Category Archives: Effner Dolls

“As Seasons Change”

Is it starting to feel a bit like fall (or spring) where you live, maybe a day here and there? We had a morning last week that was quite cool. If I hadn’t been aware of the exact day on the calendar I could have believed autumn was right around the corner simply by a “feeling in the air”. But alas, we still have August which is still summer. And, I am happy about that; I’m not ready to say goodbye to summer just yet.

Lucy is my last little model in the July fashion show. She is wearing a transitional ensemble in navy blue, my favorite back-to-school color. Her dress is made with a popular print designed by Rifle Paper Co. and manufactured by Cotton + Steel. If you go to Instagram and search with the tag #riflepapercofabric you can find lots of other thing made with this print. It was also produced with a light blue ground and a warm peach/salmon colorway.

as seasons change 859

I customized Lucy’s rose with cobalt seed beads to mimic the stylized roses on her dress.

as seasons change 722

Lucy’s hand knit lace cardigan sweater is made with a heathered rose colored merino lace yarn. There are vertical lace panels on the fronts, sleeves, and a wider one on the back. The cardigan can be worn unbuttoned or buttoned with natural stone navy bead buttons.

It took me a few tries to get the shade for the rose embroidery just right. I kept trying shades that perfectly matched those on the dress, but they did not look right at all. Finally, I squinted my eyes and picked the color that the pink and red blended together to make, which was the color that you see here. There is some reddish orange in the yarn, so this shade of embroidery also ties in with the sweater.

as seasons change 734

Lucy’s beret is knit in the round from my beret pattern. It uses a heavier yarn, but in the same colorway. A hand made two-color pompom decorates the top, and a tiny hand made navy silk (same color as the waistline ribbon) bow decorates the front.

as seasons change 855

as seasons change 857

Lucy’s other accessories include pastel hand dyed pink cotton tights and a bracelet.

as seasons change 851

“As Seasons Change” made for Dianna Effner’s Little Darlings will be available tonight (July 29, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

Thank you so much for attending my July fashion show.

Have a great weekend, my friends.

“Princess in Peach”

3 Replies

Today Alice would like to model her new July ensemble for you. Alice’s best colors are peaches and pinks, so whenever I pull a fabric with those warm and rosy colors, Alice gets to try the fabric first.

princess in peach 767

When Alice put on her new ensemble, I thought she looked like a princess.

princess in peach 773

This peach rose cotton fabric has very faint ivory dots, so I chose to highlight those with trims, pearls, and accessories. The lace on the skirt is brand new to me. It is a very delicate English cotton Cluny lace, and wider than what I usually use. The nylon English Cluny lace I’ve used for the sash is more durable for tying in a bow.

princess in peach 776

Alice’s cardigan is hand knit with salmon colored bamboo thread. Pastel shaded bullion stitch rose are embroidered along the neckline. I added pops of bright rosebuds and light colonial knots to help the roses stand out. A panel of lace knitting decorates the center of each sleeve. The cardigan can be worn unbuttoned or buttoned.

princess in peach 770

princess in peach 794

I think Alice’s crocheted pearl headband adds to her princess-ness. After I tied on the headband, I took her front chunks of hair, brought them to the back, twisted them, then brought them underneath the rest of her wig, then added a clear elastic to hold in place. I find mohair easy to work with; it’s not slipper at all. BTW, this wig is a Kemper Raven Blonde wig.

princess in peach 775

princess in peach 768

Princess Alice’s other accessories include a bouquet, bracelet, and tights.

princess in peach 764

“Princess in Peach” will be available tonight (July 25, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

Alice hopes you’ve enjoyed her little fashion show. Thanks for stopping by, friends. Wishing you a great day!

I’m Finished with my July work! and “Summer Meadow”

6 Replies

It’s hard to believe, yes it is! I feel like I’ve been working on these 6 projects—well, all month long! Having 6 doll outfits in the works all at once was an interesting experiment, and one I will most likely not repeat. I did not work any more efficiently, which is why I tried it in the first place. And, this experiment made my creating seem like work. When I work one-at-a-time, or almost that way, I enjoy the process so much more. The only task that I enjoyed doing all at once was the embroidery. I found once I got into embroidery mode I happily worked from one sweater to the next although it took the same amount of time!

So without further ado . . . my first Little Darling, Gina, is here to show you her new ensemble.

Gina’s drop waist styled dress is made with a pure white cotton floral print. The blossoms are in clear and simple colors: blue, red, green, pink, yellow gold with black outlining. A blue organza ribbon ties around the waistline and the hemline is prettied up with white cotton edging.

summer meadow 738

Gina is wearing a hand knit blue bamboo cardigan. This shade of blue is sort of nautical, sort of periwinkle, kind of in-between. At any rate, it matches the blue in the dress print. I chose to stick with white embroidery to keep the look crisp and clean. I’ve never embroidered with only one color before, and I like the result; it keeps things from getting too busy. It also keeps the colorful focus on the dress. The sweater can be worn open, or buttoned with the white gemstone bead buttons.

summer meadow 759

Gina’s cutting basket is crocheted with natural hemp in the shape of a typical cutting basket. It has a braided handle with a silk bow. After a visit to a nearby meadow, Gina picked flowers to match the flowers in her dress, clever girl! Her blossoms are kept together with a clear elastic, but can be rearranged, or put in a little vase.

summer meadow 746

Gina is wearing a crocheted beret made with white bamboo. It features a mix of crochet stitches for interest, and it frames her cute doll face perfectly!

White cotton anklets, panties, and a bracelet complete the look.

summer meadow 901