...it's pretty hard for me to believe that Little Sissie is about to have her 5th birthday...so it's time for her Madame Alexander doll...like big sissie...there will be a doll outfit and a big girl outfit that match...because what could be more fun than dressing alike...

...I've had the doll for over a year now...but I got her out of the attic and gave her a good scrub... ...and washed and styled her hair...in what I deemed to be a 'ballerina style'... ...she came with this little purple leotard and tutu...and I thought it would be perfect to have a big girl purple leotard and tutu...and the thrift store must have gotten a whole dance troupe's worth of purple tutus as they had a bout twenty of these darker purple ones...and it's so gathered that I plan to just open the seam and take out about 6 inches or so and refashion dollie's tutu to match this one exactly... ...and since they will both need a little wrap sweater to wear over their leotards to class...I cast on for the Girl's Ballet Kimono...I'm doing both front pieces at the same time as they're mirror images...one slanting left and one slanting right... ...but I pretty quickly determined that on the right front piece (which will cross in front)...that I did not like the way the decrease stitches were laying... ...now I've done lots of left and right leaning decreases on lots of sweaters and never really notiiced it before but there's a funny long laying stitch that gets sort of pulled up on the right leaning slant...and also the moss stitch border seems too pulled in... ...so I frogged that side and started again...trying to make sure that I pulled that bottom stitch of the decrease tightly and I transfered the border stitches to a slightly larger needle...but I still wasn't happy with it...

...so I frogged again...and did a little bit of research... and it's a common problem on long slanted decreases and of course there's a fix for it...it's a little bit fiddly...but I found a video that explains it really well here... ...and started again...and now it's pretty perfect... ...a much more pronounced and even edge between the stockinette stitch and the moss stitch border...

...what's in your workbasket this week?...

~Have a lovely day!

...I think I've finished all of Dolly #2's clothes now... ...I made her a white t-shirt...just like the one for Big Sissie's doll... and I wanted to embroider a heart on it as well...so I did that before I stitched it up... ...it turned out super cute... ...I just made a quick pattern in excel by filling in the squares with the different colours... ...so now she has all of the same clothes that Big Sissie's doll has... ...here she is modeling her new outfit...

...what's in your workbasket this week?...

~Have a lovely day!

...Dollie #2's blue jeans are almost finished... ...they are so cute...with sweet little details...belt loops... ...and pockets...and I'm not making the skinny jeans...but combining the top of the jeans pattern with the wide leg trouser pattern...

...and then an old friend asked me to teach her how to knit...her Mom is going into a care facility and she knits...and my friend wanted to be able to sit with her and knit as that is about the only activity she is still capable of...so...so sweet... ...so I stitched up a quick little bag...with a pocket on the front...this is the last of the pre-cut quilt squares that I'd used to make Our Airman's Wife's birthday pillow insert...so I was happy to use those up from stash... ...and then I gathered up some starter yarn and a pair of needles... ...cinched it up and gave it to her...we met for lunch and a lesson...it was fun...and she's doing great...just normal issues with tension and dropped stitches...

...what's in your workbasket this week?...

~Have a lovely day!

...another cute little t-shirt for the dollie... ...just a small random bit of rainbow yarn from stash...it turned out cute... ...and it goes well with her khakis and it'll go well paired with her blue jeans when I get those done also...

...what's in your workbasket this week?...

~Have a lovely day!

...the last time y'all saw this Dollie (#2) was last year in March...and I said that I was putting her aside until this year...but it's time to get her ready to ship to Alaska for Little Sissie's birthday... ...so I made her a pair of trousers...Big Sissie's dollie's were grey...but I made these in a nice khaki... ...and I combined the trousers with the jeans pattern so that I didn't have to do the short rows for the raised back...patterns here...and here... ...then I took the tiny little bits leftover from Mom's Karen hat and from Sissie's ear warmers as I thought the colours went well together... ...and I used them to make the striped sweater...pattern here... ...not sure why it's sideways... ...so I took another and it's sideways too...oh well... ...it fits her well... ...so then I made the taupe/mauve flared skirt to go with it...pattern here... ...and it looks super cute on her too...

...the goal is to have exactly the same garments for this dollie as the first one...

...what's in your workbasket this week?...

~Have a lovely day!

...I finished Dollie #2's dress...but I think I'm going to leave her in her project bag...and just work on it over the next year...Big Sissie got her doll when she turned 4...so Little Sissie ought to get hers when she turns 4 as well...not this year when she turns 3...same/same...

...I'll still make sure she has exactly the same (but different) wardrobe items...but just move the deadline out a year...

...what's in your workbasket this week?...

~Have a lovely day!

...I'm making this dolly's dress now...in a heather-y pink...it's the Balloon Hem Dress...that's the Ravelry link...but it doesn't have a photo or a link to the pattern...so here's the link to her blog and the cast on for the dress...you'll have to go forward and back from there to get the whole pattern... ...and I made her a little pair of shoes...in brown this time...Keito's shoes...and here's the link to the post on her blog...

...what's in your workbasket this week?

~Have a lovely day!

...now that Simply Red is finished...it's time to finish up this little dolly's wardrobe...I need to make a 'different' version of each of the items I made for Big Sissie's dolly last year...

...I found the project bag...I've got a good 6 weeks or so to get it all done before the birthday...including shipping time... ...so here's her little maillot...front... ...and back...using the pattern that I sketched up for the first dolly's swimsuit...which I didn't really properly document because of 'issues'...haha...but you can see most of it in that post... ...here she is modeling it... ...and again...I'm super pleased with how it turned out...

...what's in your workbasket this week?...

~Have a lovely day!

...I know I just posted about dolly's clothes on Wednesday...but I really need to get this in the mail tomorrow... ...and I wanted to make one more little t-shirt for her...this time I made the same two rectangle t-shirt as before...but I added a little 2x2 ribbed border and neckline...and I embroidered a cute little pink heart on it...I really love it... ...it looks so cute with her jeans... ...so...here she is with all of her clothes... ...and I had this little zippered bag in my sewing stash from something that I don't remember...but it will be perfect for keeping all of her outfits... ...found a suitable box...and wrapped her all up... ...and now I can head to the post office tomorrow morning...

~Have a lovely day!

...I finished her blue jeans...with the wide legs...and they look good with the t-shirt...but I think I want to make another t-shirt just for some variety...and it was pretty quick and easy... ...and I finished the December Dress too... ...I made it in black with no sleeves or collar... ...I think it turned out super cute... ...and it will be easier for little fingers without the sleeves and tied collar too...

...what's in your workbasket this week?

~Have a lovely day!