Stitching.....

 

Updates... 

You May Recall, Dear Readers, that I had ambitiously started not one, but Two new petit-point carpet kits way back in the Fall. The first, another of Janet Granger's kits, a William Morris inspired carpet, is the one you see above. I had zoomed ahead on the embroidery for the central medallion because it was so easy and quick to stitch. This kit is on 18 count cloth with wool yarns. The finished carpet will be 9 inches square, which is a bit unusual for carpets. 

 

And here you can see I quickly expanded past the central medallion... 

and then I ran into a problem!

 my frame is not large enough to hold the entire width of the carpet! 

I will have to keep rolling up the side that needs to be embroidered.... or find a larger frame. I had bough a "package" of several sizes but the bars don't grip well in the cross pieces... it is obviously not well made! 

 The other carpet I had started, Dear Readers, 

was the much more complicated Chinese patterned carpet kit by Phyllis Stafford.

 It is 40 count silk gauze with cotton floss.

(I don't know why blogger is insisting on double spacing..... it is driving me crazy!)

I had decided to design a better central medallion for this one. 

I wanted dragons chasing each other around the central sun...

So I sketched a dragon and then charted it onto graph paper, 

being sure the stitches counted to forty per inch. 

The new central medallion will be about two inches across in an 8x10 inch carpet.

 

I also expanded the rays of the original circle to make them look like flames.

I worked the outline first in the navy blue...

Then started the lighter aqua blue to define scales....

and added gold for the body...

And more of the outlining....

Sorry for the dark pictures.... 

 it is that time of year 

and the weather has been glooooomy!

I am sort of designing it as I go...!

And I have to admit, 

I had to put these carpets on "hold"

 so I could work on The Christmas Card....

Which is coming along, but is a bit behind schedule!

So that is all I have done for the stitching, Dear Readers,

but I have high hopes for both these projects

 in the coming New Year!

(And I don't know why blogger 

reformed the minute I complained!?!)

 

I Hope you All have a Happy, 

Productive and Prosperous New Year!

Oh, Yes.....

 

 The Nativity....

It is That Time of year, Dear Readers, when we are all so busy running around with last minute everything, that we almost forget to set up the Nativity! But Pollyanna remembered at last and has just set out all the Traditional figurines in the usual spot, the sideboard in The Lovely Old Dollhouse living room. She thinks she has got it right this time and is admiring the arrangement.

Arthur has come to see how the arrangement is progressing.

"What do you think?" asks Pollyanna.

"It looks great, Hon" says Arthur, 

"but I don't see the camel!" he added.

(The camel is always a subject of confusion!)

 

 

"I put him over there," said Pollyanna, "behind the Kings."

"Ah!" said Arthur. "Good choice!"

 

"As long as he's with the Kings, I'm happy!" exclaimed Charles.

"The Kings don't actually arrive until later anyway," said Helen...

 "I don't know why they should be included so soon..."

 she added thoughtfully.

"Well, I can't think where else we could put them," said Pollyanna.... 

"and then we might forget to add them later..." she added.

"I think it looks just right" Dear, said Charles.

 "And this way nobody has to remember about later!" he declared.

"Then it's settled!" said Pollyanna.

"Heaven knows, we can't have Christmas

 without the Creche!" she added.

And in case you were wondering, Dear Readers,

 Gabrielle and Will have set up the small Nativity

 over at The Folly too!

They are happily sharing a snack by the Fire

 on this cold First day of Winter!

And because it is impossible to get close enough

 to photograph from inside the room.... 

(my messy workroom!)

We can only get a glimpse of it from outside the window!

But now you will know it is there!

 

And I hope, Dear Readers, that you are all enjoying

 your last minute preparations, whatever they are,

And that you don't forget The Nativity.

Because Heaven knows,

 It would not be Christmas without The Nativity!

 

 

 

Christmas Trees....

 

Same Old, Same Old....

What Can I say, Dear Readers, but admit I revel in the Same Old Christmas Trees every year! Yes, The Silver Tinsel Tree has been lit in The Cloud Palace. This was accomplished in spite of my illness, (thank you for all your kind wishes, I am slowly feeling better...) because the tree is small and I knew where it was and wanted it by my elbow as the long cold nights drew in. The Fairy Bears all gathered around to admire it's shiny presence.... even though not a single new thing was added, they are just as happy to see it as I am. Sometimes it is comforting to know that there are Some Things that do not need to change to be Wonderful! 

 

And over in Sally May's and Chip's living room,

 their own version of a Silver Tinsel Tree shines and glitters,

 and at least for the moment,

 caused Ernie and Blanche to forget to turn on the TV!

(Sally May Wishes there were a few new ornaments on it... 

but she is more involved in her cooking...)

And in the Lovely Old Dollhouse,

 Charles has brought in the Same Old Christmas Tree

 and placed it in the Same Old corner it always goes in.

He really wanted to make sure Helen had

 the comforting presence of the Tree Lights as soon as possible!

She is feeling much better and

 spends her days hardly napping at all!

It, too, has had not a single change made in the decorations... 

in spite of there being quite a few new options available!

"It is Beautiful, darling..." says Helen.

"Well, it always is...." agrees Charles... 

"I just wanted to make sure it was up in time

 for you to enjoy it to the fullest!"

And as I was passing the Castle Great Hall, Dear Readers, 

 I could see the candles through the window...

Yes, The Castle Tree has been lit as well...

Even though there doesn't appear to be anyone there to see it....!

 

 And I almost didn't notice that Pollyanna

 had found a tiny tinsel tree to decorate..!

She looked as though she was dreaming up a new project....

"That's looking promising, Hon" said Arthur.

 "Where will you put it...? he added.

"That's the problem...." said Pollyanna, reluctantly....

"I really don't know which House it should go in....

 maybe I just need to make a 'Christmas House'..." she added dreamily....

"You know, with everything in it about Christmas....?"

"Sounds lovely...." said Arthur agreeably.

Well, Dear Readers, that's all

 I got done in the past few weeks...

But I am getting better and

 there's nothing I like better than

 The Same Old Trees in the Same Old places!

A Sister Visit...

 

More Thanksgiving Leftovers...

I Was able to snag my Sister for a Quick visit just before Thanksgiving, Dear Readers, which I try to do every time she comes North to see her Grandchildren. They live an hour and a half from my home, so it is doable to go get her, bring her to my house for an overnight and take her back the next day. I never know when she will be coming until the last minute... plans change,  so I jump at the opportunity to spend time with her whenever possible! We did a little shopping on the way to my house, buying gifts for the grandchildren. We wrap them together... it makes it so much more fun! On the following morning we have a little time to play with the dollies.... but not until after breakfast. I indulged in a "Bonne Maman's" Advent Calendar this year... a tiny jar of jelly or jam  for each day....! We opened the first one even though it was early... we had "White Nectarine Linden Flower Jelly" on English muffins for breakfast! Oh my! With tea, of course! And then it was time to bring out the little dolls we had started costuming back in the Spring on her last visit...

Here you can see the one I was working on...

These are some of Sandra Morris' little porcelain dolls. 

She has retired and is no longer making them (*sob*!)

but I still have a few that have not been costumed.

Here they both are...  

We had gotten as far as constructing the jackets

 but not the Sleeves. The dreaded sleeves...

They are tiny and have to be hemmed..... 

stitched and turned inside-out.

And then you have to hope that you can get them on.... 

and that they are the right length!

I am sorry to say I didn't take any pictures of the process.

But... Ta-da! 

Here is my dolly with her sleeves on!

For encouragement and Atmosphere,

 we brought Chere Elise in to play for us while we worked.

She was ever so happy to oblige.

And my sister's sleeves are attached!

 

Then we needed to design the lace collars.... 

we are using whatever materials I have in my stash for this project,

as these little dollies were not kits with all the pieces provided!

It took quite a hunt through all my lace boxes

 to find some that had a small enough, 

delicate enough pattern to be usable.

 

 

We settled on one we could just use the edge of...

 cutting off the upper part of the lace. 

Here is "Aria" with her collar added.

And here she is with her hair too!

I managed to scavenge leftover "curls" from previous doll kits...

 we gave them simple all over curls hairstyles.

 

And here is my sister's with collar and curls.... 

she is named "Savannah".

 

 Here they are together!

Aren't they adorable?

Alas, we had run out of time, Dear Readers,

 so we were unable to complete them this visit.

They will wait in the Dollmaker's Studio

 until such a time as we can make their bonnets.

For you can be sure that Every Victorian doll must have a bonnet! 

There was snow in the forecast so I didn't want to be driving late.... 

And rest assured I made it home again before the snow started.

(We did get several very slushy inches....)

So that was my Sister visit, Dear Readers... 

except for the leftovers....

Unfortunately, it was I who really caught covid.

 Probably the Grandchildren had it but just thought it was a "cold".

They are young and no long do the testing.

And I will recover......