Better late than never

Finally getting this blog started that I set up probably YEARS ago. Hey, with little ones things get busy and the best laid plans.... you know.

Anyway, new year. New goals. New projects. My current and most pressing project is creating a dream doll wardrobe for a certain almost 9 year-old I know and her hot-off-the-press-just-dropped-of- by-Santa American Girl doll. Sadly, by the time Santa procured the doll he had to choose between clothing the doll or his own children. (Clothing ACTUAL children is cheaper.) So my goal is to blow away this most amazing young lady on her 9th birthday with a wooden treasure chest chock full of doll outfits.

Thankfully, we a little heads up from the big man I was able to get lots of patterns for $.99 at Joanns. (And now have too many to choose from.) I also discovered the Joan Hinds books. Pretty neat stuff. The one pictured is my favorite so I went ahead and bought a copy. It even has knitting patterns in it for some great sweaters, mitten, a felted hat, etc. I was able to find the others (complete with patterns) at my local library.

I was able to whip out a few things for my darling's new best friend over the holidays. I had made the kids matching footie style pajamas for the holidays this year. So Julie got a pair to match. I used Hind's Sew the Storybook Wardrobe for 18-Inch Dolls for the pattern. It's the white rabbit/cowardly lion pattern without the hood/tails. And, yes, I realize the doll's not actually going to be walking on the wood floors, but I had scraps of Jiffy Grip left over so why not? :D

I skipped making the girls dresses again this year. I found such a great deal at Costco that it seemed silly not to buy them. It would have cost be more in just the fabric for similar dresses and I really dislike working with satin, tulle, etc. Of course, as is typical, I ended up working with them anyway to make Julie's not-quite-matching-but-close-enough dress. I used a slightly modified pattern from the Hinds book I bought.

Less than $5 in fabric and a few hours of time saved us about $40 for something similar from the AG site. I was so excited I called my mom and officially thanked her for teaching me how to sew so many, many years ago.

So now it's time to start on her wardrobe. I'll post a list of my planned outfits and then make bets with myself as to how many I actually get done. Elf's getting a doll-sized kitchen for her birthday from my mom so Julie certainly needs an apron, chef's hat an oven mitts. That's first on the agenda.