seaworthy

One of the many advantages of being an author for a top-notch publisher like Stewart, Tabori and Chang is that I sometimes get copies of other books they publish. (This is especially nice since many of my favorite craft books are STC Melanie Falick books--if you're going to get free books you might as well get the ones you like, right?.) So when Wee Wonderfuls arrived in the mail the other day, Tsia and I immediately dove in. She picked four or five (!) projects she wanted me to make for her and, after a lot of discussion, finally narrowed her selection to two dolls.

I'd never sewn a Wee Wonderfuls pattern before, and it was a pleasure to make the mermaiden. It takes a little patience, but the doll is assembled in a unique and clever way that I suspect eliminates potentially fussy bits. The hair and fin are each assembled separately from the doll's body, and then you sort of tuck them all together and discretely stitch the pieces to join the doll. I had loads of fun with it.

Hillary introduced the project by asking "Who says mermaids have to glitter and sparkle?" I wholeheartedly agree, but a certain 5-year-old is still very keen on pink and fairydust. So I used some leftover sequins and pearls from a few years ago when I repaired a vintage beaded sweater. It took a couple of evenings, a little practice, and several French films on Netflix (it's tricky to sew sequins and read subtitles, so my French skills got a good workout) to cover the front and back fin entirely. But it was a fun diversion, and I think the resulting doll will be a great stocking stuffer for the kiddo.

S keeps asking when I'm going to finish her mermaid doll. I hope she forgets about it before Christmas so she can be surprised.

Here she is, swimming away, sequins and all...

Next on our toy-making list? Margot the topsy-turvy doll. Although personally I'm itching to make Melvin or Marian.

getting ready

Winter has come to New York, at long last. We shivered our way through the West Village today and admired the architecture along one of our frequent routes. Isn't this street quaint?

I went shopping on Friday afternoon, and the streets and shops all looked so cozy as the sun was setting. This is my favorite time of the year, when the days are short and the light showing from windows is so inviting. I can't think of a more wonderful place to celebrate Christmas than this city.

I found some new favorite shops, if you're interested. There is so much inspiration to be found in this city.