Chick in an Egg Sleeping Bag

This is one of Laura Suttcliffe's patterns that can be purchased here that I received for my birthday.

I've collected her patterns over the years as they make delightful small playsets for family. However recently, I've returned to them as she has many that will fit in the Kits for Kids bags and add a little extra to the small stuffed toy. Last year I made the dog with his bed and this year I'm hoping to work through her catalog of playsets to add extras to the bags going out in the Spring.

Notes:

This was made with Big Twist Yellow and Orange and Red Heart Super Saver White. The black is left over Cotton Faire from the finger puppets. The pattern suggests DK but I have a small supply of DK I'm holding on to for doll clothes so I wasn't quite ready to dig into that for my ami projects.

I did decrease the hook size to E as it was too large when I started with a G for the size I need for this donation.

Like the finger puppets I made this in pieces between doll outfits. I've recently started storing the in progress pieces in a plastic baggie until assembly as the small pieces can easily go missing.

I love the way her patterns are laid out in boxes, including the accompanying pictures. I sometimes lose my place in a pattern but these are easy to see just where you are in the pattern.

It was easier for me to assemble body, head and wings. I attached the wings to the body, finished the head and attached the head to the body. This is not the order of the pattern but it made working the pattern easier for me. I finished off by making the tail and adding it.

Other than the order of assembly I followed the directions as written.

Little Red Riding Hood Grandmother Finger Puppet

This is the second finger puppet from Evgeniya Yunitskaya's no longer available Little Red Riding Hood Finger Puppet Set.

I've been making the individual pieces between Aztec Wishes projects and then once completed I finally got this one together last Monday night. I hope to start on Red Riding Hood's mother soon.

Notes:

I used Premier Cotton Fair yarn for this project with a 2mm hook.

The original pattern has Grandma in a mustard color dress. I went with lavender because it reminded me of my own long passed grandmas. I couldn't imagine any of them in dark mustard.

I ended up not including the shawl that goes over the back of grandma's head and down her shoulders as I couldn't match the yarn used in the pattern. I tried thread and it was too light and all the lighter lace weight yarns I had were too heavy.

For my own notes for assembly I added the arms before the head. This allowed me to create "shoulders" to rest the head between. In the past it becomes harder to find less intrusive places to attach the arms after I've solidly attached the head.

The Kits for Kids donation isn't due until the Spring but I'd like to get some of these smaller more timely projects complete before Christmas as last year the dash from Christmas to March seemed incredibly short. I have some other play sets that work up a little easier as they aren't quite as small and tight so I'm trying to focus on the finger puppets now and rest my fingers with a few play sets between before the post Christmas rush.

My Life Romper

I've noticed as I've been trying to balance outfits between the three female 18 inch dolls I'm going back to patterns I haven't used in a while. I last used this Adoring Doll pattern that can be purchased here in 2022. There is no real logic to the gap other than I am fortunate to have a decent pattern library to work through and each year seems to send me on a different focus.

Notes:

I believe this year's version is made with Red Heart Super Saver Pretty N Pink which I had on hand and is fine. However, I believe it was previously made with Shocking Pink and I like the darker version better. Since I'm always buying shades of pink for my donation projects it is worth noting this to have it on hand when I reach for this pattern again or some version of a darker pink.

I have a couple of bags of random buttons that people have given me over the years that aren't great for many of my doll projects as they can be too big, oddly shaped, or not enough of one kind. However, I was thrilled to be able to use one for the purse and one for the flower on the headband. I also found enough matching buttons for the romper which never happens.

I used an I hook for the romper, an H hook for the shoes and g hook for the headband.

Reminder to self the starting stitch of headband is not repeated.

I need to repeat row 3 on the shoes to get them high enough to stay on the foot.