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.

“Garden Picnic”

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Who would like to have a picnic in the garden with sweet Lucy? She’s all ready for a happy outing, and is bringing the sweets!

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Lucy is wearing a most appropriate dress printed with roses and other pretty blossoms. The dress is a drop waist style with a pink ribbon tied around the waist.

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A lace merino wool sweater in lace weight heathered aqua covers her shoulders in case it gets a little cool, or they find the perfect picnic spot in the shade. Bullion stitched embroidered rose motifs are scattered on the front of the sweater which can be worn open or closed.

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Lucy is bringing to the picnic the yummiest of sweets: an iced donut, a flower-shaped cookie, and an iced strawberry sweet roll. I promise these are calorie free! They all fit into her crocheted picnic basket, and can nestle inside the little rosy cotton lawn napkin.

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A crocheted headband with bow, panties (also with a bow), anklets, and bracelet complete Lucy’s “Garden Picnic” ensemble.

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“Garden Picnic” for the Little Darlings will be available tonight (June 16, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

Maybe Lucy will inspire you to have a little picnic in the garden today?

“Sweet Summertime”

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Yay! It’s time to celebrate summer! June has been nothing but warm, or hot, and sunny, sunny, sunny! It seems like we’ve had more blue sky days this month than we’ve had all year. It sure is glorious seeing the sun shine all day long! I hope you’ve been as fortunate with sunshine as we’ve been, here in northern Illinois. If not, I’ll bottle some up, and send it to you. (Don’t you wish that could really be done?)

My Little Darling, Gina, is here to celebrate summertime with you. She is dressed in sunny yellow, flowery pinks, and of course, blue sky blue.

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The cotton Japanese print I used for this dress is both pastel and bright, perfect for summertime. I originally made a deeper aqua cardigan for this dress, but thought the sunny yellow accessories were a better choice. The dress is decorated with warm white English cotton Cluny lace and hand dyed soft yellow hand made silk bows. A matching silk ribbon sash ties around the waistline.

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The knitted lace capelet, crocheted headband and drawstring purse are made with buttery yellow bamboo thread. (Please excuse Gina’s messy hair; it’s a very windy day.)

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The lightweight capelet features lace stitches all the way around and closes with a pearl bead and loop.

The drawstring bag is decorated with a bright pink resin rose and hand beaded sepal at the rose’s base. Inside is a fringed hanky made out of white cotton lawn and folded into a triangle.

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Gina’s headband is crocheted with tiny pearls and ties at the back of her neck.

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“Sweet Summertime” will be available tonight (June 11, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

“Blossoms for the Bees”

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We’ve had so many bumblebees buzzing around our garden this spring. I love watching the fuzzy little guys, and how they almost disappear inside trumpet-shaped blossom. I don’t have any snapdragons growing in my garden this year, but I have in past years, and they really do disappear inside these blossoms, so cute.

Keeping with the bee theme, Gracie is wearing a dress covered in trios of bright blossoms which are on a subtle hexagon honeycomb background.

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Gracie’s dress has a wider neckline which looks pretty with shrugs. The hemline is embellished with cotton tatting lace that I applied by hand. The lace was a gift, but I am guessing it is vintage and handmade. The circles on the lace look perfect with the circle-shaped flowers, and the lace’s color matches the fabric exactly.

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Gracie’s yummy lace shrug is knit with lace weight merino wool in red violet heather. It has a crocheted shell edging.

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I thought a hexi-shaped purse would be so cute with this ensemble. This one is made with two crocheted granny hexagons and a leather strap. It can be worn cross body, over the shoulder, or wrapped around Gracie’s hand. Inside the bag is a little bouquet of flowers. There is even a little extra room for other found treasures. In my stash I had one bumble bee button. He found his way onto Gracie’s granny square blossom.

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Gracie’s hair decoration is made by hand with three colors of crocheted merino wool blossoms which pick up the colors in the dress. I’ve added a little green merino wool leaf and a handmade organza bow. It slips in place with a handmade wire bobby pin.

Anklets, panties, and a bracelet complete this summery ensemble.

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