Category Archives: doll clothing and accessories

My First Needle Art~Knitting

I know this won’t be a popular post.  But knitting was the first needle art I learned and now my granddaughter wants to learn. So it’s what is on my mind now.

Most of us progress through many forms of needlework, ultimately focusing on a few with greater passion.  Seven year-old Laurel’s interest in sewing, quilting and now knitting gives me great hope that she will be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about a variety of needle arts.

About two weeks ago, when Laurel announced that she would like to learn to knit, she also confided that she thinks those ladies on tv who bang their knitting needles together are probably not  knitting.  “Show me how, Nana.”

I silently groaned, having recently donated my complete collection of knitting needles–all sizes, all length–as well as a few bushel baskets of yarn.  But not wanting to lose the moment, I pulled out a little  “craft” learn-to-crochet kit that included about 10′ of nasty red yarn.  With some rummaging I found  a set of size 7 circular needles that missed the clean sweep of  no-eyed needles.  And so we began….

It did not go well.

Continue reading

Rick Rack Smocking at the Beach

three cousins at the beach

Once again I share with you an upclose and personal view of Judy Day’s delightful creations  for her granddaughters. She never makes “a dress.” It’s always a complete ensemble for each of the two girls and their dolls, usually including matching hairbows for all and often coordinating flip flops.

Though the idea for rickrack smocking is not Judy’s original idea, her execution is always original and fabulous.  Enjoy Judy’s chronicle of the dresses.~~~~

Continue reading

Come See~~2nd Annual AG Tea Party

Laurel’s Second Annual American Girls Tea Party is history.  After all the preparations, as expected, it was a huge success.  Last year the guest list was much smaller, but the past school year has brought a lot of new friends into my seven year-old granddaughter’s social circle.

 

All the girls are enthusiastic owners of one or more American Girls dolls, all of whom were, of course, also invited to the festivities.   As is so often the case, sewing projects played a part in this special event. Continue reading

Second Annual American Girls Tea Party

Molly in her party dress, ready for tea

Last year, my darling daughter-in-law hosted a tea party for her very own American girl, Laurel, , and some little misses in the neighborhood.  She even provided gloves and hats for dress up before tea.

Last year's party. After plundering through the dress up box, they were ready for tea.

This week, by popular demand, the event will be repeated and likely will be remembered as  the Second Annual American Girls Tea Party.  Shelly and Laurel will entertain eight little girls and their dolls.

When I asked Laurel what I could do for the occasion, she requested that I make these hats for party favors.  Of course, I jumped at the opportunity and tackled the task with the enthusiasm and delight that comes only from meeting a grandchild’s request.  I declare that child could ask for the moon and I would try my best to arrange for delivery. Continue reading

Doll Sleeping Bag–Kid Sew

Grandchildren Robert, 5, and Laurel, 7, spent Friday night and all day Saturday with us.  As usual, it was a busy time with both children requesting a sewing project with me and shop time with their grandfather.

Bob finished a shop project with Robert, but Laurel is training for a children’s triathalon and asked him to “train” with her.  So in Florida’s scorching July heat, they jogged and biked and twice went swimming with Robert.  Bob is a real trooper, but time (and energy)  ran out before he and Laurel made it into the shop.

I managed to do some machine embroidery with the little guy which I will post later.  The major sewing project was this doll sleeping bag.

At our house,  “Kit,” Laurel’s American Girls doll, once again was forced to spend the night in the nursery crib, because the little cradle at the foot of Laurel’s bed is too short for the 18″ dolls.   Laurel lamented  the doll bedding shortage everywhere.  At her home, she has the sweet AG doll bed decked out with bedding I made for her first doll, Molly .  But now that Kit has joined the family, “She has to sleep on the floor, Nana!”  Outrageous.

Last month, at our cabin, Kit again had to sleep on the floor, just as she had at a recent sleepover.  So Laurel thought this would be a very useful accessory for her new doll.

Kit and Laurel in the matching outfits purchased at the American Girls store in New York City. Laurel could have spent the day and her college fund shopping there. Before the family arrived in the city, they spent several days on Lake George where Laurel rode a horse for the first time. She was thrilled. That accounts for her selection at the AG store.

Continue reading

Compromises

I’ve read that it’s so dry in Texas that the Baptists are starting to baptize by sprinkling, the Methodists are using wet-wipes, the Presbyterians are giving out rain-checks and the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn back into water.   

So often, life is about compromises and lately, as I sit in my sewing room, my sewing has been all about that.

As mentioned in the previous post, my first grandchild, Laurel,  just celebrated her 7th birthday.  I made a black and hot pink cake that was “out of my comfort zone.”  Rightly so, I denied my personal preference for pastels and flowers in deference to the birthday girl’s choice.   Because I wanted to make her cake I compromised–and revelled in her delight when I delivered it. 

Easing back into my comfort zone, I made these pajamas for the slumber party portion of the festivities.  The basic pattern is from Martha Pullen’s Sleepwear Especially for You.  Continue reading

Creative Needle’s Easter Inspiration

As usual, Judy Day has made extra special Easter outfits for her two 7 year-old granddaughters.  The radiant blue dresses seem to illuminate the sparkle in their sweet, innocent faces.  And as usual, Judy has made hairbows for the girls and matching dresses  for their American Girls dolls.  This year, she even included a free standing lace Easter bonnet for the dolls!  I so admire her dedication to her grandchildren which extends  far beyond their wardrobes.  She is truly a grandmother extraordinaire.

I’ll let Judy tell you all about it:

“These Easter dresses are dedicated to the memory of my grandmother.  While I hand stitched the tatting on to the dresses, I  reflected on sitting and watching her tat in the afternoon when I was the age my granddaughters are now; but only if it was cool or in later years when the air conditioner was on.  She would not take a chance on her hands getting moist and ruining the tatting.

I am sure she would be very pleased to know that her 2 beautiful great-great-granddaughters are wearing the tatting she made so many years ago as did her granddaughter (me), 2 great-granddaughters (my daughters) and her great-grandson (my son), even if he doesn’t want to admit it!

Yes, she tried to teach me to tat.  At the time, it was just too slow for me.  Maybe one day I will try again.  I have all her shuttles and I do know the basics.

Continue reading

Molly’s Lace Tape Nightie

Laurel is so excited about her doll’s new nightgowns that she is making Molly dress for bed and take afternoon naps.  This model was part of the wardrobe for another Sewing for Dolls school that Mildred Turner and I did.

If I recall correctly, it was the school on Cape Cod. After class, our dear friend Barbara took us on wild rides in her incorrigible van which spontaneously broke out in sea shanties.  It didn’t bother Barbara who thought the random music added a little excitement to her life.  Meanwhile, our hostess Debbieanne,  a Cape Cod tour guide, was guiding us through the history of the area as Cape Cod Girls blasted away.  Barbara’s volume control was also broken.   So were our ears.

How well I remember this ditty, a favorite of the phantom cassette player manager.  If you would like to ride vicariously with Barbara, close your eyes, stand on one leg and turn the volume up to its loudest setting while you listen to a sample clip.  Click on the link below and select #8 Cape Cod Girls from the menu:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B0000002B3/ref=pd_krex_listen_dp_img?ie=UTF8&refTagSuffix=dp_img Continue reading

Part II Goodbye SATB2011

I hope you are not yet tired of the details of Sewing at the Beach 2011 because I am still enjoying the fresh memories of a great school. 

The young man in the handsome blazer was a doll and a great escort for the cutie pie in the smocked dress. She had been well-coached to smile at people. But the minute her eyes turned away from a member of the audience, her dazzling smile warped into bored fatigue. It was late for little ones.

As a wrap up, I would like to share with you a few photos of the students projects, fashion show and banquet table party favors. 

Then I want to introduce you to living proof that sewing is, indeed, a bona fide Elixir of Youth.   Continue reading

American Girls Addy Nightie

Here I am, so busy I can hardly find time to comb my hair while granddaughter Laurel has been waiting somewhat patiently for the smocked nightgown I’ve started for her Molly doll.  Finishing this nightie has been an urgent request of Laurel’s because,  she tells me, “Molly has to sleep in her CLOTHES, Nana!”  Outrageous, I know. If there were a DPS (Doll Protective Services) agency, Laurel would be panicked.

But yesterday I came across a stash of doll clothes I made many years ago and, whoopee!  they fit the American Girls dolls!  They were projects for doll schools that Mildred Turner and I organized and  taught around  the country some years ago.  In these schools, students sewed a wardrobe that Mildred and I had designed for 20″ porcelain dolls.   This, I think, was the nightdress for Melanie, our Gone With the Wind character doll for the Atlanta school.  What fun we had at those schools.

At any rate, the bias bound neck is a little snug and the gown touches the floor on the 18″ American Girls dolls, but Addy is not complaining.

In order to draft an American Girls bishop pattern I had borrowed Addy from my godchild, Caitlin,  for whom I bought this doll 16 years ago.  Her 2 1/2 year old daughter Alysha, has been dragging Addy around the house for more than a year now.   Continue reading