This stems from yesterday’s post. Doll size straw plait bonnet take #2 fits Jo’s head and hair just right. I look forward to decorating her bonnet. I’ll be making Mae’s next. Working with her wide hair while getting a 50 shape will be an interesting challenge.
On Friday I came home to a box on our porch. Inside was something that made me squeal…… 4mm Swiss straw plait.
I had told myself I would not do any millinery until after Christmas. Well, there sat that plait, screaming “play with me, play with me!”
Oh, how it teased!
I just couldn’t take it anymore. I cut off a length of it. Soaked it. And, began to coil the tip of a small doll bonnet.
Ah, finally, a plait in the right proportion to look right to me.
The plait was quite nice to work with. I learned quickly not to work it with my nails as it would split. This plait is actually the width of some single whole straw strips. I sewed in to the evening Friday. I sewed while watching cheese holiday romance movies on Saturday. I wrapped up the last of it as soon as we got back from shopping today.
As I finished, I became more and more excited about just how cute it looked. I kept showing it to DB. It was so cute. Check it out:
Mae was finally going to have her own bonnet.
I got Mae and her box down. Sat on the floor all excited. Unpacked her. Put the bonnet on her head….. and frowned. Porcelain doll hair does not squish. Her hair is so wide, her head is a full 2 inches wider than Jo’s.
Small pout. Okay, Jo can have this one. Get Jo out…..
Again, porcelain doll hair does not squish.
Jo’s hair is big and goes higher on her head by about a quarter-inch.
Pout.
See, here is the problem:
The hair pushed the back of the bonnet up, forcing the cheektabs back.
So, I’ve started another bonnet with the needed changes
This Thanksgiving I want to say “Thank you” to all my Fanciful Utility Fans with a Give-Away!
The winner will receive this “Stash Enhancer” of reproduction fabrics for their future Fanciful Utility projects. The “Stash Enhancer” includes an assortment of period fabrics from my local quilt shop, Chestnut Bay, and a few other things I happen to add between now and the end of the give-away.
How To Enter
There will be 3 ways to enter. You can have up to 3 entries. Here is how to enter:
Added: The 4th way to enter share this Give-Away on your blog or website. Remember to link how you shared here.
When to Enter
Now!
Through Thanksgiving morning.
The Drawing and The Winner
I will draw the winner (likely using the old-fashioned paper method) on Thanksgiving. I will announce the winner that evening right here.
I rushed back to town after work to make it to an estate sale. Once there, I found they only take cash. Sadness.
With the little bit of cash (and every last bit of change) I was able to pick up two things.
This pin
And a the first piece of my 20th century obsession, Rosepoint by Steubenville, pre-silly decal-esque images.
Please look forward to a fun post coming soon.
Have you wondered what is within the pages of
Fanciful Utility: Victorian Sewing Cases and Needle-books?
Whether you call them sewing cases, work-pockets or housewifes, with templates and instructions for 68 projects, the possibilities are nearly endless as you pull from you stash and scraps.
Here are some examples of the pieces that you can make with the directions in Fanciful Utility.
If you have yet to own your own copy of Fanciful Utility, please visit ESC Publishing to order your copy today.
This past month, The Intrepid: Discovering Lincoln’s Balloon Corps premiered on PBS. The video has now been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
You can order your copy from the Genesee Country Village & Museum.
Do you remember the velvet boot pincushion from the Agricultural Fair? I made a template for it to go along with Fanciful Utility.
This is a particularly fun needle-book to make. The original was a pin wheel done in an off white velvet embroidered with red.
Click for PDF template
I happen to think this boot shape, as well as the bell shape from Fanciful Utility, would make lovely tree ornaments.
Of course, I had to try trimming one out with some fur.
My apologies for the great delay in sharing the fabrics from the Fanciful Utility Crazy Swap. Please blame it on the pesky germs.
This swap shared some very fun fabrics including a wool, two velvets and three silks. Once again, we find the colors work well together.
I’m pictuing the wool as the tops of pincushions inside structured cases. The tight, firm weave makes it ideal. The other fabrics are going to be used for particularly fun needle-book mimicing an original sent to me. (Eventually, I will share that one.)
You just have to hop over to Wings of Whimsy. The blogger, Gunnvor Karita, has the cutest Christmas storybook ornament up today. The original post a couple days ago was a set of adorable tags that screamed “ornament” to me. I commented. …. and today it is an ornament. Love it!
The blog if filled with the most beautiful artwork and project possibilities.
I loved Anna’s idea on Tuesday, of making the Victorian St. Nicholas book pages into a small ornament! So much so, that I jumped to the task last night, and kept at it way past my bed time… 😛
Here it is, my tiny St. Nicholas Christmas Ornament book, made out of 1 sheet of paper, ready for you to download and make your own:
Print, score, cut, fold and glue, and then add some pretty scrap paper as a book cover. I have adjusted the pages so you can also choose to cut away page 16, and tuck page 1 under page 15, for a complete ornament book without extra cover 😀
In case you have not made any of these 1 sheet-of-paper-books before, I’ve also drawn up the assembly instructions. If you are wondering how to do this, you can test print the assembly instruction sheet, and use…
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I may be enjoying making these button keeps, or balloon bags, a little too much. Nah…
Here are a few I’ve been making. These two got the last of the pretty ivory soutach a goodie angel sent me. The one on the bottom right is made with three different color pieces. I keep changing my mind on whether I like this or not. I think I would like it more if it had three more lively fabrics.
I need to dig through my stash to see what other ribbons and cords I have that might work for these. Those that will be ornaments, may also visit Joann’s with me to see what decorative cording they have.
Here is the funny thing, after I cut a stack of cardstock for the “guts”, I proceeded to cut oodles and oodles of solid pieces. Then I remembered, duh!, I have a bunch of small pieces of prints that would look fabulous as keeps.
I cut a few pieces for these this weekend, and proceeded to sew. Lacking a tree to display them on, I strung them in a row. (Now, I’m picturing smaller ones all strung together as garland. How pretty. How time consuming.) They like to spin. So, trying to grab a clear photo was a challenge. These will also need ribbons.
I have more pieces cut and waiting to be assembled. I need some truly Christmasy fabrics to play with. The solid shot greens are the closest I have. I would love some red and green plaids, some candy-cane strips, some blue and silver stars…..
The next bit of fun will be filling these with little gifts.
An update on November 7th…. Decorations!
Okay, this one needs ribbon.
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 