Tag Archives: lace

“Summer Sweet” for the Little Darlings

The abundance of fruit, flowers, and vegetables makes summer the sweetest time of year for our senses. There is always something new to be seen blossoming or something new to be tasted in the garden. And, of course, there are always the wonderful scents filling the air.

I believe that this time, right before the summer season actually starts, is the best time of all. It is all before us, yet to come, and at this point summer seems endless.

I just finished a very summery ensemble for my Little Darling, Gina. The print on the fabric depicts fanciful fruits and little white flowers on a perfectly pink background. I thought that the little fruits could pass for cherries or plums. I couldn’t make up my mind which I liked best.

And… the little lace shrug that I knit last week found its dress!

I loved the tiny daisy-like blossoms, so I repeated this shape for Gina’s hair ties and on her ballet slippers. The magenta pearl centers match the magenta colored fruits very nicely too.

I found beads to mimic the magenta and blue bunches of fruit, so I made a little fruit charm for the bracelet.

Another daisy-like motif is found on the necklace and a bit more magenta is added at the waistline with the help of an organza ribbon.

These Effner girls have the cutest little feet and legs that look so adorable in crocheted ballet slippers, so I couldn’t resist adding a pair to this ensemble.

For more information on Gina’s “Summer Sweet” ensemble please visit the “Available for Sale” page on cindyricedesigns.com .

“Sunshine Day” for the Little Darlings

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Since sunshiny days are so difficult to find this spring, I made a new ensemble for the Little Darlings that is filled with the warmth of yellows and pinks. It’s sure to brighten your day as it did mine while I was making this set.

The photo below highlights how delicate my mohair/silk lace sweaters are. It is especially difficult to embroider on such an open knit as the embroidery threads easily show through to the front of the sweater.

(The lemon yellow/pink roses remind me of strawberry lemonade.)

I had the perfect colors of bicone crystals in my stash (thanks to my sister’s bead destashing last summer) to use for the bracelet; pastel blue, yellow, and pink match perfectly and add a bit of sparkle. I also found a pastel yellow Swarovski crystal butterfly that matched the bicone crystals and used it for the end of the purse’s dangle. Since there isn’t a heart on the bracelet I sewed a pink heart to the inside of the purse to show that this ensemble was made with love.

For more information on Gina’s “Sunshine Day” ensemble please visit my “Available for Sale” page at cindyricedesigns.com .

This Past Week & A New Dress for Millie

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I’m so glad that last week has passed. Here in northern Illinois, we had such dreary weather practically the whole week and then horrible storms Thursday night. Mother Nature even managed to deliver more rain to us yesterday. I felt my mood going downhill with each progressing day last week, and it was affecting my creativity. I felt like I was going through the motions of creating without any excitement towards my work. Today was a blessing, warm and sunny…*sigh*. Finally!!!

I got outside today to see how spring is progressing around our house. It is slow, but there are some new things to see. Most notable is the color of the grass—a beautiful emerald green—thanks to all of the rain we got this past week. Other lovely happenings outside include the magnolia trees starting to bloom, the crocuses finishing their blooming, the daffodils starting to bloom, and the teeny tiny buds becoming visible on the bushes. It’s a wonder to observe the changing seasons.

I love knit dresses, even in the warmer weather. This past week, I adapted Millie’s wool dress pattern for knitting with a lighter weight bamboo. The first try came out too long and not flared enough, so I made some small changes and tried again. This time I got it right; it fits her shape perfectly. She is such a cutie pie! I finished her outfit today and took the pictures. Since I still had Izzy and Amelia Thimble’s rose garden dresses, I was able to get the three BJD girls together for some photos, and boy, do they look precious together!

For more information on Millie’s “Spring’s Sweetheart” ensemble, please visit my “Available for Sale” page on cindyricedesigns.com (after 7:00pm CST on Sunday, April 12). Amelia Thimble and Izzy’s sets are available for sale right now on my “Available for Sale” page.