Hi everyone,
It has been forever since I did any doll sewing and it actually felt a little strange. I felt like I was a first time sewer! I don’t know what that was all about, but I’m hoping I haven’t forgotten everything I know!
I have been looking at Felicity’s dress just draped on her shoulders, as she’s been standing on my cutting table. The dress isn’t fastened in the back, but everytime I’d look at it, I’d think, “Does the embroidery look like a mirror image on both sides? and “Does it look just slightly off center?” Well, today I answered those questions for myself. Yes, the embroidery was off slightly to the right and not quite in the center of the bodice. UGH! I knew what that meant… picking out three of those clusters of French knots and redoing them. I had to be very careful and not snip the white ruffled fabric around the neckline. I used a seam ripper and mostly worked from the back.
Once I had the middle cluster off, I matched up the shoulder seams, the side seams and put some pins up the front to make sure and get it right THIS time. I should have paid more attention to the center line the first time.
It was off about 1/4″ or just slightly less, but it was too much off to suit me… This is the before picture…
Here is a closeup of the cluster removed in the center. You can see where my pin is now and the tiny holes from where it was removed…
So when I moved it to the left (looking at it) it made the other 2 clusters too close and off, so I marked where they should be and added them back in the right place… Here it is fixed.
…and a close up shot…
That was pretty tedious work and took quite a while, so I only got the skirt gathered up, but not sewn on yet. It’s just pinned in the back.
So here it is coming right along… hopefully I won’t run into any other problems…
Bit by bit Felicity will have a new dress soon.
I received some pictures from Charlotte, and hope to show them tomorrow… and maybe an update on Felicity’s dress.
I’ll see you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, I’m so glad to see that you are back in the sewing room, Jeanne!! Doesn’t it feel GOOD?!! I have to admit, I haven’t spent much time in my sewing room lately myself. What with my fender-bender the beginning of the month, and then losing our Sarah (former daughter-in-law but as dear as a daughter to me) and later finding out our oldest grandson (who was Daniel’s stepson for a number of years) lost his father the same day Isaac and Lily lost their mom….it’s all just been rather a lot, you know? But today I got out a piece of batik cotton jersey that goes really well with my light green pedal pushers, and am going to try to cut out a summer top next week. And on Friday I take my car in for repairs, and start some chiropractic treatment on my neck, which may have been slightly injured in the accident, so I think things are looking up again.
You are so much like me, Jeanne! I, too, cannot stand having things a bit off-center or uneven, even if it’s only a little bit! (I used to drive my mother nuts when she would pin up my hems, and there would be one spot where it wasn’t quite right–off by only 1/8″ but it had to be perfectly even!!) I have undone and redone things to make sure they are well centered, and indeed, it is worth the extra time and effort, in my opinion. I tell people, I’m not really a fast sewer, but I am a Picky sewer, and that takes time!
Felicity’s dress is coming along nicely now, and I think it’s going to be lovely when it’s done.
Anne, I did reply to your comment on yesterday’s blog!
good report Charlotte. Yes, cut out a summer top!
You are coping with a lot. My heart is happy that you are navigating all of this with courage.
I am a “selectively picky” sewist. Some things I let pass, I know no one will notice, or I just do not care if it looks bad. Well, I do focus on the super important things, you know, the whole point of the project. Have fun with that top!
Charlotte, I hope your car and especially you neck will be better today!
It is so good to see you sewing again, Jeanne! You sure have not lost anything in your hiatus! I myself did not really notice the center flower being off, until you mentioned it!
It looks perfect now, and I LOVE the look of the dress with the skirt! The color accents Felicity’s hair, and this dress would also work for fall, I think. At the rate we are going, fall will be here in no time!
Looking forward to Charlotte’s pictures!
I checked out Dori’s Doll Boutique at her online shop, and she has a lot of cute things. I think the Wellie clothes fit the Ruby Reds, fairly well and the prices are great. I thought that the WWishers shoes were too big/wide for the RReds, but your sandals look like a good fit. I’ll have to look again later. Thanks for the tip. 🙂
Joy, some shoes fit, and some don’t, but since I have a Wellie and a RR, somebody will get to wear them! It just depends on the shoe, so you have to be cautious, but I don’t have to be because somebody here will fit into them.
Have you purchased from Emily Rose in Ohio, I think? https://www.dollsclothes-emilyrose.com/category-s/401.htm
It seems like they have a lot of outfits available that I’ve seen by other vendors on Amazon.
Hi Linda,
I, too, checked out Dori’s Doll Boutique. Lots of cute things to keep in mind for the future.
GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK SEWING! You know what they say about riding a bike! It hard not to make things right when you see a mistake! Hope George is feeling a little better in his new shorts, great idea, making the pockets better. Have a good day everyone, we had a beauty yesterday but you know what they say about New England. My daughter and I went to see the Sand Sculpts at Hampton Beach. I put pictures on Facebook under Sylvia Jennings if anyone wants to see them!
Sylvia, those photos are stupendous! Well done.
The sculptures look …. complicated and a lot of work. I like the first one the best. I am not sure what the first place winner’s sculpture is?
Thank you for sharing.
The one that won first was my last picture, I guess it won because it is very tall and I guess hard to complete!
Aah, the highest. Of course haha 😆
Jeanne ❤️, both of you have been through a lot!
I know that feeling. The sewing room is calling you but you just can’t.
Your mind was filled with a completely different goal: survival.
I am so glad you found a way to go there… and the embroidery looking off was just the project. “fixing” What a lot of careful work and yes, I did not notice the off centeredness, but now I do. Well done and careful work. Two accomplishments. I am glad you could find some rest in working on Felicity’s dress.
I am 70 and yesterday was my third visit to a heart specialist. Okay, I just have a tiny bit of HBP, and palpitations (anxiety) my tests are all really good. In 2013 I moved my parents to Virginia to take care of them (huge very long story) and found them all new doctors, less pills, and I was busy. Now I am going to this heart practice. It was nice to see these people. They know me. When I go there, I want to cry, but I don’t – it is just the memories. I still get hugs, wow.
I came home content and happy. Later hubbs and I went to the old house. They have painted all of the interior with one coat everywhere. It looks fantastic.
We are putting in new carpet next week I think. I ADORE this real estate agent.
She lives in our old neighborhood and only two miles away from the old house.
She has done so much! I am humbled by her attention.
Sewing. I mentioned last week, because the upstairs in this new house has some ventilation struggles with the upstairs (too warm) I moved my Featherweight down stairs. I made some silly cute pennants for the porch, using some red stripes and patriotic fabrics. Very small, nothing fancy. I also made a tiny bag, and also making some larger flag blocks with nice fabric. Oh, and sewing binding on three Pumpkin thingies. I should put those up on the Flickr page. I will do that.
Today is not too busy with “must do”s so I will do a little of everything around here. I hope all of you are doing well.
Sounds like going to your doc was a good thing, and you feel good from it. I am Happy for you!
We had some r/w/b banners in the attic and we put them on our white Picket fence and on our porch and door. Nice to have them out again.
Oh Sissy, I can imagine those little banners looks nice.
We always have a nice breeze here in Northern Virginia, and it is cute to see them flutter on my screened in porch 😻
I’ll bet that it looks lovely. Pics? 🙂
Sometimes it feels right to be checked out. I spend too much time with Dr. Google trying to figure everything out for myself. I had a few missteps on very important surgeries in TN. Now I don’t trust them at all. I am just 2 years older than you and feel that it might be the time to see a heart dr for a baseline. Moving is so hard. If you change cities you have to start all over. Sounds like the old house is coming along nicely.
Yay! Back to the dress. Jeanne’s got it under control. That’s a good thing. 🙂 Wish I could say the same. No sewing going on here, but I wish I could get it together. From those trees coming down and continuous garden work, the time for sewing has escaped me. I was looking close up at the photos this morning, at least I can see them today, and I noticed that the sleeve bottoms white ruffles are either folded or stitched on the edges. They look lovely. The neck ruffle has unfinished edges, I think. I know that the embroidery is complete and the collar on the dress, but finished edges would be nice, I think, on the next outfit as they look a little rough to me. That said, I love the dress and beautiful fabric. Lucky Felicity.
Here, another foggy one. Deck is actually wet and Callie Cat is looking for some sun to arrive later on. We’re hoping for a little summer weather soon and the garden plants are too.
When I started looking at mail this morning, I saw that my doll shoe order is arriving today, so hopefully, I can get a pic of my latest Ruby Red. And then, through the wonders of the internet, I heard a ping, and there, finally, was my tracking for my Jolli dolls in Hong Kong. I understand that RRed had so many orders going out that it swamped the delivery people. Took ten days from dispatch until this morning to receive a notification. But, probably next week, I’ll have the new little ones here. 🙂 I think that they are pretty cute. 🙂
There was so much going on yesterday that I’m going to head back and look again. Jeanne’s blog is so popular! 🙂
Glad you’re back in the sewing room. Felicity’s dress material with ruffles on the sleeves is very pretty and looks great with her hair color. The material itself is pretty and does look colonial. This dress would look great on a blond headed girl too.
Glad George has everything under control. The medical world is changing. Sometimes the only way to reach them is through a portal and not a phone call. I’ve had 2 specialists that are a pain to reach for questions or assistance. Always a password and phone code! Irritating!
Joy- of all the various creams I’ve tried on my sunburned arms, some, like cocoa butter cream ended up makind the itching worse. I’ve tried several creams and lotions. Then I found this ointment from Well Care with vitamin A&D that is really helping. Definitely calming the burning itch. I definitely will wear a long sleeved shirt if I’m outside for awhile. ( only if it’s hot!) Truthfully I don’t like going out when the sun is blazing and it’s hot like it’s been.
And Linda, yes, all the girls have the “ school uniforms” – some have saddle shoes. And if I ever get home, I’ll mail the other school desks out here. I remember have some of those desks on my younger school days.
Have a great day Jeanne, and the Sofa Sisters!
Tks I’ll look for Well Care.
Jeanne, the blog didn’t work this morning but it was fixed when we got back home, just something wrong with our provider.
I was so pleased to see you back at the sewing. That will be another one of your lovely outfits that will thrill the new owner.
Prayers still going up as always for you and George.
Today I took Peyton’s old swim flippers to try out at the pool to see if they feel ok. My old ones hurt my feet but his are really stiff which makes it hard to work with them. I am hoping my nephew will have something I can use, we will see.
Joy asked me to send photos from our trip, I will try to get some.
Linda….in response to your question from yesterday about Factory Seconds shoes from Cottontail Doll Designs, go to “Shoes and Accessories”. Under that is “Shop by Style”, and the last two items under that list are Closeout Colors and Styles, and then Factory Seconds. The only item currently shown under Closeout Colors and Styles are saddle shoes for the Ruby Red dolls, available in several colors. I have a pair of the black and white, and they are adorable on the doll! The Factory Seconds has many colors of ankle boots, Mary jane shoes with the buckle strap, T-strap shoes and Ballet flats. I am already imagining some colors that would go with my current stash of dress fabrics!
I also received an email this week from Fabric Shack out of Waynesville, Ohio….they will be closing their shop after 42 years in business, but they didn’t give a final date yet. However, currently, everything is 25% off! They have so many wonderful tiny floral, check, and old-fashioned prints…I know I will miss them when they finally close, and I haven’t figured out yet where I will find the same great quality and selection of prints so suitable for doll sewing. I’ll eventually need to scout around online since Hobby Lobby and Walmart have limited selections of tiny prints. JoAnn’s Fabrics have been missed by many, I’m sure.
Oooh, Fabric Shack. Good to know they are having a final sale.
And, I am sure they will enjoy a well deserved retirement
Thank you, Elizabeth! I will try that!
Funny, I just received an order from CT this morning. I didn’t see the seconds/closeouts, so I’ll look again. TKS
I’m so glad to see you are working on Felicity’s dress again. I did notice the embroidery looked off, but I just thought the dress wasn’t quite straight on her. I also have to have things even and perfect.
Like Joy, I also noticed the unfinished edge to the collar instead of having the narrow hem of the sleeves. Perhaps you just aren’t finished with that yet.
The fabric is gorgeous and the embroidery is a lovely, sweet touch.
I notice both you and Joy mentioning the edge of the collar ruffle. I think the ruffle is a sheer, thin type of material, not like the white ruffle on the sleeve.I actually like it the way it is, it gives some dimension and interest to the ruffle, and I don’t think a hem would work with it. Just my opinion though!
I am so happy to see the progress on Felicity’s dress. The tiny print and the color scheme seem just right for her era. I also love the hand work. I have purchased too many outfits because of the special details that set an outfit apart from the others.
I have been absent and am being very bad by being here with all of you. Like Linda, I prefer to be busy at home and this often leads to major projects. I want to give my daughter a necklace that she owned in high school. I looked in all of the usual places but I can’t find it. Afraid I sold it on eBay, I pulled out 6 years of invoices to see if that was true. That lead to a major paper shredding project which moved on to bank statements and credit card statements. No evidence of having sold it, I will begin clearing out my dresser, drawer by drawer. I keep telling myself this will be a good result in the end even if the necklace doesn’t turn up.
Linda, I did love your dolls and once again you have inspired me to dress at least one today in addition to the aforementioned massive clean out.
Stay cool and safe!
Debbie, well done. I hope you finally do find the necklace!
Meantime, very good doing sorting and shredding and tidying. I have a list a mile long of places I really need to go through.
Hopefully this nice hot summer I can do most of this inside.
I do hope you find the necklace!!!
🤞🙏
Thank you, Debbie! I think we are like two peas in a pod concerning doing things at home! I am in the midst of sprucing up my kitchen now, going through each drawer, cleaning out the pantry and refrigerator, and sealing my countertops. The windows need washing but we are supposed to get rain, so that can wait a bit! Always something to do!
Hope the necklace turns uo, but maybe you can find a similar one on Ebay?
Yes to all of those projects! Counter sealing is always at the back of my mind, one day…
Thanks for wishes on the necklace. It was rather unique and special. I was always careful to secure it when we moved.
This sounds like a great caper. The Search for the Missing Necklace! If all else fails, perhaps you can try Ebay and find another. I’ve been amazed at what turns up there. Good Luck! 🙂
I have thought I might as I still have the original COA. Obsessive doll collector lingo. 😂
Felicity’s dress is going to be beautiful. As everyone is saying, that is her color. I was thinking that this is “do it over” day. My house is being painted and yesterday the team was painting the window frames and staining the porch railings, which were spposed to be a little darker than golden oak. They are now reddish purple, which clashes horribly with the fresh brown house paint, turning it yellowish. Yuk.
While the stain was going on, the windows were covered with plastic, so I couldn’t see out, and the team couldn’t say, “Come see,” because we have no common language. The bilingual assistant manager is trying to be at 2 projects (in different towns) at once. She’s very good with colors and will faint when she sees this. The work is beautiful — it’s just that the color is horrible.
Perhaps this story is so sad that Jeanne will send me Felicity’s dress to make me feel better. Do you think? Then in the future, we can tell sad stories to try to win the next outfits and before long we’ll have the most depressing blog on the internet.
Maybe I’d better quit before I dig this hole deeper.
What a paint fiasco. So sorry. I’ll bet that if you complain about the color, that they will repaint it to your new choice, for a nominal fee. Definitely would give them a call.