Tag Archives: hat

Bella is “Ready for Roses”

Ah, and I am ready for the roses to bloom, too! Hello there. How are you?

It is the last week of winter here in the northern hemisphere. Yay!!! We got about 6 inches of snow last week and it just started melting yesterday. When the snow melted off of the garden beds I checked on the little crocuses which were blooming before the snowfall and they still are. I don’t know how those delicate blooms can withstand 6 inches of icy snow weighing down on them for days, but they held up fine. They sure are little troopers.

Last fall my husband and I planted quite a few different varieties of bulbs and we are eagerly awaiting their arrival. The early ones have started showing, but no buds yet.

My Ruby Red Fashion Friend Bella is a bit impatient this year and has skipped right past the start of spring to late spring when the roses will start to bloom. She really cannot wait!

Bella wears a rose print cotton dress with two different styles of cotton lace adorning the skirt. A rosy pink ribbon sash ties around her waist. Faux pearl buttons decorate the bodice’s back.

Bella’s elbow length cardigan sweater is hand knit with merino wool that has been hand dyed and the rosy mauve color custom mixed to coordinate with the dress. I embroidered bullion stitch pink roses at the neckline. The cardigan can be worn open or will close with rosy pink glass pearl bead buttons.

Bella wears a crocheted cap in white bamboo thread. A wool felt blossom and knitted leaf decorate her cap. Her drawstring bag matches the cap in materials and decoration. So that she would have something to put in her bag I made her a tiny hanky in cotton lawn. (This is how I used to fold and iron my grandma’s hankies when I would help her out with her chores.) Bella’s bracelet features a rosebud charm and pearly heart to show that I made this just for her with love.

Bella would like to know if you’re excited for the rose gardens to come into bloom. I cannot believe spring starts next week, can you? Those rose gardens will be glorious in no time!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the week and the upcoming weekend! Thank you for stopping by and visiting with me. ❤️🤗

Rose is Hoping Spring Arrives Soon

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Hello! I hope you are doing okay even though… well, you know. Things going on in the world are very sad right now. Every day I pray for peace… I keep in my heart all those who need comfort and courage right now. ❤️

I want to show you what I finished for Rose in February. Rose is a 10″ Boneka Monday’s Child doll sculpted by Dianna Effner.

Rose loves her new springtime ensemble. I chose a beautiful pink/lilac tiny floral print for her dress. The full skirt is edged with white cotton lace; a bright pink grosgrain ribbon ties around the waist. Her hand knit cardigan is knit with a lilac tonal hand dyed merino yarn. It is embroidered with random rose/floral motifs in coordinating colors. Her spring hat is crocheted with cotton and bamboo threads. The hat band is made with matching dress fabric and ribbon. In my stash I found Rose a white teddy bear and embellished the foot pads with embroidery, made a matching bow, and gave Theodora a lilac colored blossom.

Rose is very happy with her new ensemble, but a wee bit sad as we’ve had cold weather return again here in northern Illinois. (I know it’s early March but in my mind feels like it should be April!) She is wishing the warm weather from last week would return so that she can stroll through the gardens and see what is starting to grow. Who can blame her! I am ready for spring too!

I whispered in her ear that next week is looking to be warm again; that seemed to put a little smile on her face. For now Rose has a teddy bear to cuddle and stay warm with.

Here are my ‘lilac ladies’ all eagerly awaiting springtime: Rose, Alice, Sophie, Gina, and Lucy. The taller ladies are my Little Darlings. The little red haired girl is Ann Estelle’s friend Sophie (Tonner’s Mary Engelbreit dolls). And you know about Rose. The other ensembles were previously made for past spring times and are being worn with love once again.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope the remainder of your week goes well. Sending you hugs and ❤️! Take good care.

Penny Wraps Up the Year

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The end of 2021 is upon us, and no, I cannot believe it, can you?

Penny (by Linda Macario) is wrapping up the year by showing you her holiday ensemble, my last make of the year. She is dressed warm and snuggly, and a good thing, too; we have snow coming tomorrow–the first measurable of the season. We’ve all been waiting… It will be magical!

Doesn’t Penny look warm dressed in “Homespun Holiday”? She wears a wooly cardigan and pixie hat along with rosy heather tights. The dress is sewn with one of my favorite holiday prints, “Under the Mistletoe” by Anni Downs of Hatched & Patched. I love the many primitive motifs and the palette of muted colors the designer used in this print. In 2015 I used this same fabric to make my Little Darling, Gina, a holiday ensemble. Here is a link to that ensemble’s post if you’d like to see more photos. Even though this fabric is probably impossible to find now Anni has a Christmas collection coming out in May which looks like there might be some cute prints included in it. Also, more pictures of her fabric here.

So as we wave ‘so long’ to 2021, Penny and I would like to wish you a very Happy New Year! Have a safe and enjoyable New Year’s Eve, too! Do you have exciting plans? It’ll be pretty quiet here by me.

Love 💖 from my girls and I. xoxo