Tag Archives: effner

“Rosies and Lavender”

It’s super hard to get into spring-y feelings this morning.  It snowed all night and a fine snow is still falling.  However, we don’t have much snow on the ground, six inches or so.  Six inches of snow is better than 24, so I’ll take it without complaining.

I have my smiling Little Darling, Lucy, here to help bring back some feelings of spring.  She is wearing the most (one of them, anyway) beautiful floral prints in a unique color palette.  Instead of green for the greenery, it is in medium grey.  The background isn’t white, ivory, or ecru.  It is the color of whipping cream!  The roses are in cool rosy tones with muted violet blossoms.  The blossoms, stems, and leaves make up bouquets scattered  randomly on this Japanese cotton fabric.

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Isn’t this a beautiful print?

Lucy’s dress has English cotton Cluny lace snugged underneath a skirt tuck.  The waistline sash is in rosy colored satin ribbon.

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Muted lavender works perfectly for the sweater.  The elbow length wool cardigan has delicate lace panels down the center back, sleeves, and along the front edges.  I’ve embroidered floral motifs in an asymmetrical composition amongst the lace panels.

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Lucy wears a crocheted cap made out of white bamboo thread.  It is decorated with a crocheted mohair/silk rose, satin bow, and glass leaf bead.  What a pretty girl!

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Lucy’s accessories include a bouquet, bracelet, and tights.

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“Rosies and Lavender” will be available tonight (March 13, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

“Springy and Delicate”

After many, many springlike days winter weather returned on Friday.  We woke Saturday morning to a light dusting of snow and temperatures that were well below freezing.  Brr!  Saturday remained cold, and reminding me that it is still indeed February.

I cannot remember ever seeing crocuses blooming in February, but this year I did!  What a wonderful surprise they were!  They started blooming (always the yellow first) last Wednesday.  Since it’s getting  warmer again this week, the violet and white crocuses should quickly follow their yellow friends out into the world.  Spring flowers make me so happy!

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In my studio, the “making of spring” also continues.  Here is my Little Darling, Gina, modeling my last February ensemble.

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Isn’t this the most precious print?  It is so shabby chic and in my favorite shade of blue.  This was one of those ‘order immediately before it’s sold out’ fabrics.  I fell so much in love with it that I also purchased it in pink and yellow.

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Gina’s cardigan is knit with mohair/silk lace yarn.  Lace panels on each front, the sleeves, and center back add to the delicate-ness of this cardigan.  The mirrored rose bouquets are embroidered at the neckline and bottom hemline.  I brought rosiness to the button band with pastel pink glass pearl buttons.

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I finally bought some wool roving to make little needle felted accessories with.  (I received a needle felting pen and mat for Christmas.)  I’ve watched some You Tube tutorials, so had a general idea how to needle felt, but I was just having fun and experimenting while making this bunny.  To my surprise, he came out looking like a bunny!  Gina claimed him as her own and told me all she needed was a basket to put him in.  Of course, dear Gina!  I made a flat shaped basket (like my flower cutting baskets) so he could sit in the basket and be seen.  He’s not perfect, but cute, I think so anyway.

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“Springy and Delicate” will be available tonight (February 27, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

My little Kaye Wiggs Millie is patiently awaiting the next spring ensemble which will be hers!  I think it will be in the pink colorway of this same print.  I was looking at her album of outfits and she seems to be missing a pink dress.  She has had a lot of ensembles made with prints that have ivory backgrounds, and not one print that is predominately pink.

Thanks for stopping by today, my friends.  Enjoy the week!

“A Rosy Outlook”

My Little Darling, Alice, is forever contemplating life and the world with a positive attitude.  Actually all three of my Little Darlings are like that, and they remind me on a daily basis to do the same.  Really, though, how can one be gloomy gazing at their beautiful and sweet faces!

Our latest blast of springtime hasn’t made it difficult to have a rosy outlook either.  Spring has been here in the Chicago area for a good many days now, and I am spoiled beyond being spoiled, if that’s possible.  The warmth and sunshine feels heavenly, and I am enjoying every second of it!

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Just like our weather, Alice’s new ensemble is all warmth and sunshine.  The dress features the tiniest pink roses in shades of warm pink and pretty green.  The background is a deep ivory or light maize color.  Ivory scalloped French lace edges the hemline.  A  hand dyed rayon ribbon sash ties in a bow at the back of the dress.

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The wool sweater is knit with panels of lace on the center back, down the center of each sleeve, and a narrower panel along each front.   Tiny bullion stitched rosebuds mingle with the knitted lace on the sweater’s front.

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A beret that matches the sweater is knit from my beret pattern.  A pair of embroidered rosebuds and a hand made pom pom embellish this tiny beret.

Accessories to complete this ensemble include a crocheted flower basket filled with a paper wrapped bunch of blossoms, a bracelet, and tights.

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Alice’s “A Rosy Outlook” ensemble will be available tonight (February 21, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

BTW, I am so sorry about the technology problems last night which made me unable to publish my website at 7:00.  I stumbled upon a work around which will hopefully prevent it from happening tonight.

I hope you all are having a great Tuesday!  Thank you so much for visiting with me today.  Bye for now! ❤