old dogs, new tricks

 

The other night (after seeing so many beautiful crocheted items on Pinterest) I decided that I was going to learn to crochet, by golly.  I found some really good tutorials on YouTube, ran to the craft store (it took forever trying to decide on colors) and got a crochet hook and settled on these two colors of yarn.

 

Then I set my mind to making a Granny Square.  And I did.  And then I made a couple more.  And then I googled how many squares it will take to make a decent sized afghan.  Oh my. 

 

This may take awhile.

doll

For quite some time now I have wanted to have the title

Doll Maker.

 

Enter Jayne.

 

Hi, I'm Jayne.

 

 

Jayne is a modified creation from the Black Apple Doll pattern.

ps - She is mine and I won't let the kids play with her.  Is that wrong?

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 Here she is sitting on my bed.  She asks, "Aren't you going to sit down beside me and fold laundry?"  And then she offers to help, "I have long arms, so I can help fold sheets."

I am so glad I have these pockets.
First of all, they are so. freaking. adorable!
Second, they keep my hands warm.
And third, they keep my arms from floating away (see picture above).

 

"That'd be nice, Jayne. Thanks," I say. 

So after we get all the laundry done (she is great company), she spends some time kicking back on that great big bed of mine.

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Perhaps the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, because Jayne is sweet, but she won't take any crap from the likes of anybody. 

 

Excuse me?

 

thinking outside the box

So, I went shopping today to get an outfit for tonight's special 20th anniversary dinner with King.  The shirt I bought had cap sleeves, but a really cool neckline.  Slimming even.
I cannot wear short sleeves. So, thinking outside the box, I bought a second shirt and made sleeves from the second shirt.

Turned out beautifully.  Now, on to dinner.

sewing lessons

This morning was my 5 year old's preschool graduation.  I mended a sweet heirloom dress for her into the wee hours of the morning and showed her the dress when she awoke.  After she put it on, I realized it was a tad see through, so I made her some bloomers. 
She was standing beside me watching me sew and wanted to know what "that red button" was for.  "That's the button I have to press to get this off," I said, pointing to the zig zag presser foot. 



photo credit

She watched me for awhile longer and then wanted me to tell her all about what that "Stomper Shoe" thing was for.

file under: good to know!

Chica and Jo have a very handy calculator tool for making tiered skirts.

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Or, if you would rather not do all that gathering (I despise!) you can just purchase one of these lovelies made by Rebekah Merkle at Amoretti Designs.  I just stumbled upon her wonderful site and I am so glad I did!

 

Just looking at her designs makes me happy.

So beautiful.  So feminine.  Very cheery prints.

I swoon at the dresses she has available, too.

She looks like the kind of person you'd want as your next door neighbor, doesn't she?

I found this at Salvation Army the day that

all clothes were

a dollar!

It used to be a dress.

I got it for my oldest daughter.  It looked amazing on her.

Course, she's like a life-sized Barbie.

She didn't like it as a dress, so I cut the bottom part off and hemmed it.

It. Looks. Even. More. Amazing. As. A. Tunic.

Very renaissance fairy.

I love that!

And guess what else?

With the part that was cut off, I am making my youngest child a fun & funky top by mixing other fabrics with it.

(hope to post pic soon)

This kind of math blows my mind:  1 dress + 1 dollar = 2 outfits.

Winning!

the evolution of a sewing studio

Nothing like a little organization to start off the new year!

Last weekend King helped me rearrange my sewing room,

which I think I shall forevermore refer to as

"sewing studio,"

because that sounds so much more lofty and revenue-generating, don'tcha think?

If only.

Anyhoo, I am in total love with the new use I found for the shelves that I placed atop the antique cabinet.  They came from my oldest daughter's dance studio, which changed owners and moved to another location.  The new instructor was not interested in them, so I gave them a home in this same room when it was my youngest daughter's bedroom. 
The cabinet was flipped another way and I had teeny tiny clothes hanging up on teeny tiny tension rods.  Her shoes went in the bottom cubby holes.  Everything fit perfectly.

And then she grew.

And then I moved all three girls into one room.

But I digress.  In this newly organized room, I shall attempt to tackle one of my New Year's resolutions: finish quilts I've started.

Since the rearranging and organizing the roo... er... I mean studio I have already finished a bunch of smaller projects that I've been meaning to do.  Yay!