in the 50s this evening so it will at least feel like Halloween this year. A couple years ago it was cool like this and Sean insists it was downright cold. It wasn’t, he just doesn’t like the cold – or the heat. Last year it was hot. We never know what to expect. Used to make it a problem for me making costumes. One year it was a Care Bear and it was too hot. Another year it was a Ninja Turtle, not warm enough. I’m still a northerner at heart when it comes to Halloween I guess, so I think it should at least be cool.
Oh, I hope that we can see your girls dressed for Halloween. It’s never too late and costume or dress, all would be fun to see. 🙂
Hadn’t thought of pictures. Let me check into that. I think I just got some kind of Halloween backdrop.
Oh, I hope you can get some pics. As a very last minute costume, I’ve used TP and wrapped legs, arms bodies, and around the head for a mummy. Only takes a second and looks great! 🙂
The ladies definitely like to decorate their clothes back then unless they lived out by The Little House on The Prairie. The dress is really dainty and very elegant.
We don’t pass out candy here – we’re in a lovely 55+ neighborhood and the trick or treaters usually hit other areas. In Ohio we definitely pass out the candy – and it’s fun to see all the children’s costumes and how excited they are.
Joy, your outfit is really a cute one/ not scary but fun for Halloween. What a beautiful Ruby Red too. And, I agree with Laura- the view of the deck behind your RR is very nice looking. You and Other really take good care of it.
Thanks on RR Sienna and the deck. 🙂 Glad we’re almost done with all of the work. 🙂
Oh, I forgot to mention that several of my dolly girls were featured in the Collector’s Corner of the November/December issue of Dolls Magazine. You’ve probably seen the picture before but whenever they have a call I send something. My picture is not always chosen but sometimes it is.
I’ll have to check that out. Haven’t had time to even look at the mag yet. 🙂
Dear Barbara, well, yeaaa! Maybe you can share the photo. I don’t subscribe to that magazine.
Hi Jeanne, I love the dress though I would still like to see the beaded lace on the ruffles. I prefer the smaller buttons and more of them. I really think they are more in keeping with the era.
Joy, I hated cricket when I was younger. It was only test match cricket then which lasted 5 days and was very boring. Then they introduce One Day Internationals which were 50 overs per team matches, they still lasted about 8 hours but were much less boring. It also improved Test Match Cricket. Now we have T20 which is much faster only 20 overs per side (one over is 6 balls) and that has made players even more innovative (is that a word). Anyway I love it, but love netball, rugby union and football as well. USA does play cricket as well as Rugby and football, in fact your women’s team in football is one of the best in the world.
Have a good day
Now, soccer I understand. Football, barely. I do remember they had a Rugby team at some point in college. None of the players had any front teeth. Ugh
In case anyone looks at this over the weekend–I fell this morning (10/31) and ended up going to urgent care. I have a broken toe, but a lot of pain and numbness in my foot, so I think I may have damaged a nerve. I see a podiatrist on Friday.
So….no lunch with Marika today nor dolly pictures.
The high point of my day was my first trick-or-treater: my little great-grandson Skyler and his mom and dad! I’ll try to get some pictures to Jeanne soon.
Oh, Charlotte, I did check this morning and am so sorry for your fall and it is results. Prayers going up for you. So glad you had some family visit to cheer you up. Sending love.
Thank you, Sissy! And tonight my two youngest grandsons came for a visit, and Daniel (my son) was here too! It’s turned out to be a not so bad weekend!!
Dear Charlotte, oh no! I am so sorry to hear about this. I hope that you will be able to get some good rest. Charlotte Noelle and I will be sending up prayers for you.
Thank you, Dorothy! (and Charlotte Noelle)