Tag: original-one-of-a-kind

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Still sewing…

I’m still catching up on my sewing…lots to do.

This little kitty doll pinafore has been a mind-bender. I’m adapting it from a Brown House Dolls pattern, changing a bodice into a bib for the top. I made some bias strips, two for each side of the bib, and sewed lace between them, before attaching them to either side of the bib. I tried to get the stripes to match on either side, and tilt downward on either side. It’s been tricky and I’ve been basting each step by hand. The waistband is going to be pieced in two parts, with a front and a back facing so I can insert the bib and the skirt between the two. I’ve got my fingers crossed that that will work!

Today, in addition to being April Fool’s Day, is also my grandma’s 94th birthday. This is her back in 1997 with our kitties. She and my grandpa always came to my birthday. This is them, and me, back in 1971…

We called her this morning to wish her a happy birthday. She didn’t remember how old she was, and boy was she surprised to hear. “No! No, that’s not possible!” She seems to be doing okay, and it is probably just as well to forget how old you are sometimes.

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Happy Spring!

Over the past few days…

We’ve collected some flowers for the front porch,

lots of purple pansies…

We tested out some new backdrops for our doll photos…

This rainbow one is our favorite…

We collected some more calicos. Time for a sewing binge…

My “Laurence with Primroses and Daffodils” was featured in this Etsy treasury. Thanks, Sherry!

Mr Laurence is our senior-most assistant. He’s very good with computers…

He’s a very wise man…

And, our Camillia bush has gone crazy with flowers. They’re as big as saucers.

Happy belated first day of Spring, everyone!

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Chelsea the Maine Coon Cat makes her first appearance

This is Miss Chelsea, the Maine Coon Cat, the fourth one-of-a-kind, original, folk art animal doll collaboration between myself and Max Bailey. I think she is the most spectacular doll creation I have seen come out of this studio. She is so amazingly lifelike. We keep staring at her in disbelief, expecting her to meow or jump off the table. She really takes your breath away in person.

We did some test shots of the dolls today, and photographed Max’s three kitty figurines that have been waiting a very long time to have their pictures taken. We are going to get those up first on the Ruffing’s site, or that is the plan. Things have been moving more slowly than we had planned, but we are still heading in the same direction.

I still have some dressmaking to complete before we can do our group shots of our four new jointed dolls. We are still debating over the backdrops too. Black, tan, white? Some look better on one than the other.

Beatrice and Beulah look so very serious. I can’t help laughing. I suppose I shouldn’t. Shh…don’t tell them.

All of our dollies will eventually make there way over to our online doll gallery, hopefully over the next month or month and a half. Or that’s the plan anyway. I have them in categories by type, if you scroll down on the doll gallery page. I’ll try to add more categories later.