Tag Archives: Ann Estelle

“Just Peachy”

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Summertime means peach time!  Who loves peaches?  In my opinion, peaches (and other summer fruits) are one of the best things about summer.  Do you agree?

Miss Patsy is feeling mighty peachy today.  It’s her turn to model my newest ensemble, and I think she likes it.  Look at that smile…!!!

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Patsy’s hand knit cardi and crocheted beret are made with natural colored bamboo thread. This ensemble started with her beret.  I originally made it for my Little Darling, Alice, from a pattern I had made for the Kish Chrysalis dolls many years ago.  Here’s that VERY colorful beret.  I don’t think I’d make it this colorful again—I had 30 ends to weave in.  Ugh!

When I was knitting this beret for Alice I thought it would end up too big, so stopped a couple of rows short from what the pattern said to do.  (I’ll have to try again to make it for the Little Darlings.)  It ended up being a tad too tiny for Alice, but looked perfect on Patsy.

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The sweater has a sprinkling of blossoms in colors from the dress print.  I added tiny opal colored seed beads to the centers of the salmon blossoms so that they would pop.

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Patsy wanted a tiny drawstring purse to complete her ensemble.  I had the exact shade of cotton thread.  It matched the hand dyed rayon ribbon used for the waistline sash and the hand made bow on the beret.  I love the the light peachy pink mixed with the pure peach and salmon.  Patsy’s tights are a more pastel version of peach.

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Patsy’s euphoria wearing her new ensemble didn’t last long as Sophie wanted to try it on.  As you can see it looks cute on Sophie too.  Sophie’s coloring actually is better suited to this ensemble, but don’t tell Patsy that.

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Patsy’s (and Sophie’s) “Just Peachy” ensemble will be available August 7, 2016 at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.  Please check the “Shop What’s New” page at that time for more details.

Too Many… Dolls!

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For me, that is.  In the course of one day I suddenly decided that I NEED to get rid of the dolls that I am not making outfits for.  Well, some of the them anyway.  I guess the ones that I know I will never make anything for really should find new homes.

A couple of (maybe a few) years ago I sold the first 14″ Kish Chrysalis doll (Grace), two of Ann Estelle’s friends (Gracie and Georgia), and Marley Wentworth; it was fine.  Of course it was fine.  Look at the dolls I still have!  I still have three other 14″ Kish Chrysalis dolls, 10″ Ann Estelle and Sophie.  I also have a large Ann Estelle and Lilah (10″ Ann Estelle’s sister).  I have lots of other Kish dolls:  Tamsin, Alisha, four Riley sized: Riley, Tulah, Zsu Zse, and Avery, three of the small babies:  Ellery, Jessamyn, and Miki, a Lisbet (who needs a new lip repaint).  Two BJD dolls, a Bo Bergemann Dream Doll and a Pamela Macy Remy are also sitting around.  These are all dolls that I do not actively sew for.

In addition to these dolls, I have huge cartons filled with NRFB Barbie, Skipper, Stacie, and Kelly dolls.  Most of these are from the 1990s.

I am not a collector in the sense that one thinks of as a collector because I just don’t like to have a lot of things around. (And, it’s taken me many years to learn this about myself.)  The one exception to this is my creative supplies:  fabric, yarn, beads, etc.  Having those “things” around sparks, not saps, my energy.  These extra dolls are sapping my creative energy.

Really… already!  I need to destash, declutter, downsize, or whatever it is called.

I snapped this photo yesterday of my 18″ Ann Estelle whom I’ve had since 2003.  She is the largest in my “doll collection”.  Poor, poor Ann gets no attention whatsoever.  She has such a sweet face, doesn’t she?

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