Tasha Tudor Event

I have loved all things Tasha Tudor since I was a young mother and discovered this older woman who liked to do all the things I liked to do.  I loved antique dolls, gardening, herbs, period costume, tea parties, watercolor painting, and corgis.  She did also.  I incorporated so many of her practises into our lives when I was raising my daughter.  We had bear tea parties on Christmas Eve for all her friends and doll's Christmas trees.  We had french fashion dolls that lived at our house and I even made french fashion dolls for some of my daughter's friends and taught them hand-sewing by sewing for the dolls.  We had 4th of July parades up and down my mother's street waving flags and singing patriotic songs before the fireworks were set off.  We had special birthday parties.  I made her dolls special wardrobes.  We had puppets and Sparrow Post and she bought things with buttons.  So much fun.

Since a child, I have loved antique dolls and have quite a collection of them.  I also have a collection of reproduction french fashions that I have made many authentic 1850 and 1870 dresses for and all their little accessories.  They have always been an integral part of my life until about the last 15 years.  I went back to work full-time and then became a grandma, and I just haven't had the time or, maybe more importantly, the energy to work on them.

When my mom passed away seven years ago, I brought home her remaining dolls and all the supplies she had purchased to make things for them and put them all away.  I had good intentions of making things for my dolls, but aside from a few things, little has happened.

Now I have been invited to join a Tasha Tudor club and I immediately knew I would bring my Annabelle doll, styled after the doll in "A is for Annabelle" by Tasha Tudor.  I took her out tonight and made a little repair to some lace on her dress and decided her bonnet was falling apart and, if we are going out in public she really needs some shoes and a cloak.  So I spent the evening going through my boxes and my mom's boxes and picked out some hat straw, lace, ribbon, fabric, and leather to make those items for her.  I was surprised at just how happy it made me to handle it all and what I had forgotten was in there.

So, I know now that I NEED to be sewing on some of these little projects.  My dolls are still needed.  The joy is still there.  Somehow I am going to find a way to incorporate them back into my life.

~Jane

A Sweet Apron

As I spend hours, washing, mending and ironing all these aprons, I can't help but think about the women who made them.  Almost all of them are homemade.  The women who made them had varying skill levels.  You can tell the ones that were quite expertly made and the ones made by beginning sewers.  Some of them are quite fancy, others very plain.  They all have a story to tell.

With all the aprons to choose from, I have kept very few.  There were a couple I recognized as mine.  My mother made them for me when I took home ec in the 7th grade and we all had to have two aprons.  Those I saved since my mother made them for me.  There is one from the 1920's or 30's that I love.  If I ever get skinny, I will wear it like a pinafore over a plain white dress.  It is so delicate.  A couple I have saved for the fabric to make doll clothes.  Then there is this one.

This apron is so delicate and pretty.  Really, it is quite simple.  Just what I think is a barred lawn printed with delicate little pink and green flowers.  But it tells quite a story.  The waistband is pieced, as is the pocket.  Obviously whoever made it didn't have much in the way of fabric, but used what she had.  There is even a mend in the center front.  It was a decorative apron I think, with all that lace whipped by hand around the edges.  The simple scalloped hem.  It's all very neatly made.  I just wish I knew it's story.

~Jane

Photographing Fabric

When I decided to sell some of my mother's stash online, I hadn't a clue as to how difficult and time-consuming it was going to be.  The worst of it?  Taking pictures of the fabric.  Oh my goodness, it is almost impossible!  :)

This is a nice, I believe silk or silk/rayon velvet.  I've purchased similar fabric in the past.  How do you get it to show up as velvet?   The next one is a pretty good picture of the rose taffeta.  The Black and White Plaid showed up okay.

Black Velvet

Rose Taffeta

Black and White Plaid or check depending on your viewpoint.

I took all the pictures and I can't even tell you which one this is supposed to be?  I'm not selling anything this color!  I think it may be the Pale Green Faille.  :)

Pink and White Stripe - Perfect for an Annabelle dress.  But is it silk or cotton?  I can't decide.  It's beautiful regardless.

Light Teal Silk...certainly not this bright!

Well, I went out and bought a new memory card so I can try again and take more pictures.  If you're interested in sewing for antique dolls, or vintage fabrics for crafts, check out my daughter's Etsy shop:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlesproutbasics .  There is only a limited amount of these, sometimes only one piece, so if you want something get it quick.  I'll be adding lots more fabrics over the next couple weeks. 

~Jane