It was well passed nine, and the girl's parents were due around ten to pick them up, so Leona went into the bedroom.... Everyone was still sound asleep... "It's time to get up, sleepyheads!" "Is it morning already?" "I have breakfast ready for you downstairs..." "You have about an hour before your parents come to pick you up." "I think I smell ....pancakes....and bacon." "That's right. So you better hurry and come down while your breakfast is still warm."
What pyjama party would be complete without a late night ghost story? ...and Layla was an expert at setting just the right mood... The girls were totally captivated as Layla spun her scary yarn.... Then suddenly...they all heard a presence in the room... ...and turned in terror.... But it was just Layla's Mom... "What are you girls still doing up?" "It's well after midnight, and way passed the time you should all be asleep." "So, turn off that light, and get into your beds."
The pizza had arrived... "Would some of you mind moving the toy box, so we can bring in a table for the pizza?" Raillie and Lenny quickly went to move the toy box out of the way... "Thank you girls." The pizza looked delicious.
With pizza still over an hour away, the girls decided they had time to beautify themselves. Talyssa had always enjoyed playing with her doll's hair, and set about applying her stying skills to Hope's long hair... While Layla painted Hope's toe nails... Talyssa had already styled Tillie and Lenny's hair... "I love my new look!" But it was the only style Talyssa knew how to do... Tillie went to show Cinnamon... "So, what do you think?"
Meanwhile Lenny was putting the other Layla's hair up in curlers... "You have such nice hair." "The pizza is here!"
There were so many fun things to do to help pass the time... Talyssa and Hope were catching up, ..while Lenny and Layla started playing dominos.... ...and Cinnamon was checking out the bears in the toy box... "Your turn." Meanwhile Tillie and Missy had taken up residence inside the tent. "You're blocking the whole entrance!" "How about letting us have a turn inside there too?" "Sure, as soon as I finish this book." Everyone turned to look as Leona came into the room... She was bringing all the sleeping bags out of storage... "Here's all the sleeping bags for tonight..." "I ordered some pizza..." "But it won't be here for another hour..." ".. so I thought this would be a good time to bring these up."
There were so many fun things to do in Layla's room.... Lenny took down the Lite Brite and started creating a big flower design... Missy and Raillie used the tent as a puppet theatre...
Layla's bedroom had undergone some extensive renovations, and it was finally done... ..and the very next weekend, she was allowed to invite all her friends for a sleep over. Everyone got into their PJs as they arrived.. They all brought along their favourite stuffed friend... Her friends all loved her new room... They especially loved her wonderful tent... But there wasn't a lot of room inside it... ...so they all had to wait their turn...
After making pyjamas for all nine of my small Kaye Wiggs girls... I decided that they had to have a pyjama party, and one can't have a pyjama party without a bedroom, so that meant I needed a bed. So I asked Jan to make a headboard and foot board. He made both exactly the same, in case I needed two beds, but made a separate riser for one, so it could be a higher headboard for a single bed... I was going to use two photo prop boxes beside each other for the girl's bed, but it would also be possible to use three boxes for a taller doll. So he made the headboards the width of a photo box, that way I could use them for either size bed. The headboard was supported between the wall and the prop box, and the footboard was held in place by a toy box. With the bed made... ...and the whole bedroom... ...complete with a play tent... *Note - Is it spelled pyjama or pajama? Well, in American English it's spelled pajama, but for the rest of the English speaking world it's pyjama. With leaves Canadians totally confused, using both spellings, although pyjama is the preferred spelling.
I had just finished putting together Baron and Naomi's apartment on my dining room table, and wanted to take some photos in it. I had Naomi standing around in her new red gown, which was almost finished, so she posed in her new apartment for me... In the end, I wasn't happy with the ribbon bow and jewel at the waist, so picked them off, replaced the bow with a gold chain instead, and moved the jewel up to the top of her bodice.
But the photos were so nice I decided to keep them. With the stories I had planned, I was going to need a room setting for Baron and Naomi's apartment. They lived in one wing of Miho's castle, and up until now had always been in the main common rooms. But now they needed a private space just for themselves. So I decided to create an apartment for them, and it would need a bed. But I didn't want a complete doll bed, as it would take up way too much storage space. So I suggested maybe Jan could make just the headboard and footboard, and then I'd make the actual bed part in between out of photo prop boxes. And while he was at it, I asked him to make a set of headboards for a bed I'd need for a girl's bedroom. The head and foot boards for Baron and Naomi's bed were made in the same style as the cathedral dividers, and the width of a King size bed... I also wanted them to have a new banner above their fireplace, so made a pieced wallhanging onto which I painted two peacocks. I also sewed up two new tapestries from an old table runner I picked up at value Village some time ago, and made throw pillows out of the left over fabric. I sewed some cream cotton sheets and pillow cases with antique lace edging, and a wine red velour bed cover. The headboard was supported between the wall and the prop boxes of the bed itself, and the foot board was supported with a chest at the foot of the bed. When the room was finished, I found the peacock wallhanging seemed too bright, so I toned it down with some diluted golden/brown textile paint. It's always a challenge coming up with a new room setting using all the same old furniture, and I really wanted something new and different. I had picked up a fancy, old, wooden clock casing at Value Village a few years back, and I asked Jan if he could make it into a cupboard for Baron and Naomi's room. So he opened up the circular clock opening, and made shelves to go inside... After painting the inside, I stood the unit on top of another relatively new cupboard unit to create an entirely new piece.... Then I decided the room shouldn't have the same dark blue drapes as everyone else, so I sewed some new, wine red ones, and put together the window end of their apartment. (The two plates on the tables are for miniature plants, but they only get put there during a photo shoot) The whole apartment... And Naomi trying it out... I'm always on the look out for things I can use for my dolls, and after the set was already taken down, I came across a beautiful, woven shawl at Value Village, which I made into a table cloth for their table, for the next time I need to set up their apartment.
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AuthorMartha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes. Archives
November 2024
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