Friday, August 31, 2012

New home




My family recently moved from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Stevensville, MD.  I will start out by saying we are truly home.  My husband and I have both moved many times in our lives, personally I have moved at least 30 times.  So to say we are "truly home" in itself is a dream come true.  But once I introduce you to my small town I think you may also fall in love.
First stop, the yarn shop.  Really, what could be more important than that?  I was thrilled to find a large cone of natural handspun wool, spun from a sheep that lives a few blocks from me!  Well the sheep didn't spin it, a "nice old lady" did according to the yarn shop owners.  She lives here, from what I was told... but the Antique Shop hasn't been open.  I asked around and was told to knock, I guess I just have to hope someone is home one of the times I am knocking.  
I don't know about you, but yarn from my neighbor sheep makes me pretty darn happy!













a little doll sweater I knit with this lovely yarn!








Saturday, August 25, 2012

doll glasses~ a tutorial

I have been having so much fun making little tiny glasses for dolls!  I have been given so much knowledge by other doll makers and crafters through blogs I thought it was time to try and give a little back.
I've created a tutorial to follow with a printable pattern. 

I recently had a giveaway for a pair of custom doll glasses, the winner choose PURPLE!  Purple is such a fun color, how could she not pick it.  The best part about the giveaway is that the winner happens to work in an optometrist office.  I was really happy to hear that not only will her daughter's doll have a nice pair of glasses so she can see better, but she can also play "mommy at work"  which is something my son plays at least once a day.  He will pick up a few scraps of fabric and pretend to sew them together.  Sometimes he actually stitches a little something together with my help.  (which reminds me, I should share the little monkey he made sometime!)

Anyway... here are the glasses.  Pretty simple shape, I think squarish happens to be the thing right now.


First step is to trace the pattern onto the felt, this will be your cutting line.  I use a wool felt, but I won't be mad if you use the eco felt.  An ink pen works for me, but i've heard about a fancy disappearing ink that sometimes disappears and sometimes is just really expensive and does't disappear.  

DO NOT CUT THE FELT YET!!!!

SEW FIRST~

  Fold the piece of felt so you have two layers and start sewing just on the inside of the line.  I am a little O.C.D.  (only a little, my house is not O.C.D. clean unfortunately)  so my O.C.D. kicks in here and I count the stitches around the curves and down the short sides of the glasses.  2 stitches on each corner seems to make a nice turn and if you count the stitches on the short sides the glasses will be even.
I use the zipper foot, because I can see my line better.
(I just realized that I didn't take photos of about 5 steps, eh... anyway)  After you sew around the glasses and around the eyes holes then cut out along the line that you drew in ink.


Next, fold the arm of the glasses over, and sew about 1/4" in.
 see what i mean?  It makes a little baby hinge on the teeny tiny glasses, it adds just a little more shape.


I used a snap awl to poke a hole in the end of each arm.
 I then pull a piece of thin elastic cord through the hole and double knot it, and trim it close.  After I have one knot I measure the glasses on the doll and make the second knot.

tada!  here they are!







Well, I couldn't send off glasses without a case now could I?



I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial, feel free to make as many glasses as you want for whoever you want!    ~Nikki