Rag Dolls 2 Love

Mary Page Jones, who lives in Vermont, had an idea and goal to create 200 rag dolls for children whose lives have been traumatized by war, natural disasters, and disease. Rag Dolls 2 Love has grown to an organization that has sent out over 30,000 dolls to countries around the world. If you can run a sewing machine and have some materials you can help too!

My mom had seen this site either on the news or in the paper and since she doesn't have internet access asked me to print out the pattern for her.  I think I have found yet another project. :) This one just seems so rewarding. You need to follow the pattern and directions as the dolls are universal. Meaning, they don't represent an ethnicity or religion. The dolls support and love children of any religion and origin. Absolutely brilliant and simple in its design, the doll instructions are easy to follow.

Please check out the site.. such a peaceful project and you know exactly where your hard work and time is going to end up. In the arms of a child who could really use a big hug and loving heart to care for them.

xoxo~

Abbie

A winner and a secret....

Thank you to everyone who entered the Apron Giveaway! Sorry that it took me so long to post, I know, I was suppose to draw a winner on Sunday but life is crazy. Okay, weak excuse but the truth!  Onto the details, the random number generator I used popped up with #20, Becky.

"LOVE your apron!!! I would be tickled pink to win it,
so please add my name to the long list of those
wanting to win!!

I am thankful for a loving family and caring friends.
Each day is a gift from above and I am just thankful
for that, too.

Becky"

What a delightful blog she has! You really must pop over for a visit, trust me, you'll stay for a spell and browse..

I'll be getting her new apron out to her lickity split! :) Now... how did I create the display stand/half mannequin?  That is a funny story.

I have mentioned in the past that I started selling at local craft fairs. Well, it's really hard to sell an apron that no one can see. So, after fussing and contemplating getting a mannequin from EBay (my husband's idea) I knew that it needed a stand. This lamp base was dug out of the basement.

<---- Voila!

Alright now what?

Well, I had some leftover cushion foam (rectangular in shape, approx 5 feet long and 10" wide)  I folded/ rolled it into an oval and used a jean skirt from my closet to hold it closed.

Hhhmm.. how to explain this better.. I put  the foam into the waist band of my skirt and buttoned the skirt closed.  --->

 <--- here is the foam all 'buttoned up'.  Next, I shoved (that is a technical term) the lamp assembly up into the center of the foam (from underneath the skirt) so that the skirt hung down over the lamp post.  the green foam top looked less than appetizing so I used some cotton fabric and tucked it neatly between the skirt and foam, shaping as I went.

  

You can see the lamp housing peeking out from the foam here. ----->

<--- Here is the finished stand, white cotton in place with the skirt bottom scrunched (another technical term) up with a ribbon.

I just tie my apron of choice around and it's ready to go. The only draw back is that the base is solid brass which makes it a twee bit heavy. I don't have to worry about it tipping over though. You might not do craft fairs, but it works great for photographing aprons or belts even. I could stuff the skirt to fill it out more (aaahhemmm.. give her a toosh) but for my use it's fine the way it is.

 Who knew a lamp base and some foam could be so darn useful and it was free! (and you can't beat that with a wet noodle!)

xoxo~

Abbie

(You can click on the above images to see them larger)

Studio Photos

If you have been wondering where I have been, this is it... I finally painted my new studio space, and this time, I took my time. Only that which I truly need, love, and use is here.

Quick tour.. the cutting table under the eaves is set up on bed risers so it is 6" higher than a standard dining table. (I'm short.. so that works fine) The skirt covers a fabulous mess of junk.. maybe I'll show that later. The 'sewing' table is a table we had on our screened porch. I covered it in a white damask vinyl cloth to keep things bright.

I still have space on my shelves to fill but that's a good thing. And, yes, I'm loving my Laura Ashley ironing board cover! It has so much more padding than the cheap ones that come on the boards. The clothe hanging is my cover clothe so adhesives, etc.. don't get on everything.

The clock above once had a tacky puppy dog face on it. The outside color was perfect though, so I took it apart and replaced the face with something much more 'me'.

All of the fabulous, vintage knitting needles my mother in law gave to me. I love having them in a tall glass container so I can see their colors..

More storage.. are you figuring out my color scheme yet? :)

Vintage notions.. I love the look and they are just as functional as 'new' ones.

More storage.. the tins hold a medley of supplies.. I really need to label them though, as I have to open both whenever I am looking for something.

This studio space feels so different than the rest of the house. My goal was bright, fun hues that inspired. I hope they inspire you too..

xoxo~

Abbie

To see photos of the rest of the house click on the label 'house' below.

Fragile threads.

I love old spools of thread. Wooden spools that hold fragile strings, those that snap quickly if pulled to hard.

Fragile threads that have served their purpose, held together delicate linens and silks. Even before the time of bright hues, there were threads. Full of function and practicality.

Fashion empires have been built on such a tiny structure; on such a fine line.

Friendships have been bound by them. Quilts for newly weds and newborns have been stitched together. Holes patched, and hearts healed by a single thread.

Fine lace, intricate patterns have been painstakingly created by such a simple device.

I love unwinding an old spool, slowly removing the signs of age to reveal the original, crisp hue. That is the one I use. I use it in my embroidery. The antique threads that show their age and if pulled too hard, snap.

Busy hands...

I have been busy working on crafty bits to decorate my home for the upcoming season of 'Boo!'. the mood has struck, and if I don't go with it, I'll never get anything done! so far I have made several (4) pillows (embroidered and appliqued), painted two grungy boxes, assembled a witchy portrait, created a ghostie from some vintage lace and antique Victorian jet buttons and made several rag garlands. There are so many more ideas in my folder! So this is where I have been lately.. creating for my family and home. It is more enjoyable than creating things to sell.

I hope at some point to post some of the templates that I created.

Hope everyone else is enjoying some creative time!

xoxo~

Abbie

Inspired Clothing...

This Gap jean skirt needed a new life. As I am entering my mid-thirties, the highcut slit, ( in the middle of the front) is just not the look I'm going for with a baby on my hip and two other young children. So.. much to my husband's dismay, I decided to close the 'gap'. (uuggh.. excuse the pun) Above, my daughter helped me decide which cotton fabric to use.

Having settled on the small floral pattern, I pleated it twice at the top, and sewed it on both sides and the top using a pale blue thread. (Mind you, without the pleat, it folded and stuck straight out!!) It wasn't enough.. I cut out a little chickadee from the same fabric (template below) and fused it the bottom corner of the skirt. It still wasn't enough!

On to the fun stuff!! I have been quite taken by Amanda Soule's work and book, The Creative Family. I love her embroidery! So.. I made my own. The little birdie needed a branch to perch on! Using doubled plain brown thread, I stitched (very simply) a perch.

Now that's a skirt I'll wear! Thank you Amanda for the inspiration!

Here is the template for you.. just left click to enlarge, then right click to save it to your PC. You can adjust it's size, use it for paper cutouts, whatever you like!

Enjoy!

xoxo~

Abbie

Fabric Egg Pattern

I spent days trying to find a pattern that was free to make fabric eggs. I love the look of them, and have had some very unsuccessful attempts at their construction.. you would think it would be a simple pattern to create. For some, who are adept at that sort thing well, more power to ya! For me.. not so much. The only thing I could find was a description of how to make a pattern. You take an egg from your fridge, mark it all up with lines, and from that make a pattern. Uhh? Well, I did it, and it worked!! So.. to prevent you from either having to pay a fortune for a pattern or from having to mark up all your eggs, I made it and put it on paper for you. Just click it, copy it and print. You may need to adjust for print size, (the original page was 8 1/2" x 11") but the pattern size doesn't really matter here. What matters are the proportions. I hope it works for you.. Now I do not profess to be a professional or have any clue as to what I am doing! :) You do need to have basic sewing skills, and as far as making neat points go.. well perhaps Annie, Rosie, or Kathy can help us with those! another thing I found, the sewing doesn't have to be to neat, as when you stuff it FULL (I mean full 'til the seams are tight!) it rounds itself out into a lovely egg shape. Pound it on the counter, squeeze the top and Voila! You just made an egg! For me, I loved playing with different color combos.. the red and white is my favorite thus far! They are quick and easy (relatively..) and it is 'sew' much nicer to make something for your home than buy it!

Enjoy!

 

♥ Don't forget to enter for my Spring Giveaway below! ♥

A little bird helped me pass the time..

Our weather here in NH has been absolutely crazy! After every snowstorm we get inches of rain.. homes and buildings are buckling under the weight and most spirits are starting to buckle from being housebound. It is even hard to take the children out to play. Everything is covered in ice, and the snow (almost 4 feet in spots) is so hard we can walk on top. The dogs can now peek in the kitchen window when they go out. Very strange to see... Yesterday it poured all day. So I crocheted; brought out my book and found a cute little birdie pattern.

Just like when I cook, (I tend to make recipes my own by changing and adding) I mixed up this pattern some as well. I am very happy with the way it turned out! It has a contrasting beak, and the silver bead is more like an eye than the buttons. I just need to attach a pin back to it and I can have a little birdie to wear! (mine is chubbier too!) It only took about an hour or so.. a cute little project for a rainy day..

These are a few of my favorite things...

When I browse around other people's blogs I just love the images. The pics grab me, if I like them, then I'll read what goes along with them.. but it is most definitely the images that get my interest peeked. No images, I probably won't stay to read unless the title line is really fetching.. I know, judging a book by it's cover, so to speak. But that is the way my mind works, I am an extremely visual person.. so I thought I'd share some of my favorite things from around my home with you.. first my daughters nursery. Most of the accessories I made myself. It was the first large sewing project I tackled and it took me the entire winter I was pregnant with her to finish all the sewing. First I put together the quilt that hangs over the edge of the crib. Then came the crib skirt, the hanging caddy on the end, the bolster pillow (and a few other pillows), a diaper caddy, and crib bumper.

Above is a mobile that my mother, son and I made one afternoon. I cut squares of pink and green felt and we decorated them with shiny bits and buttons. Put two back to back with embroidery floss running through the center and beaded heavy metal beads at the ends to give it some weight and swing. Balancing the piece was the hardest. I used a round piece of cardboard covered with fabric. Anchored the strings in the center and moved them around the circle until it balanced right. then I secured them in place. A very inexpensive project and so much fun to make!

The room was screaming for a bit of sparkle so I choose this petite 'chandelier' for the center lighting.

Above is a spattering of their blankets. The crocheted piece T's aunt had made for her. I just love the little roses in the corner. That wonderful water blue is the back color to the striped quilt and the corner pink squares are of the quilt I made..

Well, I took a slew of pics from around the house this morning so stop back by again soon to peek at more of my favorite things..

No idea...

No idea where this post is going, I just have a few minutes (shocker!!) so I thought I'd sit and chat. After peeking through my vast image file, I found these pics of an antique replica doll I made a few years ago. It took several months of work, but she was so much fun to put together. Every step was detailed, and the results just thrilled me!

She sits on her settle bench in our living room. I also made a tiny quilt for a doll that she had, but my dog ate her. Yes, my dog ate my dollie's doll. :) It was quite upsetting as the tiny doll (about 2" tall) was just so small and cute (and quite difficult to make!). The larger doll has little black boots with buttons that are painted on and I painted her face as well.

This is not my design. (I'm not that clever!) She came from a kit set. Once I can get back upstairs and shuffle through my boxes, I'll let you know where her design came from. My daughter loves to dress her, and is tries to be careful. T knows that she is momma's special doll. I found that the hardest part was sewing the tiny seam allowances. It helped me become familiar with my sewing machine and all it's special features. The settle bench and the pillow on it were another kit from the same very talented lady. I do have some more dresses to make, but the sewing machine is put away until all the little fingers learn to stay out of the way. Her hair is mohair and so soft. It is getting a bit fuzzy from all the love from my daughter, but her black Amish bonnet covers it nicely.

I have yet to name her, so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear. Or if you have a special doll that you treasure, I'd love to see.

The tiny white pitcher is from G, my mother in law. I was chatting with her this summer about how I'd love to find an old, large doll house to decorate. (Melissa has one that is absolutely gorgeous! ) G found the tiny pitcher and said she used to have a doll house and this was the only thing she had left of it. I took it graciously, and it is another tiny treasure to share with my daughters some day. Hopefully, someday, it will find a home on a miniature table in a tiny kitchen.

Not a Christmas post, but more a winter one. The weather here is cold, it was only 7 degrees out when my husband dropped Z off at school. Settle benches were traditionally positioned in front of the fireplace and had a high back to help keep the heat around the people who sat on it. something we could use right now. Alas, I don't think we'd fit.