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fairy doll with yarn ball buns

To make fairy buns: You need to wind two little balls of yarn for the buns. About 2″ diameter. I start by winding a few loops around my finger one way, then back across the middle the other way until I’ve got a nugget started to work with. Then just wind and wind, evenly around until you have a fat happy round yarn ball. Mine are pretty dense when I’m done. I suggest you keep the tension more tight than loose. When you sew bun to head you don’t want it to unravel.

Cut off the yarn with a nice long tail, 20″ or so. And to “tie off” the ball I loop around the base of the last few rotations of yarn a few times with my needle and pull tight. Then to anchor the opposite side of the ball/bun I push the needle through center and out other side. Then I catch a few strands on other side and come back through. What you’re trying to do is just anchor what you can to prevent unraveling. You can do this as much as you think necessary.

Tack to head with stitches until it feels secure. I start at the base and then move out in a wider circle pressing the bun down flatter against the head. That way a wider surface is attached to the head – more secure.

Looks like this when I’m done. Tonight I’ll sew the other bun on and the arms and we’ll get moving on finishing her up!

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picking fabric

I picked out some fairy body. I'll stuff her and start hair tutorial soon.

This hand piecing project has been just laying low for the past decade, making an appearance every few years. I pulled it out last week for something to do while watching tv and it occurred to me I have so many new prints now that I could add to it. Excited to do that this afternoon.

Another WIP, picking prints for a back to school top for Phoebe.

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fairy buns

Hey thanks for all the nice comments guys! made my day. This fairy was sort of a flop so I'm glad she was able to get some love. Here's her back, the wings are just sewn right onto her dress. And her antennaes yes are made of pom pom trim.. they're cute but don't really hold their shape. The pattern I used for her is the same I've been using for everyone lately, same as the Land of Nod dolls, my Elsa/Elise pattern. I was thinking that I might reimagine and reissue that pattern, with hair instructions and an outfit or two. 

I would like to have a giveaway for this Fairy girl but I feel like she's not quite finished enough. How about I make another one — and I can post in progress photos for those of you who want to try one on your own — and then I'll give her away. Gives me a chance to find something more sturdy for her antennae and to work on some really cute shoes. 

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I’m hooked!

Fallen down the rabbit hole indeed! I love when a whole new craft world opens up to me… all new sites, new blogs, new awesome crafty products to search out. I am hooked on my Project Life journal in the worst (best!) way. It’s been like a hundred light bulbs going off for me. I was playing around making thank you cards with a small pile of scrapbooking supplies that I couldn’t resist getting for myself while shopping for a friend. At the same time I started working on putting together our 2012 photobook and was distracting myself reading blogs and this by Amy about how you can’t beat the coolness of having physical things in your home to interact with was repeating in my head. I’ve always wanted to keep journals but have never seen it through. This blog was my most successful attempt at a journal but then when people started actually reading it I got all weird about what I could put out there. I’ve mostly kept it as a crafting/inspiration place but then all the main stuff of our family’s life is just an endless stream of iphone photos. I love getting things off the computer and into an album and writing about them and sticking stickers on them. That’s what’s been missing in my life. Sticking stickers! It makes me so happy. As I’m getting more into this I’m realizing that so many things I love and collect — cool paper, cards, paper scraps from here and there, labels off my beer bottles, stamps I’ve carved, korean stickers I’ve ordered from etsy — have never had a real home. But they do now!

So right now I’m watching videos and spending way too much money on things I think I need. Enamel dots? I think so! A new fancy paper cutter? maybe that can wait. That cool sliding tape/glue dispenser? Oscar and I vote Yes! And I’m discovering so many blogs. It’s awesome. I’m also trying to discover what my style is going to be for my new journal. I love the minimalist look. Just photos and very cool/simple design elements. It’s beautiful. But really what I’m most attracted to is the more-is-more, throw-lots-of-stuff-at-it, more scrapbook type of thing. I want to encorporate lots of memorabilia and have a reason to buy cork stickers and wood grain sequins. I want to put washi tape on everything! Washi tape, another thing I’ve been hoarding that I really have had no use for up til now. So exciting! This reminds me of when I first became addicted to knitting. Ah, the joy of a new craft!

I’ve started pinning to here.

And I’ve spent a lot of time at Two Peas in a Bucket and A Cherry on Top. Going to watch more videos now.

 

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now we are six

My mom found this for Phoebe for her birthday. It’s so sweet. I can’t believe Phoebe is six! That sort of happened in a blur. Having a birthday right at the end of school is a little tricky. Phoebe is not much of a toy kid, and also not that into a fuss, so we planned for that but turns out six wants some fuss. We hobbled it together ok. The big hit was the “American Girl” doll (Our Generation doll from Target) that she now claims to love as the “sister she’ll never have”. That is, when she doesn’t forget her in the trunk of the car. We picked a doll that sort of looks like Phoebe and I have to say, she’s pretty cute. I’ve never been a big fan of the AG dolls aesthetically but I’m coming around. I might even sew Diamond (yep, that’s what she named her) some new Summer dresses.