Tag Archives: crochet hat with brim

Sophie is My “Lavender Lovely”

Hello to you! I hope you are having a very nice weekend. It’s nice and hot here in northern Illinois–very summery feeling.

This month is flying by, and I don’t have much dolly-related making to show for it. Granted I have been taking a lot of time to enjoy spring and all the beautiful flowers. And, we have had a birthday and a college graduation to celebrate this month. May has been busy. There hasn’t been much time to settle down and create in my studio.

Last month I started a new ensemble for Sophie and it is now complete. Sophie is a Mary Engelbreit doll by Robert Tonner. She is the best friend to Ann Estelle. Do you remember those adorable paper dolls Mary added to her Home Companion magazine? These dolls are those paper dolls come to life. The dolls were first sold in the early 2000s and were very popular among doll collectors. At one time I had Gracie and Georgia too. Sophie is my only remaining M. E. doll. By the way, she shares the same body as the newer Patsy doll by Robert Tonner.

Sophie’s cropped cardigan is knit with lace weight merino that I hand dyed to a pink violet. I used six different shades of violet and pink for the roses. I mixed them up in different combinations, tiny rose jewels. I used Patsy’s cardigan pattern to knit this sweater for Sophie.

Oh, this fabric! I think it’s one of my favorites. It’s a Kaufman lawn, Sevenberry Petite Garden is a line of small scale florals from Japan. I originally purchased it from fabric.com. They don’t have this exact print anymore, but they have some other lovely prints to choose from.

I crocheted Sophie’s summer hat using three strands: #10 cotton, #10 bamboo, and #20 cotton. To decorate the hat I used lace that matches the dress and muted turquoise velvet ribbon. I hand tacked both separately and pulled snugly on the trims so that they hugged the hat neatly. I LOVE mother-of-pearl and happily used one of my mother-of-pearl buttons for this hat!

I think Sophie is thrilled with her new ensemble. She’s been waiting patiently for one of her own that she can keep.

I published a new YouTube video showing bits of this ensemble in progress.

Wishing you all a great ‘last week in May’ ! 🤗💜

“Beauty and Blossoms”

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At long last, I can say “Spring is here!”, and see that it is true here in northern Illinois. The trees are starting to look plush and green, rather than spindly and grey. Our lilac bushes have tiny cone-shaped growths that are getting larger by the day. The phlox is starting to bloom and turn the garden into a lilac colored carpet, so pretty.

I don’t think I ever see as many shades of purple in gardens as I see in the spring garden.

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Gracie, my Kaye Wiggs MSD sized BJD, is appropriately attired for early spring. Her dress is made from a light weight Japanese cotton floral print that depicts the purple hues of spring gardens so perfectly.

Her dress features a plethora of violet shaded blossoms: dark blue violet, red violet, lilac, light red violet, cool pink.

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A band of luxurious Swiss cotton lace that I hand dyed to a very light ecru adorns the dress’s skirt. It is snugged up underneath a deep tuck near the hemline.

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Gracie’s crocheted hat is decorated with a band made from the dress fabric and crocheted blossoms in three purple shades. The lariat styled necklace is also crocheted. The beads in purple, pink, and white are crocheted into the necklace; tassels decorate the ends.

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Gracie’s shoulders are kept warm with a hand knit lace shrug made with a coordinating color of wool.

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For Gracie’s bracelet, I used six different colored blossoms and arranged them in a gradated pattern. Gracie has picked a colorful bouquet to accompany her spring ensemble.

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“Beauty and Blossoms” will be available tonight (April 18, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

I’d love to hear about the colors in your gardens!

One More for March!

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Hello to you all! Yep, one more, and then March 2017 is a wrap.

My very spoiled Little Darlings worked out amongst themselves who would model this last ensemble. They decided that Alice, my Little Darling painted by Nelly Valentino, would be the one to get the job. I must say they chose well; she looks as sweet as sugar in this new spring set.

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Isn’t she a cutie pie! ❤ Alice shines in neutral, warm colors.

The fabric I used for this dress is the same print as used for “A Whisper of Spring”, but this one is in the warm palette. The colors coordinates with Gracie’s “A Springtime Garden Stroll”.

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This print is made up of salmon, blush pink shades, a bit of neutral gold, and a soft green. The background is the palest of peach, as light as ivory, but peachier. The hemline is edged with a beautiful scalloped English cotton Cluny lace in ecru.

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I chose to highlight the salmon color with a rayon ribbon sash and a hand made bow on the cloche hat. Alice’s cloche is crocheted with ivory cotton and white bamboo. The brim is edged with a feminine shell stitch. I like the brim turned up on the right side, a very stylish look. The bow is handmade with a multi pearl beaded center, and the knit leaf is in a soft green bamboo.

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Alice’s hand knit “light as a feather” cardigan is made with lace weight mohair/silk yarn. The floral embroidery coordinates with the dress.

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Alice’s spring basket is crocheted with blush pink cotton. Her little duckling is a vintage porcelain miniature, and sits atop a bit of green Easter grass. Alice’s bracelet is made with tiny pearls and pink seed beads. A peach/clear marbleized glass heart dangles from the bracelet. The tights are in the palest warm shade and are made with rayon Lycra® knit.

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