Category Archives: Summertime Doll Ensemble

It’s Been “A Golden Season”, But it is Ending Soon

It is early morning here, and oh how the mornings are getting cool and dark in northern Illinois. I can sense autumn is fast approaching. Even though this is true I tell myself it is still summer here in the northern hemisphere. I intend to enjoy these last days of what I call the golden season to their fullest.

Hello there! How are you? It has been a little while since I’ve said hello. Well, pretty much the whole summer season. I haven’t been in my sewing studio much at all, so not much to share with you dolly-wise.

The reason for the absence from my sewing studio is that our new gardens have taken up much of my attention. In case you don’t know I love flowers, meandering in gardens and the forest preserves! My daughter has been educating me on the beauty and necessity of native plants. And so, our gardens, being a clean slate this year, have gotten lots of attention–lots of native plants (as well as favorites of mine that I snuck in amongst the natives)😉. Oh, it has been fun!!!

This ensemble I am about to show you is being modeled by my Holly who is a Ruby Red Fashion Friend. It took me the entire summer to complete, so I can bet that all the happiness of my summer runs through each and every stitch!

Holly’s mohair/silk sweater is hand knit and features hand embroidered floral motifs: golden yellow roses, greenery and flower buds. It can be buttoned with mother-of-pearl beads, or left unbuttoned.

Holly’s golden yellow rose print dress is fully lined with cotton lawn, no exposed raw edges. Spring green organza ribbon is tied around the waistline, and held in place with ‘belt loops’. Tiny green buttons for show are on the back bodice. Fine English cotton Cluny lace is tucked up underneath a tuck on the skirt near the hemline.

The crocheted sun hat is a mix of yellow and white cotton threads with the golden yellow mohair/silk yarn used for the scalloped edging. The hat’s band is made out of the same fabric as the dress, and the bow at back center is the same as the waistline ribbon. The brim can be turned up or left flat.

I love the bouquet that Holly picked for all of us to enjoy. It is a mixture of color coordinated flowers which are carefully tied together with matching embroidery thread and then secured. A clear elastic band wrapped around her hand helps to keep it in place.

Holly’s bracelet is made with genuine peridot and freshwater pearl beads, as well as a mother-of-pearl heart dangle. It easily slips on as it is made with stretchy jewelry cord.

To complete the ensemble are a pair of white cotton Lycra anklets.

I plan on offering this ensemble for sale, so keep a lookout as to when that will happen–hoping sometime in the following week. I will add a post to my Facebook page to announce the date and time. As always, and I am sorry, but I only ship within the U.S. due to the high shipping costs and the loss risks.

Wishing you all a beautiful weekend…wherever you live. Please enjoy these last days of the summer (or winter) season. Thank you so much for visiting with me today, please say hello, and let me know what you’ve been up to if you are so inclined. I love hearing from you!❤️ Take care–sending dolly hugs. 🤗

P.S. I promised to share my crocheted sun hat recipe, or procedure with you. I haven’t forgotten. Thank you for your patience.

A Sun Hat for Holly

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Hello from smoky Illinois. Yep, that’s right. The wind is blowing just so, and now it is our turn to have the smoky air from the Canadian wildfires. My condolences to all of you who are even closer to it. It really is hard to be outside today. Right now I am holed up in the bedroom with the air purifier on high. It helps immensely.

It is supposed to be sunny today, so Holly has on her new sun hat. I made it especially for her “My Delicate Rose” ensemble. It is very simple, but frames her face perfectly. She picked a few more blossoms and tucked them underneath the pink bow at the back of her hat so that she looks as pretty leaving as she does arriving. Please indulge her; she wanted to show you.

Other things I have been working on in the studio… I have a sweater blocking for “Red, White, and Blue-tiful” and then I will do a little embroidery on it. (Bella changed her mind–she really does want a summer sweater with her new ensemble.) I also have a pink and golden yellow sweater (like the lilac one above) all knit up and ready for the rest of the ensembles to be made. I think I have the fabric picked out for the yellow, but not the pink one yet.

Take good care of yourselves, my friends. ❤️ Enjoy the rest of the week. Sending you lots of hugs from my girls and I. 🤗

“Red, White, & Blue-tiful”

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Hello and happy new week to you. I hope you’ve had a nice weekend and Monday. We have finally cooled off a little and got lots of much needed rain on Sunday. I think we are in a little drought in northern Illinois. The dreary days are not uplifting, but the plants need the rain.

As spring is drawing to a close I am starting to gravitate towards summery prints for my doll ensembles. Bella, my Ruby Red Fashion Friend, is the first recipient of a summer ensemble this year. She wears a simple floral cotton dress with cotton crocheted ballet slippers (on her bare feet) and a cotton crocheted sunhat. Summery blue and red are a part of her new look. When I was very young I remember loving to wear these colors in the summertime. There is a tiny bit of pink in this print, too–can’t ignore pink!

Bella’s sunhat is crocheted with three strands of crochet cotton and has a pretty scalloped navy border. A self fabric band, crochet flowers and a leaf, are all hand made and hand sewn onto the hat with beads.

Bella’s pink bouquet of flowers is tied together with embroidery thread carefully wrapped and secured around the stems. A navy silk ribbon is tied into a bow and also secured so it will not slip off or untie.

Once I figured out the pattern for Bella’s ballet slippers they crocheted up pretty quickly. The pattern took me a day and a half though. I kept trying things and ripping back and trying some more. I wanted to get the sole to fit the bottom of her foot perfectly. And then the upper part of the slipper to be low on her foot for a dainty look. Bella has such cute little feet!

Bella has some super cute jewelry with this set. Her bracelet is made of three strands: cobalt seed, mint green seed, and iridescent warm red bugle beads strung on stretchy jewelry cord. A silver toned ring wraps around all three strands with a red flower dangling from it. The necklace is silver toned with a tiny green/red garden gnome and flower dangle. The heart shows that this ensemble was made with great love and care.

Bella is as cool as a cucumber and ready for lots of fun summer picnics.

Are you ready for summer (or winter) to begin? I’m not sure I am ready to say goodbye to spring, but it is leaving us regardless of my being ready or not.

My tiny girls all say hello and thank you for visiting with us today. Sending you late spring hugs from my sewing studio.🤗