Monday 31 August 2015

CONFESSIONS OF A SASHA SHOE- AHOLIC

Well because I have been tidying up my Sasha storage room ( small third bedroom in a normal house!) I have come to realise that over the last six years of collecting Sasha's I have also collected a very large amount of shoes!


Now I have sorted them into new large boxes and found ones left amongst other things etc I can see just how many I have gathered together!



The handmade ones by Jean Jensen, Ruth and Lisa Hartley and others and these do not account for the thirty odd Sasha's and Gregors standing about mostly in Rosie Bloom and Jean Jensen shoes.
or the ones that match an outfit and are kept with that outfit!


A few trainers !! and boots some of which are still in their bags unused!!


Commercially made shoes, the first type I collected.


My Lisa Hartley boots with the fur topped ones from Gayle Rotheim and I just know there are a few more pairs by Lisa lurking around!

There are also another box of commercially made boots and skates, a very small box of baby shoes and another small box of shoes.
I think I will have to go through these boxes and sell on some of the ones I have not used or have not used for a couple of years. That is the problem when you have things in lots of different places, you forget what you own and don't use them.

Well we had to go out again to buy another four boxes! Two more for the shoes and two of the second largest size but by doing them it's meant I could do away with two large boxes and move up some other boxes combined into the next size up and now have a few smaller boxes to use down the studio and two big boxes for Paul to use in his workshop...... well I say I gave him two big boxes ...


I kept this smaller box to put in all the things that I still will need to sort out if  I don't want to still be doing it for the rest of the week but I have just asked him to swap this box for.....




This Box....................Because I need more box!!!


I am now up to this stage...



All the smaller boxes on the left contain fabric apart from the third from the top which hold the Sasha quilts and bedding.All the new big boxes hold the Sasha clothing with the shoes and boots, well most of them in the top four boxes!

Well I now need to go and put everything left to sort into the big box and possibly another smaller box, then I can take a few photo's to share with you all tomorrow.

I would say if you are looking for shoes for Sasha check out my sales page this coming week as I will be putting some on there since I have not used them and I need to make space!

More photo's tomorrow ...... the work continues......


**** SHOES NOW ON SALES PAGE*******

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Sunday 30 August 2015

SUNDAY CATCH UP

Well the sorting and sifting of Sasha things continues! But I have finally dived into the big mess that's been building up again the Small bedroom / Sasha storage room.



This is what it looked like this afternoon ( Saturday ) when I went in to try to win this battle! The tall white unit against the back wall was at one time and only for a short while the Sasha house but it was in an awkward position for getting natural light, so it became a storage unit.


Having moved lots of the furniture down to the studio, it became a place to put things while sorting out things for Studio but I decided that today that unit was going and sorting and tidying would commence!!


After spending a good half hour moving everything out of one room and into another Paul took the shelving unit apart and took it away, out came the hoover and then the sorting began!



I had a look into this box of wool and found some of the 2 ply wool that would be perfect for the hats and mittens.



I was sure there was more? it may be in another box , I am sure I will come across it sooner or later!


 a view through the side of a plastic container at some of my fabric that needs to be used!!


Just how many pixie hats does a Sasha family need?


A little Bramber Bear still waiting to be ' found' !


Yet move china! How much do I need ? It would appear quite a bit! I do love china big or small!!


Finding boots and putting them together in a box.


another little box of china cups and saucers which also contained this little blue and white plate.


White unit gone and piles of sorting in progress! Time to stop for a short break! Then onward and upward!

Well today, Sunday , I decided I needed some more but bigger or different shaped boxes so that I could have less boxes , if that makes sense!!

So we went off to Hobby craft and then to B&Q on the hunt for boxes.



We came back with these! The top three from Hobby craft and the bottom one from B&Q unfortunately the two biggest boxes each store only had one left and of course now I am home and using them I could do with another one of the top box!
I would also like another of the third box down, so will go on the hunt for them next week.

I came across wool that I had bought to make the 'human' family sweaters with  some I am keeping but quite a bit I will sell on.


This gorgeous purple wool is going on ebay any minute.


And so is this ! It's got to go even though I am thinking.. oh it's so nice, love the colour ...maybe I could use it for something...... NO it's going...

I have now listed this wool plus more on my sales page and also on ebay, I just hope it all goes!

Well I have been working on the room all day  with only a break now and then to have a cup of tea and a sit down. All the new boxes are in use and two old boxes have gone into one new one! However I am now using the old boxes!!! I'm up sizing each box from a smaller one as I gather everything in one place... I now have a hats & bags box and a socks & tights box!
So still lots of boxes but much much tidier!



I found these little place mats and napkins in one of the bags that contained a patchwork quilt and pillow! The place mats are a little big for the Sasha table but the Napkins make great place mats!

I now have a box of just Sasha bedding! Well it looks like this may roll over into Monday! So I will wait until tomorrow to share a photo of the room and you can judge if it's any better!!

I can see I am going to have to be very hard once everything is sorted and go back and take things out to sell on, need to reduce that amount of boxes even more!But for now I just want everything tidy and labelled so I can find it!

Ps
I forgot to tell you about Paul opening the curtains one morning in the week to find the King of the Heron's sitting on the edge of our pond!! We had four fairly large fish and we thought that he'd eaten them all but finally this morning Paul saw ONE of them over by the edge, so today he went out and got five small gold fish to keep it company ! Let's hope the Heron does not return thinking we are running a takeaway for him! Mind you these new fish are about 2 to 3 inches and the ones he ate were about 6 to 7 inches !


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Thursday 27 August 2015

SMOCKING?

When I was sorting out more of my Sasha things, I came across the Sasha Festival 2012 booklet which was perfect timing!

I had seen a kit for sale on ebay for a  dress for a Kidz n Cats doll , the kit allows for you to do the smocking and then make up the dress, it was in a lovely fabric so without thinking any more I pressed the buy button and it was on it's way.





Well in the Sasha festival booklet is the details for some smocking patterns plus dress pattern.



And since the last time I smocked something I was about ten and it was a red gingham cushion cover so I am what is called rusty!! :) Finding these instructions was perfect!

The Kidz n Cats dress was barely through the door before I saw one for a Little Darling doll! and since my girl CJ ( Courtney Junior) is still waiting for something to wear , the button was pressed and another little dress kit arrived in the Village.

Is it cheating? Maybe but then again it is also a good way to see first hand how the dresses are supposed to go together and to try some smocking without also having to start from scratch plus if I really enjoy it , I will be able to make some myself ,if I wish, from scratch.



So here is the second kit.

 Now I would like to say and here is the finished dresses! But like everything else in my life at the moment they are both still on the to do pile! However I should have some free time coming along soon, so will hopefully be showing you the finished dresses in the not to distance future!



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Wednesday 26 August 2015

AUGUST WINNER

I'm sure you have all worked out this months winner. Not many votes due to everyone being on holiday but still a clear winner.



NUMBER 1               A WOMEN'S WORK IS NEVER DONE   BY ELLEN CHURCH


Congratulations Ellen on winning this month's competition , an action packed photo of something seen in homes all over the world!

Many thanks to our two other entrants for two great photo's and to all three for  taking the time to take and send in a photo.

I for one am looking forward to seeing what turns up for September's photo's.


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Monday 24 August 2015

COATS AND HATS AND COLOUR...

Well with today's weather of heavy rain all day, this blog post could not be better timed ! After showing you all my collection of clothes by Karen Warnaka a friend kindly sent me some photo's of her KW coat collection.

Now knowing how we all love seeing other peoples Sasha's ,Gregor's, Babies, clothes etc . I asked if I could share them with you. She very kindly said yes.





So here is her hanging rail of coats  along with boots already to be donned to keep out the cold and wet. This collector's been collecting KW since she first started out so she also has this.......







this hanging rail of coats and boots, the pastels here and the dark's on the rail above! Ooo I can see a few colours I would love to add to mine!

Now being much more organised than me , she's also knitted hats and mitten's to go with her coats.



I just love how these coats all have their matching hats and mitten's , I can see I will need to get knitting ! Mind you first I'll need to find a pattern!


The matching hats and mittens for the dark's. I love the dark blue set in the left hand corner coat and hat, plus the bright red on the second row far right and the Lilac coat same place but pastel photo above! Oh All right !! I'd like them all even the one's that I already have! The button's may be different and it would save me knitting all those hats!

But since a collector likes to keep their collection that's not going to happen! But I think I will challenge myself to find a pattern and knit hats and mittens and scarves to go with each of my KW coats over the coming winter months, It's not like I don't have loads of wool waiting to be used and I can always buy some to match if I don't have the right colour.... and I have been so good and not bought any wool for ages......now where can I find a pattern.....I feel another collection coming on..... :)


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NOTE PLEASE REMEMBER TO GET YOUR VOTES IN FOR THE PHOTO COMP BY 6PM GMT TOMORROW.


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Sunday 23 August 2015

SUNDAY CATCH UP

Well another week's gone by with not an awful lot happening. The usual working five and a half days, well I did get Thursday afternoon off which was nice but did not actually get much done that day.

However things are still going forward a little at a time.

I sold one of the babies and have another one up for adoption, trying to just move on the one's that have not been here overly long and get no attention even though I do love them I must be hard , it was supposed to be one in and one out but that never seems to happen , it's either half a dozen in and one out or half a dozen out with a slow re build!

Yesterday was spent house cleaning once I was home from work, although Paul had done a fair bit while I was out. We had friends round for dinner and had a great time, especially as our friend Tom is a builder so I was talking to him about knocking down walls and moving things! He once said to me , he did not know why I did not just build a house since I was always knocking them about once I move in! But although the idea of building your own house does have an appeal , in truth I just adore old property and you just would not get that from a new build even if you tried using old materials, it just would not be the same.

Since we have been in this house we have totally redesigned the layout. Knocking out chimneys in the two smaller bedrooms and a brick cupboard. Then taking down the old brick faced fireplace surround in the living room behind which thankfully was the original wall of the fireplace. Taking out the kitchen window and replacing it with french doors and moving the kitchen back into the original area and putting that table nearer to the sun drenched windows, while knocking out another brick cupboard and bricking up the side door to form a window that the sink now sits under.Getting rid of the sliding patio doors for another set of french doors with window to match the kitchen.

There are always plans in my head for work that we still need to do and if I had not gone off into Sasha would probably have been done by now! Although as soon as the sun shines and the winters over Paul's attention turns to the garden which is another reason the house is always waiting!

Anyway after all the talk of walls coming down etc, this morning we set about clearing out the brick built shed.Due to the previous owners building on the extension this shed is now only five foot from the back of the house and although it's been a useful place for keeping things, like the freezer, it does stop you from having a nice clear outlook on the garden from the french doors and window in the living room/dinning room.

So it's got to come down!!

To that end we decided to start clearing it out.


This was the view this morning, believe it or not that worktop at the back under the window was full with boxes and whatever up until one night this week when I threw my dummy out my pram when I had to move so much stuff out the way just to get to the freezer! So we cleared lots from that worktop which meant you could finally get some light in that window!


Shelves packed with garden things and other rubbish thats not been used in months if not years!


so this is a photo of most of it now out on the patio and patio table ready to be sorted through and either found a new home or got rid of.


We took out the worktop and also the two pieces of wood that were forming a big shelf in the roof area. At this point Paul said that it looked about the same size as my new Sasha studio and would I not prefer to be here? as I would be right by the house with a nice window so plenty of natural light!
I did consider it for all of about five seconds but I think my new studio in the workshop is bigger and I want this shed gone from the place right by the house! If I could have rolled it further down the garden into the corner I would naturally keep it, it's sturdy and waterproof and I would have offered it to Lindsey for a studio BUT it's in the way, so it's going!


Well we started sorting through things and had not been going that long when The heaven's decided to open and it began to rain! At first only spots but as we quicken our pace it began to get serious so it was a rapid rush to get things moved undercover.


The freezer was moved closer to the window now the worktops gone and the shelves moved along, the only thing was due to the rain I had to put this Joe Columbo 1960's Boby unit back inside just enough to be able to shut the door as it's quite valuable and although the rain would not harm it I did not feel able to just leave it to get soaked!.You can see the rain on the top of it.



Here you can see the rain soaking the patio, I needed to go and change by the time we had finished but at least it's another job done.
We'll need to make a trip to the local tip in the week due to the 25 plus various sized tins of paint! Why do we all keep half used pots of paint? it's very rare that we get to use them again ! Mind you I did paint my studio for left over tins.

I acquired a couple of lovely blouses by Frances Trickett this week and have plans for just what I want to put them with to achieve a certain look.


I love the fabrics that Frances uses and used to own quite a few pieces of her Sasha doll clothing but it was all in lovely Satins and silks and I never used it for fear of damaging or marking  it  but now I have got over that worry and do wish I had kept back a couple of those dresses but there you go we live and learn.



Well this weeks plan is to get further with the move into the Studio, sort out and sell on clothes I not longer need or use for the Sasha's and make up a few idea's for hats that's floating round in my head !

If I can get half or a third of that done I will be very happy!

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Wednesday 19 August 2015

COLLECTIONS IN COLLECTIONS!

If like me you have and always have been a person who collects things,having started at a very young age.
Even your collections have collections within them.

The collection I am going to share with you today I blame on Ellen Church ! Yes Ellen you ! It's no good shaking your head and looking elsewhere... it was down to you that this collection started.... it's down to me in how far it's come on ! but it was seeing the following photo's of Ellen's that set me on my path....








and this is one of the photo's that set me on my quest


Gorgeous Sasha's in Gorgeous Coats and Dresses.

Then I bought my Dungaree's girl Paige from Shelly  and Paige had belonged to Ellen who very kindly sent along a couple of Paige's outfits so that she'd feel more at home.


And one was this beautiful smocked dress by Karen Warnaka . Well then Ellen showed off her No navel's in Karen's coats and dresses and well I was hooked!

So over the last few years I have been slowing building up my Collection of  dresses and coats by Karen.

When I was sorting out some of the things from my Sasha room, I decided to share my collection with you.


Like any good collector I have a variety of colours in these hooded coats.


I also have one in white which is as usual not in the box! 


Believe it or not , I have even bought some for friends as presents and I confess It was VERY hard to give them away!


I set about getting some coats with dresses to match. I managed to get a lemon coat to match the first dress that belongs to Paige.


I wanted them for my No Navel girls. However I now have a lot more No Navels than when I first started.


Look so good outside in the garden, so full of colour.


Naturally while looking on Karen's Etsy site I would be lucky enough to find she had put some dresses or coats in her shop and would quickly send a request to buy if one took my fancy and funds were available.


So over the years have acquired a lovely selection of smocked dresses is gorgeous floral fabrics.


I also have one in an Alice in wonderland print and one with long sleeves.


This was one of the first I managed to buy. I love this design which was first worn by Ginny.


 The long sleeved dress in a lovely blue.


A closer look at these gorgeous fabrics that Karen uses.


These two still have their tags and you can just see some packing in the sleeve on the right.They are still to be used.


Each with wonderful smocking.



Some of the first summer jackets that I managed to buy off Karen's site.

And now Karen has designed a new Jacket style which I love! I was lucky to get hold of this plum one.


I see another addition to this collection coming on.... oh no........ I love it!!

So this is the first of my collections in a collection that I am going to show you.Now before you all or only a few of you rush off in search of Karen, please remember she is just one woman , a very talented craftswoman who like us all lives a life outside of Sasha, and therefore produces a limited amount of goods monthly, so you will need to bide your time and wait for something to appear that strikes your fancy and hope you are the person who secures it. Also if you are not living in the US you will need to be willing to pay customs charges if your packet goes through customs. Some of mine have and it's added a pretty penny but quite a few have not.

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