A Special Request

I've been neglecting my crafting most of the summer because of our summer vacations.  I can't believe we're already into the holiday season.  Got to dust off my sewing machine and get busy again!

I had a special request by one of my faithful customers for another Raggedy Ann doll.  She wanted a Christmas theme doll made from a Sweet Meadows Farm pattern.  She turned out so sweet.

Getting into the Christmas Spirit - SOLD

Yes, I am getting into the spirit of the upcoming season. What is it about the change in seasons that makes you want to be more creative? Maybe it's because I finally get to breathe fresh air. Yes, today I have my windows open and am enjoying the gentle breeze blowing in from the Gulf of Mexico. I live in southwest coast of Florida where we have our air conditioning running from April through November.

Here is the other Christmas Raggedy Annie doll I mentioned yesterday. I completed her and her little snowman this morning. She is already listed on Ebay.

Back in the Doll Making Mood

I just finished another Raggedy Annie doll and listed her on Etsy. She is a primitive Christmas Raggedy Ann with her little Teddy Bear. I made her from a Sweet Meadows Farm pattern and she is cute as a button.

I also started another doll today which will be my own design. Check back tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have it completed and listed on either Ebay or Etsy.

I found the neatest little tool for dollmaking. I've read plenty of patterns that call for stuffing your dolls using a hemostat. Well I finally bought one and what a different it makes when you are trying to stuff those skinny little legs.

Slowly Progressing in the Kitchen

What a slow process this has been. It seems like I have been working on my kitchen table and chairs forever. I'm back to working 40 hours a week again so time is limited. I guess that's a good thing and I should be lucky to have a full-time job, however I miss having that one extra day off per week to hit the thrift stores and work on my crafts. I have the table and one chair completely finished. I love the way the chair turned out. It has such a clean sppearance with the black and white check upholstery fabric contrasting against the black wood. I have three other chairs painted. I just need to finish covering the old seats and then I will have four completed chairs to put under the table. I took this photo to show the original chairs - white oak with hunter green seats. They definitely needed to be updated. Hopefully by next weekend I will have the last two chairs painted and then I'll have time to concentrate on a new project.



Speaking of projects, I started embroidering Gail Pan's Christmas Wish BOM. The blocks work up quickly. Maybe I'll make more than one set of the blocks and turn them into Christmas gifts.



Another project that I want to start is a quilted wallhanging in a primitive/country design to hang in my great room. It can't be anything too large, but needs to fit the quilt rack shelf that I found at Goodwill - (another project I'll need to paint). I have cathedral ceiling that comes to a peak above my antique sideboard which should allow me plenty of room to hang it, but I'm hoping it doesn't look strange having a shelf too high on the wall. I ordered this primitive quilt pattern book from Amazon. It's called Garden Club Quilts. I saw many patterns that I would like to incorporate into my project. Hopefully Mr. Mailman will deliver it by this weekend.

Amish Doll

My daughter Jenn is an avid reader of Beverly Lewis' Amish novels. Since I am making primitive dolls, I thought it would be appropriate to make her an Amish doll. I just finished this doll last night - just in time to wrap up for Christmas. Shhh! Don't tell her.

(Jenn was thrilled with her new Amish doll on Christmas Day.)