Feels like a long week

Wednesday and it feels like this week is dragging. Maybe because it's rained for days and days. I have gotten some things started. But first I had a mail call today. I won a cute owl mug rug from Rhonda
http://ravelly1-quiltzblog.blogspot.com/ She does some very creative things. When I saw her owl in flight I fell in love with him. I didn't win him but I did win him after he flew in a tree!

I'll be shopping next week with some friends and hope to find some fabric to make Mr. Owl in flight. Thank you again for the sweet owl!  He won't be seeing a mug sitting on him. I'm much too careful about the quilties I love to ever take a chance on getting a spot on them!  He'll be joining many other little quilts on the walls of my sewing room.

Yesterday I stopped for a break from doll patterns and sewing to bake some goodies. I used the no knead bread recipe from http://happilymarriedtothecows.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-05-22T12:21:00-04:00&max-results=7  Glenda's recipe. I've been doing a lot of experimenting with this bread. This week I cut the recipe in half. One loaf is Wheat Bread and very good. The other I've been trying for a real good loaf each week, adding more to it each time for the perfect raisin/cinnamon bread.

This is very sticky bread but after the second rise I pulled it in half, placed half on heavy floured wax paper and pulled and pounded it into a large tissue box shape about 1/2 inch thick. Then I brushed it with milk and sprinkled 3/4 cup of sugar with 3 tablespoons of cinnamon mixed in and 1/3 cup of raisins. It could have used more raisins but it was really good!

I also made lemon cookies for the first time from a lemon cake mix, 2 eggs and 1/3 cup of oil. I added the juice of half a lemon and the skin grated...at first we weren't sure if we liked them but they are a summer cookie and with a cup of coffee it's a nice small sweet snack.

Now to the dolls. The dress that came on the blonde doll (Morgan) does not fit the other doll (Kate). Kate is more like the AG doll. She is stuffed to the neck which makes her fat. This is why I am changing the patterns so they fit all 18 inch dolls. She is also longer in the body so the dress is too short without stockings on..if it did fit.

This is the first dress from my changed pattern. The shrug is reversible so it can be worn with lots of other outfits.

I shortened the straps on the dress on the second photo so it won't look so long on the dolls. I still have to add some buttons and bows but I like the final fit.

Now I am working on a skirt and T shirt.

I am really surprised at the simplicity patterns. They are made like real clothing. There isn't any reason I can see to have seams on the shoulders and facings on these outfits. It makes it much too hard to sew and you have many unfinished seams. For myself I have a serger, but if I didn't, all those seams would have to be zig zagged...too much work.  I'm surprised at how much  work these are. They aren't Barbie clothes where you can just turn in a seam and let the edge unfinished. These have to be finished just like sewing for a toddler but a lot smaller. This T shirt will be my first try at a knitted fabric in this tiny size so I hope I don't end up .... well you know what I mean!