Appliques!

Today I have been going between doing crafts and reading. It's quite effective. Not really. I am having a hard time putting down this new book I got yesterday. It's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I love it. It combines two of my great loves, Jane Austen and zombies. Anyway, good book but it is preventing me from fulfilling my chores for the day.

Well, lets get to it. I have been working on an owl applique to go on a tote bag pretty much all week. I made my own pattern for this. The basic design wasn't too difficult but the hand stitching around the wings, eyes, and such proved to be a pain. My hands were killing me by the time I was through. I think it came out pretty good and I like the array of fabrics.

The second applique I have been working on is a cupcake to put on an apron skirt. I love this so much because it is all my favorite colors. This one is also my own pattern.

Anyway, I better get off here and get some more things done like laundry. Man, I either need to finish this book or have someone hide it from me. I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Easter Dress

Today I finally finished Madi's Easter dress. It is so cute and I love it. I purchased my fabric at Hobby Lobby. I got a yard and half of it and I'm glad I did because I used all of it.

We went out this afternoon to get some pics of her in it. The weather finally perked up and it is a lovely 70 degrees out. Madi enjoyed going out and running off some of her never ending energy and I got my money shot.




You know at $5 a yard making Madi clothes has really saved me money. Plus,her dress is one of a kind and made just for her so it fits perfectly. When you have a child who is almost 3 and wearing a size 4 already that comes in handy. Madi is really tall so it's hard to find dresses and pants that are long enough.

I started sewing almost 2 years ago and I have come a long way. At first I had no idea how to gather, sew a button hole, attach a zipper, or put on an applique. Thanks to You Tube and a few magazines I think I do pretty good work. Plus, it's fun and relaxing.

Well, I'm going to get off here and figure out what to make for dinner. I hope everyone is having a good week so far.

Handmade Dolls

All day today has been devoted to getting this doll finished for my mom. I worked last night until 3:00 a.m. this morning and just finished. She was kind of a pain because the crushed velvet wasn't really cooperating but I like the end result.

I guess I should go into detail about my dolls. Well, my mom loves them. She used to spent some serious money on dolls like this one, they are called muslin dolls, and after checking one out I thought to myself: "I can do that."

My first doll was a Valentine's Day one for mom last year. Here she is...

Anyway, when I gave her to my mom, she just loved her. Up to this date I have made five for her. Valentine's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, and now Christmas. I read on this one site that you should sign and date your dolls on the back because you never know where they might end up in a hundred years. Maybe one day my great-granddaughter will display these. Hmmm...that's a neat thought.

Ok, so to do this type of doll you have to have moderate sewing ability. I made my own pattern and these dolls are about 80% free hand. Just use your imagination and go wild. Clothes for the doll are kind of a pain but with trial and error, trust me, they will get better. You will need about a 1/2 yard muslin fabric, bag of Fiberfill, doll hair (you can find this at any craft store), permanent marker (if you are making this doll for a child you CAN NOT use markers or paint), makeup brush and blush, and any 2 fabrics of your choice for the clothes. If you have any questions about how to make this doll let me know.

Well, here are some more pics of my doll that I did today. I forgot to mention that I also name my dolls, makes me feel better about writing my name on their butt if their name is on there too. This one's name is Christmas Eve. Ahh, I love it.

I hope everyone has a great Saturday afternoon.