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I was finally brave enough to bathe the dog. Her eagle talon wound seems to be healing remarkably well, but the shedding is intense. It is that time of year, but when she was younger she didn’t shed at all. It wasn’t until she passed the ten year mark that shedding became an issue. Now it seems that I’m finding her hair everywhere. I’m not, actually. I’ve had hairy “real” dogs in my home and she’s nothing like that. It’s just an “in comparison” kind of thing. Anyway, she’s cleaner and for the most part, hasn’t any lasting trauma from the eagle encounter.n

I may end up traumatized by this tax season, however. I’m trying to figure out exactly what I’m supposed to do with this health care issue. And I’m discovering that the ludicrous scenario of in order to fill out A, you must first fill out B, and in order to fill out B you must do worksheet C, and in order to fill out worksheet C, you must do worksheet D. And it doesn’t stop there. If you had insurance for all 12 months of 2015, you’re golden. but if your application got misplaced or simply didn’t go through and you thought it had, (we have both of those cases to deal with), you weren’t covered. Through no fault of your own, this is a case of an overburdened state health care system and you have no proof of your attempts to apply in January. Now you have to figure out what to write on line 11 and it’s not EZ or straightforward.n

I finished my organic french terry cotton pants this evening. Those should be cozier than the thin cotton pants I’ve been wearing. Both pairs of satin pj’s have bit the dust. Fortunately, I was able to salvage the flannel lining on both for simple flannel pants, (read: long johns ). I’ll miss the satin. We’ll be flannel graphing from here on out. n

I found a picture from Halloween 1989 of me and the kids. Most people we met that night didn’t realize I was in costume, but Batman and Robin were a hit.n

It seems a little strange to be working on this now, but it’s a nice evening project. I plan on blanket stitching the Da Vinci design and then repeating it on the other side. I will be placing small brass bells on this side with a tassel and/or bell at the point. I think it will be a very festive hat.n

I’m also working on a birthday present that can’t be discussed here until after birthday season. Yes, we have a birthday season. Three in a row. It’s almost a Yule repeat but low key. That’s not Loki, or maybe it is sometimes, mischief and all.n

I tried taking some photos yesterday and discovered my “good” camera is not working right. It is about eight years old and may just need to be replaced. Something I really didn’t wish to contemplate. n

One of those birthday babies wishes me to duct tape their head now. Such odd requests from my offspring.n

May blossoms abound!n
Sinéad

The girls are getting ready for Valentine’s Day!
I must confess that I’m not ready. n
Over the past week I’ve been watching Shirley Temple movies. I would love to make the costumes Shirley wore for my Shirley. As you may already know, I’ve made replicas of the doll’s clothes that Ideal produced for the dolls, but I’d rather put in the details of the actual costumes. For obvious reasons, Ideal simplified or completely altered the costumes for the dolls, as in the Blue Bird dress pictured here. It would be fun to research and design the slightly more complex dresses in this small scale. One of many projects that will need to wait for another time.n
Toni, one of my Bleuette sized dolls, is dressed in a western ensemble inspired by our Nevada trip with Clarice, (another Bleuette sized doll of mine). When we were in Nevada we acquired cowboy hats for ourselves and I looked for a miniature one for Clarice to no avail. When we returned home, I had to figure out how to make one. The western shirt soon followed. We have a little six shooter but I haven’t fashioned a belt for the holster. Shirley will want it for her Texas outfit and in truth, that was why it was acquired, but I guess she’ll need to share. n

The dog seems to be doing well after her eagle encounter.n

May blossoms abound,n
Sinéad

My chihuahua had a very traumatic afternoon. At about 2:30 my son let her outside and a few minutes later there was a bald eagle diving after her. The eagle managed to pick her up, but then dropped her on the deck from only two to three feet in the air. My son had rushed out the door when he saw the eagle’s intent and that might have contributed to the dog being dropped. She was howling and didn’t stop until I’d been holding her for a few minutes. When she had calmed down enough for us to be able to inspect her for injuries, we initially found nothing. She is mostly blind and partially deaf and we figured she didn’t really know that she was almost dinner. She was moving fine and acting normal but about an hour after the incident my son picked her up and discovered a puncture wound on her back. She’s bandaged and we haven’t found any other injuries. We’re hoping for the best. n

Here’s a photo of her from her youth when she often served as G.I. Joe’s horse.

And one from last year. Her appearance hasn’t changed much in her 14 years, just cloudy eyes and no more teeth.

I guess she’ll have an escort from here on out. One close call with a violent death is enough for any chihuahua.n

Sinéad

I just finished up this hat last night and Liam is already threatening to abscond with it. As you can see, I haven’t worked out a viable photography solution as yet. I tried taking photos after dark and the hat glared, you couldn’t see any details. In the daylight we have sun glare. And for those who are saying just move away from the window, there’s no place to go or it’s too dark.
That’s why there’s a problem taking photos for my pattern instructions.:)n
I have a new apron awaiting the finishing of seams, but I seem to be distracted by an unfinished Bleuette dress. I started it in October, but set it aside for Yule creations/gifts and it’s been waiting patiently for me to pick it back up. Maybe I should.n

Blessings of blossoms to you!n
Sinéad

Well, this cold thing is insisting on persisting. n
I’ve managed to get some sewing done in spite of this, however. A year or so ago I went back to using my treadle sewing machine. I had a Phaff and a Brother, both good machines, but they weren’t the work horse I needed and all the fancy stuff turned out to be a sorry substitute for the real thing. Modern machines are quite wasteful and very finicky. Now, my treadle is just great. I had neglected to oil it and it just kept going, (a little loud, though). I finally got around to applying some oil to all the moving bits, including the treadle, and it is not only more quiet but it just glides. I have to be more diligent about stop assist, not something that was necessary before, but worth the smoother running. I don’t want you thinking that neglect was the reason my modern machines were finicky. I had service agreements on them so that I could take them in every couple of months, which turned out to be necessary, not preventative. My eldest daughter and youngest son are using them now, they don’t have as many problems with them as I have had. I have a history of electro-magnetic issues and one result has been the disturbing of normal computer function. Yes, I’ve killed a few. Ask me about the time on the motorcycle, that was creepy. Anyway, I’m also employing old fashion decorative methods to my clothes and old fashioned flat felled seams as well as french seams. I’m happier with the results. Embroidery, couching, fabric combinations, they’re all great ways to spice up a piece of clothing.n
So, I’m loving the treadle again! And I have quite a beautiful machine.n
May blossoms abound in your world!n
Sinéadn

Well, I seem to have caught a cold or the flu. Sinuses are angry and back is aching. That will slow one down. I haven’t been able to get much done on the next poem/story I was to upload. It was originally written on a piece of paper that had many other things written on it previously. I even illustrated it and that’s the problem. I can’t seem to replicate the original. It was perfect, except for the fact that it has other bits of drawing showing through it and notes invading the edges. I will give it another go. n

I received my first issue of “Doll News” this week. A very splendid publication for lovers of all types of dolls. The feature for this issue is the replication of the jointed body for the Huret doll of the mid 1800’s with an article on an original and all of it’s accoutrements, as well. It’s exciting for me to see what has been done and what is being done in the world of dolls. I haven’t been able to finish reading a single article, as yet. Here’s hoping I have more luck with that over the next few days.n

May beauty surround you!
Sinéad

We ran into a slight glitch, yesterday, when we realized the corrected page of the story I was attempting to add wouldn’t submit. Arthur quickly found and corrected the problem, something to do with a misplaced comma. Coding and programming are overwhelming to me. Thank the gods that Arthur is fascinated by the whole world of interactions between CSS, HTML and PHP, and a number of other coding languages that are beyond me.n

On another note, I am finding that my clothes are wearing out faster than I can get new ones made. I had planned to dedicate January to filling in some of those deficiencies. So far I have a new pair of wool pants that are pleasing to look at, but require I wear a cotton pair under them. So I made a cotton pair. I was hoping to wear them on their own this summer, but they’re really lightweight. Not all muslins are equal. In retrospect, I should have started with the french terry sweats. Hopefully I can get those cut out tomorrow.n

On a happy note, I found my physical file of stories. Some of it was written on grocery bags. 🙂 Whatever was handy! I have my work cut out for me to turn it into digital files.n

Blossoms for you!
Sinéad

Well, I’m excited! The new web site is finally ready for use. It’s been a very long wait. We had planned to create an on-line store but the shopping cart liability for running your own or the cost of using a reliable and secure third party shopping cart was cost prohibitive for us. So we’re selling on Etsy. There’s a link to the store and we’re posting stories we’ve written on here. I hope to get several up in the next week with and without illustrations. I have the hardest time setting up and getting illustrations done.n
Another exciting event for me this week was new full spectrum lighting in my work areas. It’s nice to be able to see what you’re doing. Really!n

I’m also working on patterns and instructions for toys I’ve created like Bill and Lilly Peking, pictured here with Ducky. They’ll be available through Etsy. It may take some time as I will need to photograph the steps of making each one and I haven’t worked out the logistics of having the camera and lighting set up while also having access to the sewing machine. I usually do those activities to the exclusion of the other, space being limited.n
It’s time to clean the kitchen so I can get some sewing done.n
May blossoms abound!n
Sinéad