And then we made a Dolly.

Zoe the dollThe Wee Lass and I made a fabric dolly together. She's very interested in my sewing machine and frequently asks to do a sewing project. We used tea to dye some linen from a thrifted shirt (we needed only a small part of one arm of the shirt for this dolly).



I drew a pattern on paper based roughly on the shape of her bunny (amusingly, also made from a thrifted shirt) and then traced around it to add seam allowance. I made the arms a bit fatter (easier to flip and stuff) and added thumbs. We sewed up the arms and legs together and stuffed them full of "fluff" as she calls it. I added felt eyes and a mouth with some embroidery thread before sewing the body up and attaching the arms and legs. I attached a little loop of embroidered trim so we could easily clip the dolly to a bag or the stroller if she's coming out on adventures.



I added yarn hair, based on a simple tutorial that I found online. Since our dolly didn't have a perfectly round head, I found it worked better to start the "scalp" at the hairline and then spiral in, rather than the reverse. I wove in the loose ends of the braid to fill any gaps and secure it. I just added a little bit of long yarn hair to make pigtails and bangs, rather than covering the whole head.



This type of "flat" doll is quite approachable for a novice sewist and lots of fun to involve a little one in the process. Next time the Wee Lass requests a sewing project, I think we'll make her dolly a dress.



Photographs and artwork by Allison Gryski. © All rights reserved.

Raspbery variation

Raspberry Nanaimo BarI love homemade Nanaimo Bar and every now and then I get a serious craving. A while back, I decided to experiment with making a raspberry version. I just added some (thawed) frozen raspberries to the icing layer. It made it pretty and pink and it was so yummy.

Photographs and artwork by Allison Gryski. © All rights reserved.

Lost Buttons

lost buttons
I like to pick up lost buttons on the street. These are the ones I've found so far. I started shortly after moving to Amsterdam. I think one or two may have been picked up while on holiday, but I decided early on that I couldn't be bothered to keep track of where each button was found. I was not surprised to discover that more than half of the buttons I've found are black. There are 3 metal buttons and 2 wooden ones. The purple heart-shaped one is the only non-circle I've found. Do you collect anything unusual?

Photographs and artwork by Allison Gryski. © All rights reserved.

Tutorial: Fabric Bunting

Fabric Bunting
I made some bunting not too long ago and took pictures of the process. So here is a tutorial for how to sew some for yourself. It's pretty, it's easy, and it's great if you have lots of small bits of fabric from other projects that need using up.

Materials:
-assorted fabrics
-bias tape
-pinking shears
-piece of scrap cardstock or paper

Step 1: Make a flag template

I made a template to trace out of some scrap cardstock I had laying about. Don't forget to include seam allowance (1/4" on each side).


Bunting Flag Template
I used the following method: Draw a line of the width of the flag. Find the middle and draw a line down for the length, forming a T. Draw lines connecting the ends of your lines to make your triangle shape. Of course, you don't need to limit yourself to triangles. Scallops or squares are also fun.

Step 2: Cut out your flags


Cutting out Bunting Flag
Cut out pairs of triangles in a variety of fabrics. You can either trace the template onto fabric with a washable fabric marking pen or pencil or cut around it carefully, like I did.


Step 3: Sew each flag


Turning the Flag
Sew each flag with 2 pieces with right-sides together, leaving the top edge open. Trim your seam allowance with pinking shears to make it less bulky. Then flip it right side out, using a blunt knitting needle (or similar object) to poke the point out. The raw top edge will be hidden when you attach it to the bias tape.


Bunting Flags
For beginners, you turn at the point as follows: stop sewing with the needle down through the fabric, then lift up the presser foot and rotate the flag, then put the presser foot back down and continue sewing.

Alternately, you can sew your flags right sides facing out and then edge with decorative bias tape, or trim with pinking shears or do a zig-zag stitch to prevent fraying.

Step 4: Attach your flags to bias tape


Attach flag to bias tape
Pin your flags inside the fold of the bias tape, then sew along the open edge of the tape to attach the flags.

Step 5: Hang your bunting

Ta-dah! Here's my bunting hanging in our living room. If you make some bunting following this tutorial, please share your pictures in my flickr group!


Fabric Bunting

Photographs and artwork by Allison Gryski. © All rights reserved.

A new project begins

Fabric for a new project
I'm so excited to work on my next project.

I'm doing a makeover of one of these. It's made with hideous material, but it's a fantastic shape and size.

I was inspired by seeing this one.

I plan to use the fabric pictured above, with accents inspired by this patchwork.


Photographs and artwork by Allison Gryski. © All rights reserved.

Introducing Gabrielle

I made the Wee Lass a dolly! I used the cute "I love Paris" doll kit by Miko Design that I saw in a Dutch magazine. We named her Gabrielle.


Gabrielle
It was really a quick sew, including all the little accessories. These are set aside until the Wee Lass is a little bigger.


Gabrielle's accessories
For now she has her Eiffel tower and souvenir bag. We also like to use some of our play food, in particular this wooden chèvre.


Gabrielle's chevre
A fun discovery was how easy it is to make an elastic waist skirt. I already have plans to make some skirts for the Wee Lass come spring and summer.

Photographs and artwork by Allison Gryski. © All rights reserved.

Thrifty fabric

I found an old curtain at the thrift store yesterday. It won't stay a curtain as we don't have any windows the right size, but I loved the fabric.


thrifted curtain
It's been awhile since I've found anything for me, though my thrifty luck (and persistence) has been providing splendidly for the Wee Lass (from clothes, to shoes, to toys). There's a ton of fabric in the curtain, but I figure some will end up as a cushion cover or maybe part of a patchwork slipcover for a thrifted armchair.

Photographs and artwork by Allison Gryski. © All rights reserved.