Ok, this has nothing to do with LDV really, but I’d like to get something started. I spent the last two days making Christmas gifts for our kids/grandkids in Ohio. I haven’t had time, but I have even less money, so I just had to stop my LDV work and make some gifts. And despite feeling under the gun being so close to Christmas and also knowing I just can’t afford to stop working on the site, I really had a great time. So I’m going to tell you, AND show you what I did - and if you have something to share that you made this year, please add a comment and include a picture!
Nothing gives me more pleasure and delight than creating - which is why I love my work at LDV - but I kind of have this challenge - it started way way back in the mid 80’s when one Christmas I made all our Christmas gifts. I holed up in our spare room where my sewing machine and fabric was kept, and if I couldn’t reach it without getting off the floor, it wasn’t going to be part of whatever I was making. I saw these old Pooh Jammies - you know the ones - I think Sears sold them - I inherited them from my sister after her two boys had grown out of them, and they had gone through my two boys, and the feet were all worn out. Too ratty to pass on to anyone else, I thought, “what could I make out of these old worn out one piece pajamas? A puppet? Sure, why not!” So I made a puppet that looked like Bert from Sesame Street. I had no pattern, and only used what I could reach from my spot on the floor. His nose was part of a craft sponge I spotted - that was so fun. And it really did look like Bert, although it was red rather than yellow.
So this Christmas, twenty years later, I was at it again. I decided this was the year I was going to make a doll I remember having as a kid. It was, for want of a better name, a 3-in-1 doll. It was Little Red Riding Hood, and if you flipped her over hidden in her skirt was the other doll - Grandma! And if you turned Granny’s night cap around, viola! It was Mr. Wolf! Cute as can be, and I loved that doll!
Again, no pattern, and no time to shop for any materials. I don’t sit on the floor so well at my age, so I only restricted myself to my basement workshop. If it wasn’t there, it didn’t get included. First I looked for materials. I found fabric for skin, a dress for Little Red, her hood and apron, Granny’s night gown, and Wolf fur. I knew I was going to have fun. I found a spot of bare table top and laid out my skin colored fabric and just started sketching with a pencil the shape of the body. It had a head and arms at both ends. I cut it out and stitched it together, leaving an opening to turn it right side out and add the fiberfill, which was conveniently in the same room. Well, I won’t bore you with all the details, but honestly, I found everything I needed in that room - except for some blush for the cheeks. I use real makeup on dolls and puppets, and that was NOT in my basement workshop.
Here are my pics:
First is Little Red with her hood on - I don’t have a good camera so I scanned her
Her hair was interesting - I used some of that twine we used to make macrame plant hangers with back in the 90’s - I used my son’s hairbrush to brush it out to look like hair. Luckily there was a bin of old craft paint and some brushes, so I painted her eye and lips.
Next is Granny
Whoops! I see I lied. Her shawl - it is a piece of antique lace from a box of lace I inherited from my grandmother - and that box was NOT in the basement, but in my office upstairs. Luckily I had some flannel for her nightgown left over from a quilt I made a couple years ago for a new grandbaby.
And finally Wolfy - he didn’t scan so well
It was a trick to make his head with no pattern. You may notice that Granny’s hair is the same grey fake fur as the wolf face - which was nice since her hair just lead into his face. His nose is a pompom I sewed on and his eyes are two white buttons. I drew on the pupils with a permanent marker my son had brought home from work, and it was in the room since the room doubles as a tv/video/playstation area for him. I did use the bathroom right off the workroom to rinse out my paint brush and to borrow Max’s hair brush.
I should have made Granny’s nightgown fuller to accommodate the arms of Little Red underneath, and the dresses should have been longer to cover the top of the head of the opposite side doll, but all in all, I was quite tickled with how it turned out.
I made three “door snakes” for our three kids in Ohio - a request from our son Michael who has cold air leaking from under the door - with a new baby, he wanted to keep that cold air out. I had no pattern but just started cutting some brown and cream checked flannel I had - made tubes with one end rounded. We didn’t fill them with wheat or rice or sand because that weighs so much to ship - so I had to make the other end have a hole where they could be filled, yet would close to keep the filler inside. I left a flap and sewed across leaving only a little hole to push a funnel into to load the tube. Then I put velcro on the flap so after filling you could close it, and then open it again to empty and wash. I tried to think of a clever name - and I DID! In fact, it is so clever that I won’t tell you in case I decide to market them.
I had some cute fleece - and with four grand daughters to make presents for, I made the three youngest ones little hoody towels with matching wash cloths. I had this awesome shaggy chenille in hot pink - which I used to make the oldest girl a poncho - the reverse side was a cute pink and blue puppy fleece. I also made one of the girls a stuffed kitty out of the same hot pink chenille. One got the Little Red Riding Hood doll, and I made a set of bean bags and a tossing can and tote bag for the other girl.
All that stuff was too big to scan on my flat bed scanner, so no pics!
Well - that was all I had time for - and the basement was a total disaster with pink chenille fuzzies everywhere. My mom used to come into my room when I was a kid to see my latest creative play and pronounce it looked like a cyclone struck it. Did your mom ever say things like that? Well, she was pretty close to accurate - and I haven’t lost my touch!
I boxed and labeled the presents and got them to the post office - we have a new one here in Saratoga Springs - there was no one in line! I was THRILLED - till the lady told me the mail got picked up at 3 PM - and it was 4. Oh well - she said she thought it would still get to Ohio before Christmas. Here’s hoping she was right.
And when I got home, I even cleaned up all that sewing debris. AMAZING. Without being hounded by my mom and everything! I reflect that I am about the age she was when I had my own Little Red Riding Hood doll. But I still keep thinking she will clean up after me like she did when I was a kid . . . I still much prefer playing to cleaning.
Now I want to hear from you. Tim told me he also spent a couple days making Christmas gifts. I imagine some of you did too - so at least tell us what you did, and if you have pictures, I want to see them!!!
From one busy elf to another,
Debra
