Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Fun Dolls in the Afternoon






It's late in the afternoon, humid as can be, with storms called for in this evening's forecast. I've been doing the worst thing a woman of my age can do on a humid day.....scrubbing the kitchen floor!! It's not that I wanted to do it, however, had I not done it...I'm sure the health department would come in and get me. I'd like to use the excuse of being ill for weeks as a good reason to have a really gross kitchen floor. It would be a lie, of course, I should have done it before now. And, I wouldn't mind saying the housekeeper just couldn't get here to do it. Another lie...there is no housekeeper here. Well, except for me. The truth of the matter is...I HATE cleaning the floors. Mine are old, not so pretty and don't cooperate with me much. No matter how hard I scrub...they still look old and not so pretty...just a bit cleaner. Today I went for cleaner!! And, they are. The only problem is... now all I can smell is bleach. Don't you hate that?

Trying to get that smell out of my system, I walked around outside for a bit. The temperature is warm...there was a slight breeze, but now it has gone and the humidity is on the rise. That storm is coming, which prompted me to come out to the Nest to see what I could show you today before all heck breaks loose. I suppose after cleaning floors, one should have some fun, so I took at a look at these little ladies and decided you should see them. A bit of fun on a humid afternoon!

First, we have a Flat Girl I made from a cereal box during one of our Knot work days. We all made one and they were such fun. I love this one. The only thing I wish I had done is give her movable arms. She's kind of stiff. But cute!!! I used some of my quilting fabric for her dress and a vintage dresser scarf for her wonderful apron. I LOVE the apron. My friend, Jim, gave me some tatting his grandmother had made years ago and that is the trim on her dress front, sleeves and hemline. There was just enough. A few years ago, I bought this little crocheted nut cup for 5 cents. To me it looked like a perfect tote bag for this little lady. Her "stockings" were done with paint and her shoes with a black permanent pen. Now, why spotted stockings, you ask? Because sometimes I make a mess and when "inking in" her shoes I accidentally touched her leg with the black PERMANENT pen. So, to disguise that (which you can see if you really try) I just used paint to distract your eye. I used a strip of the dresser scarf fabric to make her hair bow, permanent pens for her face, beads for buttons, and wouldn't you know....ravelings of fabric for her hair. Ravelings...you know...when you tear fabric you always have lots of loose threads...sometimes I save them and use them for doll hair. As I did here. Too cute, I say!!!

Next is my Vintage Napkin Doll. I wanted to make a small doll to pin to my tote bag when I went to Houston in 2006. Our "Quilt Arkansas" retreat was scheduled for the next fall, so I decided my little doll would be carrying a tote bag with "Quilt Arkansas 2007" on the front. I filled it with fabric swatches and a long, handmade bead which kind of looks like an embellished quilt rolled up in the bag. The entire doll and tote was made from a vintage embroidered napkin. In one of the photos you can see a napkin similar to the one I used to make her. She is wearing a pretty little blue plastic button for a pin. Her face was done with permanent pens. I took leftover strips of fabric...strings, really, and tied them in knots. They were about two inches long before I tied them and sewed them to her head. That's her hair. Lots of different colors. Well, she's different...isn't she? (Be yourself, I always say!) And, she was a hit at the quilt show too! What FUN!!!

Last, but not to be left out, is the Purple Lace Girl. She was made with a wonderful piece of purple quilting fabric for her body and arms, and a different piece for her legs. Her skirt is a length of painted lace...oh, gosh...love this stuff!!!! I crocheted the flower she's holding. It has a glass bead for a center. Her necklace is from a bag of broken jewelry I bought at the flea market. Her face, also, was painted with permanent pens...love her little heart shaped mouth. And that hair...gosh, that hair!
Made with some of that fantastic yarn used for knitting those funky scarves everyone loves to wear...and multi-colored at that. I have pins on the back of the two small ones, so you can wear them or pin them on a bag as I did. The Vintage Napkin Doll is 6 1/2 inches tall, the Purple Lace Girl is 9 inches tall and the Flat Girl is 17 inches tall. They usually are "hanging" around the Nest making sure I do what I'm supposed to do and offering their opinions when I least want them. They're fun though, so I put up with it.

Right now they are telling me that I am behind in the work going on in the Nest. They are right, too. But, as I said, storms are supposedly coming, so, I think I'll gather a few things together, go into the house, and get that supper ready....I'll leave the girls out here "in charge."

Hope you are all well. Take care. Pat

14 comments:

Gone said...

Oh Pat...these dolls are the BEST!!! How adorable.

Take care in those storms!!

;-)

The Painted Nest said...

I love your dolls the are just the cutest!!! Stay safe in that bad weather! Blessings, Deborah

Unknown said...

Those dolls are absolutely adorable! You know I am loving the pretty tatted insertion lace you've used down the front of the first dolls bodice! SEW pretty! :)

Judy Hartman said...

I'm so happy I stopped by your blog today because I love your dolls! They are delightful and I enjoyed reading all the little details about each one. Very inspiring!

My name is Riet said...

Those dolls are all so adorable. So cute

Anonymous said...

They are beautiful.
The face of the first one is delightful!

Elenka said...

Pat, those are just precious. I love all the detail involved.
If I use bleach, there's no going out for a walk.
I'm not a cold weather gal.
Walks have to wait.

Pat said...

Elenka, Thanks for your comments, I always enjoy them. For some reason, I cannot make comments on your blog. I have no idea why. There are other blogs I can't comment on either. Wish I knew what was going on with them. Just know that I would like to respond, but can't. If you'd like to email me, I will try to always "talk" to you that way. Thanks for visiting!! Pat

PS. Love the clothespins in your last post!

supplies overflowing! said...

Your dolls are so sweet and sassy!
I had no idea how big they are until you gave the sizes. You did a very good job in disguising the "mistake" on the leg of your first doll, but what would you do if, like me, you had a gorgeous scarf similar to that first doll, and it had an ugly yellow age stain on the fabric? I look at it, love the embroidery work, and the colors, but don't know what to do with the stain!
Hope the storms weren't too bad!
jenny

Anonymous said...

Hi Pat! Oh these are soo adorable and each one unique! As usual I love the needlework!!! As far as your bleach smell - I just cleaned my bathroom upstairs and used a new cleaner with way to much of the bleach smell; I can't get it out of my nose either!!! My kitchen floor is white! let me rephrase - should be white!! Very much a pain and hope to change it soon! So I feel your pain of cleaning the floor!lol Have a great weekend - Sincerely, Jeannette

{oc cottage} said...

How cute!!!

m ^..^

Simply Lavender said...

Hi Pat..LOVED your sweet post about your DARLING dollies!
How wonderful are they?
I adore the hair!
I might have to try my hand at making some for my 10 granddaughters.....maybe to fit each one's personality.
Glad to know that I'm not the only who would really rather not scrub floors!
Hope the storms are mild.
Take care and have fun in the Nest!
Thanks again for your great post!
Keep Hope.
Dix :)

Gaby Bee said...

Your dolls are adorable, Pat! Love all the gorgeous details.I would have difficulty choosing a favorite. All are stunning!
Gaby xo

Unknown said...

Cute girls Pat....

A Bit of Heaven

A Bit of Heaven
An original designed wall quilt with my vision of heaven on earth.