turkey feathers

Fresh Picked

My Flower Doll Garden has blossomed!  So happy with these pretty little maids.  I'll be adding more to the shop in the following days.  The more the merrier; like a cottage garden blooming with an eclectic mix of colorful flowers dancing along the paths.   I hope they bring smiles.     

Peek-A-Boo

Something new.

After that brief revelry, we call Independence Day, with all its concentrated sparkle and glory, and with it falling smack dab in the middle of the week, things are all at once quiet on the home front again.  Though somewhat briefly, pending a lovely visit from my darling granddaughters later this afternoon.  Who knows what sorts of mischief we will get up to.  In the meantime, my attention has returned to a little creative stitching with another doll.    

Just For Fun

This is what happens sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep.  By morning, I have all the details worked out and I hit the floor running.  Such a lovely morning it was too.  I spent a ridiculous amount of time designing, cutting, and stitching.  And before the day was through, Sweet Pea had arrived.  Weighing barely a whisper and just 5" long.  I *love* her.  Doesn't she look peaceful?  Oh, those baby days were such precious times. 

Yawn . . . 

Now I need a nap. 

Thank you for stopping by.  I appreciate your visit!

 

Let the Celebration Begin!

Wishing everybody a Happy Memorial Day weekend! xx

FIRST!

The Mister and I were having our breakfast this morning when we noticed that the very first peony and Iris flowers had bloomed!    

Such excitement, I tell ya. 

Even Toby, our friendly neighborhood cat, dropped in for a look-see.  He visits daily, patrolling the yard for any riff-raff.  Nothing escapes his watchful eye.  Those mice better watch out.

But for now, it looks like he's only interested in the mint bed and all its fascinating smells.

I'm still crushing on these.  They look like they are going to POP any moment.

The darker pinks aren't far behind.  I can't wait!  It's a short show, but so worth the wait. 

I'm heading into my "workshop" now to stitch up some fun.  I think I might have all the inspiration I need for my next project. 

My MeadowSweet Workshop

Hey!  It's May! 

"In a gentle way, you can shake the world".

I am so loving this calendar. I just wish the days weren't skipping by so quickly.  Before I know it, it's time to flip another page.  And a lovely page it is too.  April showers bring May flowers and we are starting to see a lot of them around here.  Mostly we have bright pink azaleas, purple hyacinth and tree peonies stealing the show now.  So pretty to see--under yet another dark, prevailing gloomy sky.  But no matter.  These little bright spots make up for it.   

Speaking of bright spots---I've been working on some more dolls and showboxes and even made a "movie" to introduce my Etsy shop!  It's a peek into my workshop and the inspiration behind my creations.  It's also a feature on my Etsy about page. 

Enjoy! 

 

*SPRING SALE*

Hello again!  After a few days of "spring cleaning" and rearranging things here on my blog, I realized I never got my link up for my new etsy shop.  I actually meant to set this up months ago, but got busy and forgot all about it!  Oh well, better late than never.  So there it is . . .

Here's a little bit of what I've been up to these past months.  This darling doll was made for my youngest granddaughter's 8th birthday.  She loved it!  Her older sister got one (see below) a few months before that, for her 12th birthday, and she asked for one too.  Of course, I was thrilled and got busy with my needle and thread and paper and glue.

Here's big sister's doll--with a garden theme.  It wasn't entirely planned, but the dolls turned out resembling each of them, which was kind of funny.

And here's another birthday present I made for my 17 year-old niece Anna.  It also sort of looked like her! 

Each doll and her ShowBox, come packed in clear cellophane bags and make most special gifts.  The hand-crafted boxes have little loops so they can be hung up on the wall.  The dolls are removable and can be posed as well; clothing is fixed.  Some dolls are wired to the inside of their boxes to keep them from shifting around during shipping.  This can be removed or left as is if you just want to display them standing up.

 

My "supplier" for the gorgeous paper flowers and tiny cakes are provided by my daughter Grace.  It's great having so many resources nearby in the studio upstairs.  She is always having fun setting up props for photo shoots and making things for her Etsy Shop: The Dainty House.  Take a peek if you haven't yet.  It's amazing.

There's a ton more I could show, but my time clock is tick tick ticking away.  I mainly wanted to introduce my shop properly and officially.  And to celebrate it with a Spring Sale for my ShowBox Dolls! 

Please visit me on Etsy at MeadowSweet Workshop and check the announcement box for the coupon code if you are interested.

And follow me on Pinterest for updates and other sweet stuff: MeadowSweet Work Shop

That's all for now . . . until next time . . . happy stitching!

Sparkle

Hello friends!  The season is upon us once again.  Are you hustling and bustling? 

I am finally getting around to introducing my quaint & quirky little ShowBox Dollyramas.  I don't know why it has taken me so long to get this show on the road and to start talking about it here on the blog, except to say that it's been a bit of a juggling act getting all the particulars in order while a lot of my attention was on PatternBee stuff and the photo album project.  Which I am happy to say, is nearly done now.  Whew!

Plus, there have been a few other distractions.  Some happy and welcome, but others quite sad and serious.  My "little" six-foot-five brother was diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer a few months ago and told me he doesn't expect to get well.  I am having trouble accepting this and sit and stare at nothing for long periods of time.  Processing.  Praying for a miracle.  Wishing I could kiss and make it better, like when we were kids.  Frank has always been alarmingly accident prone, being more of the daring adventurous type.  And I would often carry him home and patch him up after one of his various mishaps.  Then I'd bean him over the head for being a dope. 

My heart is breaking.  

I've just been keeping my head down and my hands busy, allowing my mind to drift into a blissful make-believe world where nothing bad ever happens.  Where life is peppermint candy and sparkles and music and sunshine.  Like a Hallmark movie, I can pretend we all live in a town called, Cookie Jar.  That was an actual name they used one time and it made me smile.  I think towns should have cute names like that. 

Speaking of cute. . . here is a cute distraction.  My new ICY "Blythe" wanna-be.  Oh my goodness she is adorable.  She is our prop doll, a model for accessories like tiny candy canes. (Check out Grace's shop, The Dainty House for those.  Link in the side bar).   

Miss Icy (haven't named her yet), arrived nude, so I got busy and made her presentable.  A simple holiday outfit seemed right for the season.  Believe it or not, her top is fashioned from a scrap of natural cotton batting.  It's so soft and gives the appearance of an angora sweater.  Three snaps in back make it easily removable.  Red-ribbed stretch knit for the leggings.  The shoulder capelet is felt with a cotton plaid lining, faced and tied with narrow bias binding. It all came together so well, I was quite tickled. 

But I really had no idea about what to do for her shoes.  I traced her foot, cut out some felt and started stitching.  These were the result:  Elf boots!  Of course.  They are perfect.  I made a few more in different colors and put them in my etsy shop for fun.  Maybe you know a doll with cold feet that needs these as much as mine did.    

My ShowBox dolls are finally on display and needing a new home. I love these girls so much.  It's going to be hard to let them go.  (My kids will tell you!!)  Each is unique.  The time spent creating and fussing over them is ridiculous.  But because I enjoy every aspect of it, that makes it OK, right? 

For now, I have six little dollyramas, each with her own story--capturing a snippet in time.  All wrapped up and ready to go!  Please pin them, share them and check them out on etsy at MeadowSweet Workshop.

Gotta run dear ones.  Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Vintage Bunny Pattern

 

Hello Friends!  The wee wild bunnies were zipping around the garden this morning and as I watched them and their cute antics, I remembered this pattern I had tucked away.  Thought some of you would enjoy this little guy--he is all ready for you to download, print and stitch.  Carrot and all! 

PDF Download BUNNY TOY

Daydreams of Spring

photo by Kathy Street/Oregon Zoo

The Oregon Zoo's winter-predicting hedgehog FuFu, failed to see her shadow on Groundhog's Day this month, predicting that here in the Pacific Northwest, an early spring may be just around the corner.

Animal curator Tanya Paul, says "according to folklore, the Europeans (who originated the tradition), used hedgehogs.  When they immigrated to the United States, they realized their new home didn't have hedgehogs, so they turned to the groundhog out of necessity, but FuFu is bringing the tradition back to its origins, and with a higher accuracy rate." 

Let's hope Fufu ain't foolin'.  But even if she does get it wrong, look at that face!  I don't think I could stay mad at her for more than a nano-second.   After more record-breaking rain this week and too many (stinky) visits from a skunk, driven from it's flooded blackberry bramble bunker, we finally, thankfully, have a little sunshine today--and it's a sight for sore eyes let me tell you.  It's beyond wonderful to open the back door.  I've been burning incense to cover the horrid "skunk a la pew" but nothing cleanses like fresh air after a rain.  Ahh.  I think I may survive after all.  A little taste of spring is like a spoonful of honey right now.  I hope you get to see your shadow, and taste spring (soon) where ever you are.

Daydreams of Spring

In the meantime, while we wait for spring, I'm still working on these little darlings.  My NEW handmade collectible art dolls--coming soon! 

Winter Blues, Green, Yellow & Red

Thank you for cheering me along with my latest project!  I've settled into a rhythm stitching on these in the evenings and the "hexie quilt" is growing a little more each day. After laying everything out, I've settled on having nine flower blocks surrounded by a single white border, which will make a square quilt about 44 x 44-inches.  The perfect snuggle size.  But before I've even gotten this quilt finished, I've already got my eye on the next quilt project after seeing this darling piecework by PamKittyMorning; part of a "row-along" from Bee in my Bonnet.  This flickr group pool is inspiring, isn't it?  

So... still thinking about those cute row houses, and drooling over fabric, and let's see what else...oh yes, little doll is patiently waiting to be adorned in vivid color.  Will it be hearts, flowers, or ladybugs?  Decisions, decisions. 

While I'm here with camera in hand, and since I'm way overdue for a "corners of my home" photo, here ya go.  This vintage vanity table makes a sweet sewing nook. 

I've been watching the old episodes of Heartland again with my youngest daughter (who is a crazy-in-love-with-horses kind of gal), so I certainly have hearts on the brain.  We HEART Heartland in a BIG way around here.  (We have the DVD's, but you can still watch some of the episodes here.) 

I also "hearted" this Redwork sentiment so much that I included it with this month's Bonus Designs.  My needle has been flying lately!  I've also got another project underway with the "East or West, Home is Best" design too. I'll save that bit for a show and tell next week.  Until then....big hearts to all!   

Little Darlings

Taking time out for some fun stitching!

Little Things

There's nothing like flowers to bring life to a room, even if it is just a dollhouse!  I'm having fun designing these little vignettes to showcase some of our miniature items.  The brass lamp and vanity table are not for sale, but the flower vase has just been added to the Winky shop.  We have a few more on hand, but our supply is limited.  I think these are so cute!

     

As for Calico Kitty, there's no need for laments because I have a few left!  What I have here is three sleepy heads and one starry-eyed doll.  These (and Pinky Rose), are all samples I made for my book, and are featured posing together on page 95 along with the pattern to make them.  So I guess you could say, these could be a bit of a keepsake.  I would really love to keep them (all), but I've got to make room for the next litter of little lovelies.  Still, it will not be easy saying goodbye to my lean and lanky friends here.  They are up for adoption here. 

Sweet dreams!

Calico Kitty:: Winner!

Ready or not, 2012 is here.  

Happy New Year everybody! 

Well, Miss Pinky Rose is on her toes, and is ready to go to a new home. 

Who will it be? 

(Insert drumroll and fanfare . . .)

The winner is Sharon of A Merry Heart Journal! 

Congratulations to you!  

Potato Soup

Grandma and her friends really knew how to have fun!  No snow here yet.  Just lots of rain. Like six inches in the last few days.  I might need a small boat instead of a sled if this keeps up.  These last lingering days of 2011 have been a whirlwind of activity inside the house though.  The girls and I have been crafting up a storm, so to speak, with various projects that we can't wait to share.  Oh it's all very exciting.  In between the paper mache and the modge-podge, my to-do list has also kept me rather busy:

1) Re-open the PatternBee Vintage Embroidery Shop.  I'll admit, it was nice to have a little break from all the printing and shipping, but I'm getting excited about jumping back in and conversing with everybody again on Tuesday.  I miss you guys!

2) Finish vintage pattern restoration/contribution for "Baby Blankie".  Thanks again Cathy, the new pattern will be on its way to Canada soon.  (For everybody else, find it on the website under 'New Additions'.

3) Create the January 2012 Bonus Design.  I went straight to Valentine's Day with this one, with a LOVE theme, so you have plenty of time to stitch up something cool for gift-giving if your heart so desires. 

4) Make my special crock-pot potato cheese soup for our New Year's Day Open House.  This was by request so how could I say, no?   Obviously, I am making no diet-related resolutions this year.  (ahem.)

5) Choose a winner for the Pinky Rose Give-Away!  I know you are holding your breath; I'm rolling up my sleeves.  Check back tomorrow to find out who won.  It might be YOU!  If you haven't entered yet, hurry and do so before the comment section is closed.

OK.  I think that's it for the blog, 'til next year.  See ya on the flip side friends.  Have a safe New Year's Eve! 

Afterglow

Well, another Christmas has come and gone and I can confidently say that we did our best to make some happy and lasting memories.  Everyone had a fine time.  We missed our little love, Lily, curled up under the tree though.  It was quite sad to not see her there.  Or napping in the wrapping.  As she loved to do.  And, I didn't mention this before but Marshy, our dear little hampster pal died two months ago of "old age", which is not very long in people years.  What's funny is, last Christmas, when both pets were still with us, the Mister and I went to a vintage mall in the next town to poke around and we found these two adorable ornaments.  Both handmade, and old.  I immediately thought of Lily, when I saw the white kitty on a cloud.  On closer inspection, I realized she was made out of a painted walnut and a chestnut!  We brought them home, wrapped them up and gave them to the girls to remember their pets by.  Little did we know then that they would lose both pets this year, and how special these little ornaments would become.  To all of us.   

 

 

There was also baking! 

 

All this and more...

. . .went into decorated cookie boxes tied up with peppermint bows for special friends and family.  

These are some of the candies the girls made for their dad. They counted 96 candies when all was said and done.  Enough to last 'til his birthday in April.  But I wouldn't count on it.  They are really GOOD!

There was a lot of crafting and paper rustling going on behind closed doors these past weeks.  These two colorful gifts were for my granddaughters from their Aunties.  Grace knitted sweet little hats for both her neices; Ginger made the cute flower hair clips.  Not only are they wearable, but make pretty package toppers too. 

 Time out for cookies and coffee.

That's it in a nutshell for another year! 

*Merry & Bright*

 
Ahhh...and more sweetness from Fantastic Toys:  Christmas Collection and check out the Cute Tutes.     

 

Don't ya just love these adorable mushroom pincushions?   The girls and I are winding up another dollhouse project (soon to be revealed), and then we are going to be all over these. 

 

Time-Out for Turkey

 
 
 

Toy Balls & Dottie Pig

With these short, dark days suddenly upon us again, I decided I needed a little saturated color in my life.  So...I looked around and found these scrap bags from Anna Marie Horner.  Which certainly did the trick, and they turned out to be perfect for this project because I got a nice variety of coordinated prints to work with.  I wanted the balls to be a bit more substantial so lined each section with heavy muslin, using a machine zig-zag stitch around the edges to hold the layers together.  It worked pretty good, but I might try using an iron-on stabilizer next time.  I've found that lining the fabric helps soft toys hold their shape; important if children are actually going to play with them, as they will undoubtedly get squished and squashed and eventually tossed into the washer.  These two balls happen to be presents for the 'sandbox crowd' in the family.  Namely, my two darling "grand-dotties".  (I've since gotten a request for another, so I'm working on it now as a surprise for a certain someone.)  Cloth balls are pretty easy and can be made in any size.  Patterns for them have been around for ages -- for convenience sake, I used the (medium size) template offered here though. 

Naturally, I couldn't resist putting a little embroidery on them either.  I'm sure you must know by now -- if you've been following this blog for any length of time -- that nothing is safe from my embroidery needle around here.  Besides, it's nice to have your own and know whose is whose, and since these are going to reside with sisters, it just makes sense in order to keep the peace.  So they've been personalized.  This monogram pattern is one of my favorites--the little flowers are very sweet and fun to do.  The initial is worked using a satin-stitch, in chocolate brown.  Yum.  Pretty on the candy pink background, a scrap from my own stash.  For the other ball, I traced the design from cute Japanese embroidery book and added letters to spell out the name, using the yarn ball as the "O".  Used a red transfer pen for that.  I'm still swooning over that book, trying to find ways to use more of the designs.

While I'm at it; must mention sweet piggy here.  Grace made it -- used the pattern from this book again--with her own spin.  She stitched this entirely by hand in just a few evenings.  Loving those hamhocks.  There is just something so intrinsically *right* about pink polka dot pigs.  I think this one deserves a little shelf space.

OK.  Without further ado, (I love saying that) the winner of the embroidery pattern give-away#1 is "shy" Arlene.  (hee hee)  Congratulations, my dear!  Please contact me with your shipping info and I'll get your prizes on their way lickety-split. 

Babe in a Bag

After all the heat, the rain returned with thunder and lightening that woke the whole house.  Quite dramatic and a little spooky, but it’s nice to get some moisture back in the ground and pick up my sewing again where I left off before I melted.   My three, soon to be four year-old grand-daughter has a birthday coming up this weekend so I got busy and finished this.  I appreciate so much, all the great ideas that came in at my request.  It was hard to choose just one.  But since there’s a new baby in the house I thought this might be fun for her.  It was fun for me at least!

BTW does anyone have an opinion about which die-cut system works the best?  I’m thinking about getting something for the girls and I to fiddle around with, but know nothing about these or where to even find one.  I wanted to look them over before purchasing anything, but our local craft stores don’t stock them due to “space limitations”.   So if someone knows of a good one and an online source, please pass it on.  Thanks!    

 

Daisy Hill

I love how daisies project sunshine even when its cloudy. 

We were expecting thunderstorms with heavy rain over the long weekend, but surprisingly never had a single drop.  Apparently that particular storm missed us by about a hundred miles.   It was however, cool and gray with glimpses of blue sky.  Perfect gardening weather. 

There was a fair amount of puttering that happened too, mixed with movie watching (The Water Horse was quite enjoyable), some home cooking, a three day game of Monopoly spread out across the floor, chocolate-chip cookie baking (and munching),  a backyard BBQ, and a little crafting. 

A new foal has joined the menagerie!  I think I'm finally getting the needle-felting down.  Fewer needle jabs to the fingers anyway. 

One more glance at my sunny inspiration. 

Enjoy!    

Miss Kitty Takes a Bow

I am thinking about dolls right now. 

Because what is a Doll Quilt without a doll?   

Enter stage left; Miss Kitty.

She has been dancing around in my head for a while, and I thought it was time I got her out of my daydreams and onto the dance floor. 

Kitty here, is made from an old pattern I designed many years ago, when there were small children in my daily life.  I was sewing quite a bit in those days--mostly out of necessity, and I made a dangly cloth kitty doll as a teething toy out of some left-over scraps.  It started a frenzy of doll making, and soon I was off and running with my first business enterprise.  I made dozens of them for friends and sold some in shops and craft fairs.   

So, recently I went digging through my files, pulled this pattern out again and dusted it off.  (I save everything--to my credit and dismay). 

With a little revamping, a star is born! 

My Pal Prickles

Look who I found nestled here in my wool blanket scraps. 

Isn't she sweet?  I don't think she bites, but her needles are sharp. 

I really hate to disturb her.  Hope she doesn't mind if I borrow a few of her pins.

Looks like I have a new friend!

~

Materials used: hand-dyed wool felt from this amazing gal.  Pattern found at Urban Debris.  More pincushion love here.

Summer Twins

I did finish this pair of dolls (formerly known as 'thing one and thing two') in the nick of time; one for Gingersnap and one for a friend; a birthday present.  It was fun making matching dolls, but hard to break up the pair.  They look so cute together.

In the end the gift doll bravely went to her new home, along with a personalized tote bag.  

Spring Forward

Two lovely bunnies, hopping merrily down polka-dot lane, singing as they go, "to market-to market jiggety jig", on their way to find a lovely chocolate egg to put in their basket.  (Little do they know, I've already eaten them all.)  Made from this kit (now discontinued). 

Miss Bliss

They say, "third time's the charm", and it certainly seems to be the case here. Meet my "official" wee bunny, Miss Bliss. The first two attempts didn't seem to be quite right, and I kept looking at the others over here and wondering why Petula and Chocolate Bunny (see below) were so different. So I double-checked to make sure I was using the same pattern as everybody else. Indeed I was. But it turns out that, if I had put on my glasses and actually read the directions I might have discovered that I was one piece short! (Very possibly one short of a full deck too, if you know what I mean.) Oh dear is me, and my sincerest apologies to Hillary; I am thoroughly abashed over my blunder, as it was never my intention to alter your perfect design. So here she is...and oh my stars, what a difference that one little piece makes. Here is my wee bunny looking precious and plump wearing *GingerBliss* Amy Butler designer fabric. The eyes are wooden flower beads stitched down with embroidery floss. They do look blissful don't they?   Now I have to confess that this is all just slightly embarrassing. What a pitiful poor state I'm in now, so much so that I can't even bring myself to show you the bottom half of Chocolate Bunny, attempt #2. In fact it has been suggested (by certain children in the house) that she looks more like the Velveteen Rabbit. So let's just pretend that this was *intentional* and leave it at that.  And, maybe not mention that there's no wee family resemblance here either, even though she is a distant relative.

Petal Top Sachet Peeps

I want to tell you about my new Sachet Peeps!                                                                                                                                              This happy bunch are filled with dried lavender from my summer garden and smell wonderful.  Each one is different, fashioned from colorful cotton scraps and embroidered faces.  The felt flower caps have a handy loop for hanging up.  My little peeps make fun token gifts for kids or friends.  These have sold out quickly in the past and I'm not sure when I'll be making more, so if you want one, better not wait too long. Update:  All sold--thank you!

Autumn Root Children

Weeks of stormy weather seemed to dictate the direction of our current nature table.  Credit also goes to this one hundred year-old German folktale The Story of the Root Children by Sibylle Von Olfers that provided the basic ideas for creating the dolls and inspiration here. 

This is the story of the "root children" living beneath the ground, with Old Mother Earth making colorful clothes for them to wear in the spring as they emerge as "flowers". The insects and the wind guide them along their journey as they travel through the seasons.

It's a simple, visual story about the cycles of nature.  Mother Earth gathers up her harvest of "children" and puts them all to sleep for the winter, and this is where we've picked up the story in our diorama:: Summer is over and Autumn is moving toward Winter.

And here is kindly "Grandmother Winter" (my version of early winter) before Old Man Winter moves in and really lowers the boom with snow and ice!   

Our dolls are made from pieces of wool, felt, and cotton. The lower half of their bodies are weighted with barley so they stand alone nicely. The arms are wrapped wire that can be posed or made to hold objects.  (This older IKEA media cabinet makes a great display area).   

Wee Are Family

 . . . I've got all my sisters with me . . .

Wee Peeps for Sale.  50% of proceeds will be donated to the hurricane relief fund.