Little Pink Bird

I begged and pleaded for Alex to order this print for me for Christmas. He ordered it from http://www.etsy.com/ and it (and three others) were my surprise gift under the tree on Christmas morning.

The artist's work is so adorable that I could order every single print in her Etsy shop and hang them all over my house.

I've framed the print called Little Pink Bird and I love it. You can find other sweet prints by Sarah Ahearn here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahearn

Love This Little Picture, No Pun Intended

I wonder if I could take this super cute idea, tweak it a little, and create something similar? Craft paper. A frame. A heart stencil. Would that be stealing someone's idea or just using it as inspiration? Anyways, I love it. You can find the real deal here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahandbendrix

Still Sewing, In Secret

I'm still sewing, but in secret. I'm currently working on Joy's Doll but I want it to be a surprise. As soon as this little project is complete I will post the pictures.

First Online Fabric Shopping Experience

I just ordered this:

Genevieve Gail Fabric Bundle, Flower Bucket Collection, Pink, 7 Half Yards from:

www.etsy.com/shop/fabriccloset

Will be checking the mail obsessively next week. :)

Fishy Fishy Cross My Ocean

Here is a little fish I made today for someone's little birthday. One side is plaid and one side is striped. The fins are made of corduroy.

It was tricky to sew the fins into the body instead of sewing them on afterwards because the curdoroy was so thick. It ended up a bit wonky because of that but it's still cute in a homemade, beginner sort of way.

Thank You Fabricland Lady

Thank you Fabricland lady, for glaring at me like you want to scratch my eyes out when I asked you about my lumpy stuffing issue.

I know it was a dumb question but really, did you have to use that tone of voice? Couldn't you tell that I was already embarrassed to be asking the question to begin with?

According to the lady, "that stuffing isn't for stuffing dolls it's for quilts. You need to use this kind. And you can't just stuff huge chunks in. You have to pull it apart and soften it first."

Oh.

Showing Off Comes Back to Bite You in the Butt

I really, truly was surprised and impressed with how my first two dolls turned out. It seems crazy to me that 4 weeks ago I didn't know how to sew anything and now I can actually make something that looks semi-decent.

Well doesn't showing off come back to bite you in the butt. Last night I was working away on a new doll, but this time I decided to make it a wee bit fancier. So I attempted the ever-elusive....

......pocket.

Maybe it didn't help that it was 11:00 at night and I had the back-to-work-in-the-morning-jitters. Maybe I was just too cocky.

I cut the little rectangle, sewed a decorative edge on top, ironed the seam allowances, then stitched the small fabric piece onto the front of the dress. I was so giddy that I actually, literally, shouted out loud to Alex (who was annoyed because he was watching Holmes on Homes) that, "I MADE A POCKET!"

Then I looked closer. That's when I saw this:



A totally crooked pocket that I sewed...... shut. I'm awesome.

The Making of Doll Number Two

List of Things I Think I Did Sorta Better on Doll #2

1. Her head stays up! I made sure to sew the head onto the body before stuffing it this time. It was quite a bit trickier to tell you the truth, but well worth it in the end.

2. She has more hair and isn't completely bald at the back.

3. The hair is more securely attached (at the top and the pigtails) with double thread.

4. The necklace is stronger (quadruple thread) and is attached more securely at the back.

5. The whole doll is wider and not as weirdly skinny.

6. The whole doll is firmer. I really jammed the stuffing in this time.

7. The hands are shaped like little hexagons to make it look like little fingers.

8. The arms are angled down instead of sticking straight out like a crazy person/doll.

9. I had (a bit) more control when sewing curved bits on the sewing machine. That means a rounder head and rounder feet. Don't want a block-head doll!

10. I got to pick the fabric this time. Way cuter.

Top Three Things That Irk Me The Most About Doll #2

1. She's lumpy.

2. Her neck is kinda wrinkly. She wasn't supposed to have a wrinkle neck.

3. The limbs look at bit stubby.