A Strike Out, a Suit, and a Suitcase…

Well, tonight I was hoping to have lots of things I could share with you from our trip today… but as it happened… the 4 fabric stores that I wanted to stop at… WERE ALL CLOSED! How could they? I wanted to check them out…2 were in one town and 2 were in another town about 30 minutes apart from each other… so, I came home without any new fabrics or trims. :o( …and they looked like such cute shops! (My hubby was all prepared to look at magazines in the car while I ran in them.)

We went to the Goodwill and I was searching for the perfect Christmas props for my 3 latest dresses…Nyssa, Eden and Ten Ping…and I struck out there as well… I walked out of there with nothing… HOWEVER, my hubby found a very nice navy suit coat that fit him perfectly… then he was looking for the pants and found them in a separate section… they are shorter than what he typically wears but there was about a 2 inch hem in them…so you know what that means… alterations time again! I looked the suit up online as we were driving home and it retails for $275! He got his for $5.85!!! cha-ching!

We got home after dark and I didn’t get started on Ten Ping’s dress set again until almost 8:00…so I don’t have much to show you, but hopefully tomorrow I’ll be able to get it finished. I embellished her jacket with a little frayed flower and some black buttons. Then I made a sweet beret out of the same fabric as her jacket and when I sat it on her head, she actually smiled.. but I didn’t get a picture of it. I added the skirt to the bodice and think I’m going to add some hot pink tulle peeking out from the hem…

[If you click on the pictures they will enlarge.]

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Oh, and Marilyn wanted to know what the suitcase strap looked like that I re-attached to Rebecca’s suitcase. I told you it wasn’t pretty… but it works. The hardest part was getting it under the presser foot and situated so I could push and pull it back and forth. I had to tug and tug and there may or may not have been some grunting going on! I put 2 layers of heavy denim in between where it ripped out of the seam and just stitched all across it. It’s probably sturdier than the other strap now…

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Well, the sooner I get to bed, the sooner I can get up and have more time to sew… so night!

See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne

26 thoughts on “A Strike Out, a Suit, and a Suitcase…”

  1. That looks like a very secure mend. Do you have thread that matches everything? That looks like a great match.
    Are the stores closed for Thanksgiving week or closed forever?
    Of course Ten Ping looks darling. Will you make her black shoes? I don’t think fuzzy pink ones are going to look quite right. White lace stockings? Or have you found something new and different.
    Today I found a recipe that takes 70% chocolate and I thought, What would Jeanne Marie do? Shop your closet first, and there it was. I wonder when I got it.
    And how is your foot?
    This sounds like I was a journalism student — one follow up question after another.
    Have a good night.

    1. Hi Marilyn,
      I DO have LOTS of thread and it’s always strange when I have to mend something and in ALL my thread, I can’t find a match for what I’m working on… :o(

      Two of the stores had closed down… I read about them on their facebook page and the other 2 were just closed on Mondays… :o( again!

      Black shoes are definitely in order for this dress… I’m debating about her stockings…

      My foot is not quite as sore today as it was a few days ago. In fact, it’s the first day I am sort of walking normal… not too much of a limp today! YAY!
      As far as the questions go… I like them.. it gives me something to write about back to you!
      Thanks Marilyn,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  2. Oh my goodness, Jeanne, Ten Ping looks just plain adorable! The whole ensemble is such a perfect one for her! The hat really adds to it and the flower and buttons give the jacket character. I love the idea of a hot pink slip showing too!

    What do you mean that the 4 fabric shops were closed yesterday, or was that Sunday? You mean they went out of business or just were closed for the day? Well, too bad, that was just a bummer for sure!

    It looks like that strap will hold up forever now that you have it fixed! I can’t believe you can actually START doing things at 8:00 at night, when I can barely keep my eyes open, but of course, I get up early!

    1. HI Linda,
      Thank you for the compliments on Ten Ping’s dress set. She’s patiently waiting for me to pay some attention to her again. So far I haven’t made it into my sewing room yet!

      Two of the fabric stores had closed down due to health issues and the other 2 were just closed on Monday! I really wanted to go to one of them… maybe another time…

      Yes, that strap will probably hold up quite well… my sewing machine really gets a work out some days! Its’ always something different!
      Thanks Linda,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  3. Ten Ping looks adorable! I am amazed at how the accessories and finishing touches pull everything together. A wonderful outfit!

    1. Thank you Susette,
      Ten Ping is wondering why her dress is half finished… I told her it’s Thanksgiving week and I have other things to do…but she wasn’t impressed with my answer!
      I appreciate your kind words Susette,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  4. Good morning, Jeanne. I’ll bet Ten Ping doesn’t mind in the least that it takes you longer than you think it should to make her Christmas dress, she gets more attention that way. I think I can see that tiny smile—she has it all figured out. Boy, she sure looks beautiful in pink!
    I had the same question about the fabric stores, closed on Mondays or for good? 🙁
    Great job with the suitcase strap. I hope your machine didn’t get damaged. That’s a lot of bulk.
    Hope to see Ten Ping’s new outfit soon!

    1. Thank you Cindy,
      Ten Ping and I both appreciate your kind compliments on her dress set. I think she got it right when she picked out this hot pink… :o)
      The fabric stores in 2 places were just closed on Monday and the other 2 had closed because of the owner having health problems…
      I wish I had known about their “going out of business sale!”
      I don’t think it hurt my machine… actually it was probably more bulky and cumbersome to stitch than it was thick… although I did use a leather needle and stitched using a fairly slow speed.
      Thanks Cindy,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  5. Hi Jeanne,
    Ten Ping’s outfit is just adorable. That pink and black is so striking, and striking on her. I’m thinking of putting an AMG girl on my Christmas list and she is Asian with the little bit of painting around her eyes. She would look absolutely great in a bigger version of Ten Ping’s outfit. Oh My!
    Your sewing repair jobs amaze me. The suitcase mending looks sturdy enough to hold the strap on. I admire people who can sew and repair – it saves so much on the budget.

    My sister, the one who sewed the blue dress for my AMG doll, Barbie, has always made her kitchen and bathroom curtains and doll clothes and lots of mending, costumes and many other things. Recently, she has had a lot of pain in her hands and we all received a picture from her with a sign sitting on her sewing machine that said, ” Retired.” It’s an end of an era in our family. She was a fabulous seamstress and very creative.
    Years ago, I bought a stuffed puppy for my son to play with. (my son is now in his early 30’s) We named him Sugar Cookie because of his light buttery color. As other children were born into the family, they too wanted a Sugar Cookie like my son’s, so my sister made all our family’s children stuffed puppies like Sugar Cookie. My sister used a variety of colors for each puppy’s fur and thus named them after other cookies. After awhile, all the kids got to choose a cookie name straight from a cookie recipe book. There are a few new little ones in our family who were recently given their “Sugar Cookies” before she retired. It became a family tradition. By the way, Sugar Cookie still resides with my son, only in a shoe box, resting comfortably.
    Have a great day, Jeanne!
    Blessings

    1. HI Paula,
      Oh… another American Girl doll coming your way, huh? Look out for some jealousy from your other girls! :o)
      What a wonderful tribute to your sister… a life “well spent sewing!” I hope to have that legacy behind my name when I am forced to retire! I’ve had people that I haven’t seen for a long time ask me, “Do you still sew?” I always answer, “Yes,” but sometimes wonder when will the time come when I say, “No, I haven’t sewn anything for a long time now!” It’s a funny feeling to think that so much of my life is wrapped up in my sewing… It’s not my “identity” but it IS a big part of my life. I enjoyed your sisters generosity with the “Sugar Cookies!”
      Thanks for sharing that, Paula,
      Blessings, Jeanne

    2. HI Paula,
      No need to apologize… I loved the post about your sister and her sewing…
      Blessings, Jeanne

    1. Thank you very much for your kind compliments on Ten Ping’s Christmas dress, Becky… Now to just find time to get it finished!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  6. The fuzzy little hat is adorable! All the finishing touches for this outfit are so fitting.
    Sorry all the fabric stores were closed. Perhaps, they all figured it was a slow time and they could take the whole week off for Thanksgiving? However, they should reconsider as Joann’s was packed when I went on Sunday.
    I’m starting on JenWren’s Shanghai Winter outfit. I can certainly see it is different from others I’ve made. Things seem backwards, but I’m trying it as written. I think that what is most different is putting right side to wrong side and then flipping to the front on the tunic, cuffs, etc. Then stitching. When I make it again, I will do it the regular way so there won’t be a problem with the little corner on the front. It will be on the back and won’t show as much. I’ll just make the pattern trim wider then it can flip to the back. We’ll see. Maybe I need to leave well enough alone. 🙂

    1. HI Joy,
      Thanks for your kind words about Ten Ping’s new Christmas dress. She likes it a lot and is happy to get to wear it a few more days… until I get it finished.
      I wish our trip could have been today instead of on Monday… but maybe I’ll make it to the 2 that weren’t closed another time.
      The pattern you are trying to make is the one that got me stumped and mine is still unfinished. It is a little harder than it appears to fold the back to the front and stitch the edges down, straight and without any frayed edges showing… I’m like you, I tried tweaking her pattern, thinking there must be a better way to do it… maybe someday I’ll try to finish it…
      Thanks so much Joy,
      Blessings, Jeanne

    1. HI Joy,
      I know about the new Tonner My Imagaination dolls… They are tempting me too! We’ll have to see who holds out the longest!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  7. Wonderful repair job! Did you use a leather needle? Ho about a teflon foot? Sewing through bulk is hard on the machine.

    1. HI Jan,
      Thanks for the compliments on my “suitcase” repair job. Like I said, it’s not pretty, but it works. I did use a leather needle but not a teflon foot. It didn’t seem to hold up on the vinyl… It was more bulky and cumbersome than it was thick… I didn’t have so much trouble sewing it as I did holding the suitcase on my machine and feeding it back and forth. It was too hard to “pivot” my stitching, so that’s why the stitching just goes back and forth…
      It”s just a suitcase so it’s not that important that it looks like a professional job…
      Thanks Jan,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  8. Ten Pings hat and other accessories are just perfect for her! How do you make socks or tights for her? That’s going to be fun to see! Yes, those colors look good on almost any dark haired doll…can’t wait to see the next!

    1. HI Kathie,
      Thanks for your kind words about Ten Ping’s outfit… I like it a lot too… that’s a good thing!
      To make thigh highs for her, just use a lacy stretch lace or knit and fold it over… stitch down one side and curve it at the bottom running off the lace. Make it about as long as her leg is… It’s nice when they go all the way up to the very top of her leg, as it sort of catches there and hugs it tighter… If your lace doesn’t fray and doesn’t stretch too much, you can just leave it with a raw edge or finish the edge with a zig zag stitch. For Ten Ping they are about 3″ long by about 3/4″ wide stitched down to almost a point for the foot…
      Hope that helps…
      Thank so much Kathie,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  9. I went to King Sooper’s today. You know those displays on the ends of aisles that contain whatever is in high demand at the moment? I found one full of creamed corn and whole kernel corn. Your recipe must be almost as popular as the green bean casserole once was. It’s still going strong. There was a display of green beans and onions too. I make rolls tomorrow — the usual butterhorns and I think I’ll try a new Amish roll recipe from King Arthur flour. Thank giving I take the rolls and my favorite cranberries to my sister’s. Friday I’ll try your casserole.

    1. HI Marilyn,
      I’m glad you are going to give the Corn Casserole a try and I hope your family loves it! I just put a crustless pumpkin pie in the oven a few minutes ago. I am trying to get as much done ahead of time as I can…
      Have fun making bread tomorrow…
      Blessings, Jeanne

  10. I love that fuzzy fabric, Jeanne, and she looks so cute in the polka dots, but I won’t believe that Ten Ping smiles until I see a photo! :- )

    1. Well, funny thing is Jevne, when she sees the camera she stops smiling… it’s the craziest thing…. :o)
      Thanks,
      Blessings, Jeanne

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