Mood:  irritated

It's raining again. After several days of no rain and pretty weather, I got spoiled. Our front yard will be a lake in the morning from all-night thunderstorms, but I got to see some beautiful lightning strikes from the Studio while sewing. And my 9th grade English teacher would be proud of the "Farewell To Arms" reference.

Finally got going on Rio's pattern. Dug out the lightbox Beloved Hubby made me and traced it off. It's a European pattern, and they like to put all the pieces on one page - sometimes less ! -  in a confusing-at-first-glance jumble. So it's easier to print off one cleaned-up copy and trace the pieces. I even relabelled them in English with PaintShopPro. I think it's in German.

While I enjoy using foreign patterns, there are some problems. Rio's finished jeans are a prime example. They're too tight down the legs. Hips and waist and crotch fit perfectly on both Rio and Ken, so I must've gotten the pleats and the darts and the seam allowance correct. Since the directions are in German, I have no way of knowing for sure otherwise. They went together well - I used the same basic directions that came with Rick's green pants - and the inseam was a perfect match. But even on Ken, the finished item was simply too tight from just past the hips to the feet. Had a heckuva time getting them past Rio's slightly larger feet.

And that was with redoing the seams so close to the fabric's edge, it's probably only Fray Check holding them together ! Luckily, I did a test fit with just the outside seams sewn. If I'd had to redo the inner and outer leg seams, I'd have probably trashed the whole thing. Even though I did great with those pleats ! :) I powdered both dolls' legs for ease of dressing, and it was still struggles and pulls. Not sure where I went off the rails on this one, I even tried them on the same Ken shown modelling the pants on the pattern page. I thought it was maybe because the corduroy used in the article had some stretch, but it's doubtful it stretches more than the denim I used. But, again, I have no way of knowing, since I only know enough German to get me in trouble. And most patterns don't employ the words I know. Heck, most bar brawls don't employ the German I know...

Added about a third of an inch to each side of the 'pants back' part and according to my sometimes shaky math, that should allow me to sew a more conventional-size seam and still have the leg width Rio needs. He does have larger calves and feet than Ken. So does Rick. I made the same mistake again - I assumed that if Doll X fits/doesn't fit this one pair of pants, he/she fits all this doll's clothes. Um, the pants I used to check for fitting might be generic, or from another doll, there's no label. You'd think I'd know better by now ! Rio does fit shorts and a Fashion Avenue suit, so he just needs a looser fit, like what's on dressier male doll clothing. In any case, I like the pants I made, and I'd love to sew 'em to fit Rio. I hate to alter patterns, though.  Unless I'm just adding length to the hem, it often throws the fit off. It's fun, though, to change what ya got. Makes me wonder if I've changed it enough to publish it m'self, for free.

Oh, and my poor little bottle of Fray Check is almost empty. Learned that the reason applying FC takes so long is because I had the tip cut waaay too small. Had to recut it today, because it kept clogging, and it flowed out nicely, took next to no time to apply. I'll have to remember that for the next bottle ! The next trial pair of pants will use it up, I'm sure.

Yeah, you know I have to try again. Probably tomorrow. At least I know how to sew front-closing male doll pants with pleats now !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Tuesday, 10 July 2007 5:00 PM CDT

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Mood:  chillin'

Boring Sunday. So I got busy. With all the newly-washed fabric ready to be stored and the brighter lights in the Studio showing all the clutter, I decided to putter today. Dearest Son was creating Lego masterpieces based on Stuart Little and Garfield, Beloved Hubby was editing animation to music on the computer, so I was free to do whatever I wanted to.

Most of the new fabric - including the stuff that sat around for months waiting for the washing machine - had stars on it. What can I say, I'm a sucker for five-point stars. While trying to squeeze it into a 'Cotton Prints' milk crate, I thought it might make it easier to find if I had a crate of nothing but star prints. This involved shuffling all 9 (!) crates around, and soon, one was filled to near-capacity with nothin' but stars.

After that, I put all the holiday and florals in another, then all the 'fun' print cottons, then solids, etc. It took two hours to sort and store it all, but I can find darn near anything now. I also emptied one crate, so now it holds all the little scrap pieces that used to be in a bedding bag. You know, the kind of zippered bag that nice bedspreads and high-end shams come in ? I have two of those that hold large fabric pieces, the ones big enough to make 'me' clothes instead of doll's. I then stored all the bedding bags we have in my closet. Those do come in handy.

I then turned my attention to the numerous bits of paper scattered around. Patterns. Got those sorted and stored - with some odd pieces left, not sure where they go. I tuck pattern pieces into document protectors, then file 'em. The 'cling' helps keep them inside, and they can be filed into old ring binders or envelopes. I also have an old photo album that houses pattern photos. It sounds weird, but sometimes, I like to look through what I have, especially when the computer's tied up. It gives me ideas for the next project.

Cut up a pair of torn pants my DMIL gave me - some dolls will get lovely black peachskin clothes soon ! - and an old tablecloth for rags. Donated some clothes that I couldn't cut up. From there, I started sorting the CDs, ditching cracked cases and empty boxes. Donated some of Dearest Son's 'baby' music. Gotta get all the donations together and out, I have two overflowing boxes.

With all I have - new stuff arriving by mail, new fabric and recent patterns, my new Fiona doll - it's easy to get a 'what's next ?' attitude instead of a 'thankful' one. Our Dearest Son illustrates this perfectly. If he gets several new toys a week, he doesn't play with them. He bugs and nags for more. With just one new goodie, he's content and plays with it for hours, even if it's just from a Happy Meal. I think most of us do the same, it's just that we nag and bug ourselves silently for more, better, newer.

However, a day spent sorting, storing, and cleaning soon cures that !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  not sure

It's silly, but even though I'd already bid on it, I'm still at war with wanting that Barbie case. I know I want it, but it just seems so much, and I already have excess of everything. All I know is, I'm spending waaaaay too much time thinking about it. Lost the auction I bid on, but it's fine. I bought something else instead ! I both love and hate 'Buy It Now'. Beats waiting a week to see if I 'won' the right to buy it. To be honest, I'm getting tired of getting my hopes up over and over to get sniped at the last second. Tired of the BS on eBay. I know you've been there, too.

I've been reading old doll magazines. I have some that date back to the late 70s. Back when wanting a doll or a tiny accessory entailed placing an ad, sending SASEs for sales lists, or writing a longing article and hoping for a response. Long before auction sites and doll boards made it easy to find what you wanted, as long as you could pay for it. The world I used to know seems so different, almost foreign now. I remember almost buying a Timey Tell in sad shape - torn neck, dented-in face, faded legs - because I didn't know when I'd ever find another. Of course, this was back in 1992, the Internet was still three years away from being a major part of my life. The near-perfect one I have now was $10., including shipping, off eBay, purchased in 1998.  

I'm kind of on the hunt for some of my history, so I can rework it. Gonna find a Malibu Barbie - my first Barbie, a Christmas gift that infuriated my mother - and reroot her into a brunette. When I was a 70's kid, Barbie was blonde, and that was that. Always. Her 'with it' friends were never available at the TG & Y, so I never saw a brunette one. All mine, Ken and Skipper too, were blonde.

Of course, I'm brunette. And I longed for a doll - any doll ! - that looked a little more like me. Shoot, every doll I had, from Timey Tell to those decorative ones on the dresser, was blonde. Oh, wait, Crissy's a sort of red/brown haired doll, but she kept vanishing. Years after The Big Move, I found her moldering in a water-damaged box, and she disappeared again soon after. Found her again, but I haven't seen her since. The one I have now (rerooted as a brunette !) was found at a flea market. OK, so I didn't have a brunette Barbie as a kid. Princess Leia was darn near too late to my childhood, but she alone remains. All the blonde dolls went to new homes, and even today, when I clean up and donate dolls, it's easy to let the fair-haired ones go.

I sometimes think being an adult means deciding if what you wanted and didn't get as a kid still matters. And how to go about getting what your psyche kind of needs now. Yeah, in the grand scheme of things, the white case and the brunette Malibu don't matter. But in the tiny microcosm of one life, they do. I like to believe every life matters. Even if it's currently obsessed with 'Garfield', editing anime footage to music, or old doll boxes. Believe it or not, I often have real problems with connecting 'I matter' to 'What I want matters'.

I guess Beloved Hubby sensed my weird mood, because we went to the junk shop today. The place with two *huge* plastic tubs of Barbies and a mass of toys I loved to rummage through. Well, today was rather a disappointment. Almost no dolls - Barbie or otherwise - and the remote control car Dearest Son picked out, despite the 'Working' tag on it, doesn't. I did score some fabric - navy with multicolored stars, and a glittery 'night sky' piece - for 50c each.

Also found a book. Things To Make For Children was originally published in 1960. I held a revised fifth edition from 1975. Leafing through, I noted there were no doll clothes patterns, but there was the most amazing dollhouse...with a gorgeous Midge peeking from the fourth floor balcony patio ! Wow ! This was one cool dollhouse ! Hubby peeked over my shoulder, and said if I wanted it, he'd build it. So I know what I'm getting for Christmas ! :) That's about the soonest he'd have time. Yup, that book came home with us.  I'm still kinda cheesed about Son's car and their almost non-existant toy section, so I doubt we'll be going back this year.

Once back home, I cheap-serged the new fabric. All of it. Both new pieces, plus six more. (sigh) I really need to quit buying material ! Good news is, the navy with stars print has enough to make me a blouse. Coool ! Rest of the evening was uneventful....but I did leaf through a few more old magazines.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  happy

Something amazing happened. Called to resolve a problem - finally ! Shoulda taken care of this almost three weeks ago ! - only to find out that the situation's completely over. All's taken care of, and if anything isn't, all I have to do is mail out a copy of a letter. I can't say too much without getting too personal, but it involved a huge financial outlay on top of everything else. Now it doesn't. I'm so relieved, I'm dizzy. Hadn't realized how much it was affecting me until it was over. Beloved Hubby's jublilant, too.

Haven't sewn today either, or did Rio's lightbox pattern repro. Mostly wandered around the house in a daze. Dearest Son earned the trophy he's been working towards, so went out to get it today. Our local awards shop is the best in the world ! And he's so proud.

Not much going on in dolls today. Sorry. Heck, Fiona's still in her issue dress ! I'm just so happy...I almost want a nap !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  cool

I keep thinking it's Sunday, because yesterday was such a wonderful day ! Like a Saturday, because Beloved Hubby was home. Doin' some laundry, but not much else. Despite the repellant spray, I got mosquito-bit numerous times, and I think the patch of several clustered on my wrist has gotten infected. Trying not to scratch more.

Tried various shoes on Fiona. Ken shoes work best on her flat slightly-larger-than-Leia's feet. They're about Jem size, just flat instead of arched. Conversely, Jem and Leia, who can also wear Ken shoes, can wear Fiona's, they just look a bit big on them. So I don't need to dash out and buy doll shoes again. Whew !

Put a bid on that Barbie case I want to put up in the Studio. Why do I always want the rare one ? I always get sniped on 'em because I hate to pay $20. for something I had in the 70s, when the 1962 Midge case was less expensive.

Beloved Hubby added new lightbulbs in the Studio overhead light for me. I'm too short, even with the stepstool, to reach it. Hmmm. Now that I can see better, there's a lot I need to do in there...

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  happy

What a grand and glorious day ! We all slept in, went shopping, and played all day, eating lots of junk food along the hours. Wheee ! While we didn't see fireworks, we got to celebrate fireflies in the backard, and that was even better.

In today's top news, I got a new doll ! I put her back twice, but she somehow ended up in the cart anyway. I'm now the proud owner of a Shrek Princesses 'Fiona' doll. And she's a lot cooler than her box might indicate. If you'd like to read a 'to her skivvies' review, check it out here  -

https://dorriebelle.tripod.com/id39.html

As Beloved Hubby surmised, I wouldn't want a fashion Fiona doll. I wanted an Ogress Fiona doll ! He knows me too well. Since the box didn't show the mask in actual use, I figured it'd look like crap. Plus, how do you disguise her not-green hands and feet ? Well, MGA found a way. Hard to believe those are the same guys who bring us Bratz, in all their permutations. Or should that be simply 'mutations' ?

In any case, Fiona is a fantastic doll, and I had great fun taking photos and creating the review page. It's been a while since I got to do that.

He also insisted that I get a cutting of some fabric I fell in love with. I couldn't help it, it's too perfect for Elphie ! Black cotton with cats shaped in white outlines. It'll probably become a fluffy sundress, although it'd be cool as a slinky sleeveless shift, too. Now I just have to cheap-serge it and get it washed.

Beloved Hubby and Dearest Son picked out a pair of shoes for me, and I love 'em. Little ballerina flats in navy blue with white polka dots. I feel so feminie and springlike in them. Today wasn't my birthday, but I made out like a bandit ! Our cat Tuna got a new flea collar - it's the only collar she'll wear, so I write our phone number on it with a Sharpie. Just in case.

We ate and played and relaxed together. Rented Reno 911: The Movie and Garfield 2 from the Redbox, loafed on the sofa with chips. Had a picnic with McD's for dinner. And I got to write up a review on my new doll.

With all of that joy and peace, who needs fireworks ? :)

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  bright

There's a new photo up on the Home page ! Just a fun one I took of Aylene using a bunch of Dollar Tree stuff. Just about everything but she and her shoes came from DTree.

The poster and the foamcore board it's glue-sticked to is DTree. I sprayed it with Krylon Matte Finish ($3. for a whole lasts-forever can at Mal-Wart) so it wouldn't bounce camera flash. The 'wood' floor is self-stick linoleum tiles - ours sells 'em for $9. a box, or $1. for a pack of three. Takes two and a half to cover the long side of another piece of foamcore. The uncovered opposite edge can tuck under the scene you're setting, or get painted or covered with carpet. Or covered with more linoleum, if you like !

Ours has several linoleum patterns, but keep your eye for scale open. There's two other designs I like, one of which will probably end up on the other side of this piece of foamcore. Haven't decided if I'm going with the white faux marble or the jade green faux marble. I like having variety in my flooring ! The leftover half-piece will probably get stuck to a doll stand, for 'instant' photo opportunities. Or I'll let it 'hang around' for a while.

Her chair is a Dollar Tree photo frame. Those sold out fast, and I wish I'd bought more. The star-sprinkled dress is from DTree's "Summer Cruzin' " dolls, and fits her smaller-than-Barbie body well. Her magazine is cut from a subscription card, and her shoes are from a Fashion Fever clothes multipack I bought a few months ago.

Sad thing is, I've had the linoleum and foamcore since March ! Tile was sitting around so long, it started to curve, so I weighted it down with doll clothes boxes. And forgot where it was. Not sure why I didn't use them the day I bought 'em, but at least I finally did.

Helped Beloved Hubby with the lawn mowing - mostly picking up tree branches and wire flags from the gas company. Same gas co. that dug up our front yard in the middle of the rain monsoon, piled the mud around in strange hills and valleys, then left. You should see me push the trash can to the curb, it's almost a comedy routine. Especially when we get more rain and the hills turn back to mud and the valleys become lakes.

Anyway, one of those aggravating 'We Buy Houses' plastic signs had blown off a utility pole, and I snagged it. It'll be a great way to support two more Dollar Tree poster backdrops ! Score ! That's a buck saved since I won't need to buy another piece of foamcore board. It's the little things...

Oh, and Beloved Hubby has the Fourth off ! All right !!

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  a-ok

Lazy, slow, boring Monday. Didn't even get the lightbox out of the closet for Rio's pattern, much less get near the sewing machine. Unless you count vacuuming and general after-weekend house tidying, I didn't get squat done today. Not sure why, but I think I'm going to take this week off sewing and do other things. I seem to sew best when I don't do it every day anyway.

It was a nice day, though. Got to help Beloved Hubby on a job in his Shop, played with Dearest Son for a while, puttered a bit in the Studio. Rain seems to have moved on for today, although clouds still circle. Not sure if we have any plans for the Glorious Fourth, but whatever we do, there'll be junk food and us, and that's the best.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  celebratory

Scanning is done ! Over the course of 30 hours - that included sleep, cooking, grocery shopping, housework, watching our new DVD, Meatballs - I got all three patterns scanned, cleaned, and backed up. Whew ! Glad I won't have to do that again !

But I don't learn easy - spent a bit of time afterwards looking up Jem and Darci patterns. Turns out that Simplicity 8333 and 6363 are identical, same clothes for the same dolls. Just the envelope layout is different. So if you're looking for patterns for those dolls, too, you can always buy which one is best for the cash. And it proves to me that the big pattern companies don't always use the same number for the same set. From my two minutes of Google research, #6363 came out in 1983, #8333 in '87.    

I must be out of my mind for even looking, though. Last thing I need is more patterns - I still have scads I haven't touched. And if I buy it, I gotta scan it. That's not too difficult with Barbie-size. It's those todder dolls' patterns that'll kill ya ! : ) Still, I got a lot I haven't enjoyed yet. I think I'll wait a bit before chasing more.

Looked in the Pink Aisle during a grocery run. Nothing new at our Mal-Wart. I still wanna see those Birthstone dolls, but it looks like I'll have to visit TRU for 'em. Since Dearest Son's off from school this week, it looks like it'll be maybe next weekend. Not sure about them. They use my favorite head mold, but they look more 'My Scene' than 'Steffie'. Plus I have no use for that dog prop.

Was thinking of sewing this evening, but I'm kind of 'dolled out' for now. I did get Rio's new clothes pattern all printed out. It's from a German magazine, and in Europe, they tend to cram all the pieces on one page. Like you see in Burda magazines. So I get to use the lightbox Beloved Hubby made me ! Or print it out seven times. It's in German, of course, but it looks fairly easy. I have one Barbie pattern from the exchange group that's in four languages - French, Spanish, German, and what's possibly Flemish. It's not a multi-language one, though. It was printed in four magazines, identical layout. Probably the same magazine, but I have no way of knowing. It's just neat to see it written up differently each time.

Hope you had a good weekend ! My birth-month is July, so I'm happy ! There's always a reason to be happy if ya look around. Sometimes, though, ya just don't wanna look around. I'm glad today, I do !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  down

Today, I started the long-put-off task of rescanning those three toddler-doll patterns I bought back in February or sometime. I love those 99c pattern sales, but I'm also glad there's nothing I want now. I'd ironed them flat, then, once the original scans were done, carefully folded them so the pattern number/letter showed, and ironed them again. It's one way to get them back into the envelope without much fuss. With that done, I figured the rescan would go much faster, since the cut out and iron stuff was done already.

Urggh. I've stood at the scanner longer than I want you to know about, and I'm barely halfway done. Beware the patterns that are three sizes in one envelope. Sure, it only has twelve pieces...but that's actually twelve times three. And since one of the sizes is huge, you'll have to scan it in sections - there was one I had to scan six times to get the whole thing. 

You'd think scanning wouldn't take long. Slap it on the scanner bed, hit the button, and save it, on to the next one. I admit, I used to do it that way. But then I got in a pattern exchange group and started noticing how others did it, and I wanted mine to look nice, too. I also wanted to use as little printer ink as possible when it was time to actually sew something.

So I made sure there was a 'this is 1 inch' ruler or mark on there, to verify it prints at the right size. And I started 'bleaching' a pattern until it was just black outline and text. No colors to bleed those expensive color cartridges. Then I got rid of the French and Spanish - it's nice to know that a sleeve is 'manga' elsewhere, and I'm probably rude for removing them. But it makes the pattern look so much cleaner, it's less confusing at first glance, and that makes it more likely to actually be used sometime.

Here's an example : Photo removed due to space limitations.

The one on your left is fresh from the scanner. It gets cropped, to make sure it'll fit on a single page of printout, then it gets 'bleached', and the stuff I don't need gets erased, in PaintShopPro. I often have to erase stray marks, pattern folds, and random dots, too, and I'm getting better at redrawing lines that didn't scan well. It's easy to see the lines I drew here !

It's a lot of effort, and it gets old and tired fast. But to me, it's worth it. The pattern looks a lot less confusing at first glance, it's much easier to read, and it uses a lot less ink. I even found a way to do most of the bleaching while it's scanning, thanks to settings in the Brother printer - and I can even save those settings, thanks to 'custom buttons', so I don't have to reset 'em on every piece. So I even learned something on this go-round.

It just ranks that I'm only halfway done, and my eyes are blurry. I close the top to the scanner, of course, but cropping, erasing, and renaming does take it out of ya. And here's something you might find funny - I am so paranoid about losing these scans again that I've already backed up what I did onto a CD. You'd think I'd wait 'til tomorrow, when I'll finish if it destroys me, to burn a backup but I just couldn't walk away until I verified that all this work was stored away from the hard drive. It's kind of a waste, because I'll just burn another when all this is over, but if it lets me rest, it's worth it.

Frankly, if I had to scan these three patterns again, I'd probably toss 'em out the window and into the lake that used to be our front yard !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Saturday, 30 April 2011 6:38 PM CDT

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