What is everyone else doing?

Peggy Sue among the flowers.

She has found herself a nice place to sit.

Nancy with my Christmas cactus putting on a good show of flowers.

Bellamy just wandered around the garden yesterday.

Today he wandered to the beach...

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Daisy has been helping me bake.

My trusty Edmonds Cookery book.

Delicious Scones.

I think she is hoping to eat the one nearest her right hand!

We also made a large batch of shortbread.

Monday Yellow and Blues.

Daisy Spring enjoyed some time out in the garden today.  

She also spent some time with me on my favourite seat while I sat and read while having a cuppa.

Bellamy's wanderings weren't so solitary today...but he was in our garden so that was okay.

Howard said if you have a view of the sea, then you HAVE to have nautical trousers...

So of course I obliged.

Hmmm...what are these creatures he wonders?!

Bailey and Felix enjoyed some time out on the grass overseen by Howard.

Sewing Mojo Found!

Joining in with a April at Home Challenge on Ravelry - just what I needed!

I've finally found my sewing mojo I think...and have started some more Tiny Rag Dolls.

I am using this fabric above for one of them.

I am starting with two. One is for my neighbour.  

I used some of the left over wool roving that I had left over from the other doll I have made.

The first...

Two little dolls ready for hair, features and clothing.

Curating a Collection

I still haven't fully refined my goals for my 'Year of Twenty', however, some things are becoming clearer in my mind about where I want my focus to be.  We have been discussing 'Curating a Collection' on a group I am on.

I believe at this stage that a lot of my 'other' dolls will now essentially be leaving, although the process might be slow.  I am now thinking that my group of 'twenty' will be 'any other' dolls that I want to keep apart from my Sasha/Gregor & Schoenhut, who will remain my core group - and I think I will also be pairing down them a bit.  I will be selling all but one of my Course dolls as well.  I will keep my blonde girl with the pigtails/plaits.  This will significantly reduce my collection and I think I will start to enjoy and focus better.  It is very easy to be 'led astray' and go in all sorts of different directions and the last few years it has been a bit like that as I guess in a way I have experimented with what I like and don't like. Although have to say on a whole I like them all!

A Year in Review 2019

Although there has inevitably been some new arrivals this year, most have come from charity shops and been real bargains... and of course I have made a lot of dolls this year, which really helped.  The dolls that didn't come from the CS I bought in January before Percy became ill which were on a long term wish list, and a couple that had been on my wish list for a very long time I bought when the opportunity arrived later on in the year.    I'd like to do even better next year on limiting my spending on dolls and doll items.  I will have to anyway as it seems Percy's treatment will be continuing for most of 2020 as well which has come to a bit of a shock to us as we thought the treatment would just be for a year.  So there will still be more dolls that will have to be sold, as well as the ones I still have for sale.  I AM negotiable on them, so if you are interested please don't hesitate to contact me.

Some highlights of the year are:

Henry getting a new head of hair and of course visiting New Zealand 

Finding Kiwi Sindy in an Op shop in NZ...just at the right time, when I needed a 'pick me up'.  She has become a firm favourite of mine.

My £1 vintage Action Man.

The making of Martha the Elephant (and her two sisters for my Mum and Sister) and doing a 50 plus day project with her.

Making my childhood doll Linda her first new dress ever!

Finding sweet baby Natalie for £1.30 in a Charity Shop.  What a high I got from that.

The making of Howard Bear and enjoying him.  

My Tiny Rag Dolls (minus three that were given as gifts)

Creative Week 28

Not a huge amount of knitting or sewing done this week as we have been busy with other things and in the evening when I would normally knit I have been doing some journalling instead.  

Hitty Mildred had a shawl knitted to match her dress.

I've been working on a Christmas Star quilt - the end pieces have since been sewn on, I just haven't done an updated photograph.  Now deciding how I want to finish it off.

NZ Girls Jill & Shirley have new cardigans.

Much better to be warm when exploring out in the garden.

I'd like to make a few more little cardigans for TRDs.

Hitty Morag also has a new cardigan.

My creative output is probably going to decrease over the next few weeks with the lead up to Christmas and various commitments etc that will occupy my time.  

I've also been thinking about what I want to do next year with the dolls etc...  In the New Year I'd like to get back into writing the Sasha & Gregor stories that I used to do.  I may even go back to posting those on my original Sasha blog, I'm not sure yet.  I really like just having the one main blog, it is much easier for me and I like to have it all in one place, but I also wonder if having a separate blog for them might help the focus.  Just food for thought at the moment. 

A Room Box

During the week I found a 'new' wooden box in a local charity shop for £1.49   These types of boxes are usually quite pricey for what they are.  I've wanted something similar for ages, so when I saw this I thought it would work well for the project I have in mind. 

Some of the TRDs tried it out for size this afternoon.

The little holes at the side I will turn into 'windows' and make up some scenery type pictures to go in them.  

Petunia has suggested to Clipper that they go shopping for some items needed in the recipes...I think she must be hungry!  Amelia is simply relaxing.

Rose is happy to see the possibilities this little room box holds.

Friday Nature Walk

Amelia enjoyed a little stroll in the garden now she has some shoes to wear.

She said hello to a giant toad or was it a frog?

and posed for a photo to show her new cardigan and shoes.

A is for... Amelia Amborella

Some people in a group I belong to are taking part in a challenge based on this book:

At first I couldn't decide whether to make a new doll for this challenge or use an existing one... as it turned out I made a new doll - featured in yesterday's post.   I had a lovely evening to myself so I worked on her features and and gave her a few accessories.

Earrings and a necklace, plus a little heart embroidered on her chest.

These pantaloons had already been made, but were going spare. I made these when in NZ with some fabric from my Mum's old  sewing work box.  There wasn't much left, but this was just perfect for making pantaloons from being a very soft muslin type fabric.

This dress had already been made and was going spare - I made two as this one was too long for the doll I had originally planned it for, but is perfect for her.

Her name is Amelia Amborella, continuing the plant theme that most of my dolls have.  Amborella is a small evergreen shrub and you can find more information about it on Wikipedia.

A  is for Amelia Amborella

D is for Dress/es

E is for Earrings

N is for Necklace

P is for Pantaloons

I have a whole list of other ideas for items I plan to make for her.  Shoes will be the next priority, as she'd like to go outside to explore!