Community Chat

[Enufstuff]

@Kachina624 @desertrat8 @SloopJohnB @phoenixbrd @meallen616 @PamfromCT @lynnie61 @Oznell 

  Thank you to all for the lovely compliments. Here is the gown and veil that I made based on my daughter's gown and veil. Those are tiny rhinestones on the veil, even though they look like black dots. The lace appliques on the bodice are silver lace. There are more on my daughter's gown, but I could not find anything small enough to add more to this bodice. There are a few lace appliques on the tulle skirt also. It is embellished with tiny seed pearls and sequins along the sweatheart neckline.

[Enufstuff]

[Kachina624]

What a beautiful dress.  What a gorgeous gown your daughter had!  The detail on that dress is remarkable with all of those tiny pieces of lace, trim and jewelry.  You didn't make the gloves, did you?  I bet daughter really treasures that doll.  What a wonderful heirloom to pass down to future generations.  It must have been fun and challenging to make.

[Boomernichols]

@Enufstuff Toni is dressed to the nines!  This reminds me of my momma, she would make sock monkeys, raggedy ann dolls and barbie doll clothes for my collection.  You are very talented and have an eye for dresiing to impress.

[Enufstuff]

@Kachina624   It was fun to make the Barbie gown. The difficult part was finding trims small enough to use. I did'nt make the gloves, they are Barbie gloves. My daughter keeps her Barbie bride in her china cabinet. She was so surprised when I gave the doll to her. She never had children, so maybe a niece will have the doll someday.

[PamfromCT]

@Enufstuff, Your sawing is absolute perfection!  How nice your DD is interested in Early American arts and crafts.

Many years ago, I started with crewel embroidery.  Loved it, gave classes, and worked for a company doing samples of their kits for shops.

Then started painting lessons - Early American work.  Several successive teachers through the years.  Painting on wood, reverse glass, theorem painting (a Victorian craft done with stencils on velvet using stencils).  Painted quite a bit, mostly given away to people who expressed they would like.  Still some in my home.

Along the way, made cloth dolls, bunnies, etc.  All Early American looking.  Gave so many away.  

I did stencil a bit on my walls at home- kitchen, dining room, and hallway.  I always liked authentic Moses Eaton-type patterns.  

I do like an Early American look in our home, but not too crazy.  Like antiques and such.  My home is filled with stuff.

My DD says some who have come into her home like my stuff and have asked “does your mother have a catalog?”

I don’t think so!! 

I am planning to do some wool on wool appliqué - small pieces, table mats, runners, etc.  That will be easy and faster!

Remember that I am 78, so it has been a lifetime of crafting.

[Enufstuff]

@PamfromCT  Wow! You have done a lot of arts and crafts.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother taught me all the embroidery stitches using cotton embroidery floss. I just loved doing embroidery and started doing crewel in wool in the 1970's.

I loved crewel work. Remember the Erica Wilson kits? I had a couple of those.

    You must have done beautiful work, teaching classes and doing kits for shops. You have also done some interesting painting. I'm not familiar with theorem painting, but I have seen reverse glass painting. It is so nice that people appreciate your work and have keepsakes that you have created.

    I've never done Early American painting, just water colors and oils on canvas, mostly landscapes. Like you, I have given some of my paintings to family. 

     Your wall stencils must be lovely. That is something I never attempted. It sounds like you have created some wonderful things for your home and for gifts.

      In the 70's I had a gift shop with handmade things. I made

dollhouse miniatures, macrame chokers and wall art, floral

arrangements, decorative pieces made using driftwood and seashells and some things that I sewed like children's aprons with pockets to hold small art supplies and little handbags made from denim. My two aunts make stained glass pieces and

sewed pillows and baby bibs to sell at my shop.

     It was fun making all the things, but the shop morphed into

an antique shop and I loved going to auctions and flea markets

to find antiques and collectibles for the shop.

     When I was at home with my children, I always had a project going, usually some kind of needlework. Mostly sewing, but also, knitting, crochet, crewel and hooking rugs.

      I just don't feel driven to create now (at 74) like I did when I was younger. My most recent projects have been making sea glass jewelry and selling my pieces at craft fairs and home parties.

      Your wool applique projects sound like an interesting venture and a lovely addition to your home collection.

[phoenixbrd]

@Enufstuff   A labor of love....all the intricate details.  I am amazed at the scale...so tiny and yet perfection.  Your daughter will treasure this forever.  Thank you for sharing your gift with us.  

[PamfromCT]

@Enufstuff , You are an amazing, talented artist.  One of those very unusual artists who do does everything so well.

I want to give your DD a few hints to stencil.  It is so easy when you know a trick or two.  My painting teacher gave me the hints.

Also, if you ever want to take up wool appliqué, you cannot believe how easy it is. And quick with no brain cramps.

Today is is a very busy day here.  I plan to get this info to you tomorrow.  Not nearly as talented as you, but I think we could be sisters.  I am not good at posting pictures, but maybe someday my DH could help.  I am very, very non-mechanical!  

All my best!

[Enufstuff]

@PamfromCT  We just got back from a few days in Maine and I read your post.  Don't sell yourself short. I'm sure that your crewel work, stenciling and appliques must be lovely, especially if your crewel work was displayed in a shop. You are very modest.

   Thank you for for your generous compliments. Like so many others in the 60's and 70's I wanted to try just about every craft

that I came across. I never did try stained glass though. Besides painting, I think that I enjoyed any kind of needlework the most. It was always such fun to try new things.

   Not only am I not so inspired these days, but with arthritis in all my fingers, my dexterity is not that good and needlework would be difficult. However, my grandmother gave me her unfinished patchwork quilt, before she passed away. She was doing assorted embroidery stitches to surround the border of each quilt piece. The pieces are all sewn together and I thought that I would complete the embroidery "someday". Well, now that I am retired, "someday" is here. Perhaps one day soon I will try my hand at embroidery again. That is if I can hold onto

the needle.

    It is so kind of you to offer stenciling hints for my daughter.

I'm sure that she would appreciate it.

   Like you, I am not tech savvy. Even though I worked on computers for 32 years in the school department, I never had to

post pictures. Fortunately, my son still lives at home and is my IT person. He helps me to post the pictures.