A Little Darling

Sometimes, a doll just touches your heart and won't let go.  Dianna Effner's Little Darling dolls have done just that to me, and thanks to my dear friend Tomi, I have one I can call my own.

This doll is 13 inches tall, and has a beautifully proportioned and balanced body.  The faces capture the innocence and wonder of childhood.  Jennifer, my Little Darling, was painted by Helen Skinner.

And the other delightful thing about this doll is, she can wear many of the outfits already available on this blog!  

Here she is wearing a nightgown, bed jacket, T-shirt and jumper designed for the Prairie Flower cloth doll.

And here she is wearing undies, hankie dress, and crochet collar designed for Bleuette.

Look on the left sidebar for Crochet Bleuette and Prairie Flower Cloth Dolls for simple patterns you can make for your Little Darling.

Crochet Collars for Bleuette

A couple of crochet collars for your Bleuette, crochet Bleuette, or any other similarly sized 11 to 13 inch doll (think Kish Bethany or Effner Little Darlings!).

These collars are detachable, and button up the back.  They are made from size 10 crochet cotton using a size 6 steel hook.  They are an easy way to add a touch of old time elegance to any dress.

Bleuette detachable collars

Enjoy the crochet!

Knit Shawl by Lionbrand

Took a bit of a break from dollmaking to knit this lovely shawl.  The pattern is free on the Lionbrand site: it is the Rosy Glen shawl.  You need to register to access the patterns on their site, but this is free, and the patterns are well worth it.

The yarn for this shawl is Lionbrand Amazing, and it is!  It self-stripes beautifully and has a lovely halo.  The yarn is 53% wool/ 47% acrylic.  Blocking is important to achieve the stated size.  I wanted a shawl slightly larger, so worked an extra set of repeats.

Simple Bleuette fashions from hankies

A simple 12 inch square of fabric can become quite a wardrobe for your Bleuette or crochet Bleuette.  These three hankies on the left were turned into a simple pleated dress, panties, nightgown, and sundress.  Each one took less than an hour to complete, and the hankie does all the fashion work for you!

Here are the patterns:

Basic Pleated Hankie Dress  dress with the purple flowers

Simple Hankie Panties and Nightgown nightgown with red roses

Simple Hankie Sundress/Pinafore sundress with blue roses

I hope you enjoy making these sweet little outfits, and hunting for hankies to turn into Bleuette frocks :-)

A gift from Victoria

These two wonderful wigs for crochet Bleuette were made by Victoria DiPietro, a most talented dollmaker and generous friend.  

Heads Up!

I've been wanting to play around with faces on dolls, so I made up several heads to work with.  For me, on crochet, the simplest faces seem to work the best.  I wasn't real happy with the face on the peach head (the one with the dark red curls) so I picked out the embroidery and reworked it.

Don't be afraid to rework your doll; they are really quite patient and both of you will be happier :-)

All of the heads were crocheted with Vanna's Choice yarn with the exception of the peach complexion, which is Red Heart Classic in light peach.

I worked up the dark toffee colored doll first, as a little cat girl with Lionbrand Fun Fur for hair.  She has furry underwear that her tail is attached to, and little ears peeking out of her shaggy hair.  I love this rich colored skin tone, and gave her gold eyes, the better to see in the dark :-)

This is Mehitabel.  If you recognize the name, can you tell me who her best friend is? 

Here is the pattern for her Simple Knit Sweater.

Something simple

I felt like working on something simple last week, so I made this shrug for my sister for Christmas.  Nothing like the good old single crochet, worked in back loops only :-)  The pattern for this shrug is available free on the Lionbrand website.  I think you have to register, but registration is free, and Lionbrand's free pattern library is awesome!  This shrug is called the Sequoia Shrug and it was simple and looks great (there is a MUCH better picture of this with the pattern).

Thank you all for your warm thoughts and comfort over the last few days.  Here is a poem from the funeral service that I want to share with you all:

God has not promised
  Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways,
  All our lives through.
God has not promised
  Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
  Peace without pain.

But God has promised
  Strength for the day,
Rest for the labor,
  Light for the way;
Grace for the trials,
  Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy
  Undying love.

Again, thank you.
 

Grief

It has been a tough week.  I lost a friend today to cancer.

The final days were long, and hard. On my friend, on her family, and on all who cared for and loved her.  Finally, she is free of the prison of her body; and whether she is in the arms of God, or sweet oblivion, she is free of pain.

And we are free to grieve.

Obituary

Neil Armstrong: 1930-2012

 photo courtesy NASA

Neil Armstrong; the first person to walk on a planet other than our own.  A Navy fighter pilot in the Korean War, an engineer, an astronaut, a professor, a father, a husband.  A man that every child of my generation watched in breathless wonder as he took those first steps on the moon, that hot July night in 1969.

He has inspired generations of children to dream beyond their horizons.  "Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon." - Paul Brandt

Godspeed, Neil Armstrong.