Dressing dolls

Here is the result of me fussing around with doll clothes patterns - I got this pattern at the Joanne's sale last weekend for $1! The fabric was on clearance for $2 a yard and I think each garmet took less than 1/2 a yard. Ummm - has anyone LOOKED at the prices in the American Girl catalog lately? Ouch - especially if you just so happen to have a little girl who likes a variety of outfits for her doll. And, I just so happen to have 2 nieces who love these dolls right now. I made this outfit just glitzy and shimmery enough to make any little girl happy!

There are things to remember about this slippery/shimmery/RAVELLY fabric if you are a quilter used to very well-behaved quilting fabric! The first thing being that it will melt if you put your iron setting to cotton! It really unravels about as fast as you can sew it - so I used Stitch Witchery on some of the seams and my serger on the bigger seams. I am waiting for scissors to go on sale next week at Joanne's and then I will get a pair of pinking shears. I am slowly remember all my clothes sewing tips/techniques as these little clothes are being assembled... meaning... don't look too closely at this outfit as it is the 1st one - I am just getting warmed up here! But aren't we sometimes are own worst critic? I just know that my nieces are going to be thrilled and I AM having a FUN time making these and those 2 things are really what matters at the end of the day anyway. Part of the fun for me IS in working with these non-quilting fabrics - I have a love of fiber and it has been a while since I last worked with fabrics with many different textures (and personalities!).

This is just one of the many, various non-quilt-y projects I have on the go right now! So - 1 outfit down, still have to make the 2nd one which is identical (one for each niece). You might be able to see in the photo - I have red dresses cut out too - so more to come later.

Playground fun!

Little Boy and I have a daily contest between the 2 of us - to see who can wear the other out first! And this Momma has a few tricks up her sleeve to help her win - the playground being one of them. An extra bonus - look how much fun he has! He just loves that digger thing - and it is heavy! It isn't a huge playground, but certainly has enough to keep him entertained...

He is wearing a headband that my Nana knit years ago. I am not so good at dates, but I think that Nana died 8 years ago now. She knit tons of these headbands and they keep popping up in various drawers and pockets. This one my sister had with her and when the wind picked up she popped it on his head - a perfect fit!

Recipe for a Rash

I always use dye free, purfume free, etc. laundry soap. Always! And, um - I only use 1/2 of the recommended amount - sensitive skin and all... So, what caused Little Boy to have such an awful rash? Well, the Downy fabric softener was RIGHT next to the laundry soap. Sigh. Didn't see the microscopic "fabric softener" on the bottle. And that is what I bought - thinking it was laundry soap. I mean really - the bottle was about the right size, had a nice picture of a child on it, had all the right wording in BIG letters. Did lots of laundry. Next day - Little Boy had a very bad rash all over (and I mean all over) with bumps and ridges... poor dear. Almost warranted a trip to the doctor, but I thought we would try the pharmacy for some Desetin cream 1st - which worked - almost instantly, thankfully! 1 day later his skin was soft as a baby's again, phew! Of course, got very nice, thick, goo-ey white cream all over my black pants, which so far, over 1 week later, still has not come completely out, despite repeated washings. Not that repeated washings really mattered - obviously I had to do ALL the laundry all over again. The entire episode reminded me of one of my very favorite books from when I was little - "The Little Old Man Who Couldn't Read". I'm not sure if it is still in print, but definately a book I would recommend looking for... all these years later!

Have I mentioned before that when I was a teenager my Mom asked me to pick up some apple juice and I came home with 1 GALLON of apple cidar VINEGAR? Well, the bottle was the right size, the label had an apple on it... and the liquid inside was the right color... is there a saying about history repeating itself?

Sorry, but that is my exciting post for now... for some reason my mind is running in slow motion these days... or maybe like Amy says... a bit out of focus... which would explain why I thought Downy fabric softener was laundry soap? Those microscopic letters were a bit out of focus. Or, maybe I am just tired.