I have not blogged in awhile and it’s long overdue.  Things have been busy with my family, as always.  Life, visits with friends, barbecues and visits to hear James Taylor play in the Berkshires.  Oh and yes, there was a special visitor to our backyard… a skunk and well, you guessed it.   Annie tried to remove the skunk from HER yard and it didn’t go very well for the poor pup!

Annie scoping out the yard before we ever thought a skunk would show up.

Annie got sprayed in the face, which can be dangerous for eyesight.  After a call to the Animal Hospital, we knew what to do…wash her eyes gently with a cloth and warm water.  Apparently skunk spray is an oil, and like poison ivy, it sticks to anything it touches and can be transferred to other people or items like dog beds etc..  While things are fine now, OH WHAT A MESS IT WAS!!!  The poor pup was so scared.  She ran into the house shaking and stinky before we anyone realized what was happening.  I learned a great deal since then.  First, DON’T LET THE DOG OR ANYONE ElSE INTO THE HOUSE IF THEY’VE BEEN SKUNK SPRAYED.  It’s best to bath outside to avoid stinking up the house for weeks!!  Next, Tomato juice is not effective but more of a folk remedy.  The proper recipe to remember to remove skunk spray from the dog or anyone else: 1 qt. fresh hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup fresh baking soda, and 2 tsp or more of Dawn liquid soap.  Mix it all and use it like shampoo on the dog or yourself.  She still smells a bit but now it’s like a strong garlic or smoky smell…nothing intolerable but a reminder of what was. The house finally doesn’t smell anymore and for that, we can thank the tip of boiling vinegar on the stove.  Yes…we’ve learned a lot!!!

Despite all the drama and washing…I’ve still be sewing as usual.  In addition to making little doll clothes for A Doll Like Me,  I’m also sewing some quilt blocks for Covered In Love (CIL), which makes quilts for patients who are critically ill in the hospital.

For July and August, Kat (CIL) is asking for red, white and blue star blocks.  It’s an annual request and I’ve made several fun designs already.  I happen to love star blocks and this time I’m trying to make a few that are new to me.  Many of the interesting star block designs require paper piecing, which I like in small doses.   I have until the end of August to send the blocks to Kat, but these 8 are what I have so far…with more planned in the days ahead.  If you sew, check out her link above and join the good cause.

These star blocks have been great for using up the many scraps I make while creating doll clothes from yardage.  Lately, I’ve been trying to dip into my novelty pieces and so, there are fun fabrics all over my studio.   I had fun making some little girl doll skirts for a chance.  I used up some precut novelty strips leftover from projects with my students.  I added some hem pieces to make them long enough and I kind of like how they turned out.   Here is the skirt pattern that I used as a guideline for my creations.  I even made one with denim from one of my son’s old jeans.

Who wouldn’t love a shark skirt!??

Skirts are fun but sometimes, dolls need dresses.  Here are a few newer ones that I created using some fruity prints.   This Oh Sew Kat Bloomer Buddies pattern is a favorite for how adaptable it can be.  These are long dresses that I made from the pattern, but check below for the tunic and bloomers from the same pattern.

With the sweet cherry and strawberry prints, theses little doll dresses are perfect for summer!!

Yup, this Tunic & Bloomers outfit is from the same pattern as the dresses above.  I used some of my precious Tula Pink ladybugs for this ensemble.

I’ve made this outfit many times, but here you can see what a different print looks like on A Doll Like Me.

Drawstring dresses are so a part of my sewing now that I can do them with my eyes closed, almost!!  I’ve been playing around with different hems, bodices and trims to make them a little more jazzy.  What do you think of these dresses with sock monkeys, guitars, sailboats, mermaids and more!?

I love the butterflies.  Purple and orange just seem so summery and crazy together!

You barely see but there are mermaids on these two dresses because, why not!?

Finally, Amy had asked me for some doll pajamas to allow kids to give their dolls some sleepwear.

This flannel fabric with the mother and baby deer is too sweet for words!

Here you can see how a nightgown looks on one of Amy’s dolls.  Photo courtesy of A Doll Like Me.

Here are some more flannel nightgowns, that are so girly and soft.  The nightgown pattern, before my adaptations, can be found here.  Amy sent the above photo to show me how the nightgown fits the dolls and it’s just perfect!!.  Look a some of the other prints that I’ve used to make these soft nightgowns for the dolls

Love these unicorns!!

And these roses.

This will be a big package to mail to Amy!!!  The rest of my summer will be more low key and who knows how much sewing time I’ll get?  At least, for now, I will have stocked her with lots of clothing for future dolls.

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