Heavy Baby

This was a lot easier to make than I thought it was going to be! It is a bag made of unbleached birdseye with arms filled with hulled millet (.89/lb - I used 2.5 lbs), covered in peach cotton/lycra 4 way stretch knit remnant from Joann's and the head. Thanks to my serger it was very quick. I started it last night and finished it this morning.

I used these directions for the head - instead of using gauze (since Joann's didn't carry any here) I just used a toddler sock - I'm sure we all have a stray one hanging around! I stuffed it with regular polyfil. I also cut the neck on the left and the right so I could lay half on the front and back to attach the head, since this wasn't a traditional Waldorf doll with a stuffed body, and just zigzagged it on several times.

After the head was attached to the millet bag, I basted a circle around the knit body fabric and cinched it tight. I then sewed around it a couple of times, reaching into the head with the needle to further make it sturdy.

The face is hand embroidered - I used regular brown thread doubled for the eyes and mouth and drew with a pencil what I wanted them to look like before backstitching them on. Ok, I actually tried to free hand it but didn't like what it looked like! When I was done, I pushed the needle deep into the head and then out the side, pulled it tight and snipped the thread. It disappeared nicely into the head!

The hat is just a long triangle that I hemmed and then serged the tall side of. The gown is a bigger version of the doll, with a little added height at the neck and longer in length so that I could add the elastic.

Enjoy!

Christmas Gifts

So far here is my to make gift/swap list:

Riley -
Felt Playhouse
Wooden Kitchen
Possibly a Heavy Baby

DDC Swap -
Fetching for Shelby
Something for Hudson
ETA: Saw this and decided I needed to make it - this way Hudson AND his siblings can all enjoy it! So far I have this:



Nylene -
Fetching
Drop Stitch Scarf

Lynda? -
Cuddle Blanket?

CC YFW Swap -
Convertibles for Jodi

Potato Soup and Crafties

Since I didn't get to the grocery store today, we are having whatever I can find in the pantry for dinner :-) I always have onions and garlic - so that's a given in a recipe. Hmm... leftover Russet potatoes from Thanksgiving (not cooked) - potato soup!

I sauteed some onions and garlic in Necoa margarine (would work with EVOO too but I like the buttery taste). While they were sauteeing I chopped up the potatoes. I then threw everything into the crockpot with a can of coconut milk and half a can of chicken broth.

In crafty news, I am working on a felt playhouse for Riley for Christmas similar to this one at Homemade by Jill (my inspiration!). So far I have the tree cut out and half sewn along with some leaves and carrots, lettuce and apples cut out. It's coming along fairly quickly actually!

We got the tree up this weekend! Riley is thrilled though I'm already regretting the tinsel. I thought maybe if it was up on the table with the chairs taken away it would help, but nothing stop the Attack of the TALL BABY!