I made a new doll....

A really new doll.
 I got out my freezer paper and worked out a new design for my dolls. Some of the pattern is based on the critique, some on a doll buyers input and some on myself and changes I've wanted to incorporate into my design.


I took my time with this dolly. I could see her in my head and she just kept coming together, and when finished...she really looked nothing like the picture in my head but she very much fits the impressions and feelings I had in my head while I was dreaming about her. She has been over 3 weeks in the making. There for awhile I thought about not making dolls any more, but I say that this doll has revived me. I think that is why I named her Ember.

One change I had been wanting to make on my doll pattern is longer, huggy (read curved) arms. I also wanted the arms to be more "floppy." It seems to me that a doll with more floppy arms and dangly legs, make for a more playful doll. I also lengthened my dolls legs just a bit and slimmed out her shoulders.
When I started to put Ember together, on a whim, I decided to try my hand at making a nose. I've always been mildly resistant to putting a nose on my dolls because I REALLY like the simple faces of Waldorf style dolls. It seemed right to give her a nose...new pattern, new thoughts on doll making...new face :)

Her hair is made out of a thick boucle yarn with a bit of a twist...haha, I wound the boucle on knitting needles, wet it down and put it in the oven at a low temp to let the heat set the curl. Boucle alone gives a curly look to a dolly's hair but wrapping it gave it just the right touch. I can't really take credit for the idea though. I've been helping a friend from church make a doll. She has some of this thick boucle too and was trying to figure out a way to make the ends of her dolls hair with a softer look instead of a blunt cut. She wondered about wrapping the hair the way I do and my mind went into overdrive fast. It had never occurred to me to wrap boucle...but what a lovely look it gave her hair.



It was then just a matter of making her clothes. Love Love Love making these little cardigans.

Cinnamon Sugar

My oldest daughter was the cutest, little, freckled girl with hair that curled when it was short or she was hot.

Her daddy, because of her freckles, affectionately dubbed her "Cinnamon Sugar."

I miss that little girl.

I named this doll "Autumn" after my daughter and gave her a sprinkling of "Cinnamon Sugar."

Apron Love

Today is Labor Day. We don't have a whole lot going on. My husband is working and our 3 oldest boys will be working with him today.

My good friend is coming over for lunch. She has three daughters that my children enjoy playing with. On the menu....BBQ meatballs, twice baked potato casserole, corn, salad and biscuits. Watermelon later in the day.

I've been on an apron kick. I've made 2 more this last week.

This apron went to a friend at church. It was kind of hard to part with. I like the blue and brown together. (every apron is kind of hard to part with. much like a doll :) )


This apron is mine :)



I've been sewing up a storm for my Etsy shop. I have a planned upload on September 21. These will be among some of the new items in my shop.

Saylor

Meet Saylor.

I confess to having a weakness for red haired dolls. I love red hair. Any shade of red really. Whenever I'm picking a yarn for a dollies hair I always touch my red yarns first and then have to remind myself that I always grab red first. :)
Saylors cardigan is made from a soft wool/cotton blend yarn produced by Spud & Chloe. It knits up fast and the stitches are beautiful.

Saylor is in my little shop now. :)

Meet Chloe

Sweet little 12" doll. In my shop now. :)

Happy, Busy Days

There has been a happy hum around our home. Everyone is busy and getting along. For several days my husband has gotten the boys up extra early. We've found a nice routine that has been good for the younger children and I. My husband and the boys have been out the door at daylight working around the place. Yesterday was building a fence and moving a gate. Today its cleaning out an old storage building.

I've been fixing breakfast for my oldest son at home, who recently was given a job with the Missouri Conservation Department, and getting him off to work. Meanwhile, I start the eternal laundry washing and oversee the younger children doing chores and tidying up a bit. Since the big boys are out early in the morning until breakfast, the younger children and I have been doing some of their morning, household chores.

Breakfast is at 8:00 AM. The boys come in starving and ready to eat anything in site and LOTS of it. This morning its eggs a bagels, which I must start soon.

After that we clean up breakfast and get started with school.

I've been sitting on the couch while the children work at school with my 2 youngest playing at my feet, working on dolls. I'm hoping to have two new little girls in my shop this week sometime.


I can hardly wait for spring to come. Soon the Dogwoods and Redbuds will be blooming. I love to look down through our woods and see their colors among the still barren trees. There is something comforting in the colors. Life is being renewed.

Signs

Around this last Christmas the children and I took a field trip to Rosewood Farms. A wonderful, rustic gift shop that has cool gifts, aprons, chocolate (that they make) and frappes. While looking through the store I saw several different styles of signs that read "All because two people fell in love."

The words are sweet, aren't they? "All because two people fell in love." The saying implies a lot. I contemplated the words. After thinking it over I decided I wanted a sign that read "All because God did a work".

I found a fellow Etsian that has a sign shop, has good feedback and would do custom orders. Three weeks ago I ordered my sign and I am so pleased with the results.

SawdustNStitches is a wonderful seller to work with, timely and reasonably priced.