Blog Archives

Beading the Sleeves

11/20/2017

I've designed Santa's coat pattern. It took me a while to figure out how to have a nice fur edge and a neat inside lining, but I think I've got it figured out.

The sleeves need to be made first, so they can be sewn into the coat armhole before all the underarm seams get sewn. I cut out the sleeves, lining, and the fur cuffs, then basted on the trims, and basted the fur, then machine stitched everything. Now I'm doing the bead embellishments....

A closer look at the various rows of trims. It's important when working with velvet, to always baste everything before machine sewing - so things don't ride.

And a closer look at the beading embellishments.
I stay away from the side seams because my sewing machine hates going over bumps.
I'll finish the ends near the seams after the sleeve seam is sewn.

Holiday Pillows

11/17/2017

I wanted some nice pillows for the furniture in my holiday room settings, and considered doing some needlepoint ones, but thought it would be way too much work, and take way too long. So when we went to Len's Mills yesterday to get some fire-fighter print fabric for some pillows for my grandson, I also walked all their aisles looking for something that could be made into nice doll-size pillows.

I found a nice fabric in the discount aisle, that had nine individual squares with a Christmas theme across the width of the bolt. The perfect size!! So I bought a 'panel', which had three rows of the squares. Back home I found backing fabrics to match all the various pillow squares, and sewed them up. I stuffed a few, but some of my kids wanted to help.....so I let them....

Aaron cut up the rest of the panels....

While Nyssa stuffed....

...and stuffed some more.....

While Lisa sewed the openings in the stuffed pillows shut....

Byuri took a pillow case and some stuffing....intending to help....

But became distracted.....watching Lisa sew....

Santa's Vest

11/16/2017

So now my Santa has a shirt/vest.

I think it could still use a pocket (or two), so that's the next step.

I also picked up a baby polar bear on the weekend. After all, every North Pole workshop needs a mascot - someone to help and entertain all the elves....

Gold Chain Mail

11/16/2017

Making chain mail for dolls is a super tedious, time-consuming project, and any pre made chain mail is very expensive. But I've discovered a new very inexpensive source - lady's handbags. Every time I go to Value Village I stroll past all the purses and bags. Earlier this year I came a cross a small handbag made with silver chain mail.

This week they had a much larger gold purse, so I bought it. Then I picked it apart, and threw out all the actual purse parts. The remaining chain mail will be perfect for some future Fantasy costumes.

The right side looks much like sequins, but the backside looks more like chain mail.....

Not bad for a few bucks on Senior's Day!

Their's and Mine

11/14/2017

I came across a thread on DOA where people were asked to post the company promotional picture of their doll, beside a photo of what their own actually doll looks like. I thought that could be interesting, so went to the Iplehouse website and screen-grabbed a bunch of their promo photos of some of the dolls that I own. Then I put them together with a photo of my own doll.

Of course, my dolls would not be what they are, without their gorgeous face ups by Charie Wilson.

EID Carina...

SID Asa....

JID Asa....

JID Kyle.....

JID Kassia....

JID Leona....

JID Owen.....my second Owen - Steve.....

JID "I"......my Isis.....

Rough Patch

11/14/2017

Well, Santa's shirt/vest was coming along nicely, when I accidentally snipped a hole in the top of the sleeve while I was clipping the arm hole. So I tried to sew on a tiny patch to cover it up....

But I thought it looked awful. So I had to remove the sleeve and start a new one from scratch. It's a setback, but I know I'll be happy I replaced the sleeve instead of just leaving that ugly patch.

Photo Albums

11/13/2017

I've been busy the past few days updating my photo pages. There were a lot of new
albums that needed to be made, and several older ones that needed updating.

I'm not adding links to each individual album, just to the Favourite Photos 2017 page.
You can find all these new albums there.

Corduroy Schoolgirls

Iplekids Everyday - 4

Asa in Autumn

Introducing Steve

Family in Autumn

Halloween Costumes

the Candy Cauldron

Introducing Tiny Talyssa

Candy Treats

Halloween Adventurers

I also updated the first two of these albums, and finished the third.....

Kaye Wiggs Adventures

Granddaughter's Dolls

Iplekids Adventures - 3

Rotting Pumpkins

11/13/2017

After Halloween I had kept the little pumpkin Jack-o-lanterns inside on my kitchen windowsill. Each day they'd shrivel some more, and eventually they started to get mouldy. Definitely time to get them out of the house! So I sent some of the kids to dump them all on the back compost pile....

"These are really nasty!"

All done.....

He has a Hat

11/13/2017

I finished my Santa's hat this morning, and I love how he looks in it....so "Santa"...

I chose to add a tassel to the end of the hat, instead of a pompom. I felt it suited the overall look better. He also has some pants now - made of a soft, stretchy velour-type fabric. I just made them nice and wide at the top, with an elastic waist, and tapering down his legs so they'd fit into the tops of his boots. I figured he'd be wearing a vest overtop anyways, so there was no point in making a proper waistband - so now there's lots of room for all those cookies and milk.

Being the 'yo-yo' that I am, never being able to make up my mind, I've decided to make a one-piece top simulating a vest over a long-sleeve shirt. For sure this time (I've already cut it out).

I was starting to think his neck was looking a bit short - or maybe it's his beard just making him look like he has a really short neck - but I want to reduce the amount of fabric on top of his shoulders, keeping it to a minimum. So combining the shirt and vest into one garment, means reducing a layer on his shoulders.