Progress on Mr. and Mrs. Eden

When last you saw them, they were almost alone in Eden - with only a snake and a few birds to keep them company . . . .

Progress at End of November

Ibex and Hare

Ibex, Raccoon and Chicken

Sheep, Lion and Hippo

I have decided that not only am I changing the colors, I'm changing the color of what each animal is.  What I mean is originally on the chart the elephant and hippo are both the same gray. But really, don't you expect a water horse to be a blue gray and an elephant to be a different color of gray?  Hope you enjoyed.

Secret Message Doll

Here's the finished Malinda doll.  She's got on her Civil War era dress - complete with buttons! - and her apron.

So that they would be able to get the secret message in and out of the back of her head, I decided not to make the bonnet that came with her dress.

I'm still not terribly happy with her hair.  Out of desperation I glued three or four strands along the brown hairline.  I can see that more will have to be done, but she had to make an appearance at the historical society.

Her message reads: "Gen'l Jackson - Union troops marching on Martinsburg RR - Tonite! - La Belle Rebel"  I wrote it on a piece of fabric.   I thought that would be more authentic (and secretive) than a piece of paper.  If they were to inspect the doll, I thought, paper would crinkle.  Fabric is soft and quiet, and feels just like part of the stuffing in the head.  Well, that's what I would do if I was smuggling REAL secret messages in MY doll's head.  Hope you enjoy!

This is Malinda.  She is a doll made from a pre-printed panel.  This year the theme at the historical society is dolls, dollhouses and model trains.

Someone said that Belle Boyd may have sent secret messages in the head of her maid's doll during the Civil War.  So when the committee was gearing up they asked if I could make a similar doll.  It was one of those times when I said "yes" and had no idea how I was going to fulfill the request.

Then the Keepsake Quilting catalog arrived in my mailbox.  I was going through it, turned the page and there was this pre-printed panel called the "Melinda Dalton Doll".  There was one panel for the doll and her undergarments and one panel for her dress.  Then came the Nancy's Notion's catalog.  They were selling the exact same panels, but had a "wardrobe" of clothing for her that included her Sunday Best Dress.  WOW!  I have dealt with Nancy's Notions for years so right away ordered the three panel set from their website.  And waited for it to arrive.  And waited.  And waited.  Finally, ten days after placing my order I called and asked - What Up?  I was told that the items were on back order.  Back Order?  I asked why that hadn't been mentioned in the email they sent me confirming my order?  I was snappily told that I would have appeared on the bottom of the screen when I placed my order.  So I repeated my question about why it hadn't been mentioned in my order confirmation email.  I was told they don't do it that way.  And then she told me that the order was set to be filled the first week in December.

Now, usually I'm not a problem person when it comes to back orders.  When it comes, it comes.  But this time, I had a deadline.  The house (museum) opens for the Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving.  That means I have to have dolly done before then.  So I said to the woman that I was sorry, but that really wasn't going to work for me.  You're canceling the order?  she says to me.  I'm afraid so, I said.  Fine.  Thank you.  Bye.  Click.  Someone was apparently not having a good day - and that really surprised me too, because I've never talked to anyone there who was less than nice.

So, I got online again and went to the Keepsake Quilting site.  And found the doll panels - doll and everyday dress.  And ordered them - for $5 more than I had originally paid Nancy.  But, now it was a problem and I was willing to pay the extra five bucks.  And this time I made sure to read all the page told me when I was placing the order.  It actually said "Item in Stock".  So I clicked checkout and was done.    Oh, forgot to say that I paid for regular shipping because express shipping was just WAY out of sight.

Two days later, package in the mailbox from Keepsake Quilting!  And get this - the panels that came were the doll, the everyday dress and the Sunday dress!  The whole wardrobe!

So, this weekend I sat down (nothing like leaving things to the last minute) to whip up this doll.  She's supposed to have 3-D feet - i.e., the foot has a bottom - but darned if I could get THAT bottom to fit on THAT foot.  I finally gave up and sewed the two sides together!  The hair was also a frustrating business.  The instructions say "when you've wrapped the yarn around the cardboard about 50 times, cut it at one end".  Doesn't say anything about the SIZE of the cardboard.  So, I made two wigs - one wrong and then one right.  Attaching it was another fun time.  The thing I don't like is that you aren't going to be able to find yarn that exactly matches the color of brown that they've printed on the face as the hairline.  So, they might as well not have printed the hairline because I think it looks a little goofy.  I also think that her facial features look too old and made up.

But, at this point, I don't care, I just need to get her done.  Today I'm working on the everyday dress.  Sunday dress will have to wait until some time in the future.  Oh!  I did make her so she has a secret compartment for messages in her head.  I'll try and get a picture of that the next time.  I am going to print a message on a piece of fabric and stick it in there.  Belle Boyd is famous for sending messages to General Jackson - what do you suppose she should be telling him?  Hope you enjoyed.

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Eden

I am determined not to start stitching on BBD's AotH until Christmas.  Having finished the stitching on Spirit of America, I have to keep myself busy.  So, I've begun on Adam Names the Creatures by Prairie Schooler.

Mr. & Mrs. Eden (a.k.a. Adam and Eve)

I am not going to start stitching a whole bunch of AandE's as many wonderful stitchers have done.  I sort of fell into this one, finding the older chart at a shop that I occasionally visit.  I have it more because it's a PS than because it's an A/E.

It is being stitched on Lambswool Jobelan, like the chart model was.  Mine is 14 count.  It just so happened that I had this hunk of fabric and I wasn't planning on using it since I prefer linen.  But, when I decided to stitch the chart, I went ahead with the Jobelan.  That's where I parted with PS choices for stitching though.  The country colors have just gotten too gray for me anymore.  So, as I did with the PS ABC's, so I did with Mr. & Mrs. Eden.  First I converted the original colors to more clear DMC's.  Then I converted the DMC's to Weeks or Crescent (I'm trying to use up supply to make more room for my Gentle Art).

You may have noticed that Adam and Eve aren't the same color.  I decided that they could be different.  After all, she's been hanging out under the tree, conversing with the snake and Adam's been strolling around in the garden, under the Mesopotamian sun.  Eve is also a little hipper - I cinched in her waist a bit more to give her a figure.  And I decided last year that I really like a splash of turquoise, so I've made those birds blue.  That'll be about the only blue there is in the piece.  Oh, and we all know how men are with food of any kind, so Adam, instead of standing there empty handed (and supposedly innocent) as in the chart - he's got an apple core in his hand!  Go FIGure!  Color changes available on request - hope you enjoy!

Progress on Spirit of America

Started stitching on this about two weeks ago; this was actually my progress about a week ago; I'm that behind in taking pictures, downloading them and putting them up.

 

Here she is with my newly acquired scissors.  I got these from Anita's Little Stitches.  I have to say the price was wonderful and the service exemplary.  She has a terrific selection of scissors if you're looking to add to your collection!  Back to stitching - -

This piece was also designed by Brooke Nolan of Brooke's Books (she did the witches I was working on last month).  This time I decided to stitch on fabric instead of paper.  It just so happened I had a hunk of Picture This Plus "Fossil" 28 count linen and I thought it looked very close to the Antique Brown perforated paper that the model was stitched on.  I am very happy with the results and love this piece even more than I did in the chart picture.

Currently I am finishing up adding the beading and final stitches (making up for ones I missed) and have also started Prairie Schooler's "Adam Names the Creatures" (Book 31) using overdyed flosses.  Hopefully more pictures soon.  Hope you enjoyed!