Hello, hello, Internet-Land. This has been an interesting weekend. I started to come down with a really icky virus on Thursday. It just kept getting worse and worse. Friday it hit without mercy! As I was lying around trying to breathe, I was also thinking, “What can I do for the blog today? I feel so bad; I can’t really create right now.” Then it occurred to me – why not revamp something I’ve already done to make things easier for the wonderful people who visit my site? So, that’s what I did. I have added a new page to my site called, “Ready To Print.” Right now, the page has all my sewing patterns in pdf file collections. Each file holds a complete pattern set. I will continue to work on the conversions, adding the paper dolls and coloring crafts. I will leave the “Free Stuff” page, because it shows all the images. You can look for what you want, then just pop over to “Ready To Print” for an easy download! Enjoy!

Good evening, Internet-Land. I hope this post finds you well and happy. Tonight I have a new dolly sewing pattern for you. This was drafted to fit the Wilde Imagination Evangeline, but I was tickled to find that it can also fit the Phyn & Aero Annora, though a little long in the pants. It’s actually designed to have two layers of chiffon for the neck yoke and as the drape part of the top, but to my dismay, I didn’t have any on hand. Thus, the use of the sequined fabric in the photos. This pattern will be available for free through the end of this month (February 2018). After that, it will be available by purchase only, so don’t miss out! 🙂

Greetings to you, Internet-Land. Well, I must say, after some difficult weeks, it is good to be posting again. Today will probably be shorter, but I do have some fun news, as well as a new set of El paper doll outfits. First ~ the news ~ a friend of mine has just purchased a building, “lock, stock, & barrel.” And what do you suppose was IN the building??? Sewing machines! Lots and LOTS of SEWING MACHINES!!! Today I was so happy to become the owner of a 1940 Vintage Singer 201 electric machine (which sews great!), as well as a Brother industrial machine ~ complete with table, foot pedal, knee lift, spool stand, and an extra motor. I’m so excited! (I did not purchase the blue machine that is also on the table with the industrial machine, but who knows ~ tomorrow is a new day!) I will also post a link to the facebook page with info about the liquidation sale after the photos. As always, I hope your weekend is filled with joy! Enjoy the pictures, and I’ll post again soon. Bye!

https://www.facebook.com/The-Old-Ferryman-Building-1999582286978149/

And here are some new looks for El ~ Go to my “Free Stuff” page for the doll & more!

Hey, Internet-Land. Yes, it’s been a bit since my last post. Not a great couple weeks. Not to spread gloom across the world-wide-web, but our family has lost a very dear loved one, my youngest sister. As a result, my entries have been slowed. All in all, we are well and have been blessed beyond measure with love, prayers, and warm thoughts from so many. It softens the numbness that can seep into the heart. At times like this, I am so thankful for my faith. Not because it makes me anything special ~ just the opposite. I am thankful that my hope has nothing to do with me and everything to do with my loving Savior. Now, I know there are many who would scoff at my belief, and that’s ok. I choose to place my trust and faith in Jesus, and hope in Him for my eternity. I choose to live my life here with a joy and hope for an eternity with my Lord and those who have also trusted Him. I am fully aware that it is a choice that not all will make. As I once said to a man in Chicago ~ if I am wrong in my belief, and there is nothing more, I am no worse off for living a life of faith and hope. If I am right, however, I am glad to have my eternity resting in God’s hands rather than my own.

After taking much of the day today to just rest and reflect on happy memories, I wanted to check in with those who are so good to visit my blog. Thank you to both those who follow and those who just stop by once in a while. Your presence always gives me cause to smile. As always, I wish for you the very best this week!

Good evening, Internet-Land. I hope you have had, or are having a very good day today. As we are now well into this first month of the year, I was thinking about the whole “new year’s resolution” thing. I’m not one for making resolutions for really big changes (mostly because I won’t keep up with them), but I do like to make a couple new goals or challenges with each new year. Another thing I do like is all the super cute planners that are available now. With fancy dividers & pages, stickers, and room for photos, they are just so appealing. The problem is, I don’t have a complicated enough life to need all those extra page features ~ you know, the pages with every hour mapped out for important appointments. I usually use the “month at a glance” pages, and then just skip the rest between the dividers. Then, I got this idea for using all those “daily” spaces, and I thought I’d jot it here in case anyone else might like to try it, too. I bought myself a cute, inexpensive planner that just has the complete month, and then between the monthly views, a small space for each one of the days. I’m making sure to carry it with me. In each daily space I’m going to work at writing down just one thought. Just one. Not a giant plan, not a complete journal entry, not a major life change. Just one thought. Maybe it will be a cool word. Maybe an idea for a doll fashion. Maybe it will be a really good quote. Maybe it will be an idea for something to build. Maybe a Scripture verse. Maybe it will be the name of something I want to cook. Maybe a new anime to check out. Just one thing. Just one way to say, “I thought of something that interested me today.” Then, when I want to create something, I will have days and days of ideas from which to glean. How many awesome opportunities in life are missed, simply because the inspiration of a moment was lost? This year, I’d like to capture more of those moments. I hope you will capture yours as well! Wishing you a very INSPIRATIONAL 2018!

Good evening, friends in Internet-Land! Tonight I have another tutorial for you. The old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” teamed up with a “cheap-skate” like myself leads to all kinds of economical ingenuity! To display all my fashion dolls, I have found that the saddle style stands are my favorite kind. They slip up underneath the doll’s torso without causing too much rumple to the fashions. They are, however, usually more expensive as well. I have a few that I’ve found at bargain prices, but even the lower priced ones usually have a “shipping” cost attached to them ~ thus bringing the cost up again. After quite a few nights of “building” in my head, I finally had an idea I wanted to try, and I’m happy to announce ~ it worked! Plus, it was really easy & CHEAP to do. So ~ here we go!

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

Find these items at home: Scissors, pliers, wire cutter, screwdriver, small scroll saw or old serrated knife for cutting CPVC pipe/tubing, some unbent corrugated cardboard, one old, un-readable CD or DVD with great art work (one for each stand you want to make), some old plastic coated wire hangers, some scrap contact paper, some old Christmas light cover caps, and some good sticky glue such as Tacky Glue or Gorilla Glue.

These are the items I bought: 1/4″ flat head bolts/nuts (pkg of four sets $1.28, and you won’t use the nuts), 1/4″x1 1/4″ washers (2 pkgs of 4 $2.30), a 5′ length of plastic 1/4″ CPVC pipe/tubing ($1.49). These items will make four stands and will leave you with CPVC tubing for a couple more as well.

WHAT TO DO:

Step 1 ~ Trace two circles onto the cardboard using the CD/DVD. On both circles, trace both the outside & inside of the CD. Then, make an X through the inner circle, identifying the center. Use this mark to center a washer. On one circle, trace both edges of the washer, and on the other just trace the inside of the washer. Cut out both circles, then cut one with the outside of the washer line and the other with the tiny inside of the washer. Place a washer into the larger hole.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Step 2 ~ Glue the circle with the small hole under the circle with the washer. Then cover the bottom cardboard side with contact paper, leaving the top with the washer exposed.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Step 3 ~ Now glue the CD onto the side that still shows the washer. Then glue another washer on top of the CD. I poked the bolt up through the cardboard from the bottom to make sure the holes aligned correctly.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Step 4 ~ Now cut a 7″ length of the CPVC pipe and holding it straight, screw it onto the bolt. The bolt will cut its own threads into the pipe, keeping it secure, but you can insert a little glue into the pipe if you wish. Once the bolt is a good way in, I used pliers to grip the pipe as I screwed the bolt the rest of the way in until it was flush on the bottom.

Step 5 ~ Straighten out a plastic coated wire hanger and cut a 16″ length. Fold this in half, then bend the ends out as shown, with each side having a 2″ straight vertical section, a 1″ diagonal section, and then the rest vertical to the center fold. Glue Christmas light caps onto the ends of the wires. Now, it’s ready to insert the center bend down into the top of the CPVC tube.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Step 6 ~ Now it’s ready for your doll! I hope this has been helpful ~ have fun letting your dolls “take a stand!”

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Greetings dear friends in Internet-Land. Yes ~ surprises have never been my strong suit ~ in giving or receiving. If receiving, I never know quite how to act. I did have a mentor once tell me, “Just say, ‘Thank you.’ It is fine to show simple gratitude for the gesture. No speech is necessary.” That has helped immensely in not being so awkward. The giving aspect comes into play when I simply can NOT wait to give it! This Christmas was very taxing on me, as I was done with all my shopping by mid-November. However, I suffered through and enjoyed the fruits of my labors.

That leads me into today’s post. The “12 Gifts of Christmas” was fun, because I never had to wait. I was constantly creating, and then posting as soon as projects were complete. The other day, however, I actually got 4 pages of outfits done all on the same day. I only posted two, and now I just can’t stand it any more ~ I have to post these as well! I know, I know, I’m such a weakling. But hey, at least it keeps me in a state where I need to continue creating, as I don’t have any back-up. 🙂 Enjoy these additional outfits for Lavender & Nanette. Chat at’cha later! ~  missy

(Dolls & other outfits can be found on my “Free Stuff” page.)

Wow! So good to connect with you, Internet-Land! I hope your New Year has started out well. After our very busy December, I took a bit of a break. Can’t remember if I’ve already mentioned it here on the blog, but my right hand had to undergo another surgery. All went well, but it’s taking a while for everything to heal. This time, the pain was reduced, but the function has not been totally regained. I try to use it to keep the muscles moving, but after a good day of use, I pay for it the next. That’s how it goes sometimes, I guess. In any event, I’m making progress, even if it’s a bit slower than I’d like.

Now I have a result of some of that exercise ready for you. Last month, as “Gift 7,” I introduced a new duet paper doll set, “Lavender & Nanette,” along with an evening gown for each doll. These ladies were an experiment using some new articulated body figures. I posed them, photographed them, then drew the dolls based on the photos. It’s been a fun, new thing to try. Since I had not posted any more clothing for them, today I have two more pages for these gals. These are formatted to 8.5″x11″ paper. The dolls and first set of gowns can be found by scrolling down to the December 16, 2017 post, or by going to my “Free Stuff” page. There you can also find lots more fun freebies. Enjoy, and have a wonderful week!

Good afternoon, Internet-Land! Here we are, two days after Christmas. I hope yours was great. We had such a good day. I have so much for which to be thankful. Most of all ~ my family. We spent the day at my parents’ home with children, siblings, nieces, nephews, and new extended family as all these kids are growing up & starting families of their own.

Yesterday I thought I’d give the Fall Fancy party dress pattern a try. I put together the American Model size. I must admit, I’m not too nice to myself, as it is probably the most difficult doll pattern I’ve ever sewed!!! It was kind of a pain figuring out how to have the over lapping sections of the bodice all fully lined, and yet fit together right. Finally, after removing several seams several times, I got it done. Not too bad for a first attempt at a new pattern. I think there might be a couple pieces I will “tweak” to get a more streamline look, but all in all, very happy with how it turned out. Thought you might like to see what it looks like when finished. Will chat again soon ~ bye!

Well, Internet-Land, we made it to Christmas! Here is lots of love and warm holiday greetings wishing you the very best. As planned, I do have one last gift for you. But before I post my gift, I would share about a better one. Now, I realize that this post may reach to places very far away and to people of every country and belief. It is not a requirement that any believe the same as me, but it is a requirement of my heart that I share it. I am writing of the greatest Gift ever given ~ that of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, Who came to Earth as a babe so long ago. He came to live a sinless life, to die in our place, and then to have victory over death by rising again on the third day, giving hope and salvation to any who will trust in Him. There it is in a nutshell. My life is so blessed. I have had my fair share of the ups and downs of life, but always with hope and grace provided by my Savior. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16  If you choose to believe in Him and trust in Him for this hope of Eternal Life, simply call out to Him in your own words. He WILL hear you! This gift far surpasses anything that I could ever possibly give, and God’s Love is what I would wish for you this Christmas.

Thank you for coming and allowing me to be myself as I share my heart. It has truly been such a joy to post these fun little projects for all who would like them. The last project for my “Twelve Gifts of Christmas” is a pattern set for the Tonner Tyler 16″ body style. the pages are formatted to 8.5×11 (letter) size paper, and some pieces will need to be put together before cutting your fabric. Wishing many blessings to you and yours ~ Happy, Happy Christmas!