On a happier note...

I got a new lightbox.  I took some photos of Janie, a Little Darling (sculpted by Dianna Effner, mold #2, painted by Lana Dobbs).  She's wearing an "experimental" dress.  I used some plain white muslin because I didn't want to waste any white batiste, but in the end I think it came out alright and  maybe is better in muslin because it's not so sheer!  I used a Rosemary Ionker pattern from one of her books.  I wanted to try pintucking combined with hand-embroidery.

Hankie Outfit

Willa was my model for the Hankie Challenge on the Our Little Darlings Yahoo Group.  I used a white sheer vintage hankie with pretty white embroidery to pleat for the top and I embellished it with coral embroidery. The skirt is a pleated coral floral hankie which is attached at the waist to a crocheted waistband that closes in back with a button.  It was fun to make.  I used a scrap of the skirt fabric to make a bow for her hair.  Just some basic info about the doll:  Dianna Effner's Little Darling Sculpt #1 with a hand-painted face by Lana Dobbs (she was a custom order).

Just because...

Janie's Face, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

Janie was modeling for the etsy shop update, but her face was so pretty that I had to photograph it close up!

Janie in her Christmas Swap Dress

Janie in Christmas Dress, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

Janie is wearing a dress we received in a swap from Sandy on the Our Little Darlings Yahoo Group. It's beautifully made by Judy LaManna and has a dress, pinafore, petticoat and undies! Sandy also gave me some candy (already eaten!), a gingerbread man in a stocking and a lovely bar of scented soap from Colonial Williamsburg. Lots of fun!

 

In other news, there has been a lot of quiet on the blog lately because I have had no sewing time!  I have been spending every free minute making my duck run completely covered in hardware cloth and with no gaps greater than 1/2" in diameter.  There was an incident involving a mink (during the day, while we were home) that I am still not feeling up to discussing.  There are seven remaining ducks and the chickens have been on lock-down inside their coop with only supervised run time since Dec. 14 when it happened.   A completely mink/weasel proof chicken run is in the works for the spring, but until then we are making  do with what we have and being very careful.  I cannot catch the mink in my havahart but I'm still trying.  It has been a bad year for predators around here.

Willa's Party Dress

Willa has a new dress, made of a pretty grey and pink cotton with a silk ribbon rose on a velvet ribbon sash!




Here's the full view:

Sewing Again

Red headed friends, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

I made three dresses for the Effner Little Darlings these past few days. I had two days off in a row and put them to good use! Anne of Green Gables is modeling a petticoat-style dress in vintage rose fabric and Willa is modeling a circle-yoked dress with tiny embroidery on the border of the yoke. Both are my own design. Emma is modeling a yellow dress with dark brown embroidery. I used a pattern in the Storybook Costumes for Dolls book by Londie Phillips to make this dress. It was a productive few days here!

Ahh...summer at last!

Willa relaxing, a photo by elizabeth's*whimsies on Flickr.

Willa is relaxing in the morning sunshine after picking a little wildflower for her hair. I made the dress from a pattern I drafted myself to fit her. The hem is embroidered with chicken-scratch embroidery, which looks so pretty but is very time consuming to do. I made it through nine episodes of Lost while working on this embroidery!

Here is a close up, just because she is so beautifully painted.  Lana is painting me another Little Darling, I'm happy to say!  She does such beautiful work!

And another photo just because.

A reminder of spring

The eyes of this doll just called out for a green themed dress and the color reminds me of springtime.  The flower seemed to be just the thing for her hair.  I asked Lana to leave the wig detached on this doll, in case I wanted to rewig her, but I can't imagine her in any other wig, so I might glue it down.  Her coloring and personality fit this particular style of hair.

The dress is made from quilter's cottons.  The jacket is, as well, and I happened upon the tiny buttons at Joann Fabrics and knew I would use them eventually.  The jacket pattern is actually sized for Bethany Kish but worked well on this doll.  It's fully lined and matches the dress.  She has little pantaloons underneath.

Willa, Hand-Painted by Lana Dobbs

 

This is my newest Effner Little Darling.  She's hand-painted by Lana Dobbs and is just amazing!  Even her little fingernails and toenails are painted.  I have to make her a unique outfit, since she's borrowed Zoe's, but I couldn't resist photographing her.  She came recently, and actually on the same day as another Effner I had pre-ordered.  I will be posting about the other little girl, Emma Leigh Addison, very soon.