Lucy's Petticoats & A Peek At My Workspace

I've made Miss Lucy 3 petticoats.

The first one is a flannel, with a vintage tiny 
seam tape for the tie and yellow cotton lace.

 The second is made from a bit of edging
left over from Maddy's petticoat.

 It has a shell button with a button loop.
Here is a prior tutorial on how to make one.
How To Make A Button Hole Loop 
 
 The 3rd petticoat has a tiny glass button with 
a tiny button loop.

 I made each petticoat slightly larger in the waist and
 longer in the length so I could stack them on top of 
one another.  (Thank you Dixie for that suggestion.)
 I plan to make Lucy an Izannah Walker
 style dress with a gauged skirt that hopefully 
will fan out over the petticoats.

 
Next is her chemise, but I haven't decided
on the style yet. 

 Many of the doll makers whose blogs I follow
show their workspace.  So, I thought I'd give
 you a peek at mine.  Most of my sewing gets 
done in my easy chair, it's close to the wood stove 
and TV.  I can stay warm and listen to a movie 
while I stitch.  
 
The hubby has his own workshop, so I claimed the 
upstairs loft and tiny spare bedroom as my space.  The
 best feature is the natural light, the door and 2 windows
 have no curtains.

This side of the loft has a storage area, small desk for 
non sewing projects, ironing board, monstrous blue 
dollhouse, bookcase & 2 house plants that continue
 to live, despite my neglect.
 
 
The other side has the sewing table my hubby made.

I love the handy thread drawer.

 
This is the small spare bedroom.

It has loads of storage space.  Doesn't
everything look neat and tidy? 

Odie, (short for odiferous) my pet puffer-fish bird.
 He's the perfect pet, he doesn't eat, drink or poop & 
 there's always a smile on his face.

 

Yes, it looks neat and tidy, but open the

 drawers and doors...............

 
No wonder I can't remember

what I have, nor find something when I need it!
I have got to get more organized!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
A closer peek at the framed embroidery from
Jan Hagara pre-printed kits.

This is Baxter, the real bird, he's 23.

 Happy Stitching!

Woven of Wood-East Tennessee Baskets, 1880-1940

While in Tennessee this past week, we took a day trip
to Knoxville and stopped by the Museum Of East
Tennessee History to see the current display of
Appalachian baskets.  

The baskets below were HUGE!

 

White oak is the basket making material most

widely used in the Central Appalachian Mountains.....

Trees best suited for basket timber are small, from

four to eight inches at the base, approximately

twenty to thirty years old, with straight, smooth,

light grey bark and with no visible knots or

blemishes for four to six feet up the trunk.  Such

trees are likely to be the straightest and healthiest

white oaks in the forest.  

Law and Taylor

Appalachian  White Oak Basketmaking

  The perfect white oak is nearly always found to be 

growing in mature forests on the north side of 

mountain slopes.  Its struggle for light induces it

to grow straight up, and it does not waste it's energy

putting out side shoots until it reaches a safe height.

Susan H. Stephenson

Basketry of the Appalachian Mountains

The basket below is a lidded lunch basket.

I loved the photos of the basket makers.

This tiny basket is in the photo above also.

White oak baskets are still made here in the Ozarks.  Many

of our earliest settlers came from Tennessee and Kentucky,

bringing their skills and traditions with them.  I thoroughly

enjoyed this amazing exhibit, I hope you enjoyed the 

photos.

(Now, I really must make Lucy some petticoats!)

Noah's Ark Print- From A Painting By Doris Putnam

I have framed the print Planning The Ark,
from a painting by Doris Putnam, doll maker
Martha Bishop's mother.  Little did they know that
Noah's ark is my favorite Sunday School story.
Here's a link to the prior post for a closer look.
Primitive Folkart Prints

It now hangs above my small collection of vintage
 wooden Noah's arks.

1960's prim woodland ark.  These carved animals just
make me smile, especially the porcupines.

Vintage Shackman toy.

This little ark is actually an accessory to the
 American Girl doll Felicity, 1774.
 
The top slides to the side of this Italian mini toy ark.

This estate sale find is my favorite.  The ark & animals are
hand carved and carefully painted.  It's probably from the 1970's
 or 80's.  Someone spent a lot of time & effort on this ark.
  It came without a Noah, but there are plenty of
wood carvers here in the Ozarks.   

 
 

 Well, ya' gotta make do with what's available!
(These were toys my kids played with.)

 
Luckily, most of the animals store inside the arks.
I really don't like dusting!
 
  
Thank you Martha and Doris for this wonderful print,
as you can see, I have the perfect home for it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Just back from a week in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
visiting our daughter.  We took a day trip to Knoville
to visit the Museum of East Tennessee History to see
this display.  I'll do a picture post soon.