Hand Sewing and Memories

I learned from my parents how important tools are in achieving success with a handcrafted endeavor.  I’ve collected my favorite tools over the years and keep them ready and handy for my projects.  When I’m hand sewing, I’m often in the sitting area of my studio, not at my work table.  This very cool vintage carved tray is the perfect place to keep the items I need corralled on my lap. My husband found it in the ice cream shop in historic Foxburg, PA and thought it would be useful. He was right!
I stitched the felted wool butterfly pincushion and attached a soft leather strap that allows me to put it over my head.  It’s balanced to hang centered on my chest, a handy catch-place for needles and scissors. The little embossed brass case was at one time a cover for Avon lipstick.  Now, with a wad of wool in the bottom, she makes a perfect case for my needles.  Hemostats work great to provide an extra set of fingers, or to pull a needle through a tight bit of wool or linen. Two of my favorites were given to me by my dad when he was teaching me how to tie tippets and fly fish towards the end of his life.  I moved them from my tackle box to my sewing kit after his health no longer allowed us to wade in the creeks together. The magnifying lens with the reclining green jeweled panther atop it belonged to my mother’s mother.  Long after NeNe passed, it hung from a hinge in my mom’s kitchen.  She gave it to me when she gave me her sewing machine. It has more elan than my dollar store magnifying glasses, that’s for sure. All of these things and more are part of the love that goes into everything I make.

Thanks for taking this little journey with me through my sewing tools and my memories.

#handmadedolls #handsewn #handmadedollclothes #felted #feltedwool #Foxburg

Textile Inspiration

It’s not at all unusual for me to go through my collection of textiles and laces and vintage handkerchiefs when I have an idea for an new doll.  The textures, hues and tactile qualities help me define who that doll is going to become.  This is a gathering of goodies that may become the next doll on my work table. 

There’s an amazing deep eggplant colored patterned velvet sleeve from a vintage robe, a delicate linen handkerchief with a deep lace edging, a bit of white cotton embroidered eyelet yardage and several linen and cotton goods. The tatted antimacassar has been in my collection for more than 25 years, just waiting for the perfect project.  
The fringed length was the finished edge of the alpaca shawl it’s next to as recently as yesterday.  I carefully removed the fringe finishing a narrow selvedge tape opposite the fringe.  I already know how I’m going to use it and it will be a sweet addition to my newest BestFriend doll.  After removing the fringe I hemmed the end of the shawl to prevent any unraveling.  It may remain in my doll textile collection, but then again I may wrap it around my neck on a cold winter’s day!