Category Archives: Doll Hats

Bella is “Ready for Roses”

Ah, and I am ready for the roses to bloom, too! Hello there. How are you?

It is the last week of winter here in the northern hemisphere. Yay!!! We got about 6 inches of snow last week and it just started melting yesterday. When the snow melted off of the garden beds I checked on the little crocuses which were blooming before the snowfall and they still are. I don’t know how those delicate blooms can withstand 6 inches of icy snow weighing down on them for days, but they held up fine. They sure are little troopers.

Last fall my husband and I planted quite a few different varieties of bulbs and we are eagerly awaiting their arrival. The early ones have started showing, but no buds yet.

My Ruby Red Fashion Friend Bella is a bit impatient this year and has skipped right past the start of spring to late spring when the roses will start to bloom. She really cannot wait!

Bella wears a rose print cotton dress with two different styles of cotton lace adorning the skirt. A rosy pink ribbon sash ties around her waist. Faux pearl buttons decorate the bodice’s back.

Bella’s elbow length cardigan sweater is hand knit with merino wool that has been hand dyed and the rosy mauve color custom mixed to coordinate with the dress. I embroidered bullion stitch pink roses at the neckline. The cardigan can be worn open or will close with rosy pink glass pearl bead buttons.

Bella wears a crocheted cap in white bamboo thread. A wool felt blossom and knitted leaf decorate her cap. Her drawstring bag matches the cap in materials and decoration. So that she would have something to put in her bag I made her a tiny hanky in cotton lawn. (This is how I used to fold and iron my grandma’s hankies when I would help her out with her chores.) Bella’s bracelet features a rosebud charm and pearly heart to show that I made this just for her with love.

Bella would like to know if you’re excited for the rose gardens to come into bloom. I cannot believe spring starts next week, can you? Those rose gardens will be glorious in no time!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the week and the upcoming weekend! Thank you for stopping by and visiting with me. ❤️🤗

“Summertime Pretty” for Ruby Red Fashion Friends

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Hello! I want to show you the latest ensemble I finished for the Ruby Red Fashion Friends. Stella loves how summery it is. I think all my girls are starting to feel the approach of autumn, so any bits of summer, no matter how small, are something to grasp onto.

Stella’s cotton print dress features happy summery colors in pink, mint green, light blue, peachy coral, and some golden yellow. Even though the ground of the dress is more white than ivory, I thought the dress looked nice with ivory, so Stella’s hemline lace and cardigan are in off white. I guess the different shades of white reminded me of the carefree spirit of summer. Anyhow, they just felt ‘right’, so I went with it.

Stella’s sun shielding wide brimmed sun hat is crocheted with cotton threads. I add some color contrast at the top and a peachy shell stitch border on the brim’s edge. The slanted edge band is made out of the dress fabric and is attached with a mother-of-pearl button sewn on with matching pink embroidery floss. Stella likes to wear the brim tipped up in the front so that her light blue silk ribbon bow is visible.

A strand of peach silk ribbon and a strand of pink is tied twice around the waistline and then tied in a bow in front. Fine gauge English cotton Cluny lace has been hand dyed to an ivory color and is snugged underneath a tuck on the dress skirt.

Stella’s cardigan is knit out of soft merino undyed wool. The flower motif on the dress do not look like roses, so I embroidered a stylized blossom using colonial knots and bullion stitches along with white beaded centers. Some sprigs of yellow blossoms and dark green greenery complete the embroidery. For more pops of peach coral colored semi-precious stone beads are used as buttons.

Stella’s accessories include cotton knit anklets in a very pastel pink with peach bows. Vintage floral blossoms have been gathered into a bouquet. The stems are wound with pink silk ribbon and a bow. The beaded bracelet is made with peach and gold seed beads. A pink flower dangles from the bracelet and a heart is strung along to show that this set was made with love.

I hope this post finds you well, and am wishing you a beautiful August! I must confess August is always a little bittersweet for me in that it signifies that the end of summer is right around the corner. How about you? What are your feelings about August?

Sending hugs and ❤️ from Stella and I.

Rose is Hoping Spring Arrives Soon

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Hello! I hope you are doing okay even though… well, you know. Things going on in the world are very sad right now. Every day I pray for peace… I keep in my heart all those who need comfort and courage right now. ❤️

I want to show you what I finished for Rose in February. Rose is a 10″ Boneka Monday’s Child doll sculpted by Dianna Effner.

Rose loves her new springtime ensemble. I chose a beautiful pink/lilac tiny floral print for her dress. The full skirt is edged with white cotton lace; a bright pink grosgrain ribbon ties around the waist. Her hand knit cardigan is knit with a lilac tonal hand dyed merino yarn. It is embroidered with random rose/floral motifs in coordinating colors. Her spring hat is crocheted with cotton and bamboo threads. The hat band is made with matching dress fabric and ribbon. In my stash I found Rose a white teddy bear and embellished the foot pads with embroidery, made a matching bow, and gave Theodora a lilac colored blossom.

Rose is very happy with her new ensemble, but a wee bit sad as we’ve had cold weather return again here in northern Illinois. (I know it’s early March but in my mind feels like it should be April!) She is wishing the warm weather from last week would return so that she can stroll through the gardens and see what is starting to grow. Who can blame her! I am ready for spring too!

I whispered in her ear that next week is looking to be warm again; that seemed to put a little smile on her face. For now Rose has a teddy bear to cuddle and stay warm with.

Here are my ‘lilac ladies’ all eagerly awaiting springtime: Rose, Alice, Sophie, Gina, and Lucy. The taller ladies are my Little Darlings. The little red haired girl is Ann Estelle’s friend Sophie (Tonner’s Mary Engelbreit dolls). And you know about Rose. The other ensembles were previously made for past spring times and are being worn with love once again.