Hi everyone,
I was tired today and all I wanted to do today was take a short nap… but I couldn’t turn my mind off as I was laying there, so I got up and decided to get something new started. Well, I did! I had this single fat quarter of fabric (it’s a piece of fabric 18 x 22 or a 1/4 piece of a full yard of fabric.) If you measure out a piece of fabric that is 1 yard long and then open it up and cut it down the middle and then cut those 2 pieces in half, you’ll have 4 fat quarters. I had ONE fat quarter I was working with, and it actually had a corner cut out of it to start with.
I had a pair of green leather shoes I had made for the Ruby Red Fashion Friends a while back and didn’t use them. So when I saw this fat quarter in my stash, I wondered if the shoes might go with it. Yep, they did… perfectly! So now I had to decide what to make…
Since I only had a limited amount of fabric, I decided it would have to be something simple… like maybe a jumper. Then I remembered that orange and brown houndstooth check jumper I made for Stella last year and decided to give that jumper a try. This was Stella’s…
…this will be Lavender’s…
I know, it doesn’t look very nice right now, but I hope I can change your mind in a day or two. It hasn’t been hemmed yet and I’m still deciding what to put underneath it… a pretty blouse or something in a knit? I had some white and green “sort of” checked fabric and put it under her jumper just to see… I know it’s hard to tell…
I added the buttons in the same green as her shoes… This is a TERRIBLE picture of what the actual fabric looks like… I need some daylight pictures to convince you it’s nice!
Here are the shoes…
She will need some kind of thigh highs to go with this… it’s still in the works…
I will probably hem it up about 1″ so that will make a huge difference.
The fabric is a very pretty rose and apple green print… my lights make it look rather drab… I’ll work on that…
As I was ironing this jumper, I remembered I took a picture of something on our trip Friday… I saw this in a thrift shop…
It’s an Ironrite ironing machine… and it even had the instruction booklet.
The price was $100 and as I looked at how it worked, I was EVER SO THANKFUL for the iron I was using tonight! I looked it up and found several on Ebay, and found out it was made in 1958!
Well, just a bit of history on the ole blog today!
AND… it’s nice to have Anne back home in New Zealand… Welcome back Anne…
See everyone tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
You’ve been busy, Jeanne!! I think that print is going to be pretty nice, and I do like the green shoes with it, but I’m wondering if maybe a deeper pink for the blouse or top underneath the jumper might be a possibility? Of course, you know I’m a pink and lavender person, so that Would be what I would choose!! Haha….
That “ironing machine” is what my mom called a mangle, and it’s wonderful for pressing linens–tablecloths, sheets, and so on. Mom had one when I was growing up, but either sold it or gave it away when we moved from Mich. to Wash., as we were moving into a Much smaller house.
Yes! Quilter’s Alley! That was the fabric store Ron and I visited on that trip to Paducah. I think I got more heirloom sewing stuff than quilting stuff when we were there, though. She had a nice assortment, as I recall.
I see that Mae’s outfit has three bids already! Congratulations. This of course means that Mae doesn’t get to keep it. Better start breaking the news to her!
I finished my doll set tonight, except perhaps for a couple of little touches–a bow tie for Stan, maybe a button on Howard’s suit jacket, etc. I got the hair done tonight, and added a little extra “makeup” on the girls. I’m afraid DeeDee got rather heavy -handed with the eye shadow! đ
Jeanne, my mother had a mangle too, but we girls were not allowed to use it! Those were the days of ironed sheets, table cloths and linens, that are gone forever! I certainly donât Iron my sheets, and tablecloth’s are just for special occasions, so they donât get Ironed very often. I donât think my granddaughters even know what an iron is! I do remember teaching my son and daughter how to iron before they went off to college, but sometimes wonder if that teaching âstuckâ with them!đ€Ș
I love the colors of the jumper and I think the green check is the perfect color and material for a top to wear with it. She could always use a different solid color to go with it too, but I do like what you are showing there.
Iâm feeling âfallishâ, so will be decorating my house accordingly! Iâm loving the cooler weather!
My mother-in-law in the 60’s had a mangle. I loved watching her use it on her table cloth. I wonder if anyone will ever buy the one you saw! I love seeing you sew for the RRLL dolls now that I have one. The poor thing will have to wait for a couple of weeks though. My older son will be here for 3 days helping around the house. After that I will be trying to sell a lot, mostly on the Kish dolls face book page.
Jeanne, I love the colors on your outfit so far, the blend together so well!
Anne, so good to hear from you yesterday! I can imagine how nice it is to settle down back home. I was gone for 3 days and when we got back yesterday we felt so good to be home. We did have a wonderful time those 3 days.
I don’t think I’m on the Kish dolls Facebook page but will see to it that I do if that is where you will be posting your Kish clothes.
Everyone started out with comments on this ironing thing.
My mother did not have one. She was not big on “machinery” but also loved to iron! Anyway, we lived in Europe most of my childhood so I do not even remember seeing one of these anywhere.
Happy Tuesday dear ones! I hope all of you had lovely weather and adventures.
Lavenders dress is so cute. I love paisley
the color is sweet, nice combo, and the shoes are adorable.
Today I am going to tidy up our house because I have the warranty people coming tomorrow (not that a clean house is necessary but I have a long list of complaints!) So a nice busy day ahead
Oh yes, the mangle. We had one too. My mother would sit in front of it and send the sheets, fresh off the line, through which pressed them and also softened them as well. I believe that she did towels too. Just about anything that was flat. That was in the early 50’s before we got a dryer. đ Anyone remember those days? With clothes on drying racks hung over the floor furnace in the winter? What a chore. Can’t imagine life now without a washer and dryer. Guess I’m spoiled.
Here’s my take on the latest RRed jumper. It’s really cute, but I would shorten it a lot to be fashionable with what girls are wearing now. And rather than tights, which might be too warm for right now, I’d go with white ankle socks. They are so “in” right now. All the girls are wearing them with shoes and even sandals. Just regular socks, not the fancy ruffled kind. đ For the top, even though the green matches perfectly, it rather washes out Lavender. I think that I would go with either the very dark pink or whatever the darkest color in the jumper may be. I can’t tell if it is a dark brown or dark green? Of course, then, the buttons would have to be changed too. Just my take because Lavender is adorable. Love this doll and her new jumper too.
Here, it is supposed to be cooler finally. So, hopefully, before the fog lifts, we can get more cleaning up of tools, wood scraps, and debris that needs to be blown off the roof done, so I can get started on the deck cleaning. Might be too much for one morning, but we’ll see how it goes.
As to my horror story Sew Along dress, I have the pleats sewn down and the front, sleeves, and collar cut out. I tried sewing the collar yesterday, but with the black on black thread, I could not see it. So, I gave up. I guess I’ll have to find another light source other than holding a flashlight in my teeth while sewing so I can get back to work. Always something.
I thought I was the only one who did the flashlight by teeth!! LOL. My dad was a miner and I often think thatâs the solution, a lighted miners hat.
A miner’s hat. That’s a great idea. My PA relatives were miner’s too. đ
I have seen the new styles on girls, as Joy said, shorter skirts and white socks. I always amuses me when I see the things I wore coming back.
Yes, I hold a flash light in my teeth! You will laugh but I use tweezers to pull out the hairs in my Peyton’s ears every few weeks. The hairs are so light I have to hold the flashlight light that to see them. I will have to try that on sewing as well.
Joy, I do remember the days of no dryer, too. Mom hung the wash outside in the summer, but on lines strung thru the basement in the wintertime! When we moved out here (Wash.) in 1960, she was thrilled to finally get a dryer!
I agree about the darkest color for a top to go under the jumper. Good call.
On that black collar, you might try sewing the seam with either navy or dark gray thread; it’s still dark enough to blend and not be seen in the seam, but might be enough of a contrast that you will be able to see it when you sew.
So glad to see the green shoes. I had kept looking in the sidebar at the blue ones you had made and went with the blue denim jacket and was hoping you would make another pair. (The new listing moved the blue out of sight now âčïž). This jumper will be a great easy transition to fall clothing. The green gingham will match very nicely to me. Canât wait.
Dear Jeanne, I hope you had a nice birthday celebration and a nice Labor Day.
I too am happy to have an iron. I DO know how to iron I can definitely brag about that as I can’t do many other homemaking things (laugh).
We learned how to iron in Home Economics in 7th or 8th grade. The teacher said, “Iron the collar first, then the sleeves, and then iron the shirt front on one side, followed by the back, followed by the other side.” That’s how I do it.
How did we get to September so quickly? There are 241 days until May. I am polishing my Maypole and checking on the ribbons (smile).
Thstâs the way I iron shirts and blouses too, Dorothy! My grandmother taught me that!
My grandmother ironed sheets, tablecloths, handkerchiefs and even kitchen towels. She did not have one of those, but did it with a regular iron and sprinkle bottle. I definitely know how to iron and don’t mind doing it either. I still wouldn’t dream of wearing a cotton blouse without creases in the sleeves.
Nice to see a Ruby up next. Those an the PC/AG’s girls are my favorites to see as that’s what I have. The leaf print fabric is very pretty.
Yes, time for a bit of fall decorating. I don’t do a lot. Orange lights on green wire on the small porch tree among the outdoor kitty houses, water/food etc. Wreath on the wall. Inside a couple of faux pumpkins. the copper pieces, and time to see the Lenox “Autumn” pattern vase and octagonal bowl again. đ
I am going to really shock you. I learned to iron using a flat iron that was heated up on the gas stove. We had two so when one was too cool it was put back on the stove and the other one was used. I don’t think we had an electric Iron till 1958 when we moved to Huddersfield from Grantham and we didn’t have a steam iron till I had left home. My Mum was terrified of electricity and thought the combination with water was an accident waiting to happen.
As for mangles they were used to wring water out of clothes before they went on the line. We had a huge one in the back yard. I have never heard of them being used to iron clothes after they were dry. It would have been a good idea but not on ours where it sat out in all weathers! My mother sometimes quoted her Mum, ‘If it’s worth washing, it’s worth ironing’. I DON’T agree. My iron is set up in the workroom all the time but I only iron clothes occasionally, if I really think they need it lol. It is mostly used for sewing and patchwork.
Glorious spring day today but frosty. We are working on the deck today, it is lovely in the spring, very sheltered from the cool/cold wind. It ends to be too hot to sit out there in the summer unfortunately.
Linda, yes daffy’s are daffodils. Kiwis shorten everything they can.
Have a great day
Wow, Anne, you life is really interesting! My parents started out in a small way, in a small house on an island by the beach. My dad had a good job and things got better, but they enlarged the house when I was born 4 years after my brother. I drank sulphur water until I was 6, I can still drink some if I have the chance, LOL! Things got a lot better as time went on, but I was a great time back then.
J’ai appris Ă coudre, (professionnellement Ă l’Ă©cole )avec un fer Ă repasser Ă©lectrique; mais le jour de l’examen,nous avions des vieux fers Ă gaz. J’ai eu mon CAP de couture,mais ,il y a beaucoup de mes camarades qui ont brulĂ© le tissu…!J’aime toujours repasser ,les draps et les nappes et je possĂšde une de ces machines,depuis de nombreuses annĂ©es.Samedi dernier, j’ai eu ,80 ans ;c’est pourquoi,j’ai des goĂ»ts de vieille dame… !J’aime le linge et les vĂȘtements repassĂ©s. Des goĂ»ts que je n’ai pas transmis Ă mes filles,qui dĂ©testent repasser. . Cette robe est charmante et les chaussettes vont trĂšs bien.Je prĂ©fĂšre le tissu Ă petits carreaux verts .