More Rag Dolls

I made two more dolls and shipped them to my friend. 

 

I used cotton yarn for the hair this time instead of acrylic, and I think I like cotton better.

Their hair looks thicker, and maybe it is. 



Rag Dolls

 

I made a couple of dollies for our grand daughters.

 

 

These dollies are very huggable.

Our youngest grand daughter, Sophie, was very interested when I was making these back in September for her and her sister, Evelyn's birthdays.  Sophie kept asking who I was making this doll for, and I told her it was for a little girl I knew, not wanting her to know it was for her.  When she opened her present (the doll) she said, "I knew it was for me".  She was so tickled to get it, and I was so tickled to give it to her.  Evelyn loved her doll as well.  I love our grand babies--big ones and little ones.



Doll Clothes Finished

 

 

 

I got some of the doll clothes made.  I think she looks like a cow girl kind of.   Front view......

 

and back.

She still needs some bloomers, and shoes, but I need to make another pattern for a dress for my grand daughter's doll first.



Doll Tutorial

 

I'm going to try to do a tutorial of sorts on this doll.

 

Here is the pattern.

I cut the pieces out and traced around them on the doll fabric.  That will be the sewing line, be sure to leave 1/2" between pieces.  (You will need to trace one body, two of each leg part and two of each arm part, two feet and two hands, and finally one head back---these will be pinned to another piece of fabric on the back before sewing; after sewing on the line, leaving an opening for turning, cut them out with 1/4" seam allowance.)   You will need only one face, but cut it out with at least 1/4" of seam allowance.

 

On the legs and arms sew from dot to dot following the arrows, and leaving the area for the gussets to be attached unsewn.  Cut them out with 1/4" seam allowance. This pic below shows how the gussets are attached.  Be sure to leave an opening to turn the pieces right side out after sewing, I left a 3/4" opening when attaching the gusset.  Stuff them very well, but only stuff the gusset area lightly.  I used hemostats to stuff them.  Sew the opening closed.  The picture below also shows how to attach the body parts together with buttons and very strong thread.  I used carpet thread, and a doll needle.  Squeeze the buttons together when tying the end of the threads together, you may need help with this.  I tied the square knot between the button and the outer area of the gusset.

 

 

The back of the head pieces are sewn together down the center back, with an opening, then sewn to the face.  Stuff it firmly after turning, then close the opening.  The caved in area on the back of the head is where the head attaches to the neck by stitching them together.

After the body parts were all attached I added the doll hair that I bought at the hobby store.  Next the face--I just used a macron pen to make the eyes and a little blush for the cheeks.  My grand daughter had her sister add the face by painting it on.  I'm anxious to see it.

 



Doll Making

 

 

I've been making a fully jointed doll.  Our grand daughter wanted to make one, so I made up a pattern from a pattern of a doll I had that only had joints at the hips and shoulders.

I couldn't give her the pattern if I didn't know if it would work, so I made one.

This dolly needs some clothes now.  I guess I'll be designing some doll clothes next.  I'm thinking a raglan sleeve blouse, full skirt, slip, vest, cumberbun that laces up the front, and a scarf. 

Maybe decorating them with a few seed beads also.  We'll see.

I added a tutorial here.



More Teatowels

 

It's been a while since I posted--my life is no longer my own.  Everything is shared when you're retired.  I finished another set of tea towels--now I need to find another hand project.  I sew while hubby reads.

 

My Bible study is going well, and I'm getting the hang of our new retirement.  I'm the nerd of the family, and hubby is the free spirit in our finances, according to Dave Ramsey.  I handle it and he checks in occasionally to see how it's going.



B-day Fun

 

 

The kids pitched a party for me---with lotsa good food.

 

We had Tacos with our choice of meat--regular beef or Beef tongue.  I went with the tongue--interesting and it tasted a little like roast only milder flavored.

The Trifle was really good too.

 

I made some more tea towels.

I finished these today along with 4 loads of laundry and 4 days worth of my Bible Study, as well as cooking--always cooking.

 

We finished the Bible Study in the middle, Amos, before Thanksgiving, and now we are on lesson three of  Hosea (on the left).  In a couple of weeks we will be starting on the one on the right, Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk.  These are very good.  I get started on a lesson and can't stop until I've done several days lessons.  Love them!!

 



Birthday Tea Towels

 

 

I've been embroidering tea towels.  I had another one done, but forgot to take a pic before I gave it to our middle daughter for her birthday.  It was of a hen and a basket of eggs, if I remember right. These two are the rest of the set I was wanting to get done for her birthday.  It was three days ago, oh well.

 

Now I've finished them, so Celeste, if you see this, they belong to you.

 

We are still waiting for all the details of our retirement to be worked out---Ahhhhh---it goes on and on.  Every once in a while I get a little stressed over it all, and have to turn it all over to God again.  The details that have worked out so far--He's done far better than we expected, so I remind myself of all He's done for us.  Thank you, Lord!



Black and White Bags

 

 

I made a couple more bags, and now my black and white collection is complete--maybe.

I just happen to like my round bottom bag, I wasn't sure I would.  Getting the button and loop on it helped a lot.  Closure--I needed closure, Ha-ha!



Bag Sewing

 

 

I've been making bags...there are two made and I have two more cut out.

 

They both were something I saw on pinterest.  I drew up the pattern from looking at them on the computer.  I drew up another pattern of the pencil bag making it a little shorter and fatter, but I already had the long skinny one cut out so I went with it.  I'm glad I did because it is just right for my colored pencils I use in my Bible Study.

We started our Fall study of Isaiah part two a week ago.  Part two seems to be totally different than part one.  Part one has 39 chapters to study, just like the number of old testament books, and deals with old testament things mostly.  Part two has 27 chapters to study, like the number of books in the new testament and it deals with a lot of new testament things.  The law...and Grace.  Refreshing and hope filled good news. 



A Very Busy Week

 

My hubby wanted to take my pic in front of the crepe myrtle, but I suggested it be him in the pic.  He was washing the cars here--(I call him Mr. Clean).

Handsome hubs, and beautiful crepe myrtle.  This pic was taken before the tons of rain we got, which caused the full blooms to take on lots of water then bow down their tops.  They're back to normal now.

 

My week has been filled with lots of things.  I'm working on some more tea towels.

 

My table is being used for my plant nursery.  These plants all needed repotting.

 

I took care of that this week; now they have room to grow.

I also mowed, trimmed, planted a few flowers from my potting table, severely cut back a bush that was about 7-8' tall, hurt my elbow,  picked my sister up at the airport, finished my Bible study, finished teaching Summer Arts--not counting exercising with my daughter, cooking and cleaning.  Let's see-----that's probably not a complete list, but that's good enough.  I need to mow my sister's yard, but it has been too rainy for that.  When my hubby retires, he can help.

 

 

Brazil Nut Fob

 

I decided to do a picture tutorial of my scissors fob.  It is just a smaller version of the thimble holder on the right.

 

I call it a Brazil Nut Fob because it is shaped like that particular nut.  I drew three arcs on a 2.75" circle cut out of a yogurt lid, then cut them out.

Next I cut out three more only slightly smaller, about 1/8" to 1/16" all the way around.

Then I traced around all six of them on the back side of two colors of fabric.  The three larger ones in one fabric and the three smaller ones in another fabric, leaving room to cut them out with 1/4" added all the way around for a seam allowance.  After cutting out all six pieces of fabric, run a row of running stitch around the middle of the seam allowance, then pull the stitching, gathering it up around the plastic piece--as you see in the first two pictures below.  I ran a couple more rows of stitching around in the seam allowance before knotting the thread and cutting it off.

 

The third picture shows a small one and a larger one placed gathered edges together.  Stitch the two pieces together for a unit.

 

For the first unit I add a twisted cord of floss on the end between the two before stitching them together.  This will be the bottom piece of the fob.  Stitch two more units like the third picture.  Stitch the three units together (one to each side of the bottom unit) leaving the top edges unstitched.

 

(The middle picture shows how you stitch them together; I used a small ladder stitch.)



With the top edges not stitched together you can squeeze the ends together and it pops open for a small storage area.

Red Hexie Bag Finish

 

I finally did it.  It was a long project--piecing the little hexies and then hand quilting it took the longest time for this bag.  Oh well, it's done now.

Fun bag.  It doesn't hold as much as my last bag but it will be lighter, and that's good.

 

The handles are large, but I may like them.  It has buttons on the side so it will open up wider.  I think I'm gonna like that feature.



UFO Finish and Summer Class

 

I finished my Tree Tea Towel project.  All nine tea towels finished.  Here are the last two.  It's nice to finish a project that I started many moons ago.  I hope to finish my red hexie quilted purse soon.

 

 

On Wednesday nights I'm helping teach a cake decorating class to kids.  Some kids get it.

 

And some don't.  It's fun anyway.

This week they learned about borders, next week they'll learn about writing, and the third week they'll learn about flowers.  The fourth week we'll have a show and tell to parents--with pictures.  They take their work home each week--to eat.  Yum!!



"Thimble, Thimble, Who's Got The Thimble?"

If you're an old person, like me, you may remember that game.  We used to play it as kids--our Mom taught us how, and I think she enjoyed it as much as we did.

 

Well, I have a new purchase.......A Thimble I've been wanting for a while.  I started quilting on my red bag again, and I like how the new thimble works.  It's easier, although it is taking a little time to get used to quilting from a different angle.  It's also faster---yeah! 

 

 

I also finished tea towel #6, and...........

 

tea towel #7 in the tree series.

Two more to go.

 



Tea Towels and Flowers

 

I've finished another tea towel--this one was easier than the last one.

 

Tuesday I think I tried to kill myself.  I planted the bed of elephant ear bulbs below---by myself.  Usually I get my hubby to help me.  In the future I must remember to do it in stages.  It was hot Tuesday--a big no-no for me.  Next year I must remember to first peel all the skins off the bulbs, next prepare the bed, then lay the bulbs on top, and then plant them.  It's easier to space them if you lay them on top of the prepared soil first.  There were a lot of tree roots in that bed, and I worked in composted manure and ground up pampas grass my hubby made for me.  Hard work for a hot day. 

I still have about 10 small bulbs left, I guess I'll pot them up then give them away.

 

 

Here's what is blooming right now--chives above, and sweet rocket below.

 

 

My clematis is just starting to bloom.  The columbine on the left still aren't blooming--very late this year.

 

Honesty.

 

Lastly, my roses are just starting to bloom--I have red, pink, and white, but the pink ones are my favorite---Queen Elizabeth Grandiflora.

 

I hope that is all the hard garden work; I think it is........maybe.

 

 

 

 



Wonderful Mother's Day

 

We had a nice Mother's Day.  Erin had us (Hubby, Celeste and family, and I) all over for dinner, and daughter (Jennifer) in Iowa called---(God bless our children!)---they are so good to us.  We enjoyed a wonderful meal, the grand kids are such fun to be around, too.  Later, Erin treated hubby and I to a couple of movies.  Mac enjoyed all the attention.

 

 

 

On another note, I finished my Juniper tea towel.  I think this one is a little too busy.

 

 

 

The birds at our house are whacked out this year.  We have a robin still banging on our back door;  it has been trying to fly through the glass for a month now.  The cow bird robbed the finch nest and Momma finch abandoned her almost empty nest.  One of the two remaining eggs is dented.  What is going on here?

I guess birds at our house are out of luck.  I watered the fern this morning and got the nest soggy--doesn't matter--momma's gone.

 

 

 



Tree Tea Towels

 

 

I'm doing needlework again.  The majority of the yard and garden work is done, and it's been raining all morning.  I'm working on my fourth tea towel in the Once Upon A Tree series.

As soon as I finish the juniper tree I will have five trees left to embroider.  The juniper is quite detailed and testing my skills with those tiny curves.  With each new towel I load the binder ring with bobbins of the colors I need so I don't have to remember which colors I've been using.  I'm using two strands with the stem stitch and the back stitch for most of the work.  Sometimes I use one strand each of two different colors to get the color I want.

I love a fresh tea towel hanging by the sink; it makes my kitchen time more enjoyable.

My mother-in-law gave me a set of embroidered tea towels at my bridal shower over 43 years ago, and those wore out many years ago.  They were days of the week kittens doing chores--fun.  My Mother-in-law had housekeeping down to a fine art--she was a good cook, too. She's been gone for 11 months tomorrow.  She had a hard time her last few years here on earth.  It was pretty hard for us, too, but I miss her good days.