Shawl for Barbie

Barbie will soon be dressed in a lovely shawl embroidered with silk roses made from a handkerchief.  While looking for some fabric to make a shawl I found an old handkerchief that I had been given.  It is so old that the packaging was crumbling!  I thought that a corner of it would make a very pretty shawl.  I haven't made it up yet or taken pictures because I still working on the embroidery.  But I hope to finish it tomorrow.  I'm thinking of folding the shawl over and using the leftover fabric as a backing.  Then crocheting an edging to close up the edges of the shawl.

Boring!

Boring!  Since I started blogging daily the posts have been boring.  So I will have to think of something interesting to post.  Today I was working on the 1885 outfit specifically the shirred piece but my hands were screaming at me.  My hands are very tired and sore after the holidays.  So I worked a bit on designing some accessories for Barbie and going through some fabric to make shawls for her.  Hopefully I can put a link to a file with the design so anyone who wants to try it can.  I'll do my best it think up something fun to make!

1885 Countryside Under Dress Finished

 

Under dress.

 

The under dress was very straight forward and I was able to finish the skirt last night and the top today.  The skirt was made from the waist down in double crochet and then the bodice was crocheted from the waist up.  So it is really a one piece outfit.  The pattern uses double crochet most likely because the under skirt is not seen.  Tomorrow I hope to finish edging the top and creating the button holes in the back and high collar.  The rest of the outfit consists of a crocheted shirred piece of fabric for the bottom and two overskirts that wrap around the dress and form a train.  There is also a very pretty jacket.  I started the crocheted shirred piece and it is coming out cute!  The unusual fabric is a series of triple crocheted clusters.  The piece is crochet sideways.  I think that the outfit will be very pretty when it is finished!  Here is a picture of the under dress on Barbie.

 

 

 

Finished under dress on Barbie.

Tree Ideas and Barbie's Dress

The other day I was posting that I would like to do a tree for Altrusa on my own but couldn't afford presents.  Today the most bizarre idea came to me, make a Christmas tree decorated for Barbie and then I could make clothes and such as gifts!  The costs would be low because I would be doing all the gifts myself and I could use odds and ends for clothes and jewelry that I already have.  In fact I have several ideas for the clothes already.  The tree itself could be decorated in pink with a garland of shoes!  If I bought three or four Barbie's the tree could be a great gift for a family with little girls!  I think that this would be a very popular tree at the auction.  In any case I am still working on the under skirt for the 1885 Countryside Attire.  The pattern is made for collectors and actually the clothing falls 2 inches below the dolls feet.  So I am changing the pattern to fit the doll.  I love to crochet so this project will be a great pleasure to make.  The idea just needs to be thought through.  Just need to ask Barbie!

Doll Dress

As part of my Fair entries I've started crocheting a dress for my new barbie.  The dress pattern is from Paradise Publications, the 1885 Countryside Attire, volume 13.  So far it is fitting Barbie perfectly!  I've just started working on the under skirt.  The pattern includes the dress with train, jacket, hat and parasol.  The parasol is a bit small so I'm thinking of designing my own or not making one.  The jacket is so pretty but I may go with another color like pink instead of the yellow recommended in the pattern.  It is lovely!  Here is a picture of the finished dress on the pattern cover.  I enjoy crocheting so much and I've wanted to make this dress for a long time.

 

1885 Countryside Attire volume #13 by Paradise Publications.

Coconut Cake Finished

Yesterday I peeled and processed two coconuts with the hopes of them becoming a cake.  Today I put all the ingredients together and the cake was moist, dense and coconuty!  Definitely the best cake I've made.  The frosting was a 7 minute frosting.  Whipping and cooking it at the same time.  It came out really well but to sweet for me.  If I ever get crazy enough to peel coconuts again I think the cake would be better with just powdered sugar.

I received a book though paperbackswap.com called "The Open Canvas" by Carolyn Ambuter.  The illustrations are well done and I hope to use some of the stitches on the Teneriffe piece I'm making.  If my hands weren't so sore I would be embroidering right now.  I have great hopes of entering a lot of embroideries and other projects into this years fair.  Just need to finish up Christmas.  One of the reasons that I still don't have Christmas finished is that Trader Joe's is out of the Dark Chocolate I use to make truffles.  This year I am going to leave the Christmas tree up so I can work on making Altrusa ornaments all year.  I've wanted to make up a tree to donate for a long time.  The only thing stopping me is that a donation of gifts is required. So if I make the gifts that will take more time maybe even two years but it will be worth it!  Hopefully I will be embroidering to my hearts content tomorrow.

Coconut Cake

I have been playing with coconuts today.  After sending a box I came home and started processing the coconuts.  The recipe I am using is from Alton Brown and calls for a fresh coconut.  He recommends draining the coconut and then heating it in the oven for 15 minutes to crack it open.  That didn't work but it did make the coconut easier to peel and it tasted better.  The other coconut was unheated and just bashed to open it.  Then the coconut was to be shredded and steeped in milk to make coconut milk and cream.  Instead of trying to shred it I used the nutrition center and extracted the liquid directed.  The flakes of coconut were then toasted and came out very yummy. The extracted coconut liquid was amazingly sweet.  The second coconut was put through the nutrition center three times and the coconut had actually turned to butter!  Never would have believed that could happen!  So now that the coconut is all ready I will make the cake tomorrow.  My only worry is how much fiber came out into the liquid!  This has been a lot of fun so far and I can't wait to start the cake!

Turquoise and Red Dwarf

Still working on necklaces including another turquoise one.  Good thing I have a lot of turquoise colored crystals!  The biggest challenge has been to stop working on the pieces and consider them finished.  Today I worked on two already finished pieces.  All the jewelry has come out quite lovely and I'm thinking about making a tutorial on how to make some.

While making all these lovely things I have been watching Red Dwarf!  I used to watch it years ago and had no idea how many episodes I've missed.  In fact I used to watch it with my niece for which I'm sure I would be killed, she liked the toaster!  It has been really fun catching up with the insanity!

Tomorrow the jewelry gets mailed the way it is because tomorrow I'm going to make a coconut cake!  I have two coconuts on the counter to process into a delicious layer cake!  I've never tried this before and my cakes are not very good but I'm going to make this cake!  Haven't decided on the frosting yet but I am thinking about a whipped syrup frosting.  The type that are wonderfully light and fluffy and 24 hours later turn into cement!  But this will be coconut cement!  Yum!

Necklaces and the First of a New Year

The first day of the year and my first post.  The last few days I have been making so many things and had little time for posting or for pictures.  With a bit of luck the gifts will be finished soon and out in the mail.  I don't believe in New Years resolutions but I have been thinking of what things I would like to accomplish this year.  In May I will need to list entries for the Fair.  So I will need to decide what to make in the next few months.  I have also decided to make a few books this year and hope to find some inspiration soon. 

 

Below are some pictures of a couple more necklaces that I made.  Perhaps I will enter something like these in the fair.