From Sewing

Liliana, Lulu, Roscoe

The best part of being a grandma is …

I get to be a kid again!

I get to go to the park, ride bikes, bake cookies, and sew dolls!

My granddaughter Liliana has a new friend named Lulu. Lulu is a long-legged, pig-tailed cutie with polka-dot pantaloons and ballet shoes (of course).

Lulu has a friend, a little purple monster named Roscoe.

Liliana, Lulu and Roscoe get into lots of mischief!

Sewing the dolls was a lot of fun, although working with such tiny pieces of fabric for Lulu’s dress was difficult.

Once completed, I rigged up a suspension system and photographed Lulu and Roscoe in a series of airborne tumbling poses. My plan was to make a storybook adventure … an e-book and/or a printed version. I haven’t had the opportunity to complete this as yet, but give me time…

Got a minute to see something truly heart-warming? Check out the wonderful work of Amy Jandrisevits, a former social worker in a pediatric oncology unit, who understands all too well how therapeutic it is for kids to see their differences reflected in the things they play with — namely, dolls. She makes her own non-traditional Raggedy Ann dolls for children with disabilities. Each is handmade and looks just like the child it’s made for, matching their unique physical characteristics, medical issues, and ethnicity.

Lulu and Roscoe
Lulu and Roscoe
Lulu and Roscoe

I sew, therefore, I squint.

My computer work and my sewing definitely take a toll on my eyesight.

While roaming in a second-hand shop in Arizona, Zoe found this gorgeous woven multi-colored tapestry. It measured about 5′ by 4′ or so with finished edges on two sides and tiny tassels along two edges. Hmmm, what could it be?

I loved the unusual color combination, so vibrant and deep.

Turquoise, cherry tomato, and tones of umber weave through this unique fabric. Looking closely, there are shades and variations of each of these colors making it complex and rich.

I brought it home and pieced it carefully into 3 pillows. I was so excited to get so many finished pieces from of that one piece of material. The largest holds a full body pillow.

Sewing the largest pillow, I pieced several swatches of the weave in a perpendicular direction. Then I added a layer of cotton batting between the top and a thin inner backing – and stitched a “puffy layer” of stripes for accent.

I bought a durable, turquoise fabric for the backside and added zippers so the covers can be laundered. A lovely gift for my daughter!

I call this “tinkering” because most of the time I don’t use patterns. Sometimes I put a piece of fabric aside for quite a while until I know what I want to do with it. Then I enjoy using every scrap. Voila!