Little Darling Loves Raggedy Ann

This has been the strangest year.  So many upsets, yes.  But, the weather's been pretty out of kilter, too.  Last week saw a winter storm passing through, which dumped a foot of snow in the Sierras.  In some ways the rain, which is still with us, has kept things green longer. And, I shouldn't complain since its been a great excuse to stay indoors and work on stuff.  But, wait, not really.  The two weeks prior had been mild and sunny and guess where I was?  Feet up, legs stretched out on the patio lounge, with my knitting in my lap.  This is one of the very best things about knitting - if you don't have to do it in front of Youtubes - you can do it anywhere.

I know this "knitting thing" is quite a departure from my normal posts, but I did take up needle felting and stuck with that for a time too, until I got comfortable with it.  And, I am getting more comfortable with knitting, sort of.  At least my shoulders aren't hunched up anymore, and I'm not fussing at myself when I miss a stitch or finish something and don't like the way it turned out.  I'd probably be pretty slow at learning calligraphy, too, but there's a lot that the brain has to process for procedures to become second nature.  That's the thing with the brain.  It learns something and allows us to carry on with whatever we're doing and not give it a second thought.  Like learning to ride a bike.  Or rolling your r's properly when speaking a new language.  Like knowing that robin is a robin simply by glancing at it.  And, trust me.  I know the difference between purl stitch and knit stitch and when something doesn't look correct right away now!  And, I can unknit pretty successfully, too.  Unless its trying to unknit a K2tog (knit two together).  Haven't figured that one out yet and there's no Youtube for it. WHY???  And, pssssst!  I'm getting faster at this.

While awaiting the arrival of my second Little Darling, I decided to make them coordinating outfits for summer.  This was going to be IT.  I was ready.  I'd gotten through the practice outfits and my confidence was high.  What I had in mind was using Irene's "Summer Dress" pattern and using the Lion's Brand Baby Soft yarn she recommends.  The "real deal".  Irene is one of the Etsy pattern makers for Little Darling, and her patterns are well written.  Sort of.  But, I'll get to that later.   I went for soft springtime colors in light yellow and green.  I was also going to be creative and make a hat from one of her other patterns to go with the dresses.  AND, I was going to skip that awful star-stitch and knit in a hat band where the brim meets the crown.  You have to start somewhere when you're as adventurous as I am. 

I'm learning!  I'm teaching myself how to do this.  I have to exercise greater patience with myself than I normally do.  So I've been a busy "patient" bee.  This is all I've been doing.  Knitting every single day.  So what happened here?  Why did I have to abandon the summer dresses? 

First of all they are way too short (for my tastes).  I fussed over adding crochet lace to the underside of the hems, but there were enough problems with these two outfits that I had to chalk them up as practice.  The first one I made was the dress with the yellow bodice.  The skirt turned out great on it, but the bodice had problems being too loosely knit.  I figured I'd have to make it over again, but I was going to move onto the green bodice dress first and see how it went.  The green bodice turned out great and I have no idea what happened to the yellow skirt.  Frustrating, yes, but there you go.  Its all good practice.  Not quite ready to call it a "good learning experience", I tried the hat.  Obviously using a cable stitch instead of the star-stitch didn't work.  But, I learned.  Next time, I will begin the stockinette stitch sooner.  The problem with knitting is that you have to make the whole doggone thing to figure out what to do and what not to do.  That's why you have to be fast and sure.

So I set that mess aside and began one of the other projects I had in mind.  First of all, I've been purchasing these incredible, beautifully made porcelain buttons from Cindy Webb on Etsy.  Using porcelain slip, she sculpts little buttons, then hand paints them with the many kiln firings required.  She's amazing.  I love her work so much that I could simply collect it for the fun of it.  And, I'd purchased a set of Raggedy Ann face buttons.  Its been a very long time since I've thought about Raggedy Ann, and Gruelle's beloved stories.  Had to use these buttons!  So I went back to the first pattern I knitted, the tunic, and mixed it up with a hat from another of Irene's patterns.  The bucket hat was actually featured with the summer dress pattern I'd abandoned.  And, of course, I was using the Lion's Brand yarn.

One of the areas I've had difficulty, and I don't know why, is when doing increases for the skirt at the hem of the bodice.  I hope this annoyance goes away in time, but I've come up with a strategy for possible mistakes and having to redo that portion.  To keep the stitches, or loops on the needle, fresh and easy to recover, I thread a piece of yarn on a large eye needle, through the bottom of the stitch against the knitting needle.  Its like a place marker.  If the skirt portion is looking sad or not coming out well, I simply pull out all the stitches to the place marker yarn, and put the needle back on the stitches.  Also, if by chance a stitch is not seated right (twisted), I take it off the needle, insert the awl and turn the awl to the right which twists the yarn and place it back on the needle.      

 

The colors of tangerine and aqua were selected after Johnny Gruelle's brightly colored illustrations.  I have actually taken to photographing what I've done in stages for my own records.  I need to know what worked and what didn't.  Also if the pieces get tossed, and many do, I want a record of having done them.

 

The tunics were going well.  They should.  After you go through the pattern a few times, you could know it by heart almost.  I've been sticking with Irene's patterns because I understand what she's asking us to do.  I was looking forward to making the little bucket hat as it was something new to try, and I like making hats.  I just like making hats, no matter what I'm making them from.  And, the hard part was over.  Both tunics were made and I could see the light at end of the tunnel.

So I'm knitting along happily and wondering when the pattern is going to call for the contrast color for the stripe.  No instructions.  Seriously folks?  She photographs the hat with a yellow stripe on it and doesn't include the instructions to do this!  So I wrote to her letting her know about this, and that was five days ago, and I still haven't heard from her.  Here's my thoughts on the matter.  Pattern makers like to find out how clever you are and if you're actually using their patterns and paying attention.  Its the Where's Waldo of their patterns.  (This is why I don't like using other people's patterns.  I cannot stress enough how this annoys me.)  So I just added a contrast stripe where I was just to see how it would turn out knowing full well I'd have to make the hat all over again.  The mock up.  I know a lot of pattern makers have an expert test their patterns, but this is not the best way for assurance.  An expert might simply "understand" what is required, follow through, and not think the omission is a big deal.  Give the pattern to an A type novice.  Like me.  I'll find every error imaginable.  It isn't a criticism.  You want your patterns to be the best and the easiest to follow.  That makes big sales!

So I started a new bucket hat in the aqua.  Now I was really going for the creativity.  I wanted the hat band look.  I had a mock up and I know how to count rows, and I know what the stitches look like, so I gambled on where the hat band should go, used my place marker threading just in case it didn't go correctly and proceeded.  It worked out.  Yay!  And, I went on to reknit the tangerine hat.  See?  Now I'm having fun with this.  The purpose is to make up my own versions.  Not have copies of the originals.

I purchased this stretch lycra in Raggedy Ann red and white stripes and made some capri length leggings.  Stockings would have overwhelmed the look and I was stretching the colors a bit just doing this.  But, I had a vision.  The Raggedy Ann face button would have red hair around it, so that would tie in the red of the striped capris. 

For the buttons in the back, I chose purple.  I'd been trying to figure out what kinds of shoes the girls would wear with the outfit, and I wanted a completely updated, contemporary look.  Purple tennis shoes worked.  They worked with the colors of the outfit, and they look funky and fun.  So purple buttons to match the tennis shoes.  They needed socks.  Striped socks would be too much.  I considered trying to make the little cuffs that the Russian ladies make that substitute for socks, but I've a feeling they create them in the round, and I don't know how to do that yet.  I shuffled through all my knit fabric and ended up in my own lingerie drawer to cut up a pair of gray tights.  Gray mutes the colors.  It provides a nice and soft break in the bright colors and keeps them (the socks), from standing out, attracting the eye.

The only thing left to do was sew on the button and embroider red yarn around the face for Raggedy Ann's hair.  Earlier I picked up a yarn that was part of an amigurumi project.  The word amigurumi is formed from two Japanese words.  "Ami" describes knit or crochet, and "Nuigurumi" means stuffed doll.  (I was watching a Youtube on beginning a crochet amigurumi and really want to try this - later.)  Using my awl and the red yarn, I made loops and stitches around the face.  I cut out the first mess I'd made then did it again.  Bangs were not doable as they would not hang down in front of a porcelain round, and I wasn't gluing them down, that would have been a disaster, so I made smaller loops around the forehead.

I'm happy with the way this set turned out.  My new doll had arrived and we were good to go!  Like Cindy's buttons, I've been purchasing amigurumi from various Asian and European artists.  One of them made me a set of Yellow Lab puppies for my dolls and she did a fabulous job.  Baby Dover puppies.  I'm not ready for one, but there's no reason my girls should be denied their own. 

I want to thank Geri Uribe for my beautiful new doll Kira, and for Polina, who I've had since last October.  I'm very pleased with these two little models and will continue to make twin sets for them.  I began a needle felted Camel with the Wrinkled Knees yesterday for one of them to hold, and the other might get the Lonely Horse from the same story.  This gives me a break, seats me back in my studio (among my dolls), which I cleaned up as well, and just might inspire me back to the sewing machine.  At least I have two knitted outfits now that I can display and be happy with. "Mission accomplished, Phelps."

Love,

Melissa

 

 

A Crash Course in Knitting - I'm a Knitter, Not a Quitter!

Most of us have a story to share about knitting.  Usually it begins with, "Oh my grandmother used to knit!", or "I learned to knit in Home Ec when I was twelve, and made a scarf."  Maybe the story sounds more like, "Oh you poor thing!  I tried to knit and made a scarf, and that was it!", or "Gosh, I wish I could knit, but I'm all thumbs!"  And, there's a recent one I heard, "My mother left all this yarn and tons of needles when she died, and I know I should try to knit and do something with all of it, but..."  Almost everyone has a story of knitting.  Mine is one that sounds more like, "Spaghetti and scewers!", but as you know, I always have a long tale to tell.

Shortly after Dover died, I was on my computer when I noticed the spring schedule of classes at The Tin Thimble, where I took my one needle felting class.  Mourning the loss of my sweet boy, I had a knee jerk reaction and thought, "Why not try this Learning to Knit class, and provide myself a focus while I work through the grief?"  What possibly could I have been thinking?!

Well, to be honest, I've been purchasing these adorable outfits for my Little Darling doll, from these phenomenal, expert knitters from Russia.  I've spent more money and have had more doggone fun with her and these gorgeous outfits than with any doll I've had in awhile.  No work.  Just buy and dress them.  But, really, if you're a Little Darling collector, you know what I'm talking about.  So I thought, let's see what it is they do to create these outfits.

The first class was on March 6th, and for an hour and a half, the teacher educated her two students on wool.  Where it came from, how to wash or not wash it, what sheep it was shorn from and on and on.  Finally we came to the part where we held our big needles and learned how to cast on stitches and make a knit stitch.  This wasn't too hard, but my memory is weak.  It was hard.  Jabbing this pointy skewer under this yarn loop and doing something weird in the back of the needle like a Boy Scout knot.  We were to take this information home and practice it.  In a week we'd learn to purl.  This was even worse.  It was like learning to walk all over again.  This time you had to make sure the yarn strand was in front, skewer the loop from in front, top to bottom, and do another Boy Scout thing.  If you got good at this, you could make a whole row and alternate the knits and the purls making a "fabric" called "stockinette".  The teacher kept telling us, "All you need to know is knit and purl!"  I knew this not to be true.  You had to learn to read a pattern, learn techniques with these two stitches to create looks other than the stockinette, AND learn what to do when you made a mistake.  I would make plenty.

The teacher wanted us to make washcloths.  Does this sound like something I'd be interested in?  Maybe if I were making them for a doll or teeny tiny ones for a doll house kitchen.  To me it sounded like an utter waste of time.  If I couldn't learn by trying to actually make something - practical application - phooey!  She was well aware of what I wanted to do.  Make doll clothing.  Still she insisted I make washcloths and I didn't.  I went on Etsy and bought a pattern that looked like something I could get through.   It was a tunic and hat.  How hard could that be anyway if all you needed was to know "knit" and "purl"?  Very hard. 

First of all, I kept adding stitches where they shouldn't be.  Dropped a few, too.  We would cast on 25 stitches and go back and forth, finishing one row on one needle, then do the other stitch to that row on the opposite side.  Of course if you did only knit stitches back and forth, you'd get what they call the garter stitch.  None of this was making any sense, but I don't follow patterns very well, and we all know that.  This truly won't work if you're going to knit unless you are SO good and talented, that you can make up anything as you go along.  Which is what I've been doing for years.  Making things up as I went along.  So I really had to concentrate, do a tiny bit, check my work, check off a row on the pattern, repeat.  None of this was working, and there were no more classes.  I was told you could go on Youtube and learn what you needed to.  Brilliant.  But, I bugged my teacher so much on email that she suggested I meet with her the second Saturday after I started learning to knit.  I shared the pattern with her beforehand so she could help me when we got together. 

She showed up that Saturday with a completed little tunic and said, "We're going to do this together."  Relief!  I'd have help every step of the way.  But I only got six or eight rows done after two hours, and watched as she fixed my mistakes.  This was turning into torture.  I needed to be able to fix my own mistakes.  Why couldn't I get this??  I made notations all over the pattern pages.  She tried to teach me how to read the pattern.  Nothing was making sense because it was too much information all at once.  Of course, later I would discover that there's this thing called gauge and needle size and having to make swatches to test all this to make sure you were getting for instance, six stitches to the inch, and if you wanted to use a different yarn, you needed a different needle size, and then you'd have to recalculate the whole pattern. 

The "why" was very important to me.  Why are we making so many stitches then changing them?  Why are we moving stitches from one needle to the other?  "This is the sleeve.", she'd tell me.  Oh.  And, now what do we do?  Do you just keep working this then get a surprise when you finish?  I actually thought you made a buttonhole by stretching the yarn and shoving a button through it.  And, so it went.

As it turned out, I spent so much time on Youtube learning how to unknit, or "tink", and "frog", which is pulling out everything and trying to get the needle back on the stitches, that I literally learned "the beginnings of knitting" in front of my computer.  I'd get just so far, then make a mistake, have to figure out where the mistake happened, then learn how to fix it, and on an on it went.  Sometimes I'd just cut the yarn off and start all over again.  It was agony.  I did this for three solid weeks and cried bitterly to my friends.  But, I wasn't going to let knitting get the better of me. I'd spent all this time trying already.  I didn't want to be a failure.  I didn't want to have made a poor decision to begin learning to knit, and have wasted my time.   I felt like I was punishing myself for losing Dover to cancer.  Seriously.  I was not in a good place.  But, I persevered, and when I got this ruffly skirt done on this tunic, I felt a small sense of accomplishment.  The hat was a breeze.  Maybe not a breeze, but it sure did come together a lot more quickly without dealing with sleeves and combinations that produced a fancy effect.  By the time I finished this set, I'd already purchased another pattern off Etsy by the same seller.  Let's try something else.

 

In the meantime, I'd been invited by my former teacher to join their knitting group on Tuesday nights.  She indicated they all helped each other, but it looked like I was the only one asking questions as all these women were pros.  Still, there was a good energy and it felt nice to be included.  Knitting has been intimidating, but these ladies are so laid back that I felt some hope.  And, I'm still meeting with them on Tuesday nights.  Its fun! 

This pinky-coral tunic and hat were going to end up in the trash.  The back placket was a mess.  This is not something I would make my doll suffer wearing.  Not when she's been wearing the best of the best.   And, I had an entire skein of aqua from the contrast color.  So I started the little dress and sun hat. 

Again we casted on the 33 stitches for the neckline.  Things were beginning to make a bit more sense.  Same pattern maker, same kinds of instructions, got through the sleeves.  Oops. What's this star stitch?  This was a "technique" where you purl three stitches together, do a yarn over (had to learn that, too, plus make one left and make on right, M1L, M1R), then purl the whole chunk of stitches together and yank it off the needle.  For those of you who knit out there, I'll bet you've guessed what one of my problems was.  I was knitting too tightly.  Okay, so I was tense.  And, I was struggling, but knitting tightly only makes matters worse.  The concept of loopy, or sloppy looking loops that will not look that way once you do the next row was very foreign to me and still is.  But, I am trying to loosen them up.  The star stitch made that happen.  

I was confused about how to make one, so dropped into Auburn Needleworks where this angel of a woman, Karen, sat patiently with me and showed me how to make them.  She and I worked the bodice row together, while she did her best to loosen my stitches so that we could actually purl three together.  It was like trying to tear off a piece of beef jerky with no teeth.  All the while on Tuesday nights, my former teacher would tell me, "Wash cloths!  Make wash cloths!"  I still don't see how making wash cloths is going to teach you all that I've been learning in how to actually make a doll dress from a pattern.  And, purchase the correct size yarn and needles to make it.  (I think I can do this on my own now, but still ask for assistance.)   Karen hoped I'd come back and knit with them, and I will, but I wanted to come back and show her that her efforts in teaching me the star stitch weren't in vain. 

So I went home and the next day, and after a series of stockinette stitches, got down to the stars.  Remember, these pieces were practice pieces, so I wasn't expecting greatness.  And, I was so careful following the pattern and marking off on the pattern after I'd finish a row.  Well, I finished the dress, and the stars at the hem were done backwards.  I didn't cry.  I didn't quit, but I did try to think of how I could undo this all to get back up to the place where I could redo them.  It took me SIX hours to redo this.  I finally just pulled out the needles and started pulling out the stitches. then something weird happened.  The working yarn strand was attached at one end and in the middle.  Now what?  At this point, I could have reknit the entire dress in the six hours it took to try and fix the problem.  I really was ready to call it quits, so I pulled the other needle out, and the remaining stitches on it, and guess what?  It was a complete row I could begin again on!  Whoa!  I counted the "v" stitches down in several places and it all checked out, so I continued.

Then I came to the row needing the star stitches at the hem.  I didn't want to make the same mistake twice, so I did a test piece to prove my theory that they needed to be done on the purl side.  Yes.  It worked.  And guess what?  There was definitely an error made in writing that pattern.  She also called for five buttons, but only gave you instructions for three buttonholes.  I guess you could stretch out the knitted yarn and shove a button through it after all.  Well, let's put it this way.  You have to have a sense of humor and an adventurous spirit to try this stuff - knitting.  I'm a knitter, not a quitter.

I've been looking at a lot patterns and buying skeins of yarn for future outfits.  The pdf patterns don't cost but $5, but there sure is no consistency in how they are written.  You almost have to get the know the person and what they're trying to convey, ask you what to do, before beginning.

I discovered that there are patterns for knitting tiny toys!  However, you need to be able to work four needles and sometimes a fifth in making these as some are done "in the round".  So, no.  You don't only need to just know just knit and purl.  I knew this going into it, and have since gotten a fairly good idea how very vast the world of knitting is.   And, that there are sellers on Etsy who have made these tiny animals and toys to sell, in both knitting and crocheting!  Yay!  I don't have to learn this right away!  I can just purchase these cute little things for my doll to hold while wearing her beautifully knitted outfits made by the pros.   I do want to try the toys, but I think I'll try it in crochet first when that time comes.  One needle.  I know I'd enjoy this if I ever tried it and could follow the patterns and actually make something. 

So I got through the second pattern.  Again, the hat was the easier piece to make.  I finished this yesterday, and this is what I've been doing daily since March the 6th.  There is a pattern for a little summer dress that I'm going to try next.  I also found this fabulous button maker and have been planning two outfits around the buttons.  The buttons are that fabulous.  I also bought another Little Darling, my second.  She'll be ready to come home in May sometime.  The plan is to make twin outfits with alternating colors.

I realize I'm going to make mistakes.  I'm going to have problems.  I'll probably have to make a dress as a mock up to understand the pattern first, before I do a second one that will hopefully be a keeper.  Knitting is a focus, a meditation of sorts, but you sure do have to be on top of it.  I can't wait to show Karen the completed outfit with the stars she showed me how to make.  She was so kind and patient.  How better to thank someone for their time than showing them that it was worth it?

Its funny, but all these knitters in town seem to only make human sized things.  They get a kick out of seeing the doll clothes.  They want to know about dolls and ask.  So maybe I do have something to offer these experts.  I haven't been so intimidated and humbled by learning something since the class I took in Intro to Algebra.  My mind works in its own way.  I'm teaching my brain to make connections differently now.  You can't just look at something and reproduce it without some kind of pattern or understanding in knitting.  At least not yet.  I don't want to become an expert knitter.  I just want to be able to make something cute, something I'll be proud to display on my doll.  I'm already thinking of how I can alter patterns to get a look that's to my liking, making it my own. 

So yes, I did a crash course in learning to knit, and that was okay.  And, I never want to hear the word washcloth again ;)) 

Summer has already arrived in Auburn.  The long cold and rainy season is past.  Its time to look forward.  Wish me luck with my knitting!  (Its actually kind of addicting.)

Love,

Melissa 

Lady Greensleeves

"Alas my love you do me wrong, to cast me off so discourteously!"  It was not until I was putting the finishing touches on this doll's medieval costuming that I began considering who she was.  So very unlike me, but then the lovely ballad Greensleeves came to mind, and I could not get the tune out of my head.  And so is born, my version of Lady Greensleeves.

If anyone has looked up the lyrics on an engine search, or speculated about the myth that Henry VIII wrote it for Ann Boleyn, you well know  this is only a myth.  The lyrics to this ballad were penned long before the tune was written in 1580.  The melody, written for the lute, and has become a well recorded song by many artists over the years, and has also been sung to other poems throughout the centuries.  What is lasting, is a tale of unrequited love for a beautiful woman who could not love a man who gave her the moon and stars.  Lady Greensleeves.

Several artists throughout time have been haunted by this melody inspiring them to paint the likes of Lady Greensleeves.  One among them, Dante Gabriel Rossetti (see below).  Enchanting women, all, and each mesmerizes the viewer and seems to tell a story of quiet longing and promised passion. 

Lady Greensleeves is quite a departure from my normal costuming, but I was inspired enough to give dressing Tonner fashion dolls a try after purchasing, at great cost, several historical costumes from a Russian artist.  Unfamiliar with creating patterns for this body type, I decided to "cheat" and try one by an Ebay seller.  Even after I'd done that, I was very reluctant to give it a try as I felt I betraying my growth in creativity.  At least I could do a mock up.  No harm in that, right?  So I cut out the pattern, gave it a whirl on some quality green cotton velveteen, and had a good laugh at my efforts.  You do know that the reason I make my own patterns is because I can't read directions, and often the patterns just don't fit.  You'd think the hood on Dashenka's coat would have chased me off, but I persevered.  And, when I tried the gown on the doll I bought for my medieval project. it came to just below her knees.  Seriously!  What on earth was I thinking?

Well, there were these weird pattern pieces that seemed to have no use or place and I thought they might be for a shawl or cloak or something.  After my medieval "mini" disaster, I discovered what was meant by "attach bb to bb before cutting"!  But, of course this was written on the tops of the weird pattern pieces and the hems of the real ones.  Nothing in the written directions described this.  You just had to know how to read the actual paper pattern.  So I had a good laugh at myself, considered it a true mock up, and carried on.  

Lady Greensleeves's gown is made from a beautiful cotton velveteen that I've had on hand for a few years.  It is lined with gold silk dupioni and the front panel has an overlay of delicate gold netting - as are the sleeve caps.  Figuring out how to line this gown the way I line all my garments, would be a challenge to say the least.  The pattern lining only lined the upper part of the dress and that would leave a rather messy hem, even chunky.  The belled sleeves that fall from the elbow are lined with this gold silk as well.  I didn't like the designer's sleeves, so I softened them by making them more narrow.  I had to "make this my own" you understand.  Playing with this would also give me a chance to work with this 16" feminine body type. 

And, here's a another lark!  I only started researching medieval costuming after I was well into making the final gown.  I was looking for medieval head wear and jewelry ides and discovered so very many different styles from this time period.  It gave me ideas that I've stashed away in a Pinterest gallery, and I want to stay with this awhile.  After I got the hang of it, dressing this doll, I started thinking of what I could do next, and better, on my own.

Lady Greensleeves wears a wimple beneath the hat I designed for her.  I guess I haven't made a little hat in awhile and remember that I do enjoy making them.  In my research, I found so many images of wimples, long and short.  Sometimes they were called veils, and perhaps the term "wimple" only described scarves wrapped tightly around the head.  Not sure.  I was making this up, designing as I went along, and found some wonderful images of women wearing them beneath their hats or crowns.  Was it for style or modesty that these were worn?  I will find out in time. 

Her hat was modeled off of one designed by Franklin Mint for their Guinevere doll.  Again, I made it "my own" by doing it a bit differently.  The crown of it is the velvet of the gown, and the sides are the gold silk with the same netting overlay.  Vintage French metallic trim was added, as well as a band of flat braid.  I have spent HOURS, literally, looking at trims on Etsy for future projects and have some gorgeous ones coming in the mail.  The gown is trimmed with a vintage French metallic trim I bought sometime last year or so ago.  Its nice to have trims like this on hand.  These vintage metallic trims must be sewn on by hand.  The French ones are the best.  To me.

 

Then of course, we needed her jewels and belt.  So back to Pinterest I went.  I looked at pages and pages of medieval jewelry, alternating my search for more trimmings as well as beads.  I could get lost on Pinterest for hours, and have.  Etsy, too. 

 Not being a jeweler or metal smith, I took an afternoon and drove up to Grass Valley to see what Beads Galore might have.  I looked at everything.  I mean everything!  $135 and two and a half hours later, I drove home and started designing the choker she's wearing.  I found a similar necklace on Pinterest and knew this to be the one.  It had to work with the scoop neckline of the gown.  I made a pair of earrings for her and finally the requisite cross on a long chain.

Her belt was the last thing I added and pushed to get that done.  I was going to do one of ribbon falling from the medallion, but the trim for this did not show up in the mail today, and I really wanted to finish this and move on.  Women did wear chain linked belts, so why not try one?  This lovely chain is more delicate than the kind I would have normally used for this purpose, but it was one of yesterday's purchases and I think it works well.  Lady Greensleeves is wearing a pair of green brocade mules that will never be seen, and I did not make, so I've omitted a photo.  For future medieval and renaissance costumes, Facets Boutique, owned by Marcia Friend, has lovely satin mules for these Tonner dolls.

Today is the spring equinox and Lady Greensleeves is walking the grounds of an enchanting medieval castle like that of Scotney Castle in Kent.  Welcome spring, my friends! 

Love,

Melissa 

Meet Dashenka

We're friends here.  Right?  So let's be honest.  I'm going through a difficult time right now as it was necessary to ease my dog, Dover, over the Rainbow Bridge.  He passed away on February 17th from Lymphoma Cancer, and I miss him terribly.  I just received the most loving card in the mail from his oncologist and her team.  In it, each of Dover's friends, and they were!, wrote something tender and endearing about the relationship they had with him over the last two years.  These women became my friends, too, during that time.  So writing, focusing, is difficult, if you can believe that of me.  But, I have a lot to share so let's begin.

I don't know if I'd mentioned this before, but last October, I purchased my very first Dianna Effner Little Darling.  When the email arrived that my "turn" had come up (you have to get on a waiting list for one), I did not have the money to purchase one, but found a way to buy one anyway.  She's an amazingly beautiful vinyl doll - that simply shouldn't cost as much as these artist's are asking - but, we all know about supply and demand.  Straight arms and legs.  Not one joint of articulation, but gosh, they're gorgeous!  You might have thought that I would want to sew for her, but when I saw the incredible knitted artistry in costuming that the Russian needle workers were doing, my "Polina" would only own and wear their work.  And, it remains so.

The interesting thing, is that many of the listings for these outfits indicated the costuming was for Effner Little Darling, Betsy McCall (Tonner), Maru, and Paola Reina - 13" - 14" dolls.  Paola Reina?  What doll is that I wondered?  Loved the name, so I asked my friend, Nadia, about the dolls.  I'd bought a couple of outfits from her for my Little Darling, and her listings had included the Paola Reina name.  She gave me a brief description of the doll, and told me that she was sure I would enjoy sewing for her.  So I went on Ebay and purchased a "Dasha" doll from a Russian doll dealer.  It would take the requisite 6 - 8 weeks for the doll to arrive, and the package was delivered after the new year.  Oh my goodness, was she ever adorable!  I fell in love the minute I unpacked her. 

The Paola Reina is a 13" doll of high quality vinyl.  Her rooted hair is a German or Italian nylon, thick, lush and wonderful to comb.  Her eyes are "real", not painted, and her eye lashes are the soft lashes found on antique reproduction dolls.  The only complaint I have is that they added a vanilla perfume to her vinyl thinking this would appeal to children.  I can only hope the scent goes away in time.  I'm sensitive to anything perfumed, so its a personal grievance.  One of the best things about these dolls is that they only cost $60.  Paola Reina is a doll factory in Spain, and since their debut in 1994, they've grown into a world wide business.  They have a full line of dolls to include baby dolls, but the 13" doll is so lovely and playable, that she's sure to catch on with collectors of Little Darling - if they simply give her a chance, or don't wish to spend an exorbitant amount of cash.

When I started researching what people were doing for this doll in ways of costuming, I found Russian artists that made stunningly beautiful shoes and boots for her from real suede and leather.  Dashenka (the sweeter name for Dasha -  a Russian variation of Dasha conveyed to me by Nadia), already has 12 pairs of custom made shoes for the wardrobe I've intended for her.  The 13" can also wear some of the knitted outfits offered on Etsy and Ebay, and sellers will state which ones.  She is a little Russian child doll, so I chose to create a folklore or peasant-type of styling for her wardrobe, but contemporary. The main difference in the bodies is that Paola Reina has larger feet, a larger head, and a shorter body length, so any patterns you might purchase under the Little Darling title will need major adjustments. 

I began with a basic dress with a natural waist, simple neckline and puffed sleeves.  This little blue dress is made of brushed cotton and is soft and "warm".  Since I began her wardrobe in winter, I wanted Dashenka to be cozy.  Her pinafore is made from the woven cotton I used in the apron for the Alsace-Lorraine doll I made in the fall of last year.  I love this woven cotton as its very versatile and easy to work with.  I recall as I was making this, that the outfit reminded me of something the Hummel figurines might wear.  So, European in style (Sound of Music even?), and traditional.  I also created a little head scarf for her and hand edged the entire thing to finish it nicely.  Dashenka is wearing a pair of the custom made boots I ordered for her, in this outfit.

She also needed a coat, and against my better judgment, I bought a pattern for it from a seller on Etsy, that came in a pdf file.  It was exactly the hooded style I was looking for, and decided to give it a try.  As it turns out, I had to make this over three times to get the fit, and just about redesigned the entire pattern, which only had four pieces.  The hood, the back on a fold, the front which was exactly the same as the front piece, and the sleeves.  The most upsetting of the adjustments was that the hood was HUGE.  It was so big that the tip of it in the back came down to the hem.  I doubt this would even work for Little Darling.  There was nothing wrong with the pdf as far as size translation, but maybe much larger seams were made, and since the directions were in French, I can't be certain.  I like hooded sweaters, jackets and coats for myself, so I enjoy them for my dolls, too. 

The coat is made from a suiting brown wool and is lined with a textural woven cotton that I've had in my stash.  That was another thing I wanted to do with Dashenka.  Use fabrics from my own stash.  The coat features lined patch pockets in front, and leather loops that close over wool covered buttons.  I'm still debating how best to create patterns for her because, I'll admit, she's difficult to dress since her arms move in only two directions.  Tightly forward and back.  This is another reason why I love sewing for the wood body Lawtons.  Their arms can go straight out "airplane style".  Lastly I made a pair of thick, warm stockings for her in a shade of light cream.

 

It was my intention to make Dashenka one outfit that could go from winter to spring, hence the coat, but I was having fun, so I made her an outfit designed only for winter.  During this time, I was reading the book The Bear and the Nightingale, a Winter Trilogy.  Its a story told by an American author in the style of a Russian folk tale.  Immersing oneself in a culture to create a style can be rewarding, not only for the education of it, but it gives you a deeper understanding of the subject on an artistic level.  I also continued to research clothing styles on the Internet as well as Pinterest, and came upon a website called RusClothing.com  I really hit the jack pot with this one.  They not only sell traditional Russian styles, but they sell fabric from Russia!  Cool.  So at some point I'll order some half yards of fabric that will work on a small doll.  And, as for contemporary styling, what's better than looking to the work of those knitters in Russia?  Just copy the style and adapt it for fabric.

The winter outfit consists of the baggy, bloomer style, pants worn by Russian boys (and these were shown on little girls).  A short, lined vest that buttons up the back, is worn over a simplistic peasant style blouse.  The fabric is a thin wool suiting, in a lovely dark gray, that I used for a Lettie Lane pilgrim dress once.  Wishing to brighten things up a tad, I hand-stitched on this adorable jacquard trim that was given to me as a gift from Svetlana, a Russian friend I met several years ago.  She'd sent me several colors of the jacquard ribbon, so I have more to work with in the future.  The sweetest thing about this ribbon is that it has scalloped thread edges, like lace.  I'm still debating adding a little red heart button to the front of the vest, but for the time being, I'll leave it as is.

For this outfit, Dashenka is wearing a pair of gray suede boots that I had made for her.  On the RusClothig website, they showed a large jacquard ribbon head band on a child that tied under the hair with ribbons.  So what little left I had of the black and red ribbon, I used for a little head dress.

The lack of brightness in this outfit had to be dealt with.  Sure, I was in a dark mood with my doggy nearing the end of his life.  The chemo had stopped working and his time was limited.  I will tell you that he did miraculously well on the chemo, which kept the cancer from growing, and at the end, his suffering was short.  My goal was "no suffering".  I did the suffering for him.  SO, to brighten my mood, and the outfit, I decided to make my doll a little rag doll in a traditional sarafan and kokoshnik (head dress).  Her dolly could be the bright spot. 

 

This was fun. I can't help it.  I'm always going to be a miniaturist at heart.  I love tiny things.  I guess the last time I tried little stuffed dolls, was in the summer when I made a few little Chinese "star" dolls as toys for Ten Ping dolls.  This one is made from two arms, two legs and a torso with head.  I thread wrapped the wrists, ankles and neck after stuffing and sewing the limbs on, to create the soft sculpture.  I should have put more stuffing in the head, but I'll make another at some point and do that.  The face was ink drawn on simulating the style on a Matreshka doll I saw on images from an Internet search.  Matreshka is another word for the Matryoshka nesting dolls. 

Dashenka's dolly wears a simple "tiny doll" white blouse, and a  cheery red sarafan and scarf.  The sarafan, or peasant apron style dress, comes up high on the chest, to just  under the arms and has straps over the shoulders.  The length fabric is generally gathered and sewn into a band at the top, but for this little doll, I designed a conical pattern to avoid the gathers.  The jacquard ribbon sewn to the front is another one of the samples Svetlana sent to me.  Her hair is DMC 4 yarn and was both sewn and glued to the head.  I made it extra long so I could give her one long braid, which is a traditional look and often is shown draped over the shoulder.  But, probably the best part of this little rag doll are her valenkis, which are wool boots.

In traditional valenki, there is no seam.  They are made from blocked wet wool, are thick and warm, and most likely water, or at least, snow resistant.  For a tiny doll, a seam up the back is okay.  The doll's valenki are made from oatmeal colored wool with a blanket stitch up the back.  They are removable. 

About this time, things were really going south at home.  We had to put my little beloved down on Sunday, February 17th, and I literally walked in circles like a zombie for days after.  I'd finished my book, and picked up a lighter read by Jean Grainger.  I'd read The Tour, and am now reading the sequel to the Connor trilogy.  Darling stories taking place in Ireland.  I'd purchased some new fabric with an Easter outfit in mind for Dashenka, and told myself, "Just one more.  Then we can move on."  By this time, my immersion into Russian clothing styles was giving me more confidence with how to proceed.

I'd bought, on sale, this absolutely gorgeous "ashes of violets" wool coating and some prints for spring including this delicate paisley that coordinated beautifully with the coating wool.  Nadia had asked me if I was going to make Dashenka a sarafan.  I knew she meant a traditional, festival style.  Floor length, silk, highly decorative, but I wanted a simple day dress for a child.  I already had the white blouse, so making the apron would be the effort.  And, the coat.

I was mistaken thinking that the other coat's pattern would be usable.  It wasn't.  For one thing, I found this child's coat on Pinterest by a Russian seamstress, and just had to make one for my doll.  It took three agonizing tries, lots of wasted wool, and a giving up attitude that says, "Let's get the darn thing done already!"  Part of the problem was making a coat for a 13" doll out of wool suited for humans.  It is thick, which had pluses as well as minuses. 

The little sarafan for Easter is made from two pretty prints.  The geometric floral cotton of the main length is light pink and gold.  The soft floral print for the borders and straps has bits of moss green and red in it, but it all blended well for a springtime dress.  I'm calling this outfit "Easter Babushka".  Interestingly, I read a description of the term Babushka that both referred to the concept of the old woman with treats for children, but also, and simply, the scarf.  I'll have to remind myself to ask Nadia about this.  The little red suede shoes are another pair from the shoe wardrobe I commissioned for her.  I have two other pairs in this style in different colors. 

The coat is a style that combines a gathered front skirt to an empire style bodice front.  It has a Peter Pan collar, two patch pockets and three little buttons to close the front.  The big plus on this heavy felted wool is that you could just clip slits for button hole without stitch edging them.  I think this was one of the reasons I so insistently pursued using this wool.  Besides the gorgeous color.  The coat is unlined, which was another plus in construction.  It was very difficult turning under the edges for top-stitching, but I justified shoving the fabric under the needle in that I didn't have to line the coat.  Some effort had to be made.  I really love the Easter Babushka for its brighter, lighter colors and Dashenka will wear this on my shelf for awhile.  When winter finally passes, she can go without her coat and hold her little doll.

Its time to move on to another doll and another project.  I was watching the episode of Victoria last night, where her admiral retires.  He said it most aptly, "At my age you can't be afford to be sentimental about loss."  But, we are.  Try as we might to keep our heads high and show a smile to the world, loss hurts.  I really miss my boy.

Below are photos of the ashes of violet coat, and some lovely photos which inspired the small "starter" wardrobe I just finished. 

Wishing you all soft and gentle days,

Melissa 

 

With violet leather boots!

 

Paola Reina Factory

 

 

 

 

In memory of my beautiful boy who was my joy and sunshine for 9 1/2 years, Dover.