black and white kitty

Posted on March 12, 2012 by mimik

I love this fabric. It makes me happy to finally use it!

A little flower hat/fascinator-

I seem to be in an orange and aqua mood!

Grey Kitty

Posted on March 11, 2012 by mimik

Spring is here and many, many crocus are in bloom!

My son is going to Brighton, England for 3 months, starting April 1. He is looking for a place to live. If anyone has any leads, We would both appreciate it! (email me at mimik@pobox.com)

a new pincushion for ME!

Posted on March 10, 2012 by mimik

I made myself a new pincushion. I have to admit that I felt silly making it nice, just for me- to make a house, instead of just a blob or something on top. Reminder to self- do it nicely and right, for myself. Okay then.

The base is something I got from my parents’ house. I believe it is the bottom part of a hair receiver. There was clearly suppose to be a top lid of some sort and it was missing. I’ve had this in my studio for a number of years, knowing I would eventually get around to making it into a pincushion. Doesn’t it look like a little farm house with veggies growing in the garden?!

I like to put my needles in the top element and yes, I sort my pins by color. I am obsessive that way. I’m very opinionated about my pins too- I like colorful, thin, long (1 3/8″) glass-headed pins. Like these but in colors. Here is the new pincushion with the old one. That link goes to the original post when I made that one- in August 2004! It has gotten worn out and a bit floppy on it’s base.

Here is another photo with my hand for scale. It is pretty big and I realized the other photos didn’t convey that.

Orange Kitty

Posted on March 9, 2012 by mimik

The perfect skirt fabric for a bright orange kitty!

I made her a little flower pin for her head.

studio pics

Posted on March 8, 2012 by mimik

The room is looking pretty good and the sun has come out so here are some photos!

The desk. See the little felt girls? Yes, I am working on them. I brought it up here. I am not pressuring myself by having a deadline- just playing with the patterns and seeing where it goes. The idea is that I’m working on the girls in the evenings and doing my other stuff during the day. I’m not really very good at holding myself to that sort of structure but it’s the vague idea.

When I was cleaning last week, I moved things around and made an attempt to dust everything. It is fun to look and touch everything again. The little treasures become invisible if they stay in the same place too long. Here are all my various doll house people. They live in my own childhood dollhouse although these were not the people that lived in the house when I was a kid.

I picked everything up and dusted-

People always comment on my drawers when I post photos. Really, they aren’t full of anything too amazing as you can see-

I spent a little time on my threads and ribbons. Always fun to play- color, texture and storage boxes. Swoon!

My other table- covered in books and magazines that I am slowly paging through and many unfinished projects.

This bureau top was the most obvious change. It was an abandoned mess after the reshuffle in January. I brought another dollhouse down from the attic. I made this one (with my brother-in-law), back when Eleanor was tot. It is very well decorated, inside and out, by 3 children’s drawing and “writing”. I’m using it for my sketchbooks, other small books and other random little things. Do you see the trunk?

And the big picture. Wow- You can see some floor!

Hopefully soon I will even have some finished dolls to post.

studio tidbits

Posted on March 2, 2012 by mimik

Back at the beginning of the year, I got myself some new storage units for my cotton fabrics. Getting them in place involved moving a lot of stuff around. As is my way, I got the job about 80% finished and then got back to work. Within a day or 2, all the piles that I had to step over to get to my desk became invisible. I’ve spent some time this week cleaning the studio and working to get some of that mess sorted out. I thought I’d show you a few favorite things.

My Sister-in-law gave me this doll trunk. It had been her Mom’s. It sits on a bureau in my studio and is mostly used as a prop for some of my dolls. But, it really is a treasure chest.

Ignore those doll clothes hanging in the window- they are part of something else all together. In the trunk there are clothes that were probably suitable for a child of the 1920’s and earlier.

Sorry about the photos- it has been a grey week with a bit of snow. But look- doll gloves! And hats and jewelery!

And lots of dresses.

Unfortunately, most everything is damaged- probably because children actually played with them. There is a lot of silk in the clothes and silk is prone to rot.

I love all the drop-waist dresses. They look like they were all made from the same basic pattern with changes in the necklines. They also look like a child made them- definitely homemade. There are also 4 petticoats but I am not sure how they work with a drop-waist dress.

And a girl/doll needs a coat (or 3), right?

Next little peak- As you know, I have a lot of my Mom’s old fabric and clothes. I’ve cut up lots of it, but some things seem precious and I can’t bear to re-purpose them. This top has been my chair shirt for several years. When I was going through the family photos last summer, I found a picture of my Mom wearing it- I love when that happens! I would guess that this is from the late 60’s.

My studio is looking pretty great right now. If the sun comes out in the next few days, I will try to get some decent photos to show you.

I rewarded myself with a trip to Gather Here (do you live near Boston? If you haven’t been here- go!) and some super fabric- including some of Lizzy House‘s Hello Pilgrim.

Also some super soft corduroy, some Cloud 9 dots and some Lotta Jansdotter. Here it is, all washed, ironed and ready to use.

And last, a snow photo. This has pretty much been it for our winter!

Have a great weekend! My daughter and a friend are going to be here for the weekend- Hurray!

last girl for now

Posted on February 29, 2012 by mimik

I’m so proud of myself for finishing up this last sweet girl before the end of February. Of course I did have one extra day- thank you Leap Year! No more girls waiting to be finished. Um, except for the tattooed girls which I will get to soon, I am promising them.

I pulled out all the silk ribbon and also some cotton lace.

A big silk bow on the back of the dress and one on her head too.

I pulled out all my fancy buttons to pick just the right one for her throat. It took me an hour. And that was after I’d sewed onÂ a silk bow and then nixed it.

The dress fabric is part of the original stash of wools I got from my Mom’s attic.

She has silk ribbon laces- very fancy!

2 winter fish

Posted on February 26, 2012 by mimik

we haven’t really had much winter this year but February is most certainly winter, even though I saw my first crocus out front last week.

I love complementary color combinations!

Lying in the sun- making use of a neighbor’s construction project for a background.

dark girl

Posted on February 23, 2012 by mimik

First an apology to anyone who subscribes to the blog by email. I wrote this post last night and when I went to publish it, it disappeared. I have no idea why. That should not happen and there is no explanation. The title went out to the feeds and the email though. Now I will try again.

I love these goth girls. I think that I would have been a goth girl if there was such a thing in 1970.

I had an easier time with this coat- maybe I am getting better?

I’m very happy with the bodice- cashmere, wool felt and floss. I cut the bodice from the sweater ribbing and sewed it onto the skirt which is made from the main body of the sweater.