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"Let's be cheerful"! We have no more right to steal the brightness out of the day for our own family than we have to steal the purse of a stranger. Let us be as careful that our homes are furnished with pleasant & happy thoughts as we are that the rugs are the right color and texture & the furniture comfortable and beautiful"! Laura Ingalls Wilder

Thursday, April 7, 2011

inspiration by default



What does a dreamy girl who always loved dolls do when she is 15 and still loves her dolls?




Last Wednesday we tore out of the house to drive the half hour to sewing class.  Not only were we having a hard time getting out of the house, but we still needed to pick up a friend who needed a ride out.  Upon starting the engine I was immediately frustrated to find that whoever drove my van last had left me in sorry shape for fuel.  The gas light was on!  Long story short, we were late.




Once there, Erin laid out her washed, ironed, and slightly damp (did I mention we were having a hard time that morning)  fabric.  Time to pin on the pattern pieces.  Pattern?  "Mom, did you grab my pattern"?  No.




She wasn't going to be able to cut out her skirt today.  We brought extra fabric so she decided to make a skirt for her doll.  Teacher said that she could show her how to do a wrap around skirt.  Great!  Scissors?  "Mom, do you have my scissors"?   no.
"That's O.K., she can use mine"...




We're still not done yet if you can imagine.  Cute doll skirt is all cut out.  There is actually going to be time to sew.  "Mom, did you grab the sewing machine pedal"?  no. 




The bright side to this story (there is a bright side) is that daughter came home with a cute addition to the doll's wardrobe.  And yesterday, her teacher brought in her doll with it's amazing handmade wardrobe for 'show and tell'.  So,  Erin came home, set up the machine and began designing.  Her first attempt since the years when she and her cousin wrapped fabric around the dolls sarong style and called them Indians.




It was almost midnight when I sent her to bed.  What kind of home school mom would halt this crazy creative passion?  Me?  No!  
Thanks for the inspiration Sarah, and the patience...

I am joining Natural Suburbia's Creative Friday

Blessings,  Debbie

12 comments:

  1. A future designer to watch out for on the runway? I wouldn't have sent her to bed either...isn't this one of the reasons we homeschool?!

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  2. I tend to let my girls stay up late too if they're involved in creative activities, or if they are playing together creatively and actually getting along! My girls both love their American Girl dolls too! (That was an AG doll, wasn't it?)

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  3. Creativity and sewing skills...what a combination! Good for her.

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  4. How great that you guys are doing sewing lessons. I think, at her age, and with the kind of thing you show her doing, she'll really catch on to the shapes and bias and functionality of line and warp. It's a great thing to know. Especially in a changing world. We have China sewing for us now - but some day, we may find ourselves needing to be able to be more useful than we are.

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  5. Oh love it... she did a great job!...my daughter wouldn't follow a pattern, she had her own ideas! I can't get her to sew much now...maybe one day.
    Now I can't make my son go to bed when he has pulled the computer apart to re-figure something...now I can't help him, sewing was more up my stream. Us home school moms!

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  6. Very nice dress though. I just found a doll like that in the toy box when I was looking for my grand children so different toys. So funny.

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  7. Cute dress!! What a wonderful hobby for you daughter!!! She should check out some of the doll collector conventions and see the clothes that grown ladies make and sell for their dolls.. (I went to one with my sister... she is the collector, I was just there to watch.)

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  8. Wow! Erin has done an incredible job making the dress for her doll. I love the fabric too! Well done Erin.

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  9. That's wonderful, I remember when my mum taught my sister and I how to sew, good memories, your daughter will carry this with her forever!

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  10. What a darling dress! She did fabulous! Thanks for visiting and your nice comments!

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  11. This is great..maybe she will grow up and design beautiful modest clothing..that would be so good! ;D

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  12. What a wonderful way to practice sewing, pattern drafting, and fashion design skills. There is so much learning in such activity! Encourage all the way!!!

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