Lottie's new pants

[ need to add picture]

Well... i made my own pants pattern. I did it a little differently than you taught us, Chelly (chellywood.com) but the class gave me the confidence to try. 

The doll is a Lottie doll. I generally thrift dolls, but I bought a blonde haired one new and when I saw this nekkid brown haired girl I couldn't resist. She is 7 inches tall and has a little girl body. 

Memories...

Remembering when I lived I the attic.  A facebook group asked what our favorite book was, that got us through hard times. Interesting question. The first book I thought of was I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. When I thought about how crazy it was to sleep up there (wonderful in a lot of ways) I would remember that book, thinking that they lived in a cold old castle and it was crazier than my attic. And it all worked out in the end, not as expected.

Another book was The Little Princess. She lived in an attic too. And The Little Lame Prince.... ummm.... seeing a pattern here. 

Growing up, I always felt like I was in the way. So it felt good to sleep in that out of the way attic. Like that's where I ought to be. It was cozy, really. I loved it when it rained, because the bed was only a couple feet from the roof, way in the corner where the roof sloped down. It sounds like an odd arrangement, but with foster kids, I just wanted to be alone and not have to share a room.

So now I'll try to sleep and remember what it was like, up in the attic.

My first blog post was May 9, 2004. Twelve years ago!!

So odd to think I've been blogging since 2004. First with Wordpress, then here.  Now they have come up with "compliance" issues and I don't really think I am going to be able to fix everything. I'm sure there are folks out there that will charge to get your blog to compliance, but this is basically only for me, I don't think anyone else ever reads it. So I've been investigating, and I don't even understand what they are talking about. 

So this might be my last post. I may start a new one, and make sure it is compliant, but I don't think so. I'm getting old now, and starting over sounds just, well, silly. I'm using a computer that runs Windows 8, and why should I get another more up to date computer only for this?

But I hate that all my writing will be lost. So I've got a lot of thinking to do, and communicating with blogspot. I've sent them a message, but will they answer?

Hmm.

I doubt if this will be my last post. I can't help but write, even if nobody is listening!!!

How to get unfrozen?

Today, went to the thrift store to get hubby some shorts. His go-to shorts have a shredded pocket. I've replaced pockets before, patched just about everything. But where sewing is concerned, I'm frozen. I have a bunch of doll clothes to make, some even cut out and ready to sew. I set up the sewing machine today. Even ironed some fabric. BUT>>>>>> 

Just can't seem to make myself do it. And I LIKE sewing, quilting, dolls, etc.... and I don't understand. The old "I might not do a good job" or "I don't have time" or I don't know whatever other excuse. I don't get it.

Husband will not be home tomorrow. Will that help? For some reason, I can do more when he's not here. Like cooking. I have HB that needs to be made into taco meat. It's frozen, but in small packages so it's easy to thaw. When he said he would be gone, I thought, "I'll get the sink unclogged, cook that meat, sweep that back hallway and get the special litter rug under the cat box. I'll do this, and that, and this, and that. Why not when he's here???

Sigh. Well, here's some pictures of what I didn't bring home today.

Unimax dolls.... what about a wardrobe for them? Any interest in patterns? I took Chelly Wood's class...

I signed up for a pants drafting class for doll clothes. I figured I would use the Unimax girls for the project because I have no patterns for them. They are unique. Dresses from Fashion Friends fit them, although they are very long. Not a big problem, really. I haven't found any pants from other dolls that fit, however, although Paola Reina is pretty close. So I am hoping by the end of February to have a pattern drafted, and pants made. *** EDIT well I finished the class in April. Too many crazies in February and March. I'm excited to make pants for the Unimax girls from the pattern I made. I also made a slope for a top, so I will also draft a top and/or a dress. I took a drafting class many years ago, and I am remembering... ***

I think my biggest problem with everything, is lack of self esteem. I never feel like I can do anything right. BUT. I've made plenty of doll clothes, my own clothes, quilts, wall hangings... I just need to zoom in and borrow some of the confidence I had then and apply it to the future. 

So this is just a little post, of hopeful.

What I HAVE been doing is painting rocks. I started the 14th so there are love ones, although I didn't get them hidden anywhere. I did one in memory of a friend that died of fentanyl poisoning; yesterday was her birthday. Her family planted a tree in her honor in a park near me, so I left it there.

Not sure where these are going. Hopefully within the next few days.

I did three tonight, no pictures. One says "Keep Dancing" and the other is a little bird above the word "Sing". The third just says "Don't give up". 

One foot in front of the other.

Thoughts on decluttering (again)

Too much thinking, too little getting rid of. The obstacles I find easily.  

Things that were my parents' such as picture albums and keepsakes... I know that it won't make sense to anyone but me, so COULD downsize... but.....

photo albums of my parents lives!

cookbooks from grandmas and favorite children's books

 

 

Ron Scofield's prints,
poems that hung on my wall growing up,
my mother in law's painting, my dad's ceramics....

a nativity I made that's less than 2 inches tall

a decorative thing I made for my mom
many years ago, out of beans!!! It
hung in her kitchen for 20+ years 

made by my dad

painted by my aunt

made by my grandson

made by different grandsons

my son James' santa

You get the idea. Why are some people so neat and tidy and unsentimental? My mom was. It was gone in a flash if she thought it was unused. Then there's me. It's like having my loved ones around me. I miss them all. 

As if MY stuff isn't enough, now I've added some of Judy's. I kept some, because I couldn't just toss them. I donated a lot though, before I could think too much about it. 

Take pictures, you say. Well there they are. Now to print them out and put them in an album? Or just think, I'm bound to have dementia, so who cares?? 

I always feel like things need documenting. For who???

I try to let things, go, and sometimes I'm successful. Often, I'm not.

Crazy Cat Update

Last year when I lost my cousin, I inherited a cat. She was very very very scared of anyone. For awhile I thought we were going to have to give up and take her to the shelter. I didn't want to do that, but thought maybe she would be better off with someone else.

I'm glad we didn't, although she hid from us for TWO MONTHS. Finally she started coming out. Little by little we made friends. She's still not a very friendly cat, she has very limited petting tolerance but will sit for hours on my lap as I discovered one day when I wasn't feeling well and spent my day on the couch. 

One of Judy's friends got Judy a fluffy fleece blanket, and the cat fell in love. So that was one way we tried to coax her out/ Nothing seemed to work. I haven't been too great with cats, I'm more of a dog lover. They are way more predictable, you know where you stand, and you can go on walks.

I never thought a CAT could be leash trained, but she kept trying to escape to outside, and she was declawed in the life before Judy had her, and she's somewhere around 10 to 15 years old and we have lots of fighting cats around here so I wasn't comfortable just letting her out. So we got a harness and leash!! To my absolute surprise she didn't fight it, and we now go on walks. Not like dog walks where the human decides where you're going, but the cat version, where the cat decides. 

If you're old enough, you'll remember a song that goes with this.  

 "Walking my Cat Named Dog" by Norma Tanega. 1966

True story song. Norma moved to a New York apartment where dogs weren't allowed, so she got a cat and named it Dog. 

"Dog is a good old cat

People what you think of that

That's where I'm at..."