Gave the scrap fabric box another coat of yellow paint today, and let it dry in the sun. Came out pretty nice. And ya can’t beat the price !

Those darn antibiotics irritate my stomach even when I take ‘em with food. I’ve taken them just before eating and while eating, and I still get a tummy-twister. Tomorrow, I’ll take Beloved’s advice and take one after I’ve polished off breakfast, see if that helps. As it is, I now have 25 more opportunities for body-benders, darn it all.

Right now, I’m resting a bit after pounding down a Happy Meal. They’ve moved on from Star Wars bobbleheads to Batman Lego and Wizard of Oz Madame Alexander toys. Poor counter guy, after showing me the available new dolls, was surprised to see me go for the Flying Monkey, not Dorothy or the Good Witch. I may go back for Dorothy, she has short hair this time ! I was thinking I’d keep an eye out for the Winkie Guard and maybe another Wicked Witch, but I pretty much got the one I really wanted already, so the pressure’s off !

Plus, after driving myself nuts with queries from one restaurant to another in search for last year’s WWitch, only to find it in about every fourth yard sale since, I refuse to do that again. So I’m not gonna go insane this time. Just don’t be surprised when ya see ‘em here ! And they’re just about the right scale for Princess Dorrie and the other LDPs to have ‘em as toys, too.

Read the new Hobby Lobby and Hancock Fabrics ads online today. Evidently the new sale price for Simplicity patterns is $1.99, up from the previous usual 99c. I can only assume those Project Runway licenses don’t come cheap ! No, last month, I kvetched about buying several Simplicity patterns at HF’s $1.99 sale, or waiting for a 99c sale, either later from HF or from HLobby. Well, today’s HLobby ad has a sale on Simplicity, for – you guessed it - $1.99. So does HF, later this month. (sigh) Guess there’s no escaping it, just timing it. Do I want ‘em this week (HLobby) or at month’s end (Hancock Fabrics) ? Decisions, decisions.

Of course, McCalls and Butterick patterns are still on 99c sales at both places…

Beautiful full moon tonight…

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:21 PM CDT

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It kinda wasn't my day today. The yard sale I wanted to go to is actually next week, the newspaper had the dates wrong. Arrrgh. Luckily, they also put a note up on Craigslist. My blasted prescriptions were over $50., even though both were on the ‘$4. Generics' list. My exact prescription strength wasn't available as the cheapie. How annoying. But I'm taking my antibiotics like a good patient, and the new inhaler is...well, to put it succinctly, ‘the good stuff'. It's on par with the Advair ($200.+) for $32., so I can't whine too much.

Beloved Hubby made me promise to take another easy day, so I did. Got groceries when I got prescriptions, and had fun doing so. There were a few other yard sales today, but it's been raining off and on and it's a game day, so I just wasn't inspired enough to go hunt ‘em down. Or go anywhere but Mal-Wart. Got m'self the $3. one-pound bag of cardstock, and that's been a load of inspiration ! I made a couple more of those little origami boxes from it, and filled the orange one with candy and punched-out stars from another piece. It's waiting on Beloved's desk.

Saw an adorable DPrincess storage box, but it was $23. and filled with diapers. Too expensive for decorated cardboard. Sure, I could donate the diapers - or have the ultimate accessory for Baby Chrissy ! - but it still seems pricey to me. So I decided to make my own box. After scanning the last of the doll magazines (more later) and getting them back where they belong, I had an empty shelf in the Lab wire rack. I'd already decided to use it for fabric scraps, but the wire wouldn't hold the tiniest bits.

So I grabbed an empty box from Dearest's ‘Little Hug' drinks and measured it off. Long enough for the shelf, but too wide. So I cut the box down, retaped it to fit, ran tape along the raw edges for a smooth look, then took it to the Shop for a spray paint bath. We had some yellow I didn't use on the cubby boxes, so I decided to go with it. Thought about covering it in fabric, but I never have any luck when I try that. It always comes off, or wrinkles, or something. Spray painting's just easier and faster. Needs about two more coats to cover the blue and red inks of the box's logos, but then it'll be done. I may decorate it a bit more...I just have to resist using the DP stickers I have around here !

One of Dearest's more recent homework assignments was to make a personal collage. Thank Everything we had plenty of printer ink ! It left a lot of paper bits in the Lab, too. So I got those cut up for notepaper. Now the cutting table's free again, and I have no real reason to not sew...except it's bedtime !

Oh, and the patterns. Finally, I got all my magazines scanned and stored, and even got all the Crissy ones downloaded again (for free !) from Beth's site (http://www.crissyandbeth.com/ , look for ‘Sewing for Crissy and Her Friends' on the first drop-down menu on the ‘main' page ). I was ready for a backup.

Unfortunately, my computer wasn't. Locked up for two hours. The CD-R wouldn't even eject. Task Manager was no help. Heck, the on/off switch wasn't working either ! Finally, after two hours of fussing and trying everything short of unplugging it, I unplugged it. Working fine now, and burned a perfect copy of all my patterns.

For it not really being my day, it wasn't a bad one. I'm hoping next Saturday is a bit more fun, though !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:21 PM CDT

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Sorry I had to skip a day, but I was in the hospital. About noon, my breathing darn near shut off, the inhalers weren't doing squat, and I knew if I valued Life as much as I say I do, I'd best do something about preserving mine and fast. Luckily, Beloved Hubby came home for lunch, took one look at me, and half-carried me to the truck. Twenty minutes later - we live less than a mile from the ER - I was tucked away into Room 34, a breathing treatment pipette in my mouth and the sheer joy of breathing beaming on my face. Whoo. That was close.

With my medical record, though, there were a lot of things they had to test me for. I had fluid in my lungs, which is NOT an asthma symptom. It could indicate that my heart is failing again, which is darn scary. They had to review my prescriptions, which I'd luckily thought to grab on the way out, and look up some records. So we were there over six hours, waiting for tests and Xrays to come back. I didn't care - I was joyously, luxuriously, easily breathing ! And we got to see two episodes of Law and Order, most of Baby Boom, part of The Most Dangerous Catch, and another movie. I can't remember what it was, because I fell asleep. I must've been exhausted. I had an arm-breaker of a blood pressure cuff on my arm, inflating every 20 minutes, an oxygen tube in my nose, a buncha stuff beeping, and the usual bustle of a good-sized ER swirling around the always-open door. And I slept through it all.

The lovely nurse, Karen, hated to wake me, but she needed another blood sample and I was getting a second breathing treatment. All the tests came back negative for further heart damage, but positive for a lung infection. Otherwise, I'd responded very well to treatment, and with a round of antibiotics, I'd be back to as normal as I ever am ! Whew ! I was free to go. I could have flown !

I'd had a cuppa coffee that morning - heat and caffeine are good for asthma people ! Seriously. - and a kids' lunch size packet of potato chips. That was all I'd consumed all day. So Beloved, who'd stayed with me the entire time, took me across the street for a tasty Subway sandwich. The Sonic drive-in was just as close, but I was not in a mood for anything fried, and I was sooo hungry ! Ate about ¾ of a regular ham and turkey, and I was stuffed. No chips or anything, just sandwich and Dr. Pepper. My hands and arms were shaking, which is weird. Between all the speed I inhaled - and that's what's in the breathing treatments and inhalers, make no mistake - the lack of food, and worry and exhaustion, I shouldn't have been surprised. But I found myself watching the tremors with amazement, over and over.

Beloved called his parents and arranged for them to be there waiting for Dearest Son's bus. And he let the school know. DFIL picked him up and they went to their house, and Dearest welcomed the change in routine. We thanked them effusively when we picked him up. He was happy to see that Mommy was breathing and calm. He gets so tense when he knows I'm at the hospital, we didn't even tell the school what was going on, just that his grandfather was the contact that day. No sense upsetting him during class time, he'd probably be would up and disruptive for the rest of the day. His teacher sent a sweet ‘get well' card home today - awwww !

And really, that's about where my day ended. Beloved tucked me into bed, and I slept straight through the night. I barely rolled over. It's been a long time since I slept that well ! I woke up about half an hour before I normally do, and just lay there, DC on my hip and Jack behind my knees, one hand on my tummy, feeling my breathing and hearing Beloved's soft snores. Glorious.

It was a wonderful morning, to not be so short with Dearest because I barely have the breath and energy to tell him things more than once. Got my new prescriptions, and talked to some interesting folks waiting for their prescriptions. I'd been waiting quite a while for the pharmacy to open, but the later-arriving lady who still had on her hospital bracelet looked really green around the gills and was in a lot of pain. I traded ‘now serving' numbers with her. After all, I was pretty healthy, I could afford to wait a few more minutes. Didn't find a single yard sale.

Community Thrift was devoid of much of interest, but I did find the very recent Anakin Skywalker bobblehead Happy Meal toy. He didn't have that one. Boba Fett one we got a few weeks ago is still in the Office bathroom. Oh, I forgot, they did have one of the newer Jasmine dolls. If she hadn't have been $4., and the other doll with her in the bag wasn't one I donated, I'd have bought her, just for comparison. The new one has a much larger head. I mean, it's noticeable. And her toothy smile just doesn't suit her character. Like the Jem dolls, the teeth seem to make her seem...well, insipid. Maybe even less intelligent. I'm glad I lucked into this one.

Dearest made me promise to take it easy today, so I helped make our lunch - chicken pasta salad - and not much else. Scanned about half the patterns in the doll magazines that've been sitting around for a couple months, and I may do the rest tonight. That'll free up a second shelf in the wire rack. I think that's where I'll begin storing fabric scraps. It'll be close to the sewing machine, and I want to use that Fabric Leftovers book on some projects soon.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:20 PM CDT

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Another day of unholy humidity around here. Beloved Hubby's being amazingly patient with my extended stillness. But then again, he can hear me cough and wheeze, so he's probably worried. It's driving me crazy, though. I'm very lucky we're nowhere near the hurricanes, I can't imagine having to evacuate when I can barely move around without my ‘warning' needles pegging in the red.

Got a bit done today. It was Dearest Son's turn for snack at school. Ice cream ! Because it takes a bit from the time I put the treats in his backpack to the time someone gets ‘em in the school freezer, I usually take ‘em in myself, just to be safe. While I was out, I recycled the soda cans. $5.50 this time, yaaay ! Big Lots didn't have much, but yard sales are approaching... maybe. We're expecting rain this weekend, so, who knows ? I really should stay in this weekend in any case.

I also finally got all the doll clothes put away. Doesn't sound like much, but most of ‘em have been sitting around in one place, pile, or bag since May, at least. You'd think with that great cubby system Beloved made me, I'd have it all organized and stored as soon as it hit the doorframe, but I'm lazy. That clears that shelf of the wire rack over by the printer, so I put one of my origami boxes there, for the doll clothes I wanna donate.  At least I finally got that done. Since scanning the old doll magazines doesn't require much motion, that's probably next.

Photos of Mattel's 2009 Collector line are out. You can see ‘em at ‘My Favorite Doll', or just use this link - http://dollattic.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/current_dolls.htm - since that seems to be where Sandi Holder got most of her photos, too. Some interesting ideas, but unlike most of the Barbie fans, I'm not worried about my budget. It's nice to have another repro of Malibu... but if I remember correctly, the first repro didn't sell well, because there's still tons of the original, real 70s Malibu. And a lot of us who began Barbie life with Malibu kept her - there wasn't a massive trade-in promo or anything. I got mine for a buck each at a flea market. It's nice to see a Superstar repro, but again, I have to wonder. Wasn't the Superstar face the one everyone was just ‘soooo tired' of not long ago ?

And seriously. Why spend $44. on a doll you can find easily and in great shape at most thrift stores ? In yeat another fluffy pink dress ? At one point, I had four of those SS dresses - I wonder if the adult collectable versions are still gonna be made of cheap polyester ? I don't know what my problem is - it's not like I own stock in Mattel. But their decisions often confuse and frustrate me !

I wanna get excited about Playline again. I mean, heck, without Playline, what's Mattel really got ? I'm sure the Collector lines rake in big bucks, but if Barbie doesn't excite the current generation, they're sure not gonna want to rebuy their childhoods the way most of us are right now ! But I don't see any of that on any website. For all I know, it's another year of fluffy pink princesses and almost-but-not-quite Bratz Ho Look. Well, I'm not really being fair there. Since they seem to have jettisoned My Scene, a lot of their questionable clothes designs, like the ‘scarf on elastic = blouse' on Bling Bling Barbie, seem to have gone with them. It's a shame such pretty dolls got so many ‘rap star girlfriend' accoutrements.

I was hoping they were going in a good direction with the ‘My House' line, but I don't know if that's continuing or not.

It's times like these, I'm so happy I sew and buy second-hand ! It's something I can still find thrills and excitement in, even during ‘bleh' years from doll companies !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:20 PM CDT

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Beloved Hubby's feeling better, but Dearest Son woke up with a headache, and coughing and sniffling. At 100% humidity today, I wasn't feeling much better m'self. But we all struggle through...

ID'd the two ‘painfully generic' redressed Barbie dolls I bought last week to get the hacked-up 70s peasant dress. One was 1995's "Dance Moves" Barbie, which I kinda already knew. I had the DM Teresa for a while - my mother'd found her in a parking lot. Her ‘dance' action and big silver earrings were major clues. The 1987 Rocker Barbie also had the same ‘Real Dancing Action', but the Gymnast body had six years to go before it met the buying public. Plus, her earrings and hair were different.

The other had my curiosity. The front hairline part of her dull, floss-like blonde hair was pulled back over her head like a cap, pony-tailed to fall over the rest. She lacked earring holes, and a slightly curved slot in her back held a lever which made her hybrid-Gymnanst body's arms wave right to left and back. What did she do with that motion ? Hula dance ? Play Guitar ? Rock a baby ? Sweep floors ?

Well, Barbie never cleans, so there went that idea. The Hula Hair doll would have been easy to ID, with her bright pink, orange, and yellow hair, with bangs, plus a full Gymnast body. She didn't look anything like the one guitar ‘playing' doll I knew of, the doll from The Barbie Diaries, and her arms' motion wasn't really a guitar playing one. I found a set from 2000 with Barbie and a baby Krissy, called ‘Bedtime Baby', and in that one, Barbie rocks her infant sister to sleep. But that one had glossy, shiny blonde hair in twin Sailor Moon-style ponytails, with white stud earrings. Face was nearly identical, though, so I knew we were in the right time frame.

A little more poking around...oh. Well, when I said these dolls were painfully generic, I had no idea... What I had was a 2000 "Barbie Loves N'Sync" doll. (yawn) Her arms waved to hold a "home-made" fan sign, thoughtfully professionally printed by Mattel and included in her package. Without the sign, her packaging said her arms' motion was her dancing to the beat. Um...yeah. I always stand straight and wave my arms from left to right and back again in front of my thighs repeatedly when I'm a slave to the rhythm. I'm surprised that wild move isn't busted all over the ‘Aerobics' section of Wii Fit.

Sorry. I shouldn't be so snarky about it. I just thought this doll was a tacky tie-in when she came out - with her two similarly boyband obsessed friends - and even without a shred of N'Sux anywhere on her, I find myself eager to donate her, like right now. I laughed out loud when she piled up on her initial release, not selling, and kept on not selling, even when marked down to $5. at the discount outlets. She's a perfectly acceptable doll, if ya don't mind the huge lever sticking out of her back, and the weird waving motion, but I still think she's too generic to keep and knowing she's a has-been tie-in makes me really wanta dump her. Usually the abandoned status would encourage her stay, but not this time ! Bye Bye Bye ! (yes, I had to look that up to know it was their song)

It was much easier to ID the Jasmine I got from the junk shop Saturday. Water Jewel Magic seems to be the only one ever made with purple earrings. I remember the whole Aladdin line from my TRU employee days, and if the first dolls to come out within a few years of the film can be called vintage, I knew she was just that. The newer ones have a slightly wider face, more innocent and younger looking, with a toothy grin missing that mysterious little smile she had in her heyday, and I've always loved those 90s big anime eyes.

Really, though, of all the head molds for Disney Princesses in Barbie scale, to me, it looks like Jasmine's has changed the least. Looks like her earrings are her ears still - goss, that drove (drives !) me crazy ! - and her eyes are still large and exotic. For a girl who never got out of the palace, Jasmine always struck me as one of the most cosmopolitan, sophisticated women of the DP Pantheon. I'd gladly get her an Aladdin companion, if I could find one without that blasted molded-in fez ! Even the latest ones have it, and it's too big to paint and pretend it's hair. Arrrfgh !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:20 PM CDT

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It was kind of funny - the Craft section is close to the entrance, but the glues and other adhesive section is in with Paint. In Crafts, all the glues were name-brand, including the Super Glues, in several varieties. Kinds that don't bond skin instantly, some that require a longer set-time, different gels and nozzles. Over with the Paint, you got the cheap stuff as well as the main Super Glues. Not as much affectation that close to Hardware.

Glue sticks we always need. I got lulled out of buying a bunch at the back-to-school sales because it was the first year they weren't on the supplies list. No matter, they were the same price then as now. They always come in handy for homework and various projects.

Looked at thick packages of cardstock pieces in varying sizes and colors. May pick one up next week. For $3., I could have a lot of fun-colored origami boxes !

Got to hit the Community Thrift, too. Luckily, there wasn't anything new there, as I only had $2. left from the weekend ! Still scored a doll pattern - for toddler dolls in three sizes, I forgot I already had it ! - and an issue of Sewing Today's Vogue Patterns magazine, which was fun to look at. Didn't come with patterns, of course, just wanted to draw attention to a few. That I could never fit into. (sigh) A couple articles looked interesting, but I mostly liked going through the ads. For being just a couple years old ( it was an '05 issue), it's still amazing how much and how little has changed. Most of the patterns pictured are still for sale right now. Some of the stores have closed. Looked through the whole magazine rack, no other craft-type magazines.

I'll probably keep the magazine around a bit longer, see if there's anything else I can glean out of it. The pattern is also gonna stick around - with a spare, I can use an actual tissue paper for fitting estimates !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 11:19 PM CDT

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Relaxing Sunday. Beloved Hubby bagged work for the day and we kind of sat around. I got bored and started looking around Craftster.org for a while. Lots of communities and forums I'd never visited before. About ten minutes later, I was tearing up some back issues of Real Simple magazine I'd yard saled for the bathroom library, to make more origami boxes. BTW, Real Simple should be named something closer to ‘Semi-Plausible Reasons To Buy More Stuff'. Not a lot of voluntary simplicity, cutting back, living better (unless it's through shopping), or enjoying simple things in there. It's like a bridal magazine for the bored housewife with a very healthy checking account. Tons of ads, some reviews, and the same articles in new formats every few issues. At least they came in handy today !

Anyway, a poster on Craftster showed the cute origami boxes her family keeps around, for snacks and food bits like orange peels and nut shells. Fold up one of these boxes, and you can toss it when it's empty of chips or you're done with the fruit, the whole thing's disposable !

It took me a bit, but I finally got it, then made several ! I even made one from cardstock (magazine subscription card) that came out pretty well, if a bit big for most of my dolls. I'd be perfect for paper clips ! The tutorial on Craftster was a bit hard to read, so another reader posted a really good link - http://greggman.com/japan/origami-bowl/origami-bowl.htm  . After three boxes, I could do it by memory, without the website. Coool ! Something new to do with the inevitable ton of announcements Dearest Son brings home from school besides using the blank sides to print patterns and cut note paper ! It'll also keep the plastic bowls in the cabinet instead of scattered all over the living room and his bedroom.

Hmm. I wonder if I can make them using starched fabric instead of paper...? Anyway, there's my ‘new' Jasmine in the outfit I bought her in, her pretty hair brushed out, with a tiny version of the origami boxes on her lap. Shoot, now I wanna go look at the scrapbook papers at Hobby Lobby again - and at the expensive but oh-so-gorgeous imported Origami papers they carry !

Popped the ‘Jaq' Happy Meal toy off his stand by cutting the peg holding him on it with Beloved's razor knife. Trimmed the stump a bit and now he stands on his own. And LDP Cinderella now has her little friend back. Brand-new, the older versions of this doll came with him and Gus, and maybe a bird or two, but so far, only two of my LDPs have come to me in a box other than one from the Post Office !

And I finally found time to give Beast a good brushing. I always meant to, he still had pieces of horn ‘shed' on his shoulders. The sliver leather-like coating must've flaked off over the years. It's OK with me, he looks fine with white horns, too. I got most of the last remaining bits off, and gave his fur a good all-over brush and fluff. If I remember, I'll pick up some rug shampoo, get a few spots cleaned. Kinda need it for the Snow White rug, too.

I also got the two Mal-Wart sacks of misc. stuff emptied, and most of it put away. So while it was a mostly ‘putter' day, I at least got a little done !

Beloved Hubby had a toothache tonight, so I made him a rice sock. It's a good temporary heating pad when you need one. Basically, I filled one of Dearest's clean solo socks with rice to the heel - generic instant or regular rice, it makes no difference - tied it shut at the top, and tossed it into our microwave for 45 seconds. He's asleep now, still clutching the sock to his cheek. I didn't know this until I started making the occasional rice sock as needed, but when microwaved, even dry instant rice gives off a pleasant scent. I think it helps. I'm probably gonna crash on the sofa, so I don't wake him coming to bed. I know what it's like to find relief only in sleep when a rogue tooth starts sounding off at 9pm on a Sunday.

If you're wondering where the rice sock idea came from, it was a store-bought $20. microwave heating pad a relative had. After much use - she'd declared its usefulness repeatedly to anyone who stood still long enough ! - one day, the thin cotton fabric split to reveal plain, cheap, white short-grain rice. I'd planned on making a nice one, because, ya know, I sew, but one day we needed one and just didn't have time for decorator nice. Almost without thinking, I grabbed a clean sock and had at it. Rice socks are a sort of tradition in the family now. They also work in the freezer.

Today was my tenth straight with the Wii Fit. My WF age has gone up - 47 ! - although my scores at the balance activities improved. Didn't lose any weight today, either. In fact, since we got the thing, I've gained a pound ! I'm hoping it's muscle...  It was funny today, because the program itself advised that I take a day off ! I probably will next weekend, I really had to drag m'self out there for today's session. And by the time I started, I was too geared up to take the program's advice ! Yesterday, it gently admonished Beloved for his two day absence.

I think it'll benefit Dearest Son, too. He's fortunately inherited his father's lean frame and metabolism, but he hates exercise. The WF, however, he thinks is fun, and he listens really carefully to the directions. This is something new ! Getting him to take direction is like filling cavities on hen's teeth. He'd much prefer doing things his own way, but it's gotten better since first grade.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:49 PM CDT

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Spent on dolls :  $1.54

Spent on Lab Décor : $1.34

Spent on sewing : $1.44

It's a good thing I started recording my spending again, ‘cause I seem to be on a shopping spree every day ! One more piece of ‘Lab Décor', and I think the whole room'll collapse. But I had such a good time customizing today's little project...

Woke up fairly early to hit a church yard sale. Those are often very good. Since it's bits and pieces of stuff from lots of parishioners, there's usually a little of everything, especially toys. Well, not this one. No dolls at all, and very few toys. More basketballs than stuffed animals, really. I got a lights-and-sound lightsaber for Dearest Son, a new purse calculator (with an Allegra ad on it), two outdated Monet calendars (doll photo backdrops !), a pattern that makes two kinds of fleece slippers and other winter accessories (McCalls 4738), and a hardback copy of The Weekend Sewers Guide to Blouses. The book details how to customize favorite simple patterns to make wearable art. A bit beyond me, perhaps, but leafing through it was a fun read. Lots of sewing history and anecdotes sprinkled throughout. $3. for the whole armload. 

From there, I got to go to the junk shop. It's been a while ! Bought Beloved Hubby a sushi book and a translated manga that looked interesting. I found a purple earringed Jasmine doll in a fantastic outfit - Barbie size - and she was in nearly new shape, so I got  her. They had a sort of worried-looking Belle, too, with beautiful eyes, but she had ink marks on her face. If Charmin' Chatty is any indication, it'll be six months before the ink's eradicated, and I just wasn't in a mood for another lengthy project. The vintage nude Michael Jackson doll, believe it or not, is still there. That's about two years or so for him.

I also found a printed fabric pattern to make a witch doll, but I just wanted it for the pumpkin print pieces - it'll make a nice small doll outfit. Found a nice new package of ribbon roses, and a Burda vest pattern. It has ‘Easy' all over it, so I'll give it a shot. Went through three huge bins of patterns, and didn't find a single one of any size doll or doll clothes. Hmpft. Found a cute ‘Jaq' (Cinderella's mouse friend) Happy Meal toy, along with one from Lady and the Tramp. Jaq is on a gold ‘Disney Anniversary' stand and Lady and Tramp are on what looks like a videocassette. Those things are getting more rare by the day. It's even getting hard to find a VCR !

I also found some small fabric rectangles with various ‘country' sayings beneath silhouetted images. Two showed a cat regarding a mouse on a cheese wedge, with the legend "Better to feed one cat than 100 mice", another had a mother and son with the typical ‘a mother holds her children's hands...' saying. The one I wanted was of an antique design sewing machine. It had the also-familiar "A stitch in time saves nine", but I could have cared less for that. I already had plans for that piece...

Y'see, last time I went to Dollar Tree, they had French-themed metal plaques with a hook beneath. Called ‘Decorative Hooks' on the purple packaging, they're probably designed for coats or such. I selected a nice cream colored one with the Arc de Triumph on it in black. Just wish they'd had a dress form one, to go with the ‘shoes' and ‘perfume' themed ones. Or an Eiffel Tower - I know it's a tourist icon, but I loved it each time I saw it. The Arc was nice, but I wanted something custom. Was toying with glue-sticking the last of that ‘wedding dress form' scrapbook paper to it, but I knew I wanted something else.

And that antique sewing machine-themed fabric panel seemed perfect. I folded it to hide the ‘stitch' saying, and it fit perfectly. Gave it a quick ironing, added a bit of spray starch, and squeezed out the last of a drying-up tube of SuperGlue on the plaque. Perfect ! A quick two coats of Krylon Matte Finish, and I hung it proudly by my modern-day sewing machine. It now holds my embroidery hoops much prettier than the large screw eye I had doing that. And at $1.34 for the hook and fabric, it's not that much more expensive than the screw eye !

Not sure what I'm doing with the ‘mother' and two ‘cat' pieces. They have a nice brown floral border, but there ‘s not much of it. I could make a couple of cat toys...

I was thinking of the bins of patterns I go through on a semi-regular basis. The ones at the junk shop. The shelves at the thrift stores. The occasional pile or a box at a yard sale. They simultaneously make me happy and sad. Happy, because I might find something for a quarter or dime that started out at $16.95 - or that I couldn't buy otherwise, since it's been out of print for thirty years. Sad because each bin, box, shelf, or pile represents a lot of intent that just didn't become reality. I'm no more immune to that than anyone - I bet I have a dozen patterns I paid 99c for that I haven't touched past the purchase - but it kinda hurts to see sometimes. Lately I've come across patterns for sale that are still pinned to fabric. This may be even sadder than an uncut, untouched one. Who knows how long it's been sitting around waiting for a conclusion that hasn't come yet ? It may never come, even though the bag of it all's in the yard sale.

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:49 PM CDT

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Spent on fabric and Lab décor : $2.10

Spent on dolls : $1.

Another fun day of lookin' through people's yards and garages for goodies. Hit two sales, one was very nice, the other was a mess. I'll tell you about the messed up one first.

Despite the start time of 7 on both of ‘em, I didn't leave the house ‘til 8am. Sure, I might miss a few choice goodies, but being right on top of someone trying to get their stuff out is no fun. I've been on both sides of this equation, so I try to be polite and out of the way, but after an hour, all bets are off ! So I had a nice breakfast first. And it's a good thing I did. The first sale of the day featured a harried woman who said ‘I was supposed to be up at 5am, but...(sigh)' to everyone who pulled up. Um, I'd been up since 5am, getting Dearest Son ready for school. He doesn't get up until 6am for a 7am bus. Anyway. Her sullen daughter lounged in various door frames, not even attempting to help. She appeared to be about 10 years old. Have no idea why she wasn't at school - her glares didn't encourage conversation or query.

Seller then invited us into her garage to look around while she attempted to get stuff out. Urgh. That's a guarantee that the one thing I'm interested in will be the one thing they don't want to sell. And, guess what, a nice tote I liked, the seller priced...then asked if I'd give it back to her, she wanted to use it on her upcoming trip. (sigh)

The few dolls she had were very expensive for what they were. She wanted $10. for Nutcracker Barbie movie tie-in dolls in crushed boxes. I might have considered it for the Ken doll in that set, but she didn't have that one. Just four identical Barbies, for some reason. Her daughter had decided to part with a Zodiac Barbie and two partially-dressed Hannah Montana dolls, but at $3. each, they just weren't worth it. Not even for the clothes. I've seen the Zodiacs for $10. (and this wasn't even my sign) and the HMs for the same.

Ended up getting a fancy kids' dress for the hemmed gold ruffles - darn near instant doll skirts ! - and a small throw rug. It was a little worn, and had quite a few stains, but I liked it, and who can refuse Snow White ? I'd intended to use it over by the closet in the Lab, to cover that spot in the floor where the door hardware used to be, but it was too big for that. Instead, it's in front of the cutting table/pattern cabinet. The kittens love it, and it's nice to have some extra softness when I'm standing over there for a while. A super-hot spin in the washing machine got out most of the dirt and Kool-Aid... and got the last of the glue off the ‘Twirling Ballerina Barbie' tutu !

The next sale was great. I got an Asian "Seasons" print for Beloved Hubby, still in the packaging, and a TI graphing calculator, Dearest got a couple replacement Cars toys and the Pet Taxi carrier he's been wanting, and I found the hair crimper I need for the Molly LDP project, a pretty pink purse for next spring, and a half-yard of a lovely white eyelet cotton. All those goodies for just $5. The calculator and the crimper work, too ! And Dearest loves that pet carrier.

Well, it's almost Wii Fit time. I'd love to just not do it tonight, but I don't want to start skipping this early in the game. I think after another month, maybe...

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Monday, 2 May 2011 5:48 PM CDT

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Another kind of not-much day. On the plus side, I paid most of the early to midmonth bills, and that always makes me happy. I got to take apart more of that odd green and glitter dot dress/costume I bought a few weeks ago at Community Thrift, and I did some doll laundry. Once everything was dry, I gathered all of it from the last several washings in one place and did some maintenance - clipped loose threads, de-linted Velcro closure strips, put the ‘Donations' dresses aside, stuff like that. The "Twirling Ballerina Barbie" tutu still has some glue residue from the iridescent diamond decorations that were on it, so I'll toss it in with the next load of whites. That way, I can turn it up to ‘ultra hot' water, and see if that takes the last of that gunk off. I'm kinda surprised I'm going to all this effort for anything that electrifying a shade of hot pink, but what can I say, I'm a sucker for a tutu. I still remember the one I never got...

Anyway. While I was in that sort of mood, I got tired of moving that Olsen Twin doll around. I'm not gonna keep her, and the only reason she's not in a donations bag already is because I needed to sew her ‘new' outfit. Her small body just doesn't fit most Barbie clothes... well, it doesn't fit the ones I'm donating along with the dolls ! I just can't donate a nude doll, for some reason. Community Thrift has no problem packing them in those cursed baggies nude, though...

She was part of that bagload I bought last Friday at the yard sale. I found an only slightly mangled bikini top that fit her in there, but nothing else. One strap was torn, so I simply cut it off. It's still supported by the other strap, and it looks kinda cool that way. Further digging in the bag found a blanket or something with two pockets of the same print as the bikini top, at the bottom. I have no idea what this blue strip of fabric is supposed to be. It's nylon, so it wouldn't be a good towel, it's awfully small for a blanket, and what in the world was with those two pockets ? I didn't care enough to do the research. Heck, I still don't know which twin this doll is supposed to be. Just don't care.

Well, I figured I could at least make the odd rectangle into a skirt, that way she'd have an outfit when she left. And you know me, I've put it off and put it off. Well, today I got tired of shuffling her around, so I grabbed some elastic, a snap closure, and went to it.

Elastic didn't work. If it was tight enough to go around her waist, it was too small to stretch from one end of the blue rectangle to the other. Instead, I ran a gathering stitch just down from the serged edge, snugged it to fit, tied off the ends, and sewed a snap on the insides. My snap fasteners are looking better ! Even I can barely see where the thread for it is. Took about 15 minutes, tops.

Her hair is still a mess. It was ponytailed straight from the top of her head like a blonde geyser. I'm trying to rubber-band it down, but I may have to do a boil perm. For now, she's good to donate, and I'm happy. I now know I can make a doll skirt from almost any fabric long enough to circle her hips with a bit to spare.

Chez Insanity - where dolls I don't even like still leave with a nice outfit !

Posted by dorriebelle at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Wednesday, 8 October 2008 6:28 PM CDT

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