It’s been a few days—I wanted to pop in and say hello to you all. Have you had a nice weekend? Did you do anything different or relaxing? I’d love to hear how your weekend went, please share! ❤
We had the MOST gorgeous day yesterday! It was SUNNY and WARM, a very, very, rare occurrence around here lately, so it was imperative that we get outside and soak up some of those elusive golden rays. My husband and I took a drive out to a little town with a charming town square to meander through and cute shops to browse in. The town is actually where they filmed the movie Groundhog Day. Woodstock was bustling yesterday; everyone was happy to get outside, smiling faces everywhere you looked.
One of my favorite shops is also here. It is a vintage shop, but they also have new things. I love how they display the old with the new so creatively. I seem to always find things to purchase here, and yesterday was no exception, although I didn’t have to spend much at all. Recently I have become obsessed with cute figurines. Most of them are from Japan and are of animals. I saw this tiny cocker spaniel ($4!); he needed to join me in my sewing room. He even has a vintage Japan sticker on his bum.
I also found this little mice figurine. The owner told me she brought this back from England with her. It looked like it belonged in a storybook. It is adorable, and oh, so, tiny! ($5!)
All this cuteness! I am a happy girl!
Spring is very slowly starting to look the way it’s supposed to look, although with the exception of green grass it still pretty much looks like winter. However, I think our daffodils will bloom this week, and add some springlike color.
A tiny patch of tulips have started to come up. Yes, this is the total for tulips in our yard. I once read tulips decrease in amount where daffodils increase or naturalize. Looks like our tulips are soon to be none. Maybe I’ll plant more this fall.
In my studio “Princess and the Pearl” was completed hours ago. Here is Gina to show you a tiny bit. Her needle felted bear is named Pearl, in case you are wondering. Pearl is always ready to give her mom, Gina, a flower. As soon as we get a bright-ish day I will take photos. Right now it’s dreary and drizzly… yet again.
I knit this lace bolero this past week and today have started sewing the dress. This ensemble will be all lilac and lavender yummy gloriousness.
I have another bolero completed, but it is for my Kaye Wiggs Gracie; it is in fuchsia. The print to accompany that bolero is one that reminds me of a Liberty of London print, which I adore. Another work-in-progress is a hot pink mohair/silk cardigan for Patience. Her cardigan will go with a dress in the same print as Gracie’s, but it will be in a different colorway.
So, that’s all the news from my world for now. I hope you are all doing great and enjoying springtime, or fall if you’re down under. Talk to you soon, my friends!
Bye for now!
Cindy Rice Designs 
Hello Cindy. You did have a lovely weekend. I love the little figurines. I must admit I love them too but can no longer have any more as there is no room. I already have my doll room which is filled to capacity. I had a lovely weekend. We are now enjoying our Autumn. I spent a lot of time in my garden and mini orchard. My granny smith and pink lady apples and my pumpkins will be ready fir harvest in a couple of weeks. I also finished new outfits for dolls my twin sister and I received in 1952 when we left the orphanage. They have an Easter theme and of course a Cindy inspired embroidered cardigan and beret. She is recovering from breast cancer and I wanted to do something special for her. She was so happy when I gave it to her. It was lovely to see her smiling again. And then I finished knitting and embroidering another cardigan and beret for one of my dolls I made 20 years ago. Will start on the dress this week.
I am looking forward to another week of sewing and knitting
I hope your week is good.
Regards
Wendy (Australia)
Thank you for sharing your weekend, Wendy. You HAVE been busy! I am glad the outfit you finished for your sister was a success. I’d say her smiling equals success! Maybe you’ll have to surprise her with new outfits now and then? So you are dressing an actual doll that you made? WOW! Pink Lady apples are my favorite snacking apples. It sounds like you have a green thumb. Such a strange feeling to imagine you entering harvest season when our growing season has yet to begin. I hope you have a productive week of creating and making things.
Love your figurines. And how come our daffodils were surrounded with weeds and yours look perfectly mulched? Oh well, they are done blooming now until next year. We have a mole that I think ate the tulip bulbs. I’m told they don’t like daffodils though. Don’t know.
I made a quiche which is baking. Swiss, mushrooms, green onions, bacon, as well as the required eggs and milk. Should be done for dinner in about 15 minutes. Smells pretty good.
Glad you had a fun weekend.
Happy sewing and knitting. Those outfits to come are lovely.
Hi Joy. Um, last year we paid landscapers to mulch all of our beds. Daffodils must taste bad; I don’t think deer like them either. That’s too bad about your tulips, takes a lot of work planting all of those bulbs. I just ate, but your quiche is making me hungry again. lol Thank you!
Gina looks adorable in her new ensemble. In fact, she looks like a little girl in her Easter Finery circa 1955. Her bolero and floral headband are the kind of accessories my mother and aunt would have made for me. Have a great week.
Gina and I both say “thank you”. I always thought that Gina had that special look from days gone by. She’s my old-fashioned girl, which I adore. I was born in the early 1960s, but some of my toddler dresses have the same old-fashioned dressy 1950s look. How sweet that both your aunt and mother would sew for you. You must have been dressed so beautifully for Easter.
I hope you have a perfect week, Marian.
Last weekend I went to Santa Barbara to visit my son and his family. We did a hike in San Marcos Pass to see the Lizard’s Mouth rock formation. Had a wonderful time on a beautiful day. I feel fortunate to be able to do 3/4 of the hike at age 76, the rock formations a bit much for me just at the very end.
Your posts with the smiling Little Darling inspired me to order a doll which was painted by Magalie Dawson. She was painted to match a picture of my granddaughter, Riya, and the doll looks just like her. Thanks for sharing the inspiration of your beautifully detailed creations.
Wow Susette, I am VERY impressed!!! That’s the way to stay young. Keep on hiking!
So happy to inspire you through my photos. My Lucy has quite the look. Helen really brought her to life. Did you name your new LD Riya too? BTW, what a beautiful name your granddaughter has!
Thank you for sharing your weekend. And, thank you for reading my blog. ❤
Hello Cindy,
I’m not great to write as I’m always afraid to write with mistakes, my english is not very fine even I love this language !! But I wanted to thank you a lot to share so many things with us, I’m always very pleased to read your “news”. By here in Belgium we also get, finally, a sunny weekend. I really adore your mice figurine ! I knit a lot of mice 😉 I don’t have dolls like yours except the little Amelia, because of you they have marvelous tiny dress! Now, I’ve some Blythe dolls and wish to be able to sew as you 😉 Thank you very much for sharing, you make my (sunny) day !
Colette.
Hello Colette. It was very nice to hear from you. Your English is fine; you write very well. Don’t worry about mistakes. I’m sure I make them all the time, and English is my first language!
I’ll bet your knitted mice are adorable. It’s fun to create little animals or dolls and watching them “come to life”, isn’t it?
I am happy to inspire you with tiny Amelia. and her little dresses. Keep sewing, you’ll get better and better.
Your comment made me happy; thank you for writing.