Fun Fridays: New Oliver + S Patterns!

Yay, for Fridays!

I always want to bust out of the house and just go do SOMETHING on Fridays. 

Today I took the kids with me to run a few short errands.  The weather is just BEAUTIFUL!  Nearly 70 degrees!  After all the cold, yucky rain we've had over the last few days, it was welcome.  

So, after our errands were complete, we stopped at a park and the kids just ran and ran and climbed and played.  :)

And look what came in the mail for me!

I have been wanting the book Little Things to Sew and several Oliver + S patterns for a time now.  The patterns you see are Sleepover Pajamas, Ice Cream Dress, and School Photo Dress.

So happy they came!

I have a little problem with the book, though.  It is supposed to come with a dust jacket with paper doll clothes on it that you can use with the paper dolls in the book.  Mine is missing the dust jacket.  Boooo!

Ava likes paper dolls and was wanting to play with them.  

I've sent an inquiry in to the company I bought it from, Fabric Depot, and am waiting to hear what will come of it.  But, I hesitate opening up the pattern sheets inside until I know whether or not they will want me to send it back.  Blast!

So, I wait!  In the meantime, I've already began cutting out fabric for the patterns, along with some other O + S patterns I've had.  Here's what I'm cutting:

1 Jump Rope dress, size 12

2 Field Trip Raglan tshirts, sizes 8 & 10

2 Field Trip Cargo pants, sizes 8 & 10

1 Scool Photo dress, size 12

3 pair of Sleepover Pajama bottoms, sizes 8, 10, & 12

1 Ice Cream dress in a Valentine color block, size 12

That ought to keep me busy for awhile!  At least, until the Lisette patterns go on sale this weekend!

I linked to the Lisette site, but the sale I'm talking about is at Joann Fabrics.  They will have all their Simplicity patterns 5 for $5!  I plan to snatch up every one of the Lisette and Little Lisette patterns, probably in both size options.  I can't wait to sew some new things for myself!

First up on my list for me:  The Portfolio Dress

You can see dresses that have been made up by others at the Sew Lisette Flickr pool.

What are you doing for fun today?

Fun Fridays: American Girl thrift store makeover

I REALLY wish I had a before picture of this doll!  Her hair was a mess!  I found her at a thrift store (last year, actually) for $2.92!!!!  I REPEAT, $2.92!!!!!  Score!!!

She is a pre-Mattel Kirsten.  That means (for all you "normal" people who don't understand AG lingo) that she was made when American Girl was still owned by Pleasant Company and not Mattel.

Anway, that's not really significant unless you care about such things.  What IS important is that we gave her a little makeover for a friend of Ava's.

We washed that ratty hair and even her cloth body, although it was not real dirty.  Her limbs needed a good scrubbing with baking soda and a rag.

After she was dry, I snipped off about an inch of hair just so I could get a comb through it.  Then, tediously, I sectioned small pieces of hair and used a large curling iron to straighten and smooth it.  It took a little while and I had to trim more to make it even, but the results were amazing!

We added some color back to her lips and cheeks just using a peachy pink water soluble marker.  Color some onto the cheek area and immediately use your finger to rub it in.  Very nice!

We made her a Popover Dress free from Oliver + S.  So fast and easy!  I added the rick rack and pocket just to add a little something extra.  The crocs were bought from a sewing booth at the homeschool fair we attend every year.  They can be found at her online store The Sewing Basket.

A lovely doll for $3 buckaroos!  *Like*

Fun Fridays: Clothing refashion for American Girl dolls...........

So, last week I got a sewing bug and just had this great need to start and finish something quickly.  I don't usually need instant gratification, so when it comes, I tend to give in.

I hope to do a tutorial soon, but for now I have an after picture of what I made. 

Addy is modeling a sweater refashioned from an outgrown sweater of Ava's.  I used the bottom of one sleeve and part of the waistband for the doll's neckline.  Ava added some brown twill tape through some of the holes in the sweater as an accent.  Super easy!

The skirt is just the bottom ruffled tier of a skirt of Ava's.  Just one seam to make a circle, and an elastic casing for a waistband. 

The leggings are cut from one pant leg of an old pair of leggings Ava outgrew.  Again, super fast and easy!  I got the idea from this tutorial on making tights for your dolls.

The headband is just twill tape we already had in the perfect shade of purple to match the outfit!

The shoes are AG from some outfit and matched perfectly.  The ice skates are just because Ava said Addy was planning to go skating later.  :)

An entire new outfit for FREE that would cost a disgusting $32 from AG.  *Like*

Fun Fridays: Paper dolls for American Girl dolls...............

Happy Black Friday!  I love Thanksgiving and enjoyed yesterday with our family!  All the food, mmmmmmmmm..............., and just hanging out and watching the kids play.  Love it.

One time, about 8 years ago, I ventured out in the wee hours of the morning on Black Friday.  I was after a My First Leapad for our oldest, who was almost 2.  I think Walmart had it for $20?  I really can't remember that well.  I was tired.  It was COLD.  And the store was CROW.DED!  Never again.  I think I saved $10.  Totally not worth it.  Ever since, I sleep in and spend the day doing fun stuff at home.  Sometimes sewing, sometimes crafting, maybe a movie, putting up Christmas decorations.

Today I showered early (Yay!) and thought of something fun to do for my now 10 year old girly girl.  A few weeks ago I found these Thanksgiving printables at Daydream Doll Boutique and thought those were really fun.  Then, I remembered I had these adorable paper dolls I bought from Sarah Jane Studios last year!  How fun to make paper dolls for the dolls!

I already had these on my computer, but Sarah Jane has some freebies on her site you can use RIGHT NOW!  Also, take a look at her store because she has a lot of really great stuff on there!  Including more paper dolls you can purchase and a Nutcracker Theater, a Peter and the Wolf Theater, and a Nativity Theater.  SO CUTE!

Anyway, after you download some paper dolls, stick some card stock in your printer.  When you get ready to print, set your page scaling to either 50% or "Multiple pages per sheet".  I did the latter.  If it only prints on one half of the page (which is what you are aiming for), you can turn it around and print another page on the other half.  This is what I did because my paper doll files were one page per file.

Hand them to your daughter and tell her to have fun!

Since they are small, I recommended to her not to cut out between the legs and to leave white space around things with tiny detail.  I also used an exacto knife to cut out face holes in hoods and jackets for her.  You can also use tiny pieces of double sided tape or folded tape to stick the paper dolls to your dollie's hands.

The dolls are having a great time!

Ava really wants to make a small Nativity Theater for her dolls, so I'll try to post when we get to that.  We are actually going on a small road trip tomorrow to a Homestead Fair, so this might make a good activity for her to work on in the van.

Whatever you are doing this Black Friday, I hope you are having fun!