Happy Halloween!

 Ellie wishes everyone a happy Halloween!

I found this outfit new in box at the thrift store a few months ago. I was super excited!

I liked the outfit when it was released, but I thought that it was overpriced. And I got it for $7! So exciting!

(I won't blame you if you hate me for all my thrift store luck, I would be jealous of myself, too.)

Elf on the Shelf

 I found the AG Elf on the Shelf at the thrift store about a year and a  half ago.

It was in the craft aisle for $4! I have carefully been checking the craft aisle ever since.

I was pleased that I got to take some pictures with it this year.

Ellie, my #4, was pleased to serve as a model. 

Maybe some year I will be organized enough to do a series of Elf on the Shelf pictures. This is not that year.

Pattern Review: Simplicity 8818

 I'm trying to get back to sewing, and I wanted to start with a modern doll outfit.

I also wanted to only use fabric in my stash. 

I made a Halloween doll outfit using Simplicity pattern 8818.

This was part of the American Girl branded patterns which has now been discontinued.

I think that the current Simplicity pattern S941 is the same pattern. Link

I liked that it showed modern doll clothes that were appropriate for autumnal weather.

I made the long sleeved T-shirt, the skirt and the quilted vest.

All of these pieces were very easy to make. I only checked the directions once, to see what length to cut the elastic for the skirt waistband. It was 11 inches, the same as I guessed.

The skirt fabric really tied the outfit together. It was left over from a Halloween quilt that I made for a friend.

The quilted vest was a new thing for me to sew, but I quilt and I make doll clothes, and this combined the two.

I am pleased with the quilted vests overall, in how easy it was to make and how they look. I am just not sure that patterned fabric is a good look for  them, or that they go well with the outfit. I wish they were a bit shorter so they didn't block the skirt so much.

I might just be uncomfortable with it because it's not something I have ever worn myself.

I made all this in one day, and finished it as trick-or-treaters started to walk down the street.

I was pleased with this pattern and would make it again. Next time I think I would make the quilted vests a solid color, as that's the way I think they are usually made.

Formal Festive Outfit

 I really liked the Formal Festive Outfit when it arrived, and I meant to buy it directly from AG.

However, I put it off too long, and was sad to see it had been taken off the website.

I was so lucky to find it at the Mattel Toy Store!

I just thought it had a lot of potential, and not just for boy dolls.

Ellie got to wear it first, but she and Mara will be sharing it, and other girls might get a turn too.

The bow tie is a separate piece. I like the plaid they used, it looks very classic.

The suspenders button to the pants in the front. They are sewn on in the back. This limits the mix and match potential of the pants, unless you tucked the suspenders inside. On the other hand, this makes it hard to lose them.

The shoes are okay. I have definitely seen worse shoes from AG, and I have seen better shoes. I am annoyed by shoes that have the soles stick out beyond the side of the shoes, like these do. Maryellen's saddle shoes do this as well. The shoes do have mix and match potential.

This could also be used as a music recital outfit.

I am really happy to have this outfit, and Ellie and Mara are too!

She Plays the Violin

 When I carefully saved up to buy Anne, my American Girl of Today 6, I planned for her character to be partly like me but also aspirational. She could do things that I couldn't do, but that I wanted to do.

One of the big things that Anne can do that I can't is play the violin. I always wanted to play the violin but couldn't due to my hearing loss.

So when AG came out with a violin set for the Girls of Today, I bought it for Anne. I was really proud of it. 

Unfortunately, the violin set didn't age well. I last opened it a few years ago, noticed a few things that were broken, and put it away, kind of heart sick. I had kept it very carefully, it just came apart from age and from glue coming undone.

Then I saw a new violin set at the Mattel Toy Store and decided to buy it to replace the one I bought so many years ago.

I was actually surprised when I compared the two sets. The older one was not as in bad condition as I thought it was.

So this is the older set on the left and the newer set on the right.

Some things are exactly the same. The music stand and the music books are exactly the same.

I think that the older violin and bow are made of wood; the newer ones are made of plastic.

The older one looks a bit more realistic, but the problem is of course that it didn't hold up to aging.

The bridge of the older violin has fallen off. I still have it, but I can't get it back in place.

The chinrest of the older violin was either a separate part or has also fallen off. I still have it. It doesn't seem to fit well on the violin, so I am not sure what happened there.

One of the strings on the bow of the older violin snapped, but it still has enough strings left to look okay when the broken one was cut off.

The cases are also very similar, but have slightly different latches and hinges. They are both lined in blue velvet.

The rosin is very different. The older set now just has an empty envelope, and the one one has a plastic rosin.

So, anyway, despite everything, I was able to pose Anne holding the older violin and Ellie holding the newer violin. These pictures mean a lot to me. I wish I could display them like this, but I have no doubt everything would fall down sooner rather than later.

Ellie and Anne

Anne! She is wearing the Girl of Today recital outfit. I have carefully saved it all these years. 

Like the violin, it is finally coming into its own.

Ellie! Her personality is growing, slowly but surely. She doesn't like dresses, she wants to be a paleontologist, and she plays the violin.

I know the lighting could be better, but these pictures make me so happy.

Doll of Color Month

 September is Doll of Color Month on Instagram.

There is a new topic every day to encourage you to show off your dolls of color.

I am not going to follow every prompt, but I did try to follow some of them.

This led to taking some group pictures, which are very hard to do!

I am not totally happy with these pictures,but they do show the dolls I wanted to show!

All my dolls of color

More Beach Pictures

I took these pictures in August, then got sick and didn't post them.

Samantha at Piney Point.

Ellie is looking for fossils!

Ellie in the Snow

Ellie wanted to play in the snow too!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I hope that you have a frightfully good one!

I didn't get costumes made for all the dolls for Halloween. Nor did I expect to.

But I am proud that SOME of them have costumes made in time!

The American Girl dolls

The Hearts for Hearts Dolls

All the dolls!

Pattern Review: McCall's M9011

I found McCall's M9011 pattern at Wal-Mart, on clearance because of some slight water damage.

It has a lot of different patterns included, including a doctor's coat, a nurse's uniform, a rain coat, and a magician's outfit.

I thought that the magician's jacket would be perfect as a ringmaster's jacket.

I had just exactly the right amount of red faux velvet to make the jacket on hand.

I am going to say, this is not my favorite thing I ever made. I don't really think it turned out.

I made a few errors, but also I just don't think the patterns fits as well as it could.

Also, I am not as experienced in sewing with faux velvet, so that made it harder to sew the curves in the pattern.

Since I don't have a doll sized Big Top, I decided to pose Ellie with Penny as if she is teaching her tricks to perform in the circus.

It does have coattails in the back, as a proper ringmaster's jacket should.

Well, not everything in life can turn out perfectly, so this jacket will keep me humble about my sewing skills.

I am definitely not going to make any of the other patterns that were included with this.

Ellie is happy to be a ringmaster for Halloween, anyway!

Double-Bow Dress

Ellie is modelling the Double-Bow Dress from American Girl.

I bought this dress at MCM this summer. I think it is really cute. 

More swimsuit pictures!

These are just some fun pictures of the dolls in pairings of two or more in the swimsuits that I sewed.

Pattern Review: Liberty Jane Swimsuit

This is a swimsuit pattern from Liberty Jane. You can pick it up for free at Pixie Faire.

Pattern Review: Pants from Jinjia Mixed Goods

Ellie has some new pants to wear!

 These pants were made from a pattern by Windstar.  She is so talented!

You can see her blog, Jinjia Mixed Goods, here, and her etsy shop by the same name here.

These pants are very cool and were easy to make. They have pockets in both the side and the back of the pants.

Back pants pockets

Side pants pockets

I am very happy with these pants. Thanks for the pattern, Windstar!

Ellie

Here are some more pictures of Ellie wearing the Melody Valerie Bluebelle dress.

Santa Dress

The Santa Dress was last year's Purchase with Purchase at American Girl last year.

I bought it at the Madison Children's Museum Benefit.

I waited to review it until the holiday season was here!

Girl Scouts, Growing Strong!

One of my dear friends just sent me this off-brand Girl Scout Juniors uniform.

I am so excited! I already had the official American Girl Juniors uniform. Now I can have a Girl Scout troop of two!

It looks so cute on Ellie!
The tab is held on with velcro over a white fabric tab sewn onto the shirt, so you can remove the tab and use it with another outfit.
The shoes did not come with it, they are Kit's.
I think some of the the insignia on the sash are in the wrong order (on the bottom half), but I haven't read a Girl Scout manual in a few years. Maybe it changed.
The skirt even has pockets!

I think she's prepared. For what? Anything!

My friend bought this off of Amazon, and the packaging said Emily Rose.

I think this is a great outfit, and am so pleased to own it!

Meet Ellie!

Meet Ellie, short for Elena. I really thought about giving her a Chinese or Korean name, but I am pretty sure I wouldn't pronounce it right, and my hearing loss makes it hard for me to learn pronunciations.

I am so happy with her! She came wearing this all-blue outfit (I added the shoes) and I am a sucker for dolls dressed in blue. She has the newer style of bangs. That makes me happy, because Anne has pie bangs, and this differentiates them in addition to their mold.

She has a dot under one eye, and I am calling it a birth mark.

Her hair is a little dry, but I will fix that as soon as I find my braid spray. I like the wave that her hair has. I love her!