Back!

I have not abandoned my blog. 

Just a brief hiatus that included lots of cooking, cleaning, wrapping, 

relaxing and not relaxing. 

Lots of knitting, but very little sewing.

 More posts this weekend,

including new doll stuff.

Until then, a few random still lives from around my house.

a small history

When it comes to sewing and knitting—I prefer small.

Small projects, small clothing, especially doll clothes.

I think small.  When I see a children’s sweater or a dress I like, I start miniaturizing the pattern for the doll version in my head.

I have been sewing clothing small and otherwise since I was eight. I have sewn doll clothing for my sister, cousins, daughters, nieces, friends, friends’ daughters, school auctions, charity auctions and eBay. I have given away over a dozen Sasha dolls all with accompanying wardrobes and probably as many American Girl dolls. 

Below are a few examples.

I love to design the clothing. As for style, I prefer classic yet playful. I also like to mix it up a bit. The combinations need to be playful.

I enjoy attention to detail. Vintage hem tapes, finishing seams with a tiny serger stitch, hand stitching, pretty linings, tiny tags. No detail is to small to have fun with.

Some small favorites

This sweater was inspired by another sweater and another blog. It is a small simplified doll version that I drafted from a sweater I love on a blog I love. It is derived from the Playful Stripes Sweater on Never Not Knitting. If you have not visited this blog before, I highly recommend checking out the link to Alana's podcast. 

A Nature Spun version above. 

The first sweater was knit with St. Denis Nordique. Below is my stash of St. Denis Nordique yarn. Why do I have so much? It has been discontinued AND is on sale. Enough said. The yarn was created by the knitwear designer Veronik Avery. It is squishy, yummy, fun to knit with, and, as you can see, has  amazing colors. 

Tuesday's Tools Discussion--Week One

After years of sewing I have developed a pretty good relationship with my tools. I know what I need when. I try not to be lazy when a particular something is not in reach, or even downstairs. The right gadget makes a huge difference to both my mood and the finished product.

Scissors, probably the most important sewing tool. A lot of sewing is cutting. Cutting fabric, threads, seams, patterns... Here are four of the five cutting tools I cannot live without for cutting on a small scale (I am saving a discussion of rotary cutters for a different time);

a. My itty bitty Gingher scissors. 4 inches long. Bought about a decade ago from Farmhouse Fabrics. Yes, I paid $50 for these little bitty scissors. Ten years later, they are still sharp and still so essential, so essential I wish I had a second pair. They are easy to lose. I use them to snip threads and thread. Not such an exciting task, made fun and accurate with these scissors. 

b. A basic X-Acto blade. I prefer this to the traditional seam ripper. You have to be accurate with the tip, change it often, but if you catch the right thread, ripping a seam can be much cleaner and quicker.

c. Heavy sharp pinking shears. These are not an expensive variety. I bought them on Amazon and don't advise spending a lot on pinking shears because they eventually dull and cannot be sharpened, so you will need a new pair. I finish most seams with my serger. But when it is impossible, due to the size or the curve. I will use these. The heft helps cut through several layers when you need to cut over a cross seam.

d. A medium weight sewing scissors. These Westcott ones came from Fabric.com. The larger ones are great, but not for sewing small.

one "small" obsession

Adding the "small" tags.

Hoarding or Collecting?

My obsessions generate a lot of stuff. Skeins of yarn, stacks of fabric, spools of thread, rolls of trim, jars of buttons, patterns, books, etc… Fellow crafters might call this a stash.  When I’m honest with myself, I’m not so certain. Is it a stash, is it hoarding or maybe, could it possibly be elevated to a collection?

And exactly how do you draw the lines between any of these terms?

A stash seems simple. Having a supply on hand in case you run out. Enough yarn to make a quick gift or pair of socks on a sick day without going on a search for a “good” yarn. A stash is easy to justify and if small enough may not require a justification. I realize it is a current knitting trend to push the limits of what can be considered a stash.

Both hoarding and collecting mean acquiring more than you will likely use. Maybe hoarders imagine they will use what they obtain and collectors actually try not to. In that case, I’m somewhere in the middle.

Maybe hoarders cannot organize their loot and collectors relish the organizing and displaying. In that case, I am the latter. I love arranging my buttons, trims and fabrics almost as much as I do eventually using them.

For the most part, I am inspired by my stuff. I love piecing together the components of a project—the trim, the buttons, the lining, the threads. Each selection propels me into a deeper trance with the project. 

But I only feel inspired when I have the time to sew or knit. When I don’t and I see all of my fabric and yarn, I just feel deprived of time--the one thing that cannot be hoarded, collected or stashed.

Play

When my oldest daughter was a baby, our first American Girl Doll catalog arrived. Back then they were Pleasant Company. The dolls and their stories sprung from a vision of Rowland Pleasant.  As soon as I saw that catalog, which at the time only showcased five dolls, I wanted to be Rowland Pleasant.

Since I was a child I have miniaturized life through the creation of dolls, their clothes and accessories. Her vision sparkled with charm and a freshness that I imagined captured what a real doll should be.  They looked like dolls that would be treasured and passed down to daughters and granddaughters. Of course, I bought one for my daughter, well before she was close to the suggested age.

By the time my youngest was old enough for one of these dolls, I no longer felt this way.  Although I am still charmed by the miniaturization of life that bubbles out of American Girl catalogs, the dolls and their accessories are everywhere--boxes and boxes of them in playrooms, basements and yard sales.

Not all girls play with dolls. But those who do, I am fairly certain, want a doll that has an essence that speaks to them and provokes their imagination. A doll that is somewhat unique. She has enough, but, not everything.  Dolls whose sweet classic (yet simple) features will span decades and will always evoke the cherished feeling of childhood play.  

I will never be Rowland Pleasant.

However, I am hoping my dolls and their wardrobes will spark such feelings.

Still just warming up

Still playing with the camera setting, lighting and background.

A more cheery than usual Monday morning

Daughter is off to school with none of the usual Monday morning grumpiness, a warm run in the fog and good daylight for photography. A better than usual Monday morning. Knock on wood.

progress

Here's my first try using the Nikon and white fabric. Yes, it needs ironing, but I am inching in the right direction.

details

Why is it I so love sewing on buttons and hate sewing on snaps? Maybe because buttons are fun to choose and add that final touch that makes the item speak to you. Snaps just keep it from falling off.