Two Izannah Walker dolls, almost finished.

I can't go anywhere that I don't take some handwork to sew on while I'm there.  Even take it to doctor's appts and such, because I might as well get something done while I wait, right?

Well, our lovely holiday w/ Gabe and Mary Jo is always a good time to work on Izzy dresses.  I love visiting their place because it's so peaceful.  No big agenda to accomplish, no pressure to do anything except just be.  I love that.  Mary Jo and I have been known to sit for hours in companionable silence, each engrossed in a book.  The handwork is for when we visit, with sleeping dogs at our feet (or in our laps) catching up on family and friends' news.  It's been too long, and I so look forward to our trip.

To that end, however, I needed to get these Izzies to the stage where I can make their clothes!  We'll be a little shorter on hauling space, so it's not like I can bring the Giant Box of Stuffing.  Small, portable projects are the order of the day.

These girls (I think of them as Big Sister and Little Sister) are 20" and 19.5" tall--or will be.  I wanted to create a larger Izzy than the little 16" babies I've made up til now.  I realized how well I'd achieved my goal when I picked up Joseph and felt how tiny he was!  These girls have some serious heft to them, but as I've learned from personal experience, you can never really tell from pictures how large or small a doll is.  You have to hold them.  Which is okay, since that's what they're meant for, right?

I have to stuff and paint their hands/arms, then sew those and the legs on the bodies.  A wash of Burnt Sienna will age them a little, and the painting will be done.  The Izzy Suits can wait til I get there, so between those, their unders and their dresses, I'll have more than enough handwork to occupy my digits while I enjoy the visit.

Look out Conwells!  Here we come!

Happy Thanksgiving in advance, and may you all find plenty to be thankful for!

Open House Art Sale

Years ago I met a lovely and rather willful lady at the San Antonio Herb Society.  Her name is Eileen and we're friends to this day, which is funny since we're both much alike and should butt heads but don't.  So Eileen got an idea from another herb society friend to have an Open House Art Sale in her home.  She invited some artful fellows, dug out her recipe book, and together we had a great day.

She's an artful soul, this Eileen is...sewing, beading, knitting, and creating all sorts of herbal hearth crafts--making soaps and tinctures and such.  Have I mentioned she can cook?  Oh goodness can this lady cook.  So creative and adventurous with recipes that I'm sure I won't like--until I try them.  Hatch Chiles in Peanut Brittle?  Really?  Yes.  Delicious.

Eileen and gorgeous beaded jewelry. 

Cloth bowls.  So many colors!  I got a little one w/ cabbage roses. 

There is never an event at this house without refreshments...serious gourmet treats.

There was a table of beautiful hand made greeting and gift cards--the scope of variety was incredible and I wanted them ALL.

Anisa (sorry if I'm spelling your name wrong) the Card Lady

Pick a card, any card!

The glass guys (and lady) brought hand-blown glass ornaments, jewelry, candle holders and sculptures. 

Jewelry for your Christmas Tree!

Those crazy kids.  :~)

 

And of course there were dolls.










We had a fine day of jolly chaos, people in and out, visiting, and shopping for holiday gifts.
What better way to spend a Saturday? 

27 Dresses

Okay, I can't quit with the movie titles.  Here are actually only ten dresses--for the wedding dolls.  I've gotten them all finished, and two more for the Etsy shop while I was cutting out dolls.  Working on them while I worked on the others helped alleviate the repetitive monotony.  Painting faces and creating hair is fun--they're all different.  But nine of the same dress can drag a bit.

Anyway, here are the wee dollies in white.

Dresses are made of white linen, w/ cotton eyelet trim, w/ purple satin sashes and a little crocheted flower w/ a button sewn on for decoration.  Their hair is all different colors and textures of yarn, bodies made of cotton muslin and painted.

This was fun-16th century style dress in 20th century colors and prints.

I can't tell if this is a clown suit or a PJ's Onesie, but she seems to like it well enough.