New Handmade SweetPea Sisters Dolls Showing Up in My Shop

 

SweetPea Sisters Doll

About a year ago, I posted pictures of a doll I made from a pattern.  The doll was a bit too big for the children I wanted to make it for so I didn’t make anymore of them.

Earlier this year, 2020, I realized I have 3 little girls in my life all under the age of  2 1/2 and wanted to make them something special. I wanted to make a doll. So I remembered the pattern I had and that it was too big for these little ladies and I began to look on Pinterest.  I found several dolls I liked and wrote down why I liked them.  Soon I began sketching out my own doll body parts.  I drew them on fabric, cut them out and sewed them up.  Let me tell you, it didn’t turn out too good in the beginning, but as soon as I began stuffing them, I could see where I needed to make changes, so I did.  The picture above is the finished product.  I will be stocking my Shop this week.  Please go over and take a look. I hope you like what you see.  If you have some ideas of what you would like to see in my shop, send me a message in the space below.

The Doe And The Bear Shop

#indieshop #handmade #Native #NativeShops

First Doll of the SweetPea Sisters

Some of you remember the first doll I made at the end of 2018 well I made another one and it’s even better.  I made this doll for my niece Madison who is 6 years old and loves dolls. I included 3 crocheted shawls and three skirts. Her favorite colors are pink and purple and green.

I used the same pattern as last time The Pepper Doll from crazylittleprojects.com but I changed some things. Instead of using yarn for the hair, or the pattern suggested felt or flannel, I used fleece and made braided buns on each side of her head and hand-stitched it on. I also added lips and embroidered them.  The doll in the pattern has no mouth.  As for the skirt, I wanted it to have more detail so I added a decorative topstitch and created a ruffle above the waistline. Instead of a crocheted cowl, I crocheted 3 shawls with cute little pompoms. I will definitely be making more of these dolls for the little girls popping up in my life.  I wanted to show off my skills so here is the end result.

 

       

pink shawl

    

 

**Update** (June 2020) Earlier this year I opened an online shop to sell the things I make like Native jewelry, beadwork, blankets and even soft toys for all ages.  I re-visited the idea of making dolls because now I have 2 granddaughters under the age of 2 and a niece that is not yet 5 months old.  I really enjoyed making the doll above, but wanted to make something of my own.  I wanted my doll’s head and body to be one piece with shorter arms and legs that move better and are more proportionate to the body.  That being said, I also wanted more details.  I wanted a doll that I could put together quickly but accessories that looked like they took forever to make.

Thanks to inspiration from the Pepper Doll I have made my own doll pattern that is not quite as tall.  They will be in my shop the last week of June 2020.  Right now I have the dolls’ photos above as a place holders labeled “coming soon”. Please stop by and take a look.

The Doe And The Bear is the name of the shop. Just click the link and check it out.  There are other items available as well.

 

National Puppy Day, March 23, 2020

How are you going to celebrate your fur-baby today?  Let me know in the comments below. And check out my website for cute dog bandannas while you’re at it.  I may be adding matching scarves for pet owners in the near future.

Say hello to this little cutie, his name is  Shotta Kinadi and his owner is my cousin Canadee Oxendine she owns a florist in Pembroke NC.  (see her picture below) She will be celebrating him on National Puppy Day.

Canadee Oxendine, Lumbee Indian, entrepreneur and owner of Enchanted Florist and Gifts in Pembroke NC.  you can find her on facebook

How Do You Get Settled Back Into Your Routine After Major Holidays?

Hey everyone, how busy have you been over the holidays?  Are you settling back into life as you know it? I can finally say I am.  I almost stopped writing completely because of all the sewing and fermenting I did leading up to the holidays.  I made several tops for my niece, and several dresses and nightgowns for my granddaughter and was in North Carolina visiting family AND my granddaughter for Christmas and the New Year.

Even though we are out of town, we still read our Bible every morning and have our prayer time.

           

My granddaughter in her new jammies

Nightgown before it was hemmed

For Christmas, I gave out fermented foods to all my siblings (3 families) which included pickles, peppers, hot sauce, 18-hour bone broth and sauerkraut, all in handmade reusable grocery bags. (Pictures below with the Christmas tree, the bags are pink striped)

 

I couldn’t get enough of this child. I have so many pictures of her because she rarely smiles.  When I caught her, I took the shot.

This is her eternal look.  She is always so serious

We stayed at Native American Bible College in Shannon, NC.  They are so wonderful.

 

 

 

 

45/70

 

We also had some target practice out in the country on our friend’s land.

 

 

 

As soon as we got home in January, I was back to cooking and making jewelry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It takes time to settled back into our routines and it takes a lot of rest to get back to our lives.  But when we do, it’s wonderful to be home!

How much time does it take you to get back to your routines, or back on sleeping schedules? Do you remember your Bible when you are away from home?  Let me know in the comments below.

 

How to Sew Double-sided Placemats

When I got married I decided to use one of the black tablecloths from the reception for our dining room table since I bought them all.  I didn’t want everything sitting up somewhere boxed up, deteriorating and never be used  I wanted to look at it every day and remember when I married my awesome husband.

I love the tablecloths, but food can get messy so I decided to make some placemats to protect the tablecloths.  Since I decided at the last minute, I used 2 old sweatshirts as the batting in the middle, because let’s face it, we’re gonna be washing these placemats so we might as well quilt them.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

2 Colors of Fabric
Matching thread
Scissors
Pinking Shears (optional for fabrics that fray)
Batting or old sweatshirts (1 sweatshirt = 2 placemats)
Invisible marker
Binding Clips or pins
Dowel rod for turning corners

Watch the video here on YouTube

Finished Doll Day 6

Good morning, I realize I could have finished this a lot sooner especially if I didn’t dedicate only an hour or so a day to this project. But I’d like to announce my doll has clothes so this makes her complete. Yea!!

I may do a tutorial on this but I would like to thank Karly from Paisley Roots for her Pepper Doll Pattern on Crazy Little Projects. In the end, just about everything I did in this project came from her Pattern. I looked at many things for her neck, like a cape, or bonnet. I went back to Karly’s project because it would be the fastest to complete. Get her Pattern Here So I crocheted a scarf that only took 5 minutes. A cape would have to be hemmed and doing it be hand takes a while.

Now that I’m done and she has clothes. I can concentrate on accessories an more clothes. I’ll make more dolls for all the little girls popping up in my life. (But my Own Pattern) and maybe I’ll make a tutorial and video it for YouTube including some do’s and don’ts. I hope you enjoyed this ride-a-long.

Have a blessed New Year

See what my doll looked like each day

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Making a Doll Day 5

Well I changed my doll’s hair and now I’m thinking of some names. Amelia Rose matches her new pink & purple hair.

I decided to make a tutu for her.

I’ll post clothes tomorrow

Making a Doll Day 2

Well I’m spending the holidays with family in another state so I haven’t had much time to sew today like I thought I would. However I did complete the body and for the rest of the day I will complete the hair and clothes. Everything is hand stitched no sewing machine. I am doing it by hand because for one my sewing machine is back home in PA but hand stitching has made me proud of my craft. It has been a joy to create.

It has been exciting to make this doll and as soon as I can I will search for other colors for skin tones. I may also make Lumbee Dolls for my girls… We will see. I’ll keep you updated.

Making a Doll Day 1

So I found several patterns for dolls and since I do embroidery and we’re having brand new little girls appearing in our family I thought I would start making some dolls for them. I just started one this afternoon and should be finished tomorrow. I’m doing all stitching by hand. No sewing machine at all. The face is embroidered and my own design and everything else is backstitching. It is very strong and sturdy I will be posting a doll, my own pattern tomorrow. Here is what I’ve done so far. So stay tuned.

I can’t wait to do the hair! If you’ve made a doll please post your info and link to picture. Thanks!