Monday, April 27, 2015

A-Line Jumpers - For Dolls

The pattern for the A-Line was one I purchsed ...oh...maybe 2009? I don't know, can't remember. It was designed for the 18" American Girl Dolls. I enlarged it to 128% for the My Twinn Doll. The shirt is from a pattern by Debbie Glenn (Love & Stitches) I morphed 2 patterns. The collar from a yoke dress & the shirt sleeves & cuff from the petti-blouse pattern. Again , enlarged to 128% for the My Twinn Doll.The My Twinn doll has an entegrated plastic armature in her body - so her arms, legs, and head are extrememly posable - however...since it has that armature, the arms are cloth to ablout midways on the upper arm - that's why I make the sleeves so long on this doll. No! I do not collect dolls. I just really like SEWING for them. One day I'll be able to sew for another little girl. Maybe a grand daughter. Until then? I get my fix sewing for dolls. They don't complain anyway! Nor do they care if it's not their favorite color or too tight or anything. So it's a win-win sewing time for ME! Collars. Oh boy! I have a confession. When I finished the jumpers for the dolls I had these grand plans of a piped collar with a fabric ruffle. I made the collar for the shirt for the My Twinn Doll (whom I call Mary Jane) I sewed that piped ruffled collar to the shirt. It was SO bulky. The facing would not turn to the inside, and even after I topstitched it down, it still looked like WINGS around the neck. So I trashed it & started over. Totally threw that first one away. I was just disgusted with it. I put rick-rack on it instead. And since the collar on the AG Doll was so stinking small there was no way I was even going to TRY doing that!
Thanks for Looking! M

Sunday, April 19, 2015

More Little Dress Sewing

I am making a little puffed sleeve blouse to go with the denim jumper - Red with white polka dots. Would love to have little red Mary Janes. But black works jeeeesssssttt fine! M

Friday, April 17, 2015

Braids

I don't really need any new projects. But I started one anyway. Last month I was in Pigeon Forge at the quilt show. (Was there last year as well) We watched a demonstration on using an acrylic binding tool to make a Braid Quilt. Watched the same demo last year. (Are you seeing a trend here..?) I didn't buy the tool last year as I dont need a tool for binding. I figured those biases out all on my own. I'm smart like that. But? This year I bought one. Mainly because the lady doing the demonstration was using a jelly roll of Civil War Repro's. My favorites! Turns out I already had one of these gadgets anyway! Now I have 2. Yesterday I had already planned on going to a freinds house and sewing. The internet was down at work and I work in an online program & all my "work" comes to me via email. No internet? No work. Darn. So I left early & went to my freinds house. 2 of us were using 2.5 inch strips and cornerstones, the other was using 1.5" strips left over from a PP Pineapple she just finished. Here are our pictures from yesterday:
This first picture is MY braid. I am using pre-cut 2.5" jelly roll strips and 2.5" squares as my cornerstones. I feel confident that if you eliminated the cornerstones, that you could vary the width of your stips. Might try that one day - but seeing as I am really rotten at personal deadlines - I don't make them for myself & need to finish this quilt before I say what I'm doing on the "next one" !
MY braid again (above)
this one is being made with 1.5" strips - she didn't want to cut new strips, and used what she had on hand
This is Phillis (yes, I spelled that right!) and she is doing hers scrappy & intends for it to be a charity quilt. Both Phillis & i sewed on our Singer Featherweights. I had showed Philly a hand crank attachment for my Featherweight & then couldn't get it off! The machine won't fit in the case with the hand crank on. Took 2 of us to finally get it off. If you unscrew the CORRECT screw it comes off pretty easy. Who Knew???? Thanks For Stopping By! M PS - it occurred to me that you might want to SEE that little acrylic binding tool.........