Author Archives: Cindy Rice

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.

Fabric Delivery

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One of the reasons I love to do what I do is the “need” for fabric. I cannot sew a dress without fabric. And, really I don’t have that much. Ha ha! These days so many illustrators are putting their super sweet designs onto fabric and it’s impossible to resist them, you know? And then there’e that “gotta fill up the shopping cart to get free shipping” thing.

My fabric stash is growing quicker than I can use it. I have to slow down, really I do. Another ha ha, I’m afraid.

When I know a new order of fabric is being delivered it is a very exciting day for me. All that new inspiration coming to my studio… it’s so, well inspiring!

The two on the right were previously purchased, but came from the same collection. Too cute for words!

These four are my favorites!

If you’d like some of my homegrown tips on selecting fabric for doll clothes, I talked about it in this post here.

Now, if only I can add twice as many hours to my day I’d be all set.

Bye for now!

“My Forever Snowman” for Millie

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Our snow is long gone here. In fact, it has been so mild; it feels like Thanksgiving is weeks away, not Christmas. No, I am not complaining, the cold and snow will come to stay for many months, it always does. In the meantime, I am thoroughly enjoying this gift of nice and easy weather.

Since we don’t have snow outside, Millie is here with her snowman that lasts on and on and on, he’s her forever snowman. I made him myself in my studio, so he is filled with hugs and love, and ready to “snowify” your day.

I didn’t name him; that is for his new girl to do, so I’ll just keep referring to him as the snowman. The snowman is made completely by hand out of wool felt, embroidery thread, beads, mohair yarn. I wanted to get his expression just right, so that your heart would “melt” a little when you gazed into his deep dark eyes. Did I succeed?

The snowman’s hat is so tiny that it is half the width of Amelia Thimble’s! I made it with the same hand dyed merino and white mohair that I recently used for Amelia Thimble and Sugar’s sets. The scarf is crocheted using matching yarn from Millie’s dress. Snowman’s arms are knit with tan mohair and have loop hands for holding. Here he is holding a sequin snowflake and a beaded candy cane that I made years ago. He is gently stuffed with plastic doll making pellets, so he has a bean bag feel to him.

Millie’s hand knit wool dress has a sprinkling of snowflakes: mohair colonial knots, delicately embroidered star-shaped flakes, icy clear seed beads, and clear sequins with white seed beads. The snowflakes fall in a pattern from the left shoulder down and around the appliquéd snowman which is sitting above the “fur” trim off to the right. He’s super tiny, but cute.

For more information on Millie’s “My Forever Snowman” ensemble, please visit my “Shop What’s New” page at cindyricedesigns.com .

The “Season of Beauty”

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Gina is ready to join Lucy for some holiday fun (or, at least to stand around and look lovely). I didn’t plan on these two outfits going so nicely together, but they do, don’t you think?

The embroidery on Gina’s mohair/silk sweater continues all of the around the neckline. I picked up the design from the dress and adapted it for the embroidery.