Dollar Doll Clothes--One More Time!

Two more dolly projects from undies--my favorites so far!

There was juuuust enough fabric in the pink print pair from my K-Mart find to squeeze out a PJ t-top as well as the pants.  I used my 'Leggings' pattern here.  So comfy!

And camo pants!  Care found a three-pack of boys briefs on clearance for source fabric, and this particular print proved too large to use for the smaller dolls. Perfect for 

Felicity, though!

Love this t-shirt pattern, which closes in the back with Velcro.  Read about it here. 

My Dollar Doll Clothes inspiration seems fulfilled for now, and this little wardrobe is off to the church service auction tonight to find a happy new home for Christmas.

Still have a bit of source fabric for next time, though...

Miniatures Monday--the Little Mohair Girls

   An e-friend gave Care and me some mohair scraps, so naturally some of the Tiny Ones made a trip to the beauty salon for new coiffures!

Please meet  Antoinette, Blush, Dorothy,  Mallow,  Molly,  Octavia, Storm, Taylor, Tippin, Topenga, Vivian, and Zara, (who is a fabulous custom reroot by Leeloominai and joined the girls at the party).

It's been fun working out a technique for new little wigs--I have to admit that the hardest part has been cutting off their hair and pulling out its roots!  It seems too cruel. But it WAS fun trying all the little wigs on the bald girls to see whose hair they were.

Wardrobe consultation, photos, and clothes are by Care, and Storm and Zara's amazing custom tans and sweater by by Suedehead.

Twin Kittens Scrap Project

I have been having an enjoyable time organizing and planning my projects for the new year!  In my sorting and arranging,  I came across a little Xeroxed pattern from my Mom's files, which I think she must have used for a bazaar project years ago--so I decided to try it out in her honor, and in honor of Baby K's second birthday this month.  And since I am doing the sewing, of course it had to be a scrap project!

I cut bodies for two little kittens from the pattern, using some 'tea dyed' muslin from my stash, and sewed all the way around each with a 1/8" seam.  After clipping all the curves and angles, I made a slash (about 1-1/2") vertically in their backs, turned and pressed them, and stitched across the base of the ears to keep them flat.  

I stuffed the kitties and sutured up their incisions.  Let me just say one more time how much I LOVE Morning Glory 'Cluster Stuff' craft stuffing!  The fibers are curly and springy, and fill stuffed spaces lightly and evenly with no effort at all!  I got mine at Walmart.  It's a must!

Even though there is no talent for painting in these hands of mine, but I did bravely paint on their little faces with acrylic paint according to the pattern, and made little whiskers with a super-fine Sharpie--this is far outside my comfort zone!

The fabrics for the kitties' tiny dresses also came into my fabric stash from my Mom's fabric stash, as well as the eyelet for their collars.  I hemmed the fabric rectangles, slashed the armholes and treated them with Fraycheck, and turned and hand gathered the top edges around the kittens' necks.  A stitched-on little bow finishes them off.

I'm afraid they look cold--maybe a little blanket. . .

Miniatures Monday--Tiny Dresses

Even though I am (and my children are!) past school age, autumn still brings on that familiar urge to buy new notebooks and pencils, and to make new school clothes-- looks like the tiny dolls are in luck!

There's a new dress for each of the Tiny Ones--except a couple of girls who are currently at the spa.  So much fun choosing the tiny scraps of fabric and trim!

Miniatures Monday--Little Red Dresses

Fiona, Marguerite, Antonia, Margery, and their new (and as yet nameless) friend are pleased to model their finished red dresses.

The little dresses close in the back with Velcro.  It's been fun perfecting the pattern--and making an entire dress from scraps of fabric and trim makes me very happy!  Their tiny buttons are from a lot which Care and I bought on line.  Many more little frocks are in various stages of completion!

Miniatures Monday--Tiny Bodices

Working on the bodices of a series of red dresses for the tiny girls--

sooo fuuun!

Part of the delight of this project:  making an entire dress from a little scrap of fabric.  And another part:  adding the little scraps of trims!

Finished dresses soon!

Dollar Store Dollhouse Furniture 5--The Dresser

The Dollar Store's little dollhouse dresser (or chest of drawers?--what do you say?)  is pretty cute as it is, but I'm unable to resist an update.  Plus, I still have that mirror, left over from my sofa table transformation . . . two pieces from one!

My little miter saw did a quick job of removing the dresser's bottom drawer, and a piece of molding left over from another dresser project finishes the raw lower edge.

A bit of wood from my craft scrapwood pile and some glue make a lid for the new low chest.

My leftover mirror is the perfect width for the top of the dresser--it's glued to a bit of the footboard of a bed!  (More on that later.)  A treatment with spray paint, and they're ready for my dollhouse shelf!

Miniatures Monday--Dollhouse Furniture, Part One

I've been hampered  by an ongoing disagreement between Computer and the wireless network--fortunately they have worked out their differences.  Now to bash my dollar store furniture!  For this project I used:

Small hobby miter box and saw
X-acto knife
Wood scraps
Craft glue
Hot glue

Part One--Tables

Dollar Tree has a very cute scallop-trimmed dollhouse dining table right now--sadly, the legs are just too short.  For 1"/12"  scale, table height is 2 1/8"--so, how to  make it higher?  Two ideas! 

I popped off the short legs with my needlenose pliers--I have a plan for them! They popped out nicely, but a little scraping with the X-acto will help if needed.

  Scrounging in my craft scrapwood box, I came up with a square stick just the width of the old table legs, and cut four to length with my trusty little miter box.  I also found four lonely dollhouse bannisters, which just happen to be the same width at the top as the previous legs--so I had to buy another table to try them out.  Their length is adjusted at the top with the miter saw

A little craft glue, and they're sturdy little tables.  I'm painting them white for my dollhouse shelf--more about that later. 

The straight-leg table seemed a bit awkward as it was, so I have since angled the bottoms of the legs to match the original legs above.  The X-acto did a great job, but it would have been simpler before they were glued on!  Photo later!

Dollar Store Dollhouse Furniture Bash

   Found this inexpensive wooden dollhouse furniture at the Dollar Tree recently, and it seemed like just the thing to add to the dollhouse shelf. . .almost.

I brought home one of each item:  bed, chest of drawers, dressing table, dining table, and narrow console table.  All are made of wood, and all are dyed red!  And all might be fun for the dollhouse shelf. . .except that none are quite the right size or proportion for my 1/12 scale plan.

So, I'm unable to resist coming up with simple fixes to make them fit in.  Here goes!

Baby K's Quilt--One Last Time

It's almost too embarrassing to admit that I have finally finished my baby gift for Baby K, our youngest grandbaby--almost in time for her first birthday. (This sad photo is nearly as embarrassing.) But I post it anyway.

I almost added another border, but the quilt turned out to be about 44" by 44"--she will fit under it for a while still! Lol helped choose this border, which I think sets off the blocks very nicely. And I can stop feeling guilty.

Miniatures Monday--Happy Valentine's Day!

My daughter Care and I had big fun setting up a Valentine greeting--here's hoping you have a great little Valentine's Day!

How to possibly choose just one?

Miniatures Monday--Ballet Class

Who could resist anything so cute and tiny? I have become enchanted with Littlest Pet Shop Blythe dolls! So far, twelve and counting. . .

L.P.S. Blythes are found in the toy aisle, and come with an outfit, a pet, and a pet accessory--I have to say that the Pet Shop pets do not speak to me, but they are very special to other girls in the family, so everyone is happy! The girls are 4.5 inches high, and also come with the cutest tiny shoes, and a stand.

Here, just a few of the girls are modeling the leotard-and-tutu sets I made for their ballet class, using bits and scraps from my stash. Working out the pattern was a fun challenge!

Too much fun!

Kids Sleep Masks

Deep into my annual pajamas-robes-slippers project for my grandkids, I have come up with a new variation this year--sleep masks!

I actually had all but two of these fleece colors in my stash, so it's almost a scrap project. I developed the patterns from a basic sleep mask pattern, with inspiration from Google Images. All credit to real artists!

Check out Care's clever, fast, and easy technique for working layered patterns in fleece--it's fun and works up fast! I worked the designs on a single layer of the basic fabric, then top-stitched the fronts to a second layer, sandwiching in the ends of the elastic at the sides--two rows of elastic help keep the mask on. The outside shape is cut out after the edges are stitched--much easier!

Merry Christmas!

Quilt for Baby K, Next Phase--Ideas, Anyone?

Progress has been made on Baby K's quilt, according to kind suggestions received here!
(My apologies for the lame photo--the quilt top is actually quite square in real life!)

I think the two new borders set it off well--the new white border brings out the blocks, and the scrap border seems to frame the whole thing. I've also chosen the fabric for the back--think it ties the top together very nicely.

Now for the next phase--with the addition of the borders, the quilt will be 36" by36"--a little on the small side still. Another border? Two? Pieced? Single fabric? White? Print? Would another border or borders add or detract? I'll let the ideas incubate.

Any input?

Miniatures Monday--Erasers!

Tired of dressing just like all the other Littlest Pet Shop girls, Lindsay takes matters into her own hands.

Tiny things! I love them--and so do many of my kids and grandkids. My grandsons recently shared with me their love of collectible erasers.

Maybe you aren't familiar with them--collectible Japanese erasers come in a unbelievable (and often puzzling) assortment of colorful shapes and forms--food, vehicles, and objects of every kind, all detailed and delightfully tiny.

I found the perfect set of erasers at the craft store last week! The sewing machine and dress form delight me---and they're perfect with the dollhouse furniture.

It's Project Runway in miniature!

More Onion Bags!

Here's the next incarnation of my Onion Label Market Tote project!



I thought I might try a couple of labels from my onion bag collection with some of my vintage 1970's Levi-Strauss denim remnants, and I think these bags may be among my favorites.

These Levi remnants have indeed been around since the '70's--my dad got them from the factory way back when, used a bunch, and sent the rest home with me a few years ago. I knew I would come up with just the right project for them . . . eventually.

So, it is a true recycle project, fabric and labels both. I did purchase the red webbing handles (how I love them!), and I can assure you that I used a 50% off coupon for the purchase!

The details are still evolving just a bit--still having fun!

Spiral Flowers, Part 2!

Further rumination on spiral flowers. . .

I decided to try making a flower with some blue vintage bias tape from my stash, pressed open and stitched along the middle. This flower is my favorite! I love the ruffly raw edges.

Here is a version made from torn strips of some pink silk organza--this one is my least favorite try, but it might be better in a color that contrasts more. I do love the torn edges, though.

Still contemplating a tutorial. . .

Renaissance Head Gear--for Pennies!

Renaissance headgear is needed for the annual conference of our church women's group, and I've been having big fun coming up with easy and inexpensive ideas--from the dollar store and thrift store, of course!

Now, I'm not claiming that any of these ideas are particularly authentic, though I did do my research--but what can you expect for 25 to 50 cents each? And after the big day they can all go straight into the costume box.

The first hat above is a ring, cut and stapled into a circle, from a roll of wired velvet ribbon I found at the thrift store for a dollar. The veil is made from a golden thrift store sheet--the sheet cost $2.00 and made a pile of veils when cut into squares. It was polyester, so I was able to avoid hemming the edges by fusing them--just pass the cut edge near a candle flame. Keep it moving to avoid potential problems! I gathered one edge of the veil and stitched it to the ribbon, but it could be stapled on just as well, and the veil could be attached at the back.

Hat #2 above is a scrap project--the brim is a scrap left over from a project involving a different gold thrift store sheet. I folded a long strip of fabric lengthwise, and stitched along the raw edges, making a 2-3/4" casing, then threaded through a piece of 2-1/2" elastic, 22" long. I sewed this strip into a circle, then cut a big circle (about 24" in diameter) from some scrap velour left over from a robe project. The circle is gathered around the edges, then seamed to the brim section right sides together. Voila!

Hat #3 was inspired by the glittery party hats shown above. I used the party hat cardboard to make a pattern and cut a base from poster board. The poster board base is covered with some brocade I had in my stash, front and back, and stapled to the metal band from the party hat. This veil is one of a pile I cut from a thrift store curtain panel, price $1.00. The edges of these veils are fused in the same manner as above.

Hat #4 is easiest of all, and pretty much a freebie. Plastic swamp cooler tubing is cut to length and joined into a circle--I used short pieces of sucker sticks, inserted in both ends, to join the tubes--somehow the sucker sticks were just the right diameter. The circle is covered with scrap ribbon, wound around and hot-glued on, and lengths of ribbon from my stash trail from the back. Curly ribbon would work just as well here.

Now for a step back in time. . .

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate being a classic Valentine's Day gift, Ibu made me these fabulous crochet chocolates to celebrate the day--and they go so very nicely with my fabric Valentine strawberries, seen here with Care's tiny quilt.

Check out the candy's delightful details--you can just see the edge of the white chocolate-covered pretzel. The white chocolate has a pale pink flower on top, and they're all displayed in valentine papers--I'll try to post a link to the pattern Ibu used.

The two ceramic baking dishes were thrift store finds, found in different stores and months apart--I love it when that happens!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Uphostery Sample Heart--a Question!

My husband and daughter Lol once came home from a yard-sale outing with a gift for me--a BIG box, full of good-sized upholstery samples! I'm still having fun pulling them out occasionally for use in my scrap projects.

Last Valentine's day I saw a fun heart-shaped fabric door decoration--a slightly irregular-shaped, lightly padded heart. This year I decided to make my own version from scraps, so I pulled out my box of samples.

I love this floral--very romantic! I sketched a heart on a scrap of dollar-store foam core (mine is about 16" tall by 14" wide), and cut it out, then cut a couple of layers of scrap quilt batting in the same shape, plus one somewhat smaller to go underneath and make it more puffy. I cut out the heart shape from my fabric and added 1" all around to allow me to glue it to the back of the foam core.

I made 1/2" snips all around the fabric piece , about 1" apart, to help the back to lie smooth, layered it all together, and glued the edges of the fabric to the back of the foam core with my glue gun, then I hot-glued the whole thing to a heart cut from mat board to make it more sturdy and add dimension.

And now I'm a little stuck--it certainly needs some embellishment. I'm thinking fat cording around the edges? Green? A sheer bow at the center top? Tufting. . .?