Little By Little... Inch By Inch...

I'm sorry that I have been a little MIA from blogland lately.  I have been putting in a LOT of time working on my pattern.  Little by little, inch by inch, it's getting there.  Here is a little peek of it as a work in progress.
They aren't all pictured here, but  I now have all 13 sizes finished!  I have a few minor adjustments to make to some of the pieces.  I have been working on illustrations and instructions this week.  I feel sometimes that I am moving at a snail's pace, but I have to keep reminding myself that I am learning something new every time I open Inkscape and that the next time around it will go faster and easier because of what I have learned.  It goes back to the phrase "all beginnings are hard" which rings true once again for me.

I have now also sewn up two tests of the pattern and I am really pleased with the results.  I'm keeping the pattern a little bit of a secret as far as design goes for now, so I don't want to show the pictures JUST yet....  :)

I am hoping to be able to get into testing with it in a few weeks.  If you are interested in possibly testing the pattern out, please let me know and I will be in contact with you when I reach that point. It is a very simple pattern for girls in sizes 3m-10 years.

I have to say again, I could not have come this far if it weren't for Pattern Workshop. Thank you, Lauren!

Until next time,
Happy Sewing!

PS, Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish It Up Friday and Simple Simon's Sewing Saturday because I FINISHED all 13 sizes.  It has taken me several weeks, but I'm finally there!

What Inspires You? Wednesday -Amy's Pipsqueaks


Few of you probably know that my beginnings into the sewing and selling world included doing some sewing for doll collectors. I really sort of stumbled upon it by accident. I had always had a love for dolls, but this sort of took that love to a whole new level. When I first began sewing to sell, I experimented with a few christening gowns. I love all the detail that goes into them. I wanted a pretty baby doll to model my gowns for photographs since I had no children of my own and none of my friends really had any kids at that point either. I went looking on the internet and stumbled upon a very realistic doll. So realistic that I was really intrigued. It was called a "reborn". What was meant by that at that point in time was that it was a child's play doll from the Berenguer company that someone had taken apart, stripped off the factory paint, repainted it in a more realistic fashion, and put it back together with a nicer body and weighted it to make it feel more like a real baby. In the years since then the art of "reborning" has evolved into a highly skilled art form. There are people who sculpt baby dolls and have them produced into kits specifically for this purpose and the painting techniques have only become better and better. At this point the very well done dolls are extremely realistic and sometimes sell for thousands of dollars. (Just search ebay for "reborn dolls" and you will see what I mean.  

It was while I was a member of a doll collectors forum several years ago, where I became acquainted with Amy Ferreira. I remember when Amy first began sculpting and being amazed at her talent and her determination to learn the art and to do it well. Amy has had several of her sculpts released as doll kits. She enjoys sculpting baby chimps as well and they have a wonderful whimsical quality to them. Her sculpts always bring a smile to my face and I'm sure you will find them endearing as well.




Tell us your name and what it is that you do.

My name is Amy Ferreira and I'm a sculptor and reborn artist .


Did you collect dolls as a child?

As a child I had a few dolls but my favorites were my Madame Alexander baby doll and my Zippy the Chimp by the Rushton Company

What was your inspiration and how did you get started?

I am mom to 5 boys, and with the birth of my first grand daughter in 2005, I started searching ebay for her first doll and came across some reborns. I bought a little reborn Berenguer and I was in awe . I was so excited about the realism that I started experimenting with reborning and never looked back . At Idex (The International Doll Exhibition) in 2007 I took a sculpting class with Laura Tuzio Ross and fell in love with clay at that point and have been sculpting ever since .

What is your favorite thing to sculpt?

I tried my hand at sculpting Chimps in 2013 and found that I enjoy it even more than baby dolls .


What advice would you give to someone just starting out in reborn artistry or sculpting? 

My advice to anyone interested in sculpting or reborning is to do a bit of research and visit some online forums and tutorials , and then jump right in and enjoy yourself !

Do you have a website, a blog or Facebook page where we can see more of your work?

To see more of my work and upcoming exhibits you may visit my website AmysPipsqueaks.com

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

I also have 4 new silicone chimps coming this summer and am very excited to be working with Ashton Drake this year!

Thanks for sharing, Amy!

If you would like to be featured on What Inspires You Wednesday, contact me and I'll find a spot for you!


What Inspires You? Wednesday


Welcome to the first installment of What Inspires You? Wednesday! In this series, I hope to have guest posts from several different artistic genres. I have so many friends who are so very creative and I am very honored to be able to share their talent and creativity with you. I hope that you will find inspiration in these posts and will share your inspiration with others.

First up is Kristi from Blu Moon Design. Kristi and I met several years ago through an Ebay boutique sellers group. Since then it has been a joy to watch Blu Moon Design blossom and grow. One of Kristi's designs was even features on the popular TV series "Parenthood".

Kristi has been an inspiration to me in my creative sewing journey. I know that she will be an inspiration to you as well.

1. Tell us your name and what it is that you do. Kristi, and I make little girls' clothing.
2. How did you get started? I was selling my daughter's outgrown clothing on ebay, and came across boutique custom handmade clothing. I knew how to sew, and had a sewing machine... so I thought.. that looks fun! I sold my first few items that I listed, and was hooked.



3. Talk about your artistic origins. What sort of creative activities did you enjoy as a child or a young person? I was taught to sew in gradeschool by my mother and grandmother. I also taught myself to do other things such as cross stitch.
4. Is there something that inspires you more than anything else? (ie person, place, God, color, etc.) I think my girls. I make what I'd dress them in. Although they are older now, I have wonderful customers that continue to inspire me!
5. What are your favorite things to make or favorite aspect of what you do? I love to make all things twirly. They are my most popular items, and I love how girly and sweet they are. My favorite aspect is my ability to work from home when I need to. If someone has a basketball game to go to, I am always able to be there for that kind of thing!



6. What advice would you give to someone who would like to try your artistic genre or is maybe just starting out? Keep going. I am glad I didn't give up when it seemed things weren't going great. Read and research lots!!
7. Do you have a website, a Facebook page or a blog where we can see more of your work? www.blumoondesign.com or www.facebook.com/blumoondesign
8. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? If you are looking to try something new, in whatever aspect of your life, go ahead and try! Stick with it! You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.


Thank you so much, Kristi, for sharing with us!  
Would you like to be featured on What Inspires You? Wednesday? Contact me and we can make it happen! 




Pattern Progress


Have I mentioned Lauren Dahl's Pattern Workshop and how great it is?  Oh I have?  Well let me mention it again!  It's fantastic!  I am learning SO much!  Not to mention the Facebook group where I have met a lot of new friends.  We are all learning together and sharing our experiences and expertise.  

I am working on my first PDF pattern.  I hope to be in testing within a couple of months.  Any volunteers out there willing to sign up?  This isn't an official call, but I'm hoping some of you will give some thought to testing the pattern when the time comes.  I promise, it isn't a difficult pattern by any means.  Just a simple little dress in sizes 3months - 8years.  At least that's the size plan for now.  Even novice sewers should have no problem with this pattern.   

I am almost finished with the infant sizes.  Just a few more pieces to draw up and then I will be ready to put some markings and seam allowances on them.  Then on to the bigger sizes.  SO exciting!  

I have also begun working on the illustrations that will go along with the instructions.  Even I am impressed with how professional they look so far.  The illustrations have been pretty easy using Lauren's methods! :)  


I can't wait to finish this pattern up and be able to make it available to you!  
Happy Saturday and Happy Sewing! 
Follow on Bloglovin