August 26, 2021

When I last posted I was showing that there had been great progress on completing the “Knight to Remember” Dress.  This was an Alice Leverette workshop at St. Simons Island.  It was a full workshop with about 30 participants.  Due to me being in the sponsoring club, I also had work assignments for the weekend and managed to not complete the garment and allowed it to sit for quite some time.

But alas with some perseverance, the dress was complete.  All the beading and flowers have been added. 

It was time to add some jewels.  Here you see a necklace being made, and the earrings to match. 

Progression of making the necklace.

    Jewels are just right! 

Perfect additions!

What dance is complete with a fan? Beautiful!

 August 20, 2021

 

I reported before that I was trying to complete an unfinished project a month until I seemed to be caught up.  I completed this project in May.  The workshop is called Knight to Remember, St. Simons Island, 2013.   This was the inspiration picture for the project:

My partially completed project had languished for quite some time. Pulling the contents, I reviewed the directions and discerned the kit was complete.  However, I needed to start over as I had skipped around in the making of the pieces.  The skirt was completed but as memory served the ruffle was giving me fits.  And true it was only pinned in places and basted incorrectly in others.  The main portion of the bodice was complete but I was stopped in the middle of decorating and attaching the sleeves.  The sleeves were being worked one at a time, so one sleeve was flat and unworked the other nearly completed.   I will add, at the time, I was a member of the club sponsoring the workshop and I had other duties to perform during the groups’ visit.   

Here we are with a slip and ready to go.

This reckoning with what I had done and had not done was confusing at first. Here the sleeves are partially completed.

The start of skirt repair and redo. Staring me in the face was the skirt ruffle that caused me a lot of grief.  Removing the ruffle thus began the slow process, of straightening it, pressing it, and dividing it again.  There were many peaks and dips to getting the ruffle on correctly.  I finally made a line with the sections marked was a better method for me to get the proportions straight.  It took a week, but the skirt, fewer beads, and bows were completed, fitted, and on the doll. It was my intention to complete both the skirt and the bodice before adding any of the jewels and bows that would finish the outfit.   While I was at it I made the extra bows.  I was on a roll and would get the outfit done soon.  Little did I know it would take the full month.    I'll be back with more!   In the meantime,  Have Fun! Kathi

 July 29, 2021

 Things are catching up a bit around here, but not so you could really tell.  It has been a lot of work, but I am still working on the dining room table.  I don't know if I am blaming the slowness of my purging and organizing, or if I just like working downstairs where there is more life and sunlight.  Perhaps a bit of both.  

I would be remiss before going forward on my projects if I didn’t talk a little about my Ultimate Fashion Doll.  I had named her Molly after my grandmother Mary Lee.  All her life her nickname was Molly, and we the grandchildren were born, we called her Grandmolly.   Family quirks.  As many use French girl’s names for their French Fashion, my doll had arrived in the USA and Mary became Molly, and that was it. 

I had Molly for quite some years, she’s been in pictures on the blog with her cousin Emilie Claire.  One of her dresses was featured here in 2009,  I think.  

May I interject here, in spite of the levity which I write, I was devastated.  My friend, Gillian, was quite dejected and did not want to give me the bad news.  I was literally sick to my stomach, and for a little white depressed about the whole thing.  Gillian was to photograph our “girls” together and then take my doll to an Alice Leverett workshop she was attending to deliver her to Alice for a little tightening and refurbishment.  The doll would be returned as Gillian got home.    

The stars did not align.  We set upon the process of making a claim for the doll.  I had paid for an additional $1000.00 of insurance.  After about 6 weeks, the claim was denied at the post office.  I had according to instructions provided proof of value by suing several sold auctions in lieu of an original receipt.  But they wanted the original.  Alice worked diligently to get the original receipt, as I had lost or misplaced mine, I mean three moves since the purchase of the doll, and she produced one for me and even set aside a replacement head at the same time.  It took 3 months to file a claim, have the claim turned down, and then fight for it.  Finally, 6 months later, I was rewarded with about $695.00 on a thousand-dollar claim.  But we were allowed to salvage the body, so all was not lost.  Later, I received devastating news.  The replacement head was broken in a small household accident and the doll was not to be produced any longer.  I had a body and no head!  

I explored the idea of joining Emilie Claire's head to Molly's body.  Emilie's body was not well done (I made her).  But Gillian had other ideas.  Her friend Lynn would make me a new doll head. The next hurdle, she only had a head for a doll face that was not a particular favorite of mine.  More months passed while I pouted and thought.  I was convinced to examine it first and make a decision when I had compared the heads.  So this is what I did.    

What I received was a beautiful face on a Smiling Bru reproduction head.  Emilie’s head was a bit too large for the doll, so I grudgingly place the Smiling Bru on the UFD body.  May I say, after 2 years of hedging and grumbling and fighting it, yea, two years, I now have a new and favorite doll.  It was as if it was meant to be.  I have considered naming her Eugenie after the French Empress, Napoleon III’s wife, or name her after the two ladies whose patience and persistence to replace the lost Molly. She remains nameless today, three years later.   One day I will settle the doll name issue. 

Until then I thought would introduce you to my newly refurbished French Fashion Ultimate Fashion Doll, body by Alice Leverett, head by Lynn S.  (I did not ask permission to reveal her name.) But kudos to Lynn and Gillian.  Thank you. She is just so beautiful.  

More about her burgeoning wardrobe as we go along.  

I am having fun!  

Kathi

 

May 20

For three years we have been in a state of disorganization and remodeling.  If anyone has moved and lived in the house during remodeling, you understand completely the stress and discombobulation that I describe. 

The house is nearly complete.  There are some smaller projects that need doing but for now, we are taking a building break.  Once the upstairs was “finished” I started opening boxes and putting things away.  Apparently, I need to purge some more.  I am so overwhelmed with the organizing at this point. 

I have followed along with Cas Aarsen of Clutterbug.  https://clutterbug.me/get-started

Purchasing her book has allowed me to read slower and digest her advice.  I have been an organizer from childhood practically and am trying desperately to drop excessive habits.  I am Cricket in her test, with some crossover bits of a ladybug.   I am trying desperately to be a patient Cricket, waiting for perfection by first macro-organizing.  Apparently, according to Cas and I identify with what she is suggesting, I am an overthinker and an over organizer…for now.  This process is difficult for me.  She has in her blog and videos suggested that I first MACRO organize.  In the middle of this wonderful exercise of using a big bin and putting everything in it for this one subject, for example, sewing machine accouterments.  , I find I am putting smaller boxes in that big box that is supposed to be for general organizing.  Stopping that micro-organizing is a bit of a challenge.  I sort into different categories.  Don’t let me get started on miniatures, paleez!    

When I first moved from the “big house “I downsized by half.  The first decision was to define what I actually wanted to do in hobbies as it was apparent, I was not going to continue down the road of doing everything I pleased.  (Anyone who is into doll making or costuming knows it is hard to give it all up as we use all those skills in this one pursuit.)  I pared down ruthlessly.  Not quite enough, though.  Getting my 30’ X 15’ hobby room to a 12’ X 12’ room was excruciating.  I wound up using a wall in the garage as well. 

Not long after that endeavor, we moved again.  The space is similar, but the rooms organized a different way.  Here we go again! I still have too much. 

Am working on divesting myself of dolls, miniatures, fabrics, tools, excess projects, it is a chore.  So, my friends, I have been overwhelmed with sorting, purging, donating, trashing (why did I save that piece of paper or that inch of fabric?  And no, it cannot become an inchie art piece!) 

Upstairs in this “new to us” home, there are three rooms.  One is a nice guestroom for us, the second is a similar in size third bedroom.  This to be my sewing room as it has a large picture window.  And finally, the bonus at the top of the stairs is a closet built into the rafters and finished off.  This is my stock room.  Well, it will be when I finish as right now the whole house feels like my stockroom. 

The bedroom is a sorting and stacking station for each “leg” of the organizing.  The stockroom is still sort of a hide it space, and I am working on it, box at a time.  I have a large organizing chest from a Paula Deen furniture collection, and now 6 Alex cabinets.  The taller 9 drawer ones.  They are currently in a state of reorganization, too.  The hope is when I am finished and labeled, that the cabinets will all be straightened out and everything centered, and pretty.  (I want pretty so badly!)

                This is the stacked-up guest room.  Thankfully, we have no visitors at this time.  
The Sewing or display room is being sorted more and more.  It is beginning to look like a real workroom and will have a pretty display on the bookshelves and the cabinet.  Another Paula Deen furniture piece called "The Bag Lady."                        This will be a nice display and sewing machine corner when completed.  
                                        Currently in a holding pattern.  But a good workplace.  
    It's a start!  I hope this will be pretty, too.  I need to have some skilled doll ladies help me with the                                                                                 display.  

 

January 27, 2021

I don’t even know where to begin!  November for the last report and I was doing so well up until then.

Let’s see, as far as I can tell everyone is blaming Covid-19 for their failures and short galls, so why shouldn’t I join the crowd?  Except that wasn’t it.  Quite frankly, my deadlines caught up with me and I had to let something go.  It takes a long time to write a blog. 

I have created a new project for the MDL group on IO groups.  https://groups.io/g/minidollLIST

And it has taken me longer than I thought to finish creating some kits and writing documents.  The real class starts on the first of February, but I think I am going to get a head start today and tomorrow on it. 

The one thing Covid did was throw a lot of hitches into my get-along for sure.  Delays on supplies and sourcing, errors and restarts, scheduling the month that we cover everything for the project, and the list continues. 

Today I am sharing a couple of pictures of the project with you.  If you want to participate, the “class” is FREE.  You need to join the IO group noted above, however.  And you do need to buy the wonderful “moon” wall insert to make the statement.  All the items can be purchased here, and the directions will be in the group.  A PDF you can download.  See more here: https://www.minikitz.com/ZenStoreP1/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=343

I know this is short, but I am rushed, nothing is changed, but I am catching up.  

Just create and have fun!

Kathi

View of the room from an angle

View of the room from the "Moon Gate" side.

View of the room directly from the front.

Bridal Challenge - The Dress and Veil Bridal Challenge - The Undergarments Bridal Challenge