How I spent my October

One busy month after another!  Family visits, doll shows, trips to Montana, and even health issues have filled the days and have made them fly by!!

Where to start! I guess I'll start with the new look for my blog.  It's the newest from Google and I thought I'd give it a try.  Feedback would help to know how you, my friends, feel about it.  Having the older post easier to see is wonderful and just clicking on the picture takes you to the page to view them in full.  I really like that.

I have a few things to share in pictures. I'll share some highlights of the trips to Montana to visit family.

I left home 3:30 am and was just this side of Pasco by sunrise

You can't know where you're going without knowing where you've been

Entering the pass through Idaho and into Montana

Coming out of the pass to see the endless stretch of ground to cover

The small mountain pass leaving Butte on my way to Sheridan

The beautiful valley with 5 mountain ranges surrounding it

Such a vast country.  They call Montana "the big sky" state for a reason

I had to stop to take pictures of the 100's of deer in this field

Shooting with my zoom

They were so beautiful and so many!! A few got a bit frisky here

Entering Sheridan

This is going home, entering the pass early in the am again

There was a storm that came through the day before that had me worried

Lake Coeur d'Alene

Entering the Columbia Gorge, on the Oregon side

I knew I was getting close to home when it started to rain

 

Yup... I'm home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was good trip.  I hope to return again this month before winter sets in and makes traveling over the pass impossible.

Miniature Knitting -- SOCKS!!

These are such fun to make, rather addictive.  I wanted to have slippers for the girls to wear when they are in their pajamas and thought, "Why not knit them socks in different weights of yarns?"  So that's what I did, and then adjusted my pattern to fit the different types of feet, from the tippy-toe to the larger flat feet.
Using the furry eyelash yarn, I came up with a fabulous "boot"!  Here a picture of them on a couple of models, one with tippy-toes and one with the smaller flat feet.

All are knitted using 4 size 0 double pointed lace needles or size 00 double pointed lace needles, in the round so there is never a bulky seam.  They all have ribbed (knit purl) cuff, a turned heel and gusset and a shaped toe.  Most of the socks can have the cuff fold over.  The boots are too thick and are meant to stay up.  Slippers are very short cuffed so no turn over is necessary.
They are a nice change from the plastic fashion shoes!   For more information and designs come visit my website http://dollyknickers.org

Where did Summer go?

Last week it was sunny and almost 100〫and today it is a good 25 degrees colder and raining!!  We only had about one month of what you could consider summer weather.   I shouldn't complain, it could be a lot worse.  I just am not ready to welcome back the rain.

Well, let's see.  What have I been doing?  Aside from trying not to hurt myself more, hahaha, I have had much going on that seemed to keep me from accomplishing much.  I won't bore you with the details... trust me, nothing exciting.

I did, however manage to do a few things.  I finished a few back orders and did some fabulous new embroidery on the tee shirts for Barbie.  Are you ready or this?

This lovely doll has been in my care for a few month now.  She belong to a friend that asked me to make a special fitted wardrobe for her.  She was a dream to work with.  Her name is Lalka and she is a french doll.  I wish I could give you all the details on her but I don' know them!!  I just sew for dolls!!  I'm not a historian!!  LOL  Anyway, she is back home now and her owner is happy with the outfits.  I have to say that I miss her though...

Then I have these to show you.

These went to another friend in South America where it is Summer all year long!!

Next month is another doll show that I have to work like a mad fool to get ready for so I am making a bunch of these to see if they will do well.  What do you think?

I did add some of these to my Etsy and the Dollyknickers.org website.  Would love to hear your comments!

Good Grief... Now What!!

Yes...this is my armpit!  What happened? you ask.  Well, just another incident in the series of unfortunate accidents that keep happening to me.  This one by far hurt the most.  I was helping my husband unload a dresser we bought for our guest room that was up on his dump truck.  I was climbing up to remove the drawers to make it lighter.  I grabbed hold of the rope tie on the side that was very secure and I stepped up onto the gas tank then with my other hand I grabbed the other part of the tie I thought was also secure but it wasn't.  As I stepped up and pulled to get up on the bed of the truck the rope gave way and I lost my balance.  I knew I was going down so I swung around to face the ground but doing that lined my pit above a bar shape like a hook that stuck out of the side and I came down on it.  OUCH!!  My husband saw me but was unable to get to me in time but he did catch me from hitting the ground.  It didn't break the skin other then a slight scraping of the skin but it sure gouged deep into the muscle and then swelled up like a third boob!!!  I took this yesterday and it was pretty colorful but today I really look like I've been beaten with a stick.  Nothing broke and I can move my arm freely but it is sore.  I'm so glad that bar wasn't sharp, I'd be hanging there like a fish!!  Freak accident, a painful one but totally freaky.

"Toilets around Back"

Are you kidding me???  

This was so funny.  On our way to the beach, we needed to make a pit stop.  I pulled into a gas station and the kids ran in to ask for the key.  The guy said there was no key but the toilet was around back!  The two doors on the side of the building were locked so, puzzled, the kids looked "around back" and sure enough!!  Hahahaha

It turned out that one of the side doors just needed a good hip bump to open so we didn't have to give the neighbors a show!  What was also funny, there was a sink laying beside this toilet!!  I wonder how many actually fell for it??  Hahahahaha

So What's New...

Created a new couple of one-piece swimsuits designs.

Pink Pleasure

City Lights

Lower cut back

Normal cut

 Both of these are made with Spandex/Lycra swimsuit material.  They fit in all the right places and fit all the body types.  Pink Pleasure has a ruffled lace on the neckline and City Lights has a small gather between the breast. Pretty and flattering.  I added both these suits to my Etsy shop and City Lights sold quickly.  All my swimsuits are sold with a gift beach bag that compliments the suit, a beach towel and a miniature fashion magazine. 

Catching Up!!!

Hello all,  no, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth!!  It has just been a crazy Summer.  Weather has been strange, much cooler then a normal summer and wet.  We have had some interesting company in our yard that has been a surprise as well as welcomed.  The most surprising was the adult black bear!  I think it was just as surprised to find itself in our yard as we were to see it there.  It quickly returned to the woods and we haven't seen it since.

Adult black bear

Warmer Weather Fashions

 

I'm having a blast with the many miniature embroideries I have to add to these great tee shirts.  The butterfly one above sold two days after I offered it in my Etsy shop!!  I wasn't quite ready to let it go but the lovely lady that bought it send me the sweetest letter and photos of her special doll wearing the outfit.

All the tee's come with leggings or Capri style shorts in a variety of colors, gray, blue, pink, purple, yellow, green, black and white.  The tee's are also in the same available colors.  I'm working on the blues right now, and here are a couple more great designs.  

 More to come....

A Challenge Conquered

The challenge was to create a
one piece bathing suit in the style of the 1900's bathing attire.  I found it was a difficult task and had many designs go into the trash can with a few under my breath exclamations!

Then it hit me like a brick and I came up with a workable solutions and prototype.

That is what you see my handsome Mr. Smith wearing here.

From this point, fine tuning the design and adding features and accessories, all the while making sure the end product looked manly and flattering, to come up with the following design.  My friend that challenge me to make these was thrilled and they are now on their way to be worn by his special dolls.

All the hems and trim is sewn by hand and pressed.  These will fit 10 to 13 inch doll torsos.  They are not tight, they fit so there is no bunching in the crotch area.  I hate it when suits bunch up, don't you?

First we have dear Steven modeling the red cotton and Lycra suit with racing stripes on the side and featuring a buckled belt and belt loops.  Also a leather pouch with snap slides onto the belt.  Steven is also wearing a pair of my hand made sandals, in red leather and sea green grommets.  I think he looks rather dapper.

Here we have Ben and Philip, (Ben has his back turned), sporting the other two samples.  Ben is wearing the blue cotton interlock fabric and Philip is wearing the black Lycra active wear fabric, both with the same features and accessories as the red suit worn by Steven.

I think they all look pretty hunky.  They are being watched by appreciating eyes!!  What do you think?
All the swimsuits in this style will be sold through my Dollyknickers.org website.  You can order at any time, the color depends on the fabric.  If you have a color you prefer, let me know.  I promise to make nothing but high quality finished products.  These are priced at $22.95.

Here is a closer look at Steven's sandals.  They slip on and off easy and stay on without a problem.  These are for sale on my Dollyknickers website.  I will have this style available in brown and black, (grommets vary in color).  Orders are welcomed and appreciated.




These fit Ken size feet but if you are needing them to fit other male dolls like the My Scene guys, whose feet are smaller, or GI Joe type, that have bigger feet, just let me know what doll you have when ordering.  There is one price for all sizes, $12.

Let me know what you think please!