lately...

Napping with this fatso.

Family nap time, yes please!

Such a sleepy bug.

A doll all finished and ready to be sent out!

Lots and lots of Christmas orders going out, yet I'm still not done!

Ohhhhh look what arrived! My black friday fabric purchases came!

I love it when our car window gets smashed!

This is not what I'm supposed to be eating.

This is my "I survived Union Square in the middle of December" celebratory nap.

This is also not what I'm supposed to be eating, but it is a breakthrough on that banana cream custard I swore to keep working on and make more presentable. I put it in a cheesecake! 

We went to an Adventure Time party. So I made this "Banana Guard Cheesecake" for us to nom on while we watched.

Much success!

My BFF from high school, Beth, is having twins any day now. Since I'm a little behind on making their baby quilts, I made these minky lined hippo blankets for in the meantime. 

Another doll finished and ready to be shipped out!

A surprise for the boys for Christmas. I can't wait for them to get it!!!

a doll of my very own

Awhile ago, Lindsay loo asked me "why you not make doll for you yet?" So I did.

Meet Penelope.

I've been working on learning how to make more detailed doll clothes, and was frustrated with not having "anybody" to try them on. So making a doll for me to have hanging around makes sense, right? I mean, I get to keep a really cute doll and make lots of cute clothes for her and OMG I am totally living out some childhood dream. Good thing my husband dosen't mind.

Looking at these photos of her- she totally looks like my grandma. Whoa.

I guess I should re-name her then.

Hello, Betty!

Aaaaaannnnnd her bun. Yes, that is the very popular top knot ballerina bun that is so very popular right now and is the hairstyle that I wear most days. I just HAD to figure out how to do it on a doll. It took me 2 days to figure out, and I practiced on a smaller doll first, before doing it on her with very expensive but oh so worth it hand-dyed yarn from a local yarn shop. Each strand of yarn is individually hand stitched on her head. It sounds so tedious, but it's actually kinda fun, and totally worth every minute.

She's a little top heavy, and that bun is as big as it looks. Damn cute, right?

I'm totally into peach right now, so I gave her a peachy striped peasant top and a grey paper bag skirt, and of course matchy peach shoes.

Fairly simple pesant top.

I tried to make a similar grey paper bag skirt for myself, like same fabric and everything, and failed. Failed so bad. BUT. I do have to say that it was totally the patterns fault- it was written wrong. It said to add 2 inches to your waist measurement, when it clearly needed DOUBLE your waist plus the 2 inches. But the large buttonholes for the tie are damn perfect, even though I can't get it over my hips. It might fit a broom. 

Right before I went back home, I successfully made a paper bag skirt for myself. (from a different pattern) And it's gorgeous. It's a not so deep navy blue non corded corduroy, the drape is so fantastic and wonderfully unplanned- it was on sale so I bought it and I wanted a navy skirt so I used it and I couldn't have picked a better fabric. I'll have to take some photos.

do what you love

A little peek at the holiday boutique that was on wednesday...

Here is my table...

with old favorites,

new friends,

ornaments,

and a team of dolls all ready to brighten up a little girls christmas morning!

See this? All neatly set out on a table, displayed for the whole world to see?

That is my heart.

Sewing, cutting, snipping, stuffing. I'm in love with my work.

Some of my favorite comments from the night:

(and one of the top 5 reasons we live in San Francisco)*

"Oh what cute dolls!"

"I can make a custom one for you if you want."

"Wait. YOU made (wild hand gesture) ALL of this? Yourself?"

"Yes."

"And you are local? You live here?"

"Yes."

"So you actually live in the city?"

"Yes."

"WOW!"

That one happened a few times. Made me smile. And giggle.

(one lady to her friend)

"THIS (wild hand gesture) is ART."

Dear lady who said that,

You made my heart swell. 

Thank you.

I went back in time, to my old high school art class, when I was contemplating whether or not to go to art school. I had this vision- of the rest of my life, filled with sculpture, painting, drawing, photography, the love I feel when I am creating something. I wanted more than anything to have that as my future, forever.

I sucked at painting. I wasn't patient enough for sculpture. I was worse at drawing than I was at painting. Photography, I was good at. But art school was not in the cards. 

And back to reality. To today.

I am (almost) 32, and I have found my medium. Sewing, fabric. I do what I love, every single day.

So thank you- for supporting me, encouraging me, keeping me on my toes. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some work to do.

*because in Utah, everyone can sew, so people just look at my stuff and say "I can make that." And then I don't sell anything. But here, nobody sews. So I get my chance to shine.

dolls!

I've been busy- making new dolls for the Christmas Boutique coming up.

Introducing:

Gracie.

With green eyes and ruffly pink bow...

I needed a fiery red-head for my collection!

With some sweet little mary janes.

The fabric for her dress is from the "Blush" line by Moda. It's a little something I've been hoarding for awhile now...

Antonia.

I love her golden yellow hair- when I saw it at the craft store I knew I needed to make some blonde braids with it.

She loves cupcakes as much as I do!

She loves to dance in her fancy red flats.

The fabric is from Hoodie, the line is called L'Amour De La Vie, and when I saw these little houses all in a row- I needed it for sweet little doll dresses. 

Opal.

Little details make me so happy!

This particular pattern has moveable arms, and usually the way you attach them isn't very sturdy- so I found some doll joints on etsy, so hopefully their arms will stay on forever!

I wish I had some olive green flats!

I have been saving this fabulous Japanese cotton-linen blend owl fabric for a special project, and I thought that a little doll dress was the perfect occasion.

She is based on the "Kit, Chloe and Louise" pattern by the lovely Hillary Lang. I will be placing them in my shop, so if you can't make it to the holiday event, you'll have a chance to buy them as well!