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.

Everyone loves this soft and fuzzy yarn, don’t they? I do, and this is one yarn that I go to again and again throughout the year, it’s season-less.

In addition to my pink and white knits, (you saw those collections last week here and here) I’ve used this yarn to knit sweaters and dresses in dusty lavender, blue green, medium sky blue, golden yellow, tan, and fuchsia.

I think that this collection of photos along with last week’s two collections shows everything I’ve made with this yarn. Now, I think it’s time to look forward, and knit some more with this yarn!

Thank you so much for reading my blog and commenting! I appreciate it so much!

Bye for now!

Day four of waking up to a dark and cloudy morning. Geez, enough already! It looks like the sun may come out today. Please, sun won’t you peek out from behind the clouds today?

I don’t know about you, but these cloudy days start to pile up on me and leave me feeling tired and drained. I had a difficult time getting any sewing done yesterday; all I wanted to do is sit in front of the fire and knit, knit, knit. Today I have to do better.

I thought that looking at sunny photos might help.

If you’re stuck in the clouds like we are, did that help? I think it helped me. Now, to push myself out of this chair, feed the pups, and get moving. And, I see some clearing in the sky. Yay!!!

Hope you have a sunny day today!

Thanks for reading! Bye for now!