What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part. Yet what I can I give him--give my heart. For the past couple of years I've been working on Christmas decorations for the home and tree that are handmade and meaningful. I love primitive artwork in all mediums and have gotten very interested in primitive soft sculptures. "Simple Blessings" is one of several different primitive soft sculptures that I've been sewing, stuffing, staining and painting. Each lamb has a heat set message on one side and the opposite side I left blank. I can dress them up with a scarf or bell or leave them plain. I purchased the pattern to make these "Simple Blessings" from Stacey Meade of Raven's Haven. I have several more primitive soft sculptures in the works and will be adding to this flock as well. I'm honored to say that I was featured on Carolyn's website HOMEWORK: and on Angie's website KNICK OF TIME and on Jann's website SHARE YOUR CUP THURSDAY Cheers! Jennifer Linking to: HOMEWORK Knick of Time Share Your Cup Thursday Home and Garden

Non so se vi é mai capitato di innamorarvi perdutamente di una vostra creazione, di finirla con il sorriso stampato in faccia e continuare...

This is the last photo taken befor the girls were parted. These two dolls were like twin sisters, as I've been working on both of them at the same time. It was even strange, that while working on one, I suddenly was getting the idea for the another - they were making me to swich between them all the time, as none agreed to wait :)

Explore Gingermelon's 1271 photos on Flickr!

snsのアイコンに使用できます。 商業用には使用できません。

It’s time to think outside the square.

Non so se vi é mai capitato di innamorarvi perdutamente di una vostra creazione, di finirla con il sorriso stampato in faccia e continuare...

Lavender looking longingly into the BJD cabinet, wishing she were resin.

Hello Friends! It's been awhile hasn't it? And this past year has been something else for all of us. My husband and I were pretty much cut off for most of it with only the occasional outside visit with family or friends though we were so lucky to be able to spend time with our grandkids who, after the first couple of months, were part of our bubble for the duration. But it has definitely been an "interesting" time in so many ways. Plague, isolation, natural disasters, insurrection: I can see why "may you live in interesting times" is a curse! Knowing that so many people have lost loved ones in this pandemic absolutely breaks me. I hold those lives in my heart and will always do so and I will never forget that it didn't have to be this way. But life does goes on, the pendulum swings back, and hopes for better times do seem to be finding some fruition. My husband and I have had both of our vaccinations and so has my 87 year old, still seeing patients, dad - which is a HUGE relief to me as you might imagine. So as I try to get back to a somewhat more "normal" life I thought I would try to restart my blog with a little gift. I'm sharing a pattern for my little lavender babies. I don't make these any more to sell and I thought it might be a fun project for those of you who enjoy handwork. These are made entirely by hand, no sewing machine necessary, and are pretty easy (if somewhat time consuming) to make once you have the head done. I'll include lots of pictures and directions so it might take a few posts to get all the info but I promise to make them all in short order. So let's get started! First you will need to make a small ( about 3.5inches in diameter) Waldorf style head. There are tons of posts online for making these heads, this just happens to be the way I do it for this type of doll. You will need: Wool Cotton string one piece 3" long and one 6" A 3" piece of 5/8" tubular gauze Cotton knit "skin" fabric (old tee shirts can work here!) needle and thread scissors Pigma markers, colored pencil, white gel pen (optional) OR Embroidery floss for the face The first step is to tightly tie the smaller piece of string around one end of the tube and cut off the excess string. Then turn the tube inside out. Next stuff the tube with wool. This is probably the hardest step because you will need to put a lot more wool in there than you think. Keep pushing the wool in and pulling on the open end to pack it into a small ball, about 3.5 inches in diameter, the ball should be very firm. Then you will take the longer string, wrap it around the base of the ball a couple of times, pull it very tight, and tie it off. Sometimes it helps to make the head firmer if you tie a second string above the first. It just depends on how loose the head feels. Now it's time to shape the head. Thread your needle and anchor your thread at the bottom of the head. Now wrap the thread a couple of times around the head from top to bottom and pull it tight. Insert the needle from the bottom of the head to the side next to the first wrap. wrap the thread from front to back a couple of times and pull tight again. This time you're going to sew over the two wraps at their crosspoint in an X to lock them down. Take the needle through the head and do the same thing on the other side and end with the needle at the back bottom of the head near the neck. At this point you need to shimmy the back portion of the thread down to the neck to form the back of the skull. I frequently use the needle to help pull it up and down, just go carefully and take your time. You can choose now to catch that lowered thread and tie off your work OR you can make a nose. To add a nose, bring the needle and thread to the front of the face, below the eyeline thread and slightly to the left or right of the middle. sew a tiny circle or back and forth, poking up some wool as you go. You want to make a tiny bump. Then take your needle to the back of the head and tie it off. Already you have a sweet looking little head, so let's put some skin on it! Cut a rectangular piece of the cotton knit that will fit around your head. The size will depend on your finished head size but roughly 3" x 2" . Fold one side in and pin together and also put a pin in the front to keep it from slipping down the head. Thread a needle with matching thread, anchor it at the back of the neck and wrap it around the base of the head. Make sure to pull the fabric tightly in the back and keep it smooth around the top of the wrap. Stitch up the back of the head and then around the top of the head, pull the thread tight, and knot. Cut off any excess fabric and, if necessary, take a couple of stitches back and forth across there top to neaten things up. Almost done!!! We just need to make some eye indentations. So mark on the front where you want your eyes with pins or pencil. Then take your needle from the back of the head to the front and then back again taking a very small stitch in the front and pull it tight so that an indentation is formed. Tie that off and do the other eye. You did it! Look at that cutie! The only thing left is to give them a face. I use Micron Pigma pens, a white gel pen, and Prisma colored pencils for my faces these days but I used to embroider them and it really does make a very sweet and simple face. It's entirely up to you. Part 2 of this series will have the pattern you can download and will focus on making the arms and feet. You can find that HERE .

You guys!! I have been wanting to make a plush doll for so many months and I finally got it together these past few weeks. It was SO fun. My friends’ kiddo had a mermaid doll when we were at coffee recently, and I had an OVERWHELMING urge to make some for my niece, Penelope.…

Like I have mentioned previously, getting to know Sakasu has been a gentle adventure. I am so grateful she has been nothing but good to me. Maybe it's because I know so well where she is headed, or because I have had a lot of time to see her develop, or because I read so much about Sakasu. Perhaps m

I had the opportunity to take a dollmaking class from Gail Wilson this Saturday. We made a doll inspired by Jane Austen, with head/shoulderplate, arms and legs of papier mache, with a cloth body. We started with the unpainted papier mache pieces, and with Gail's guidance were able to create a lovely painted doll. Believe me, I am no painter :-) This is the completed doll. I finished stuffing the body and assembly of the doll this afternoon at home. Now for some crochet clothing!

Learn how to make these adorable Girl & Boy Fabric Dolls

"These are the perfect beginner sewing project for Brownie troops or for young 4-H'ers." In the mid-1980's, when I was a young adult, I liked to go to local arts and crafts festivals. The best one I ever went to was the Watermelon Jubilee in Ft. Deposit (Greenville), Alabama. I bought an ink drawing by a local artist that I eventually framed, and a Handkerchief Doll. I thought it was the most darling thing I ever saw. I really didn't notice much about its construction until I read an article in the July 1992 Friend magazine by Judie Fordham. She actually gave step-by-step instructions on how to make one. This is something I wanted to share with my daughters as part of the many pioneer things I love. Materials: Man's large white handkerchief 1-1/4 yards, 1 inch wide colored lace or eyelet a ruler a needle and thread the same color as the eyelet or lace scissors embroidery needle pink and blue embroidery thread stuffing 4 pieces of narrow ribbon 10 inches long Sew a row of lace along one edge of the handkerchief. Sew a second row slightly above the first. On the opposite edge of the handkerchief, find the midpoint, then measure in 3-1/2 inches. Embroider a pink French knot for the doll's nose. Make two blue French-knot eyes 1/2 inch above the nose and about 1 inch apart. Wad up enough stuffing to make a ball 2 inches in diameter. To make the doll's head place the ball of stuffing under the face you just made, gather the handkerchief tightly around it, and tie it off at the bottom with a piece of double thread. Tie a piece of ribbon into a bow over the double thread to make the neck. Sew two circles of lace around the back of the head for a bonnet. Make arms by rolling the handkerchief at each side of the head and tying in a knot, leaving 1: at each end for hands. Make three bows out of the ribbon and sew them, equal distances apart, above the lace on the skirt. The instructions for Handkerchief Dolls is found at the following link: http://lds.org/friend/1992/07/handkerchief-doll?lang=eng&query=handkerchief+doll Judie Fordham, "Pioneer Dolls," Friend, July 1992 When pioneer children were crossing the plains, They didn't have cars, airplanes, or trains. They walked beside wagons loaded clear to the top With food, bedding, and seeds for the next season's crop. There just wasn't room for a toy or a doll-- The wagons were filled with all they could haul. So Papa's handkerchief became a new toy, A cherished soft doll that brought lots of joy. This cute little doll loves to play or just sleep. She'll brush away tears if ever you weep. So keep her close by--she's easy to hold-- And pretend you're a pioneer child of old. HERE is an 8x10 printable of the Pioneer Dolls poem. These instructions come from Kathy Ballard, "Pioneer Dolls 'Sew' Delightful for Small Stitchers," Country Woman, Jan/Feb 1992 Materials Needed (for one large and one small doll): 1/3 yard of white cotton fabric Scraps of calico for skirts and scarves Scraps of lace and ribbons for trims Thread to match fabric Knit-Cro-Sheen crochet thread or string Small amount of polyester stuffing for head Standard sewing supplies Body: Cut one 8 inch square of white fabric for small doll and one 12 inch square for large doll. To form hands, tie two pieces of string or crochet thread on two adjacent corners about 1/2 inch from ends (see Fig. 1). Head: Place a ball of stuffing, the size of a Ping-Pong ball for small doll and the size of an egg for large doll, on fabric square, about a quarter of the way down from the top edge and centered between the hands. Fold top of fabric over so it covers the stuffing completely; gather together under the head and tie with a piece of string (see Fig.2). Pull arms out to each side and arrange, then bunch the rest of the fabric together under the arms and tie with another string (Fig. 2). Skirt: Cut out a 3 inch x 8 inch piece of calico for small doll and a 6 inch x 12 inch piece for large doll. Hand-sew a gathering thread along one long edge of the skirt. Pull up gathering thread and place skirt around doll beneath the arms, where the second string is. Stitch top corners of skirt together in the back, securing the skirt to the doll at the same time. Using two or three small stitches, hand-sew the bottom corners of the skirt together. Trim away any of the white fabric that shows below the skirt. Hat: Cut a piece of lace that's long enough to fit over the top of the head, and sew it on for a hat brim. Or make a scarf by cutting a 6 inch square for larger doll. Fold fabric in half to form a triangle. Place over doll's head and sew the ends of the scarf together under the chin. Stitch to doll to hold in place. Angel Wings: For small doll, use a 2 inch wide of flat lace about 18 inches long for a piece of white fabric 2 inches x 18 inches. Tie into a bow with 2 inch to 3 inch streamers and tack to back of doll just below the head. Trims: If desired, you can use lace to trim around the bottom of the skirt and tie scraps of ribbon around the neck waist or hands of doll.

Welcome to the world, Ava. 🌲 ❄️ . . . . #mushling #doll #dollartist #dollmaker #dollmakerscommunity #ooakdoll #fantasy #whimsical #magicalmakers #create...

Appliqued and hand-stitched. The places I've been in my own mind lately have been vast and rich and I feel change coming in the form of new professional opportunities, and new love.

Hello, lovely Friends! I am pretty excited about today's post. Here is the sneak peek of this project I shared on Thursday: I know you were probably wondering what on earth I was going to do with them. My sweet niece, Eva, had a birthday a couple of weeks ago and my Mom bought her

The first time I experienced bead people, it was at a booth at our local farmer's market with my youngest daughter. Not only were they selling them,

Every good rag doll needs at least a few outfits. So today we're making my favorite rag doll dress! This dress has a tank-style top with a separate skirt piece so you can make it two-toned like the dress on the right. It's easy for little hands to put on, and cute as can be. If you don't have a doll yet, check out my Rag Doll Pattern, plus my long sleeve doll dress pattern. Here's what you need to get started on your rag doll wardrobe: 1/2 yard fabric thread velcro (or snaps or ribbons or buttons, but velcro will be easiest for the kids to use on their own) the pattern Start by printing the pattern and cutting out the following pieces: 2 dress fronts 4 dress backs 1 skirt 7 x 30" Lay a dress front right-side up, then lay two dress back pieces face-down on top of it, lining up the shoulders and sides. Sew across each shoulder with a 1/2" seam allowance. Repeat with the remaining front and back pieces. Open each front/back piece up and press the seams flat, then stack the two piece on top of each other with right sides together. Sew around the arm openings with 1/2" seam allowances. Then sew down one side of the back opening, around the neck opening, and up the other side of the back with a 1/2" seam allowance. Clip the curves. Turn the bodice right side out, then press around the seams to get them nice and sharp. Fold the bodice with right sides out. See how the raw edges line up at the sides? Starting with the inside layers, pin them together with right sides together, working your way around to the outer layers, so they have right-sides together too. It will look super wonky, but hang in there. Sew around the raw edge with at 1/2" seam allowance. See? Wonky. Turn it back right-side out and press it. You'll have a nice finished bodice. Now we can work on the skirt. Fold the bottom edge under 1/4" and press, then 1/2" and press. Stitch along the folded edge. Fold the skirt in half with right-sides together. Starting at the bottom edge sew along the short ends with a 3/4" seam allowance, but stop about about 2" from the top edge. Press the seam open, then press each raw edge of the seam under 1/4" and press again. Sew the seam allowance down along the folded edge. (see next pic) Baste around the top edge of the skirt with a 1/8" seam allowance. Carefully pull the threads at the ends to gather the top of the skirt to the right length. You want it to match the length of the bodice. Slip the bodice inside the skirt (with right sides together). Line up the opening at the back of the bodice with the opening on the skirt, and line up the bottom edge of the bodice with the gathered edge of the skirt. Pin them together, but make sure you're only pinning through the outer layer of the bodice. Sew around that edge with a 1/2" seam allowance being careful not to sew through the bodice lining. Turn the dress right-side out. Tuck the edge of the bodice lining under and pin it down. Sew along the bottom of the bodice lining. Now just attach some velcro, snaps, or a ribbon for tying the back of the dress closed. All done! I looove this dress and I'm especially digging the two-tone look. I've found that smaller scale prints like polka dots or small flowers work best for a dress this size. Happy sewing! :)