Category Archives: Chicago Botanic Gardens

Evianna is “Beautiful in Blue”

Hello there! It’s a new weekend…already. They come around so quickly for me. Some of you might have the opposite experience, but for me the weeks fly by. It seems winter is over here in northern Illinois…maybe…I hope. I visited the Chicago Botanic Gardens yesterday and the tulips are in full bloom as are the daffodils, trees, and other early bloomers.

Here are a few photos from yesterday.

Would you like to see Evianna in her new ‘blue’ ensemble? Blue is so pretty on her–it matches her eyes. 💙

I had two different wigs on her for this photograph shoot–the long blonde one she arrived in, and a Kemper mohair bob. Each wig really changes her look, doesn’t it? Do you have a preference?

Evianna’s dress is in a delicate cotton floral by Robert Kaufman and completely lined in white cotton lawn. A scalloped border of cotton English Cluny lace embellishes the hemline and an ivory rayon ribbon ties around the waist.

Evianna’s cardigan is knit with mohair/silk lace weight yarn (Knit Picks Aloft). I embroidered three motifs in different blues to coordinate with the dress. I have been enjoying embroidering asymmetrical motifs lately. I find it more interesting to look at, and more enjoyable to execute. Awhile ago I found button beads at a bead store; I purchased them in the crystal AB color. They work perfectly for my tiny sweaters. Unfortunately, I only have this one color though.

Evianna’s wide brimmed hat is crocheted with three strands of cotton thread–two in white and one in blue. The three mixed together make a very pale aqua blue. I edged the brim with one strand of white in a scalloped pattern. Rayon ribbon dyed to coordinate, a crocheted rose in mohair/silk, and wool felt leaves decorate Evianna’s bonnet.

Cotton knit tights, a bouquet, and bracelet complete Evianna’s new spring look.

Evianna and I would both like to wish you a wonderful weekend filled with the kind of days that you most love. Sending you hugs from the studio.🤗 Take care, my friends.

What I Do When It’s Too Big and a Video

Hello. I hope you are doing good. All is fine here in northern Illinois. After a solid week of rain and dreariness we are now into some beautiful weather again, thank goodness.

I wrote last time about how my knitting gauge has gotten looser and now my own knitting patterns are producing items that seem too large, or almost too large for the dolls they were designed for.

My last knitted garment, and the most noticeably too large, was the sweater coat for the Little Darlings. Here it is again in progress–and it wasn’t beyond fixing. It pays to try on the garment before weaving in ends and sewing up seams.

Before resizing

I added a lifeline in the row I wanted to rip back to, and then ripped away. I transferred the stitches from the lifeline on the knitting needle and knit the ribbed edging. For the body this meant right under the second to last buttonhole. The garter band of the sweater was tricky to see where to put the lifeline. If I didn’t get the right spot it was easy to fix while I was ripping out.

The sleeves needed 5 less rows, so the lifeline went in the 6th row beyond the ribbing. In addition, I decided to narrow the sleeves, so I knit backwards and added some decreases at the edges of the sleeves.

After resizing

I am so happy with the finished result. I think it fits Alice perfectly now. The ensemble is still is progress, but almost completed. I knit her hat yesterday… at the beach–a Lake Michigan beach. It was pretty enjoyable! 😉

I love the sound of water, and if you do too, or if you’d like to see some of the water installations at the Chicago Botanic Gardens please have a look/listen. It’s pretty short (but took a while to make!!!). I am brand spanking new at this, and also at recording video–that’s why some of my footage is vertical. 😮 A warning though–it’s very amateurish, sorry.

Bye for now. Thanks for stopping by. Take care–until next time. ❤ ❤ ❤

Good Morning!

Good morning and Happy Sunday, friends!  I was up to see the first light of the day this morning.  Although with these shorter days one doesn’t need to get up very early to see the first light of the day.  I took this a little after 6am.  I love being up before it is light, do you?

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Yesterday morning, however, I was up a bit later, and instead of the first light I caught the sun welcoming the day.  It was a very frosty morning.  The landscape looked as though sugar had been sprinkled upon it.

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When we start getting snow I start filling the bird feeder.  This is the second fill which is almost gone.  Hmm, maybe the squirrels could answer that question.

2019 fall squirrel feeder 0902I have finally finished up this blue sweater dress ensemble.  I would like Gina to model it, but she is wearing another that needs photographing, so that will have to wait a bit.

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Here are my three girls in the other sweater dress ensembles I’ve recently made.  Don’t they look festive and warm?

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A couple of weeks ago, and while we had snow on the ground, I visited the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  They were very busy setting up for Lightscape, so some places were roped off.  I walked around the Dwarf Conifer Garden which is the perfect place when there is snow on the ground.  It feels so very Christmasy.

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I also visited the greenhouses.  I wanted to ‘feel summer’ again, and I did.  The warmth and humidity in the tropical greenhouse felt so nice.

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Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. readers!  Wishing you safe travels if you are traveling.