Christmas 2022

 It’s the day after Christmas and I am again reminded of how fast the seasons come and go😢 I was late in putting up the tree to begin with this year. I wanted to leave it up for the twelve days of Christmas, but will have to take it down because of the pic below.

 

 

Holly really believes the tree is filled with surprises just for her. She just turned a year old December 1 and she can be a little stinker when she wants. She loves to tear things up and looks at it as being a game. So the tree has to come down today, but next year I will but it up on a table.

I enjoyed having my old bears nestled in among the Christmas decor this year. I just love old things, but especially stuffed bears!

 Beatrix bear is my favorite, but I love them all. She is more tattered and torn than the others, but still she is adorable 🥰 I feel tattered and torn. I have not been doing to much art, but I still have hope that in time my need for the creative side of life will resurface. I try to start things , but just can’t seem to finish anything. The loss of my two Sons has been hard. I lost my first Son Jared to a motorcycle accident and my youngest Son Brandon to a drug overdose all in the span of six years. When my youngest Son passed I cried for a solid six months. I am a Christian so I have hope that we will all be together again some day, but that does not stop missing them or the emptiness that engulfs me at times. My faith is my strength and I hold tight to it. This season more than any other I thank God for Jesus. I can’t imagine a life without the hope of eternity. I will say this year I found moments of joy and was thankful to feel that feeling. Lilly and I were baking cookies and started judging our decorating skills and the next thing I know we are rolling on the floor laughing so hard and we could not stop. I needed that!

Having fun playing dress up!

Lilly was playing with her Barbies and I just had to see how the little vintage dress would look on my doll.  I love ❤️ it! I have not made her arms yet, but had a arm from another doll, so I just pinned it on. I love the look of this, so tomorrow I will try to create something similar. Fun!

A New Doll in the Works

Really trying to keep it simple with this doll. In my opinion I have a tendency to overdo it. So as I make her I keep reminding myself to stop and just let it be. There is beauty in simplicity and I have a need to find that with my dolls. Dolls have taken me down many paths of artistic discovery. I have alway enjoyed pieces of art that have a lot going on. I think my new direction may have something to do with this past year. The pandemic has given me time to rethink my likes and dislikes and why. 
 

Butterfly Dance

 A hot day here in sunny Florida, but the butterflies do not seem to mind it at all😊. I woke up this morning and went straight to work on the pattern for these little dolls. Still not the shape I am looking for , but some parts are good, so it’s back to moving lines and and stitching. Legs are too thin.

As I was taking out the garbage this morning I looked up and saw a pretty little nest. No bird to be seen ,so I took a closer look 

Pretty little eggs!!!!

Let’s see if I can load a video to blogger!

 

It did not work earlier, so here goes another try😱

My Mermaid Pattern

 In the next couple of weeks I will be adding some pictures from the past. Pictures I have posted up on Instagram and never posted here. I don’t know why, but for a number of years now, I have had a passion for rag dolls. I sold this mermaid a few months ago. She was made using the pattern I have in my shop.

I loved being able to use some of the old linens and a tatted doily I had had for years. The crown was a beaded Christmas ornament.

It’s Time To Blog Again!

 Yes I will be switching back to spending some of my time here on the old blog! I am back to making dolls. My focus is on embroidery and trying to make a pretty face. I am also trying to experiment with different fabrics for my dolls. The above is Osnburg. I love the fabric for its natural characteristic, but the weave is too loose for me. I stuff my dolls with wool and when stuffing it pulls apart at the seams so that’s not going to be an option. But overall I love the look that I am coming up with. I wanted it to be a little bit more simple with focus on hair and clothing, I have reworked my body pattern a number of times but still have not come up with desired effect, so I’ll just keep on working on it till I get it.

Lilly has been trying her hand at a little sewing on the old hand crank sewing machine and doing a really good job at it. I have two treadle sewing machines and two hand-crank sewing machines so this past week we have been cleaning all of the machines and giving each one a much needed oiling. I love Jones sewing machine for sewing my dolls because the stitches are so tight and small. I pieced one of my patterns and messed up, so I grabbed a seam reaper, the stitches were so tight I could not get it apart.It is an amazing machine!!!!! 

I really doubt many will visit this blog, but I like it here and here I will stay! I can load as many pictures or videos as I please. I will still post on Instagram but I find myself spending more and more less time on that platform.