SUNDAY SEASIDE MEMORIES

 

Well I've had a lovely week because Paul and myself have just spent five days on the isle of wight, a wonderful gift holiday break gifted by our three gorgeous daughters for our 50th wedding anniversary which was in August.

We stayed in a ground floor flat overlooking Ventnor beach. This wonderful Art Deco building called the Winter Gardens, was just along from the end of the road, on the way down to the beach. A stunning building that alas is empty at present. With commanding views across the sea, it really needs someone to bring it back to its full glory, feeding and entertaining tourists and islanders alike.

I needed something to do in the evenings, so decided to take along my bag of kits, that need making.

The bag contains quite a few craft kits from the Sasha Celebration Weekends. A few years back I put them all into this bag, also from a SCW with the intension of making them up over a few months. Well that didn't happen, obviously. So when I saw them a week ago I decided to take them with me.

These are what were in the bag, along with some small teddy/animal kits I'd also bought and not done.

Naturally it turned out that a few needed some gluing but since I was not in my own home, I had to put those aside to do when I returned home.

So first one completed was this gorgeous bag by Frances Trickett, I only had to sew the sides together and add the ribboned handle. 

Next was another Frances Trickett designed bag. This one I did do the chain stitch design on and added the beads, sewed up the sides and added the rope/cord handle.

Saffy was quick to decide this was the perfect bag for her holiday sight seeing trips and that was that. So two items completed.

I also managed to complete a third item, the ballet skirt but I'm not happy with how it turned out so will probably redo it .

While I was on the Isle of Wight I met up with some lovely Sasha / doll friends for an afternoon of doll gossip and chat.

Catherine and Jane's Ten Ping Dolls and Gigi's.

Chris's Ten Ping's etc enjoying a gathering on the side. It was Chris's house we met at.

More of Chris's dolls along with my Roche doll Esme in green and yellow.

More of Chris's dolls, this time the Sasha's and babies.

Now I could  and should have taken many more but well you know what it's like when doll people get together ! Laughter and chat gets in the way of almost everything else. Chris laid on a lovely meal for us, before Jane and Catherine needed to catch their ferry back to the mainland and we needed to head off back to our holiday home, as did Gill.

They have a wonderful model village in Godshill on the island which we visited. When I was a child I lived in London and the local park, called Vauxhall park used to have several small cottages, just like these in a row along a border with a small hedge behind and a Victorian style metal garden fence in front. 

In the photo above the church had a wedding party outside and music and hymns played.

Naturally if you go to the Isle of Wight , you need to visit Osbourne House Queen Victoria and Prince Alberts holiday home. We'd book tickets before we went has you can save 15% and picked the last day of our stay to visit as it was not far, 5 minutes, from the Ferry terminal in Cowes.

Wouldn't mind this statue for the garden , I'm sure I'd be able to fine her a nice space . . . . . .

Being a Cancerian , I like nothing better than to be by the sea and what a beautiful sea it was. We were very lucky with the weather and did not need to wear a coat until the last day when the sun was hidden behind cloud most of the day and there was a slight chill.

I'll say just one more thing before I finish boring you all with holiday photos and news.

I had to live with these for five days !! Honestly who would want an orange radiator and foot stall !! 

So we are almost at the start of October which will be the rundown to this years Chat n Snap, the last one.

Amazingly all the playground items are made and finished and just sitting and waiting for the day. This is unheard of in the history of the Chat n Snap apart from the very first one, when Paul made a small row of shop fronts. It's a great place to be in, mainly just waiting until the week leading up to the day ,for the items food etc that cannot be sorted any earlier.

Today's headliners are Saffron and Kyra, they came with me on holiday and to Chris's doll meet up. I didn't take photos of them there as they had a window behind them. 

On the doll front, well just before I left I had an offer of a swap on one of my non Sasha dolls and we agreed on a swap along with some cash. So the doll whisked off on the day I left and yesterday the doll I swapped for arrived. 

A lovely early black baby , now wearing an outfit I bought from Michelle which arrived this week.

Since I was away nothing else as left but  a lovely box of raffle prizes did arrive, so that's two lovely boxes in just two weeks. The raffle will be lovely and full of treasure as usual.

So on that note I will wish you all a lovely healthy happy week ahead

Dee 

A SUNNY SUNDAY

 

Well the days seem to be rushing past ! The world goes from good to bad and back again , on a daily basis ! But at least we can push that aside and enjoy our dolls.

I've been carrying on with my sewing. However now I have loads of piles of fabric, pins, scissors, half made dolls bed quilts sitting about on the kitchen table! 

I have finished quite a few items, even having to unpick and resew three pinafore dresses that went slightly wrong. But I am enjoying having a sewing machine that's working just fine and is easier to use.

I am having tussles with the press studs, it seems half the ones you buy have faults and you cannot get a needle through one of the holes or have to fight to get them to snap together, which stops a lovely relaxing finishing of an item into a stressful time.

The items for the chat n snap are now mainly all finished and just waiting for the day to arrive, which is another thing heading rapidly towards us. Lovely Sasha friends are sending items for the raffle already, so already we have a box of goodies slowly growing, we always have lots donated on the day by all the people who attend.

Today's headliner is Cilla, who is wearing a beautiful and beautifully made pinafore dress set by Petrana, whose pattern I have been using to make my pinafores from. 

On the doll front, things are moving along, I have done a part exchange on my last Schoenhut doll for a baby Sasha and cash. So not really one out because one, although much smaller , is coming in ! 

I have bought a few t shirts off Ginny, who has a sale on and also an outfit for one of my many babies , who have suddenly filled the place.

I just had to buy this when I saw the beautiful Christmas fabric blouse, Ruth had made to go with the rich red cord dungarees.

So baby Rebel Ronnie is now already for Christmas, so one down and . . ...  . many more to go !!

Well we are off next week for a small holiday, Lindsey will be home looking after the dogs, while Paul and I, get to visit the isle of wight and also get to attend a small doll meet up with some good friends.

I will wish you all a lovely happy healthy doll filled week ahead.

Dee

 

ON THE MOVE

Alas Ruairi is on the move.

Ruairi is now up for sale , he will come in his original clothes not the outfit and shoes he is wearing here.

He is in perfect facial condition, his body has the usual gotz bumps but is fine.

A lovely head of hair

I have only ever seen two, a brunette in the three Ann's book and this lad. I am asking what I paid for him.

If interested please message/ email me. Details on my sales page.

Dee 

****UPDATE  Ruairi is off to his new home and looking forward to meeting his new mum ***

A WET RAINY SUNDAY

 

So another busy week. It's mainly been dry and sunny but a few showers have started to come in during the last few days and we needed the rain so much. The ground's been just so dry. So the fact that it's been raining constantly around 1.30 this afternoon and is still raining, is fine because it is so needed.

Have had a good week, a health issue I had as resolved itself, so no need for a little op. So now I can get on without that hanging over me. I didn't realise it was hanging until after my appointment when I found myself feeling a lot brighter! 

Now I have been using my sewing machine most days, tackling little projects, getting used to it. I have made twelve pinafores!! yes twelve! Six for Roche dolls and six for Sasha's. 

Roche pinafores

Roche Pinafores

Two Sasha pinafores 

two more Sasha pinafores.

Part made quilt, from a pack of four fat quarters.

While I have been sewing away, Paul's made the last of the playground items. Seven items in total. Paul's really enjoyed making them, working out how to put them together and a good size for the Sasha's.

I cannot wait to see them all set up together on the village hall stage ready for the event to start.

Kyra is todays headliner. wearing her beautiful blue cord dress along with her scarf and gloves.  So things are happening all over, which is lovely.

So on that note I will wish you all a lovely happy healthy week ahead.

Dee

On the dolls front. One doll left , non Sasha along with a large bear and one Sasha baby arrived. So still going slowly which is good , especially since I have not really been trying to find any more things to sell, which I do need to start doing again soon.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT

 IS YET?

A SUNNY SEPTEMBER SUNDAY

 

Well we are now in the lovely months of autumn. I do love autumn, the days can be warm and bright along with cooling nights. So we are much more comfortable, doing more in the days because it's not too hot and it's cool at night so you can get to sleep. Then you have the lovely changing of the colours of the trees and plants.

The house is in a making phase ! Paul's been working on the playground items for the Chat n Snap display. I think it's sparked a fire in him as he's been working his way through the list of items needed and there are now six wonderful items made ! Now to say this is amazing, is because in the normal state of our up coming Chat n Snaps, apart from the very first one, we have usually had a mad dash to getting tings done up to and including evening before! Where as this year , we could at a push, lay out the display tomorrow ! 

So it's wonderful that we'll this year, actually just be waiting for the day to arrive come October with just the food etc to sort last thing.

Also since I have now got a new up to date sewing machine, I have been making things , slowly getting used to it.

I have been doing some patchwork doll quilts, a great way to get used to the new machine.

I have been using up some scraps of fabric which Michelle sent me because I have not really made much, so don't really have much in the way of scraps at the moment. Plus I am someone who just cannot waste fabric  It take's me ages to actually use fabric that's lovely lol, mt fabric's almost become a collection in their own right!

But I have also been making some clothes for my Roche dolls and will be starting on some for the Sasha's too. So finally I am actually using up some of my fabric which can only be a good thing but as usual I am scrabbling about to find where I have put things which I now need for my sewing projects.

Saffy is today's headliner, wearing a great pair of Sarah Williams Vintage Sasha dungarees. Come back Sarah ! We need you fabulous clothes for our dolls! 

On the doll front a couple have gone along with a teddy bear, so slowly making a dent, well if you don't count all those Sasha's that have sneaked in while I have been busy selling ! 

So on that note /confession I will wish you all a happy healthy month ahead.

Dee

IT'S THE FIFTH SO DOLL PHOTO DAY

 Already the ninth month of the year !!! So we'd best get this post on the road. . . . 

Down in Broxbourne Gill's girls are complaining that they hardly get any photo time ! So she's 

making up for it by sending their photo in for doll photo day, I think she's earned some brownie points ! 

Meanwhile up north the girls are out canvassing for Norman, They say he will be the best one for the job ! With his fierce belief and being just like a dog with a bone !

Oh It appears Norman is a dog with a . . . .  . cardboard tube ! It appears he wants to get on the gravy train. . . down to Hove and have a lovely pad by the sea front. .  . 

Cilla is welcoming Kyra to the village and saying she'll soon get used to it. Cilla says she's not been here that long herself although she had been waiting a while for mum to complete her adoption.

Over the pond in Gregoropolis, Daphne, Ginger and Jessica are deep in conversation as to whether it's time to complete change into something warmer or just search out a nice cardigan. So far it's a three way split ! Daphne is all for just adding a cardigan, Ginger thinks they have a few more weeks yet until they need to change and Jessica wants to go search for the full autumn outfit. I can see this conversation won't be ending anytime soon !

Many thanks to all those sending in their photos. There is still time to have yours added.

Have a happy healthy doll filled month ahead.