Author Archives: Cindy Rice

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About Cindy Rice

My wonderful husband, my beautiful daughter, and I live in northeastern Illinois with our two sweet chihuahua boys. For as long as I can remember I have loved dolls and making things. I got my first Barbie when I was only three years old! My mom sewed for my Barbie dolls and taught me how to use her sewing machine when I was only seven. I cannot believe she let me near that needle, but she did. Not having enough money for my clothes habit in high school and college led me to start sewing all of my own clothes. There were so many fabric stores around back then and fabric was so inexpensive. I would wait for the 99 cent pattern sale and go crazy. Sewing for myself continued well into my 30’s. (I even made my wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses.) Shortly after I got married I left my full time graphic design position and started designing cross stitch patterns. I called my company “The Lilac Studio” and sold my botanical patterns at trade shows, through distributors which sold to retail shops, and mail order. My most popular pattern, “A Bouquet of Pansies” sold 5000 copies and won a J&P Coats Golden Needle Award! I was also featured in various cross stitch magazines and designed special projects for the magazines. When my daughter was born I didn’t have the time needed to cross stitch and design patterns all day long so I let my pattern design business slip away. And then I started discovering dolls again and I now had an excuse to start buying them. The only problem was that they were for my daughter and not for me. I soon discovered all of the adult collectors out there and decided I would be one of them. I started small at first, collecting Mattel Kelly dolls. Soon I collected over 100 Kelly dolls! After Kelly, I discovered Helen Kish’s Riley and Tonner’s Ann Estelle. I have since learned to knit doll sweaters and love an excuse to knit so most of my doll outfits include a sweater and/or hat. I love creating miniature outfits for dolls and enjoy sharing them with others. Currently I create doll ensembles for Ruby Red Fashion Friends, Kish Bethany, Dianna Effner's Little Darlings, Wilde Imagination's teeny tiny Amelia, Kaye Wiggs BJD, Boneka 10", Linda Macario's Penny.

“Little Lady”

I think Sugar looks like the perfect little lady in her new dress/hat set.  She’s all in lilac and pink with a white brimmed hat to keep the spring sun out of her eyes.

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Sugar told me that she liked being a little lady as long as ladies were allowed to play with their pet bunnies.  “But, of course,” I told her.

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Oh, the joys of a macro lens… I got a close up of the flowers on Sugar’s hat.  Ivory Delica beads are sewn into a cluster on the lilac flower and a larger bead is sewn onto each of the small pink blossoms.

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Sugar’s “Little Lady” dress/hat set will be available for sale tonight (March 24, 2016) at 7:00 pm, CST.  Check the “Shop What’s New” page at cindyricedesigns.com for more details.

In & Out of the Studio

How’s the first week of this new season going for you?  It started out pretty nice for us, but it is rapidly going downhill—cloudy, rainy, cool cold today.  Oh, and it will get worse as the week progresses; snow flurries are predicted.  Happy spring!

I had two outfits to pack up and mail on Monday.  Thought I’d show you how I wrap up my outfits in case you are curious.  It’s no big production, just the way I package right now.  I put my Amelia Thimble and Pukipuki sets into a small box.  This way the hat will not get crushed, which is especially important for the crocheted brimmed hats.  I sew the pieces onto card stock like how the first Barbie® clothes were packaged.  I use plastic envelopes for mailing these little boxes.  They can be mailed first class as they only way a few ounces.

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I don’t use a box for the larger doll ensembles; they aren’t needed with the Priority boxes I use.  First, I put all of the accessory pieces is small zipper bags, wrap the knitwear in tissue paper, stuff the sewn dress with tissue to keep it from getting wrinkled.  All of these pieces fit in a larger zippered bag.  I then wrap the bag in tissue; you can see the package below.  I used to use ribbon to tie the package, but ran out one day.  I got the “brilliant” (ha ha) idea to use coordinating or matching yarn from the ensemble to tie up the package.  The yarn can then be reused for hair bows or whatever other creative purpose my customers can think of.  I print out a little thank you note card with a photo of the ensemble, its title, and month/year made to include with the ensemble for future reference.  I use brown paper to wrap up this package and into a Priority box it goes.

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Outside of my studio I found this tiny clump of crocuses that naturalized a few feet away from the main grouping of crocuses.

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On Monday this was what a few of my dolls were wearing.

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I still had my husband’s macro lens on my camera, so took a few more close up shots of the orchids in the bay window.

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And,… that was how the beginning of my first week of spring went.  How was yours?

Oops, forgot to mention that Jpop will have a few Gracie elves and humans for sale on Thursday night.  Here’s the link:  Extra Gracie BJDs.  Also, I think, but not positive, that you will need an account with them, so I’d make one ahead of time if you don’t have one.  I imagine that these will get sold in seconds, so good luck.

Millie is a “Spring Princess”

Happy first day of spring (or fall, if you’re down under).  Hopefully the weather is cooperating for you.  The sun isn’t up here in northern Illinois yet, so it’s still a surprise at our house.

It’s Millie’s turn to show you something new!

Here’s what I made with my last color way of these sweet cotton rose print fabrics.  It is a very light pastel aqua or sky blue.

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This delicately colored fabric definitely needed a light as a feather mohair sweater; nothing else came close to being as perfect for it.  Since this yarn doesn’t come in the perfect shade, I hand dyed a white mohair sweater to the lightest pink.  I love the finished result, do you?

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Sweet Millie has a flower bouquet for you.  Will you accept it?

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Every princess needs a crown of jewels, and Millie’s jewels are on her pearl headband.

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In case you missed the other three ensembles I made using this rose print here they are again.

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Do you have a favorite?

Millie’s “Spring Princess” ensemble will be available Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 7:00 pm, CST, at cindyricedesigns.com on my “Shop What’s New” page.