Some finishes

A little catch up of the finishes in the past month..........first was the butterfly to complete the hungry caterpillar felt set I had made for Jan, yes I had it ready for the start of the school year this is the second time I have made this set I had previously made it for Finn a few years ago.

January also saw the updating of the computer with a new hard drive being installed and with programmes also being updated changes came into being that are beyond my control one of these is the way the post is shown as I write it I have no idea how the layout looks as photos are shown here by some weid wording and not a picture and there is no spell check!! A fun project completed was more props for the box room for the dolls

The crotched blanket is perle 12 cotton next up I need to make a bed to put it on. This embroidered mat is the first in a series, Fiona and I have set ourselves a stitching project for the year of looking at hems and edges for Count thread work, this tiny mat with danish points and rows of foursided stitch is 15cm square and stitched on 40 count permin linen.Working on the fine linen means making changes to the thread I have use before for this hem on a course linen

Lastly something different, I enjoyed gathering some little treasurers from the garden to make a Tussie mussie posy for a lady who resently went to live in a rest home. Was delighted with the selection I could find among the weeds and grasses that have taken over so much of my garden,heartease violas, Cecil Brunner(Sweet heart) roses Harebells, miniature agapanthus, rock cyclamen and migonette all held in place on a head of tiny hydranga flowers edges with Ivy leaves. I have been reminded of the posy bowls we made when I first worked in as a florist in Christchurch, we has one lady who each week would bring little treasures from her garden, flowers not seen at the big flower market and these added delight to any posy bowl. The idea of a posy bowl was that it could be turned around and there would be a different grouping of flowers to be enjoyed. Later the front view arrangements then became more popular and more artistic. I googled Posy Bowls and was delighted to see what todays florists are producing there were some truly lovely arrangements in the true posy bowl style. Here is my Tussie Mussie I would love to be able to make and share more of them

Yes I'm Still Here

the gnome tree.

 The good news is the computer is up and running again, the hard drive has been replaced,  programmes updated and am still finding my way round the changes but its better than trying to blog on the iPad which was quite limiting.

I had surgery just before Christmas and now have a pacemaker which I hope will keep my heart in check, this had meant a three day trip up to Hamilton for myself and Jan,

 Christmas was spent with Jan and family and as always, the house had  a true Christmas mood with all the decorations.  I did  to get a photo of the gnome tree but  its a bit hard to see them all, the pink tree is her newest addition, she had not one but several trees in her living room.

 Barryn, Jackie and children came up after Christmas and stayed  several days with me, I did not have to do anything but enjoy their company, 

 We had an early celebration for Eve's birthday  who was turning 5 on the 5th of January  I had the fun od creating a cake topper again this year and with an excess of black fondant here what better than a black cat. The cake has the fifth                                            candle hiding behind the cat.

 A last minute addition to the birthday gift I made her a rainbow dress for her Barbie doll, here modeled by the barbie I use to fit dresses on,  madly sewed a sequin and bead into the centre of every flower but one little girl' s delight in the dress made it all worth while. There is enough of the same material to make Poppy a dress too, that's when I can face stitching all the sequins on.

My dolls have not been neglected no new dresses but I have been working on a box room to use for photographs. This will have removeable walls so I can change the decor. Not finished however Rosie seems to like the window seat, and wants me to hurry up with the cushions.

Plans for 2024 include-

An  embroidery project exploring edges for count thread mats, I have started and hope to share the first one soon.

 Photo book of the Adventures of Poppy for Eve, she has helped with some ideas.

For Finn he would like a board game ( I had made one for Eve's birthday present  and one for Ronan for Christmas) and we spent time making plans for how it should look and rules for the game and what was needed It was interesting to see what a seven year old could plan I trust I will make something that comes up to expectation.

Christmas Greetings

Christmas Greetings and Best Wishes to all 

 

Small gifts

 The biggest change in my life at present has been giving up driving the car (this is on medical reasons) I stopped in October and yes the car has been sold, I am grateful to some friends who now provide transport for me, Mary takes me to guild and it is not putting here out of her way as she has to pass my door, my good friend Fiona comes to stitch with me every Wednesday and now after our time together takes me to get small items I need. Helen takes me up to Church office on Thursday when she goes out to volunteer with a group and again takes me to church on Sunday,  Jan is there for other times but as her school is out in the country it’s been a help to have friends there for me. I have stitched small thank you gifts for Christmas this year and will have fun planning and stitching something larger for each of them next year when there is more time. I have stitched small notebook covers and have a nice pen to go with the book.

I am still finishing the third one.

Photo fun

 The Facebook group Blythe doll Australia are having a photo a day for December. Some of the subjects set are proving to be quite challenging here’s some of mine.

  Day 8 this makes me merry ….. Rosie helping with the gnomes.

Day 9  Christmas tree …… 

Day 10 Something red.

Not sure how many more I will get done…..

Christmas Gnomes

 Jan has decided this year to have one of her Christmas trees with a gnome theme, I have had lots of fun this week creating a collection of gnomes for her in a variety of colours. These little Folk had minds of their own when I tried to get a group photo.....

So I had to settle for taking a photo of each one.

Have two to finish to send to Finn and Eve in Wellington for their Christmas tree, then I can get back to stitching my embroidery pieces.

The Mary Stuart Hussif

 I have stitched yet another Mary Stuart Hussif for a gift, I think it’s possibly the seventh one I have made over the years. Way back in the 198’s a visitor to the guild in Tokoroa  brought one to show us, then I  found the instructions and history in a ANZEG Threads Magazine. It’s history in New Zealand dates back to early 1960s before the Association of guilds ere formed in New Zealand. Lone packets were sent out from England  for embroiderers to mull over.  A packet featuring blackwork contained a small hussif and later Mary Sturt president at the time of the south Otago Guild set it as a small project for a year, with the result in the south it became known as the Mary Stuart Hussif. And it was introduced to us as the Mary Stuart Hussif and I still refer to it as that today, this one was stitched for my Christmas gift for the Guild Christmas party exchange of gifts this week. For this one I used 40 count permin linen and stitched harebells in cross stitch, the lining is a liberty fabric.

A little stitching

I have been stitching pieces on a gingerbread folk theme.

First is two Christmas decorations, these designs I have stitched before many years ago, again delighted how they  turned out, Stitched on 40 count Permin linen

I 

The small notebook cover has a Christmas gnome holding a gingerbread man, I would love to stitch more of these gnome designs but the list to do for Christmas keeps growing so I must move on. Jan has requested Christmas gnomes for a tree she plans on that theme , these I am making on polystyrene  balls in different colours, the fun part for me will be creating the hats,  these are well on the way and hopefully will be shown in my next post.

 Two other projects under way both quite different  for Ronan’s Christmas gift I am making a board game using the Paw Patrol as the theme,  Jan has put together ideas for the game that will help develop Ronan’s skills and so the game can have different parts added later. The fun part of creating the game is mine.

For herself for Christmas Jan has requested a felt board set of the Hungry Caterpillar, I made this for Finn in 2019 and had kept most of my patterns what a hungry chap that caterpillar was he ate  his way through 15 pieces of food.   I like to make all the pieces double felt and buttonhole stitch the edges to make them last longer, specially in this case where it will be a class room set and get a lot of handling. 

My computer is telling me to back up and replace the hard drive, so find myself doing more on the iPad and this time have had success in putting together this posting now to hit the publish button before I lose it all.

Happy Halloween

 Ready to go out to Trick or treat………both loving their new hats.

This is the last in the Coll of Halloween photos I took have now completed the story and this years book for Eve. Embroidery has taken over but no doubt I will find another project for the dolls to add more outfits for. Am now stitchings all gifts.

Hat no 5

 Hat no 5 did not get posted before I showed the hat shop so here is the hat now so you  can see the details.

The Witches Hat Shop.

 

Poppy is thinking about Halloween, she is making plans early what she wants is a witches hat like Rosie had last year so she went off to visit the Witches hat shop to see if she can find one she likes.

What fun hats she found on display,  How does anyone decide.?

This one went perfectly with her Halloween dress  and thats the one Poppy selected....

Hat No.4

 

 This time it’s a hat for a very modern witch, Poppy was happy to find a matching dress so she could model it for me . the last one is started and will also be a step away from the traditional black witches hat, all going well will have it ready to post next week 

Hat no 3

 

This is the third of the five hats 

I plan to make to set up the Witches Hat Shop for my Halloween photos.

Below is an update on what I have made so far, do you have a favourite?

A different hat

 Rosie is always a pleasure to make clothes for, Was pleased with how this fabric made up using a different dress style, a round yolk, rather than waste the scraps I decided to make a hat, to match.though there might be enough to line the brim however there was enough t make the hat reversible.

I made Poppy a hat too so I could see both styles, that meant a new dress as well. The hat is the same pattern as Rosie’s hat  worn bucket style with the floral fabric side showing.

Now it’s back to witches hats and no. 3 to make this week……. Hope to share next week

HAT No 2

  the next hat for the Witches Hat Shop is complete  and at present I am making bucket hats to go with summer outfits, need a better day to get photos the lighting is poor today.

Here’s Rosie’s witches hat from last year I wonder if she wants a new one this year.

 

Looking ahead

 I’m looking ahead to Halloween I have an idea for photos for the year book I am planning for the dolls.I didn’t want to make new Halloween dresses and decided on a story where Poppy wants a witches hat like Rosie had so a visit to the Witches Hat Shop is needed, of course there needs to be a selection of hats to choose  from, hence the early start I would like to have about five hats.

The first one is complete and it matches Poppy’s dress so will no doubt be the hat she chooses, 

Playing with backgrounds

This dress has been a while in the making, finally finished I am pleased with it, the very fine cotton fabrics make up well, for the size of the dolls.   Took several photos but think the pose is a bit stiff 

However transfered  one to a background and it changes the look completely

 

It’s raining

Poppy is so disappointed in the weather, she was planning a Teddy Bears  Picnic  but it is too wet to go outside

 Even Kaytu agrees  about the weather

All is well they still had a picnic but inside on the table......

 The month of May came and went so fast, and we are now fast approaching mid June, I certainly did not keep my good intentions of posting weekly, I only managed one post.!

I am continuing to take photos for the Year book I am making about the dolls, I will need to edit the photo story for May which is a Teddy bears picnic and will post them later, however I am up to date with June. Its just two years since Rosie arrived last year I did a birthday party photo story This year I decided just to do a special birthday photo.  having taken a photo of Rosie with Rabbits for the cover of the years book, this being the year of the rabbit

I continued the theme and borrowed a very special bunny from Jan, a little sleeping bunny we had given her many many years ago, I remember there were more animals in the set but I could only get one  and the bunny won my heart. 

and now the photos taken bunny is back sleeping in his leaf and ready to return to Jan

Belle in Tudor dress

A dear here we are half way through the month, I have been a very neglectful blogger, however I have been a very busy stitcher and also have done a lot of research. I wanted to stitch some period outfits for Belle. but rather than they just look like a certain period of fashion I wanted to be reasonable close to what had been worn in that time frame allowing for the facts that I was stitching in 1/6 scale and that Blythe dolls heads are so large and clothing had to have front or back openings not go on over the head.

I started with the linen shift that was worn as the undergarment. there were plenty of patterns available to make this and I  found some very fine linen . I was continuing to buils up the garments for a 17 century outfit when i lovely piece of material was given to me that suggested an earlier [period in time. So more research and lts of stitching and Belle now had a Tudor gown.

The underskirt has some embroidery touches that don't really show in the photo, the gown is heavy silk with black velvet on the sleeves, All that remain was her head dress I settled on a French hood and that s where the research became interesting. She now has a French hood of sorts and I am pleased with the look in the photo but really want to see if I can create a true French hood, so guess that's my challenge for the next outfit.

I hope you enjoy seeing Belle as a Tudor lady