A Doll In A Lime Green Dress 💚 . . . . . & A Garden Gate Revamp

Greetings lovely friends & readers

A few weeks ago now I purchased a gorgeous new length of Oilcloth for my dining table from * Here *..  I chose a pale sage green for a change, then while waiting for it to arrive I seriously doubted my choice. I need not have worried - it was Gorgeous!

Although I only managed one good picking from my Lilac this year, the fragrance was heavenly & filled the house with its perfume 💜

 

Earlier this year my friend Jane messaged me a photo of a doll she'd seen on Pinterest & asked me if I could please make it for her as she'd especially fallen in love with the lime green dress & the primitive "grubbiness" of her. 

This was the picture Jane sent me.  A search of Pinterest failed to turn up any pattern for the dolly so I had to improvise.  After much debate (with myself) I used Rosalie Dekker Linen Angel pattern for the arms, legs & body but drew my own face shape as it needed to be a raggedy style face.  I also enlarged the pattern by 100%.  It was not without it's challenges 😉

We have finished with fires for the year so it feels strange to see the painted legs drying by the fire. I have to curb my perfectionism tendencies when making these primitive style dolls & I find this tricky at times.  Her shoes were painted in black & then sanded when dry.

I had the orange wool in my stash so I made the plaits & then lay the dolly on some paper towels, covered her face & sprayed liberally with hair spray ... 3 or 4 good coats makes the plaits stiff enough to stand out - she very much has a Pippi Longstocking vibe to her 💗  Painting the face was left til last & I was happy with the end result - it's been awhile since I've done this & I felt very nervous about it but I think I captured her expression well.

Prior to making the doll I showed the picture to my dear friend Shirley & said Jane wants this doll made with a green linen dress. "Oh No" said Shirley - that is not linen standing out puffy like that, that fabric is dupion silk!  I think I have just that colour in my stash!!!!"  So I am deeply grateful to Shirley for giving me the offcut in just the perfect Chartreuse green colour

After I'd made the dress & thought how sweet it looked I then had to dunk the whole thing, lace & all, in parisienne essence to tea dye/grubby it up.  This was scary stuff dear friends!! Then I had the not fun job of trying to iron it all out nicely again 😑

Once she had finally come to life & been sent down to Jane I received a lovely photo of her sitting on Janes shelf.  Phew!  💚 I'd quite fallen in love with this sweet little doll & could happily have kept her at my house!

Early last year youngest son removed a falling-down fence across the front of his propertyl  This green gate was attached to the fence & - as I was there helping in my capacity as Steptoe - the gate came home with me.  Last month I finally dragged it out, scrubbed it & then gave it 2 good coats of plain black paint.  I also found this half-round wire basket under my house so this got spray painted black while I was outside painting.

Once I was happy with the gate I affixed it firmly in my garden at the edge of my deck & attached the half round basket using cable ties.  I decided to double line it as I know how the birds pull at this coconut fibre matting & it doesn't last long.  

I filled it with compost & potting mix.  Little One inspected my work, gave it his approval ... then I trimmed the edges of the matting.  I planted 2 punnets of white Impatiens in the basket.  

The plants were tiny & are taking awhile to grow as it's still been so cold here.  I am hopefull they will grow & spill out over the edges of the basket.  A small sign tied to the gate just finished it off nicely.

This is looking across at it through the garden.  Those tall green plants in the foreground are perennial Phlox & have a vivid white flower.  I am hoping the white & black combination will look effective.

I am so thrilled with my green painted drawers planted with the lobelia & also the wrought iron chair filled with petunias.  The combination of the blue plates on the wall just finishes it all off nicely & makes me happy when I walk past it. 💙💚

Dearest friends, if you have not entered my Christmas Giveaway as yet, go to this post * Here * as there are still a couple of weeks left to enter.  Remember I will post to anywhere in the world - be in to win dear readers.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - I have family coming to visit & then I'm hosting my craft group on Monday so I am off to the kitchen to bake.

Thank you, as always, for your welcome visits here today,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,

A Simple Christmas Giveaway 🎄🎈💗

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Every year as Christmas approaches I plan to do a Giveaway & then time slips away on me.  So this year I have decided to do it now (early) - so that I can allow time to post it anywhere in the world & it will arrive (hopefully) before Christmas.

I really enjoy my blog & the friendships I have made through this little corner of my world.  I appreciate all of you that take the time to read my waffle ramblings, & especially those that leave me a comment.  I have found nothing but kindness through all the folk I have "met" through this platform.  So this simple little festive Giveaway is my way of saying Thank You to all of you ... if I could I would send you each a little parcel. 

 

I have put together a small selection of festive bits & bobs, mostly handcrafted by me but some are purchased items.  These will be posted to you beautifully giftwrapped & tied up with a tag.  

I will post anywhere in the world - anyone may enter.

Here is what will be included in the parcel . . . . . .

A handmade Christmas Cracker (Tilda fabrics of course) filled with some gourmet choccies.  This cracker can be untied & re-used for another gift, not thrown away like the store bought paper & plastic ones. 

Two of my handknitted organic cotton washcloths & a knitted scrubbie in Christmas colours.

A gorgeous fragrant soap in a Tilda bag tied with a velvet ribbon & a snowflake charm

A rustic hanging (or sitting) wooden Christmas sign.

A set of 3 different sizes of my handmade wooden christmas tags.

A cotton towelling tea-towel or handtowel with a festive design.

I solemnly promise to remove any Ginger Cat hairs before posting the package & No Willie, I cannot include said Ginger Cat in the parcel when posting !! 😉

Please enter by leaving me a comment below.  If you have any trouble getting your comment to publish then just email me at stitchedbyjulie@hotmail.com with your comment & I can copy & paste it. 

Anyone may enter - I will post worldwide.

If you feel inclined, please tell me one thing you love about Christmas, but you don't have to share this - I am just nosey curious like that !

If your comment comes through as anonymous please remember to leave me your first name & country - eg ... Julie from New Zealand as I often get many anonymous comments. 

 The Mr will draw a name out of the teapot on Friday 22nd November so it gives me a month for the package to arrive at it's destination.

 

Last week I finished sewing 20 lined Christmas Stockings for my local Patchwork Store.  She fills them with chocolates & donates to the Foodbank who put them in the boxes of families with children at Christmas time.  I have another 10 cut out so am hoping I manage to finish these before the cut-off date on the 20th November.  The store owner is hoping to reach 300 stockings again this year.

Some Christmas decorating began last week here at Threadbear HQ.  I like to pull out the containers & unpack things into the lids as it helps to sort what-goes-where.  It didn't take long for a certain ginger fairy to find the containers - a girl gets tired overseeing these things & has to have a nap along the way.

And some furry family members are just downright unhelpful !!! 😐

That's all for today dear friends - I have lots to share so I may do a series of catch up posts.

Wishing you all a wonderful rest-of-the-week,

With much love & friendship to you all,