The Zen of Lace Making

Ive been struggling for a week with my lacing, and it's felt like a chore. But today, finally, I sit down at my pillow and feel wonderful again. I love lacemaking, but when I'm making so many mistakes, it gets really discouraging. I don't need to be perfect, well, maybe a little bit, but I certainly need to know what I'm doing and where the threads are going. So I'm back to my happy place. Also, I just want to say that my dad fought in Vietman and lost many friends there. My thoughts are with him today, whether I talk to him or not. He has retired comfortably and lives in a virtual paradise, where he sits by the pool all day and reads books.

My Pattern Pieces Are Gone!

Somewhere in my last half-scale doll making adventure, I lost the important pattern pieces to my favorite basic pattern, so no sewing for me today. Plus I'm waiting for the doll pattern before making my own pattern. So this means all lace, all the time. And that's ok. I'm a little behind anyway. Plus I LOVE it, and I'm learning bobbin flippin'!

A Project for Tomorrow

I want to make a dress for the doll I probably won't make for another month. Since I know she's half scale, I can decrease my child's pattern by 50%! I'm going to get the pattern ready tomorrow. I also want to do a bunch a lace. I also want to read a book about macrobiotics. And I want to cook some nice macrobiotic food. So much to do for someone without a job. Oh! And I might cut up my bolt of batiste!

Lace Crisis Resolved!

I finally figured out where my lace was going wrong!

Step one for the big doll

You may accuse me of jumping to another project without finishing the first one, and I'm fine with that. I'm starting my big doll and here is the very first step:

I've got sizes for everything from children's sizing charts. I even know the foot size. I'm going to build an armature in wire, fill with batting, cover with a thin layer of apoxie sculpt, and make the final exterior in paper clay. I'm so excited about this doll!

I just ordered the Material Kid from this page:
http://www.longago.com/MA.html
I want my doll body to look like this, and it's been a long time since I made up this pattern. I'll make it up and pick and choose which parts I want.

We're all happy together!

I pet the cat three times today and heard her quiet purr. Then I pet the dog's belly when she came up to me being sweet. That's enough of an accomplishment for today!

But wait! There's more!

I feel like working on my dolls again, partly because the lace is pissing me off. I may not work on it again until my Tuesday lace class.

Lace Disaster

I've taken a Xanax, made some tea, and now I'm sitting down one last time to make this hexagonal corner work.