SUPER EASY Lalaloopsy Pajamas!

Last night I whipped up these little jammies for JellyBean's Lalaloopsy doll.  Looks complicated, right?  IT'S NOT!  It took me about 30 minutes, start to finish -- and the thing I spent the most time on was...

 



...pinning!

Please see my original Baby Clothes to Doll Clothes tutorial!  :oD  :oD

(Now I am itching to make MORE!)

Sewing Room Reorganization, Part I

I've been working (and reworking) my sewing room for ages.  I've had a vision for a long time, and I am finally achieving the look and the level of organization I want!  Today I wanted to show you a few of the more aesthetic areas of the room -- and soon I will share more of the storage solutions.

My display shelf has moved and evolved.  I love tiny things...  which you already know!...  but I also love oversized objects!  Here I have the collage I made ages ago, some favorite vintage sewing books, two vintage mini sewing machines, huge clothespins, scissors and pincushion, and my little set of spool dolls made by my dear friend mitch.  (She has an etsy shop!)

I recently purchased an EXPEDIT shelf from Ikea -- the biggest one! -- and this display is up on top of it.



Speaking of my Expedit shelf...  Those little cube shapes are perfect for dolly bedrooms/display rooms!  :oD  Obviously they are still a work in progress, but I am liking them so far!

 

This view doesn't look like much... up above is the 4" picture ledge I've had up there for ages. Down below I used to have a vintage-style clock, which has since bit the dust -- but since there was still a nail, I stuck this little green bench up there. It's the perfect spot for my little Takara petites! I don't think it is a permanent solution, but it's making me happy right now!



I always have lots of little photos, drawings, business cards, Moo cards, snippets, etc. that I enjoy keeping for memories' sake.  I decided to take some poster tack and start arranging them around my closet doors.  I really love the organic shape it is taking...  and I am constantly adding more goodies!

Can you HELP?

I am in desperate need of some YELLOW baby corduroy.  (21 wale corduroy is what I am looking for!)  I cannot find it in any stores, or online.  Is there anyone who has some stashed away that could spare a little?  I am looking for 1/3 yard, but would be fine with 1/4 or even 1/8 -- or even less!

Please contact me if you can help me out.
I don't know where else to look!  :o)

THANKS A MILLION! 
Hope you're enjoying the end of your summer -- my kiddos are back to school in TWO WEEKS.  I can't believe it!!

Lalaloopsy Bunk Bed!

I have to tell you a cute little story!

My kiddos got a little spending money from their grandparents.  When we went to the toy store to have the kids scope things out and try to decide how to spend their money, we ended up starting on the Lego aisle.  Now, usually JellyBean joins in the fun when it comes to Legos.  This time she sort of stood there thinking for a minute, then said, "Mom?  Let's go look at FUN stuff!!"

I told her to show me where the FUN stuff aisle was, and she led me straight to the Lalaloopsies!  I had no idea she had been eyeing them, and was loving them!

Needless to say, we came home with one, whom she affectionately named Tire.  She has beautiful pearly white hair.  She is darling!  I had no idea they were so cute!  Well...  I wanted to get in on the fun too (HOORAY for something fun we can play together!) so we went back a few days later and picked up my pink-haired girl.  My daughter named her Sunday!  :o)

JellyBean got this darling bunkbed from her aunt on her first birthday.  It has been used to sleep many different stuffed friends and dollies, but sadly had never had any mattresses or cute bedding.  (Cringe!)  Finally JellyBean insisted that the Lala girlies have something cute to sleep on.  So it was off to the fabric store!

We found three coordinating prints in two different colors, as well as 1" thick high density foam to make the mattresses.  When I got home and cut the mattresses to size, I discovered there was just enough left over to make pillows -- yay! 

I then made each bed a little matching blanket.  Perfect!

Now Sunday and Tire can sleep in style after their many, many tea parties and snacks on their cute thrifted dolly table!

An Unexpected Burst of Energy

I've been in a sewing funk.  Finally last week I had a huge burst of energy and sewed up a gazillion (okay, not THAT many!) items for my doll clothes etsy shop, Stitchwhipped.  Of course, my hubs was out of town for a week, and I don't sleep well when he's gone...  so I am sure that had a lot to do with how much I accomplished, ha ha!

I've been working on western-themed wear in three different dolly sizes.  It's been so much fun!

 Leonore really got into the modeling gig.  She is an 11" Blythe doll with a Licca body.

 The 8" Middie Blythes (Lexy, Matilda, and Nora) modeled some top-and-skirt sets.

And of course we must not forget the tiny 4" Petite Blythe girlies!

 

Hooray for sewing -- and hooray for happily playing kiddos who allow it now and then!  :oD

Leaves for Little Caterpillar Friends

Here's a quick little five-minute project!

 My daughter JellyBean has two stuffed caterpillars, purchased at the dollar store, that are very special.  They like to do all sorts of things with her -- eat, sleep, play dollhouse, etc.  Recently JellyBean decided that they needed "blankies" of their very own.  Here is what I came up with:

 Ta-Da!  A cute leaf, complete with zig-zaggy edges and a hole for the caterpillars to climb through -- and they are big enough to wrap the caterpillars in when it's bedtime!

I simply started with two sheets of green craft felt (around 35 cents each at a craft store!) placed in a double layer for strength, and cut out a basic leaf shape, keeping as much of the surface area as I could.  I sewed around the edge, then free-motion sewed veins and a stem on the leaf.  (Of course you could do this with a straight stitch too -- with a little stopping, turning, etc.)  Then I cut a template for the hole from a scrap piece of felt.  Felt was the key, because it stuck right to the leaf!  I sewed around the felt circle (not on it of course), and simply cut just inside my stitching line.  I used pinking shears for the bumpy leaf edges.

 And then of course I had to repeat for Mrs. Caterpillar's leaf!  This one turned out smaller because my other two pieces of felt were not quite full-size.

Mrs. and Mr. Caterpillar (and JellyBean of course!) are very pleased with their new caterpillar blankies -- that double as lunch!  :o)

Dolly fun this afternoon!

Just wanted to share this quick photo from a fun little meet I had with a few dolly friends this afternoon.  Hooray for Blythe!

(No, these are not all MY girlies!) 

:o)