Sweat Shop

Poor dolly is nekkid. All her clothes have gone to her as-yet-unnamed counterpart in Wisconsin. She looked good in the outfits before she got stripped down, though.

The Aran pullover I had so much trouble with came out nicely in the end. It’s the”Fisherman Knit Sweater” from Best Doll Clothes Book by Joan Hinds and Jean Becker. It’s a good pattern, but the authors refer you to other sweaters in the book for shaping, but not until after they tell you how to make the pattern. If you want to make this sweater, I recommend reading my notes on the Ravelry page for the project to avoid the pitfalls I encountered. The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Sport in “Bare.”

The skirt came from McCalls Crafts 2506, only I put elastic in the waist instead of cord.

Dolly is ready for hiking in her hiking outfit. The shirt came from the pattern and the shorts from the book (see links above).

For the hat, I used the pillbox hat brim for the sides of the hat and the hat top from the pattern McCalls 2506. I used the witch hat brim from the doll clothes book, only I made the witch hat brim 1” shorter all around. I made two hat tops; put one inside-out inside the other and sewed them to the brim, which was two brims sewed right-sides together, turned right-side out and top stitched with concentric circles 1/4" apart.

Dolly's slippers came from this Ravelry pattern. I used Swish Worsted in “Lotus” and added a pom-pom to the top front of each slipper.

I improvised Dolly's mittens from this pattern, but knit it in the round with slightly thicker yarn, in this case, Swish Worsted in Hollyberry.

They’re really thick, but the package was going out Saturday, and the thicker yarn went fast. This was important, because I finished them about 9:00 PM Friday night, then still had to wrap all the packages going in the box to DD and her family. The mittens have a double-stranded crochet chain cord connecting them, which will go through the coat’s sleeves, so the doll doesn’t lose one in the snow.

Except for the boots, Dolly’s rain outfit was purchased online from The Doll Clothes Store in Silverton, Oregon. The boots came with Dolly. She nearly cried when she parted with them. I’ll have to make it up to her.

I packaged up the outfits in separate zipper bags, so it would be clear which things go together, in case that’s important. Here’s what it all looked like ready to ship. (That boxed outfit in the back was a freebie that came with Dolly. The second doll didn't come with it, so I sent that along, too.)

Poor Dolly really needs some clothes. I enjoy looking at her, so I will have to get on it when I have time. 

Vintage stitchers had their annual potluck holiday party/meeting on Thursday. Included in our show-and-tell was Julie’s album, which she had made as part of a class at Davidene’s in working with felt and embroidery. The album contains all her resource info.

Julie had finished the kitty she was making for her granddaughter, who picked out the colors for the cat and the dress.

Diane’s showed us this quilt top. She is going to put on a border, and she collected suggestions on how to deal with it.

Barbara was making floor pillows for her grandkids. You use a twin sheet folded lengthwise into a tube overlapping in back. Then you turn it right-side out and sew compartments to hold bed pillows.

Our first performance of the Park City Singers holiday concert was held Sunday evening. As always, it was fun. We still have one more performance to go this week. After that I can concentrate on the music for Christmas Eve.

Our annual holiday letter is in the mail. Whew!

Finally, we got more snow. I hope we can get out with the pups and do some snowshoeing soon. Everyone stay warm!

What's on my needles:  Only the Trickle Socks now.

What's on my Featherweight: Finished with doll clothes for now. Still sewing on the binding for my Crystal Stars and waiting on the last two blocks of the Kaleidoscope Quilt. After I clean up my fiber studio. It looks as if a tornado went through there. (I was the tornado.)

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Listening to Christmas and holiday music. Still reading The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer on the Nook app.

What's in my wine glass: Nathanson Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, with the frog on the label...of course. Based on my past, I see lots of frogging in my future.

What's my tip of the week: Precise cutting is so important when you’re quilting. If your fabric is about at dark as your cutting board, especially if it's the same color, it will be easier to see the edges for cutting if you turn it to the wrong side, which is usually lighter. Of course, this wouldn't work for homespun or batik, but it does for most other fabrics.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

All Dolled Up

Most of my fiber time this week was spent making clothes for an 18" Madame Alexander doll, whom I've named Dolly. (Creative, right?) I finished the cardigan. Here it is on the model:

I couldn't get Dolly to hold onto the sleeves of the fleece turtleneck she was wearing, so it was a struggle to git it on her, and the neck was a little tight because of the shirt, but it works.

Dolly's clothes will be a Christmas present for DGD2. I bought a similar Madame Alexander doll and had it sent to her mother, so I don't have to worry that the doll won't get there in time, and I can enjoy working on the clothes using a doll I get to keep.

I made sweats for her from a T-shirt that didn't fit me:

From fabrics in my quilting stash, I made a dress and pinafore...


...with some bloomers to go with the outfit. (I made the socks, too.)

She needed some regular panties, so after some experimentation, I ended up with these:

She will need more pairs, but they should go faster, now that I've established the design. Someone on Ravelry also mentioned that knitted undies work up fast. I may try that, too. I also got sucked into buying some knitting patterns for this kind of doll, like this and this. What can I say? They just fell into my cart. Well, I had some inspiration (encouragement) from the Ravelry group "American Girl Knitters."

I've made some progress on the Aran Pullover for Dolly. The pattern (and the patterns for all of the clothes I've shown you so far, other than the panties, which I improvised from the bathing suit pattern) is from Best Doll Clothes Book by Joan Hinds and Jean Becker. This is the front and back. I was a little confused with the references to other patterns in the book, and having to go back and forth from one page to another (I hate that!) but I finally figured it out.

Common Threads met at Lynda's on Thursday. Julie was finishing up this sweater for her granddaughter.



Julie also has finished the Kitty from Little Cotton Rabbits for her DGD, who picked the colors for the animal and clothes.

Here's the skirt for kitty.


Julie also had finished (she's been busy) this Thanksgiving quilt top. The turkeys are from Buggy Barn's Crazy Turkey quilt. And a panel.

She also had finished this cross stitch:

The framing was done by someone in Ogden who is very creative.

Julie's mother will be getting this one:

She has figured out how to get a lot done. She has extended family living with her full time, but she has a getaway in Washington, just out of St. George, where its warmer and she can be alone to play. It's a mobile home in the mobile home/RV park with pool and other facilities, where we had out quilt retreat. (Color me envious.)

However, she doesn't have her long-arm quilting machine there. She has had my Crystal Stars Quilt since the beginning of the year. It's finally ready, though, the quilting all done and only the binding and label to go. It was definitely worth waiting for! She did a great job with the custom quilting (her design). I threw it on the bed, but didn't adjust the pillows, because they would have covered up the border.

I was inspired for this quilt originally by the Connecting Threads "Sumptuous" quilt kit, now out in a new colorway. However, the hand-quilter in me didn't like all the extra seams, so I redrafted it, as I described in this blog post.

Friday was breezy, but otherwise nice, so we took a hike/walk with pups on the Gorgoza bike trail.

Ms. Moose paid us a visit on Saturday to prune the wild roses in our front yard, a service she provides annually.

What's on my needles:  Aran Pullover for Dolly and dishcloths more finished.

What's on my Featherweight: Doll clothes. Also binding for my Crystal Stars and still two blocks of the Kaleidoscope Quilt, still two blocks to go.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished Signature Kill by David Levien, another Audible Deal of the Day. It’s a crime novel. It was gruesome, but well written and interesting. Fans of Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwell and James Patterson will enjoy it. Also listened to Jodi Taylor’s short story “Christmas Present,” based on her Chronicles of St. Mary series. Very funny and entertaining. Finished The Murder at Sissingham Hall by Clara Benson, a murder mystery set in 1920s-era England on the Kindle app. It was good. Now reading The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer on the Nook app.

What's in my wine glass: Foxhorn Merlot, in the big bottle a very nice choice in bargain wines.

What's my tip of the week: A medical hemostat is useful for quilting and sewing. Too many sts stacked onto your hand quilting needle? No problem. Use the hemostat to pull the needle through. Need to hold onto elastic while sewing it to your doll clothes project? No problem. Use the hemostat to hold onto the elastic. Need to remove a plastic cap with a tear-off strip from a bottle? Use the hemostat to hold onto it and pull. Besides medical supply stores, you can often find hemostats at some quilt shops.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Working for Santa

Thanksgiving cut into my play time this past week. However, I was able to get this doll sweater finished. 

The pattern is "Very Easy Cardigan for American Girl or 18" Doll" by Ceci Riehl. The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll in "Dogwood Heather," left over from my Pink Monkey Socks. My Ravelry page for the project is here. I don't have the actual doll yet (probably tomorrow, delivery was delayed because of a blizzard...here), but this Madame Alexander 18" doll is the one coming for a visit. (Photo from Madame Alexander website.):

The name of the doll is "Let It Snow," appropriate for this time of year. She has a soft body and vinyl head, arms and legs, similar to the American Girl Dolls.

I'll be making her some clothes before sending her on to Miss Daphne (but shhhh...don't tell) for Christmas. I really enjoy making clothes for dolls, as I reported on in this blog post and this one. (Links go to Blogger, just to simplify things.) I spent some time during the week tearing my fiber studio apart, looking for my old doll patterns. I was successful in finding all my doll patterns, but it left my studio in a mess. This gives me a chance to reorganize. I also spent some time reading posts in the American Girl Knitters Ravelry group, which features discussions about various 18" dolls, not just American Girl dolls, and clothing, both knitted and sewn. One of the nice things about sewing and knitting for dolls (or babies, for that matter) is that you can finish a project quickly, so it's almost instant gratification. I bought some shoes and other goodies for the doll at Michaels. You can make shoes for these dolls, but the shoes made for dolls this size will fit nicely, and I'm trying to save some time.

Watch for photos of more doll clothes next week. (Wish me luck!)

We also had no minigroup meeting last week because the day we meet is Thursday, and everyone was otherwise occupied. DGD1, my BIL, DH and our next-door neighbor enjoyed a nice dinner on Thanksgiving. Cleanup was easier this year because I used dishes that could go into the dishwasher. It helps that some family members are more than happy to do the pre-wash on the dishes, and pots and pans. Here's a photo of my pre-wash specialists, resting up from all their hard work getting the plates ready to wash.

DGD1 left us about 5:30 PM to work all night for "Black Friday." She has been working at two fashion retail outlets at the local outlet mall, but will start next week working at another one full time with benefits for more pay. With luck, I should be able to get my car back. Someday my guest room, too.

What's on my needles:  Still hand-quilting the Delectable Pathways (aka "Peggy's Sistine Chapel"), knitting the Trickle Brick Socks and dishcloths, no progress this week, but almost finished.

What's on my Featherweight: Kaleidoscope Quilt, still two blocks to go, as I didn’t get any quilting done this past week.

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Finished listening to If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch, a Deal of the Day from Audible. Then listened to Georgette Heyer’s first Inspector Hemingway mystery, No Wind of Blame. Both were excellent, but very different. Now I’m listening to Signature Kill by David Levien, another Audible Deal of the Day. It’s a crime novel. Seems good so far. Still reading The Murder at Sissingham Hall by Clara Benson, a murder mystery set in 1920s-era England on the Kindle app.

What's in my wine glass: Columbia Crest’s Horse Heaven Hills (H3) 2009 Merlot. Yum! One of my new favorites.

What's my tip of the week: If you find your back, shoulders, neck or arms get tired while knitting or doing embroidery or appliqué, try using a small pillow in your lap to hold your work. This is takes the strain off muscles during hand work.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.

Feeling Grateful

For Joanie’s birthday present, I promised to sew together the paper-pieced pine tree blocks Julie, Janet and I helped her make.

They had been sitting in her craft room. Joanie has had a difficult year, health wise, and hadn’t been able to sew them together. She wants to embroider wild grasses over the cornerstones, and that is a project she can work on while sitting on the couch or carry with her. to doctors’ visits. I presented the completed top to her at Common Threads, which met at Ellen’s on Thursday morning..

The design (other than the construction of the paper-pieced pine tree block) was Joanie’s, as was the selection of fabrics and the layout. Everyone enjoyed seeing it, even the nonquilters in the group.

We had a good meeting, and it was great to have Ellen back from Florida, even for just a couple of weeks.

Georgette is almost done with her afghan:

Margareth is working on a fox hat from the pattern “Foxy & Wolfie.” 

Our newest member, Birna, who is an excellent knitter, is making a hat.

Park City Quilt Guild met Thursday evening. We talked about fabric storage. Some people use wooden shoe storage units or nice cabinets. Bins are usually a last resort, because it’s hard to see what you have. 

Then we had show-and-tell. Here are some of the quilts and quilt tops we got to see.

A hexagon quilt:

I don’t know what to call this block design, but it’s sort of a cross between Delectable Mountains and Log Cabin:

This miniature quilt was a kit, but there wasn’t enough of the binding. Members of the guild suggested she substitute one of the dark colors from the little blocks for binding, and the quilt maker loved the idea. Before a few minutes had passed, she had the binding off.

One of my favorites was this great flannel appliqué bunny quilt:

This huge quilt sports bright, large-motif fabrics and a flower quilting design.

Jill always has something amazing to show us. Here are some modern pine trees, and she made pillow shams with some of the scraps.

I think Lynn called this quilt her “Santabaum.” Half tree and half Santa:

Another quilter showed us a mini quilt she had made from a photo of her mother when she was younger. Her mother made one of her at the same time. A great mother-daughter project.

I have a Tumbler quilt, but it looks nothing like this one, even though the tumblers are exactly the same size. The fabrics make such a difference. Mine is a charm quilt, but this one uses the same fabrics over and over and has a much more modern look.

Saturday we had a work party to make a quilt to commemorate the life of Sam Jackenthal, who died in a ski accident in Australia, where he had gone to compete.

Ellen’s grandson skied and competed with and was friends with Sam. A teacher at the Park City Winter Sports School, where they were students together, found out that Ellen was a quilter and asked her to put together the hand-painted fabric squares fellow students at the school had made as a way to deal with their grief at losing their friend.

Davidene allowed us to set up our machines in her shop, and Patti, who was working that day, cut our fabric strips for sashing between waiting on customers.

Several volunteers from Common Threads and the Park City Quilt Guild came with their machines to help put the blocks together into four-patch blocks and sew together with sashing.

We were finished with the top by 2:00 PM. Now it goes to Julie, who has promised to quilt it for us.

When I look at all the misfortunes of others, I feel grateful for all I have. Life hasn’t always been easy, but I have my health. All three of my children, their spouses and all five of our grandchildren are alive and healthy. I have a DH who dotes on me in his strange and intriguing way and doesn’t mind that I take up half the house with my fiber fun or that I cook vegetarian. We have two delightful pups who remain healthy and continue to entertain us as they enter their older years. I don't always know what my next meal will be, but I know there will be good food. My house may be colder than I like, but it's warmer than outside. I have adequate health insurance.I have friends (local, far away and online) who knit, quilt, crochet, weave and embroider and who continue to inspire me. There is a nice shop full of yarn and spinning fiber and another full of quilting fabrics, patterns and notions within a few minutes' drive. I get to enjoy singing in two choral groups, both led by great vocal directors. Squeeky and Jay-Jay and their friends and relatives keep us entertained. Yes, I’m feeling very grateful this week. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

And just to show I can still dress a turkey….

What's on my needles:  Still hand-quilting the Delectable Pathways (aka "Peggy's Sistine Chapel"), some progress made. Still knitting the Trickle Brick Socks and dishcloths almost finished.

What's on my Featherweight: Kaleidoscope Quilt, two blocks to go, and then I can put them together. 

What's on my iPad/iPhone: Listened to Eva Ibbotson’s Magic Flutes from Audible. Now listening to If You Find Me, which was a Deal of the Day from Audible awhile back. Finished Three Silver Doves by Deborah Garn on the Kindle app. Now reading The Murder at Sissingham Hall by Clara Benson, a murder mystery set in 1920s-era England.

What's in my wine glass: Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. Very nice, and worth the big bottle.

What's my tip of the week: Corrugated ribbing is often used in Fair Isle or other stranded knitting, but why? Here is an example of Fair Isle knitting with corrugated ribbing at the bottom of the photo:

Aside from the added color (corrugated ribbing uses two colors, one for the knit sts and one for the purl sts), the stranded ribbing is thicker and somewhat less stretchy than the traditional K1, P1 or K2, P2 rib all in one color, which might seem flimsy when used to anchor a knitted item that is also thicker and less stretchy than plain knit because of the strands across the back. I’m planning on using this when I CO the March of the Fibres Cardigan for DH.

Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals were harmed during the production of this blog post.