Monday, May 18, 2020

A Very Special Sewing Doll

Greetings dear friends & readers .... & Welcome to a bright shiny new week.

It must be about 10 years ago now that a customer came to my Craft Cottage & gifted me this pattern.
Her words were "this looks like something you might like to make"
Oh how very true indeed πŸ’•
The Pattern is called Emily by Debbie Magee of Always Stitchin' 2003 .... though I can find no website for Debbie now 
I have long ago lost count of how many times the Emily pattern came out of the drawer & sat on my craft table - waiting to be made up - only to be tucked away again.
Finally -  the time had come to bring her to life.
I made the body up, stuffed it tightly & then decided to give my Emily some painted boots.

She posed none-too-elegantly by the fire while her boots dried !!
(No dolls were harmed in this process - no feet were scorched either !!!!)

I had just enough length of a lovely piece of plain cotton/linen blend to make her dress.
I really enjoyed making the prairie points on the hemline & used lots of my Tilda scraps.
All the laces & vintage doilies, trims etc were all found in my stash.

Tilda scraps for the pockets & hexie too 
Then it was time to embellish the dress with the pockets & doilies.
I changed the pattern a little & omitted some pockets, while adding in extra crochet doilies

I tipped out a brown paper bag filled with vintage sewing notions & decided these might be ideal to adorn my dollies pockets


I am pretty sure these vintage threads above came from Kiwikid Sue - thanks Sue!
The "tape measure" is a length of woven tape measure ribbon that I had 

The little Singer Sewing Machine was included in the pattern but I felt the first one I made was too small so I enlarged the pattern a little & much prefer the larger size.
(The Word Singer is just written on with gold gel pen.)


I found a vintage wooden needle holder in my junk bits & also some old rusty bobbins which I strung on some linen cord that I plaited


Some sewing embellishments were added & the piece of cross stitch was the corner of a serviette that I fussy cut.
It fit in the wooden hoop perfectly 
She has a felt hat which I also changed the pattern of as my first version turned out huge & flopped around on her head & made her look like a clown  -  her hair is hand dyed mohair 

I love my Emily Sewing doll  -  I was tempted to give her some wings but have decided she is quite perfect 
just the way she is. πŸ’–
I need to find just the right spot to hang her in my sewing room.
At nearly 90 cms in length she is one tall girl.


It was another busy weekend with the birthday of my eldest Grandson Alec who turned the big 5 !!
Alec's Mum made him a treasure chest cake which turned out wonderful & tasted delicious.
We had a lovely birthday party but kept our numbers to just 10 in accordance with our Level 2 rules & restrictions.
I quite enjoyed the smaller number & found it a wonderful gathering.


On Saturday morning I made these two pot holders for my gift box - this is a free pattern download from the very kind & generous Jenny of Elefantz Designs



Late last week I spent a cosy morning in my kitchen making up a batch of soy candles into vintage glass containers.
I had some new wooden wicks that I was keen to try out as I have heard these crackle when they burn - I hope so.
Also a gorgeous new fragrance - Pumpkin Spice.  I did not go into raptures when I smelt it in the bottle but once made up in the soy wax - Oh My !!!  πŸ’— It is divine !!!
The 2 candles above right are the pumpkin spice fragrance & they make the whole house smell so wonderful - even without being lit.

I hope you are still keeping safe & well dear friends & readers
Here in New Zealand our restrictions have been lifted in many areas but we still must be vigilant & careful.
Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead - take care of yourselves & each other,
With much love & friendship,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0

29 comments:

  1. ohhh what a lovely sewing doll to keep you company as well, loved the little patchworks you put on the bottom of her dress & the vintage sewing bibs & bobs! so awesome!
    mmm, pumpkin spice is indeed a lovely fragrance but pumpkin is a wonderful homely smell, conjures up cozy spots by the fire.
    lovely post as always
    thanx for sharing

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    1. Thanks for your lovely comment Selina. Yes the pumpkin spice fragrance smells so good - I have now ordered more of it in a large quantity!!! Have a lovely week Selina xx

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  2. Have to admit Julie..l had to look the other
    way, when l saw the top photo..a young lady
    in front the fire with her legs a 'kimbo'
    is a bit embarrassing..HeHe! I'll say no
    more...! :).

    If you were a man Julie..You'd be called Jesus..
    The miracles you preform are amazing..Emily looks
    great, certainly love to have her in my front room,
    pride of place..Lovely! :).

    And Alec is five, goodness! He looks so grown up,
    hope he had a lovely day..Bless! :).

    I seem to be getting up, earlier and earlier,
    suns up bright and early to, can't be lying about
    in bed..popping out to the supermarket tomorrow,
    that'll be four times in five weeks l've been out!
    Not getting bored at all..keep busy, plenty to do
    around my home and garden, finally sit down about
    four thirty for tea and TV..! Busy on the PC..since
    this lock~up..or is it lockdown..HeHe! :o).
    Must get on..Stay safe everyone! AND..Stay Happy! :o).
    🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

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  3. Your new sewing doll will keep you company as you create more wonderful things. She has 'sew' many sweet details The embroidery hoop is the cutest! Thank goodness you got to go to your grandson's 5th birthday! That would have been sad to miss. Those candles....mmmm smells good! I wish you were close so I could give you my huge collection of empty containers to refill with pretty scents of the candle kind.

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  4. Oh dear lord Alec is 5 already, wow time flies, hope he had a great birthday, Julie I think you made Emily look better than the original, she's just gorgeous. Yes our restrictions have eased a little here in Victoria, think we were the last state to do it, soon it will be back to the normal rat race, take care Julie, and stay warm, we have had some cold mornings with lovely days to follow, but I think it all ends tomorrow.

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  5. Happy Birthday to Alec. He sure is a handsome boy. Julie, you are amazingly talented. Everything you create turns out beautiful. I love the sewing doll. Hope you have a wonderful day today too.

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  6. Oh my! I love your sewing lady! Her face is so pretty and she has true treasures in her pockets! Yay for a happy birthday! I'm glad things are loosening up a bit! I must try to make some soy candles. I've wanted to for a long time. Take care, sweet Julie! xoxoxo

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  7. That is a wonderful sentiment on the card at the end of your post. Thanks. The doll is so detailed, wonderful with all
    the bits and pieces to make it complete. We finally had weather hot enough for a bike ride and wear shorts this weekend.
    Now it is back to rain. Glad to hear you could actually spend time with the birthday boy, not just internet access! Lynn

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    1. Thanks so much Lynn. Yes I am thrilled with my sewing doll. We have had the loveliest autumn days lately but things are dry here & we do need some rain now. I hope you have a lovely week Lynn.

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  8. I just love all the detail you put into your creations. But do you charge enough for all this work?

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    1. Thanks Kim ... this dolly was just for me, not an Order. I hate to think how I would work out charging for all the hours & hours I spent on this dolly.

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  9. Julie - I love your sewing girl. She turned out perfect. The birthday is lovely and I am sure was so good. We are gradually having restrictions lifted here in NC of USA and were able to go to church yesterday which was good for the soul. Thanks for the blogs. They always make me feel good.

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    1. Thanks for your lovely comment Beverly. I am so pleased to read you are having some restrictions lifted now ... it certainly does make a difference & feels a bit more "normal" to us all.

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  10. I love your doll, beautiful. having never made one I am full of admiration. I did have a good laugh at her drying her boots! Happy Birthday to your grandson, we had a 11 year old and as you said it was quite lovely just having a few people to celebrate. always lovely visiting your blog...
    Hugz

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  11. Emily is adorable! What a perfect sewing doll. You haven't missed a single detail.
    What a great birthday cake for the little guy.
    Those pot holders are so sweet. I would be afraid to use them and possibly scorch such pretty things. :)
    The candles are lovely. My daughter has made some wood wick candles. She has found some brands of the wicks crackle better than others. I have one on my kitchen counter and like to burn it while I work in my kitchen. The pumpkin spice sounds yummy!
    We've had many restrictions, too, but are still supposed to keep social distance and wear masks in stores and such where you can't always stay apart. And no gatherings over 50 people, but even then you are supposed to social distance. I see many people just going back to normal life and I sure hope we don't see a recurrence of outbreaks going forward. Our state still gets around 140-180 new cases a day.

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  12. Happy birthday to your grandson - the treasure chest cake is a brilliant idea. Your sewing doll is so pretty, and useful of course! The pumpkin spice candles sound wonderful.

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  13. Your blog is a little ray of happiness in all of this. The Emily doll is a delight, I have never seen anything like her before. The pot holders are very sweet, I thought about making some but don't have any insulation wadding. The candles are so pretty, something else I want to try one day is making some. You must live in beautiful and relaxing home. Have a good week. x

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  14. I love Emily and have made her also as a gift a while ago now. All her special embellishments are beautiful! Happy birthday to your cute Grandson 5 is very important! Your candles look gorgeous in their glass holders....so pretty and I bet they will sparkle when lit....stay well xx

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  15. That is one sweet sewing doll! I'm going to have to locate the pattern and see iffin' I can stitch one up too! :-)

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  16. Your sewing doll looks amazing.
    When I was a little girl a friend of my mothers made the most beautiful dolls. I was lucky to receive one as a gift and still treasure it today. Hopefully your doll will be loved for many years too.
    That cake looks pretty special too.

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  17. Can almost smell those candles from here. Happy Belated Birthday to Alec. I have a new baby grandson who is now 9 weeks old and I still haven't been able to cuddle him. Missing my beautiful granddaughters too. I love your Lady of Selvedge and Warp! She is just so beautiful, Julie. Great job. xxx

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  18. Emily is gorgeous. I had a little chuckle at her drying her boots! Pumpkin Spice sounds an interesting aroma for your candles. Happy birthday to Alec. Take care of yourself. xx

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  19. Perfect Emily is Julie, just gorgeous with so much creative detail and different elements, she certainly is a wonderful example, lovely to have her in your sewing space and all your other lovely projects, so inspiring,uplifting to see. Beautiful birthday photo of Alec, growing up fast, sounds a lovely celebration. Stay well.

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    1. Thanks so much for your lovely kind comment Jude. I was thrilled with how the sewing doll turned out too - she is now hanging on my sewing room wall & brings me much pleasure. Thanks again Jude. xx

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  20. Hi Julie wow your doll is adorable,you make the most beautiful projects,you are one very clever lady,well done my friend. Happy Birthday to Master 5,hope you have a lovely day too Julie xx

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  21. I love your sewing doll. She is just perfect for showing off some of your old vintage sewing items. I can almost smell your pumpkin spice!

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  22. Emily is so beautiful Julie, I can see you had fun making her and adding all the beautiful "bits and pieces". Such a treasure. Alec's birthday cake looks amazing, so glad you enjoyed his 5th birthday, gosh time is speeding by.Hugs.

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  23. Hello, first time seeing your blog! You are busy! I love how you made the Emily Doll. I like to make dolls too. Would you mind sharing the name of the company that made the pattern? I would love to make one for myself. Although, it will probably sit in a drawer too. lol

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    ReplyDelete

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