Last summer the staff at St. Tikhon's Monastery Bookstore requested that I make a custom doll to resemble their abbot, Fr. Sergius. I have made several other custom dolls so this sounded like fun. They also wanted him to have a full set of white vestments...and a black baseball hat. It took me a while … Continue reading Abbot Sergius Doll
sewing
February updates
Happy Valentine's Day! I finally wrapped up a number of different projects and feel like I can take a breather and reassess my schedule. I'll share a few of those projects today. The shop is still going strong. I changed my business model as far as censers go. I'm still evaluating whether this will work … Continue reading February updates
2021 Project Roundup
I'm pretty sure I can't actually sum up all of my projects in a single blog post. Maybe I'll just pick out some notable ones and share some photos. I only made one quilt (I think) which was for my parents' 50th anniversary. I made a handprint quilt using prints from every child, spouse, and … Continue reading 2021 Project Roundup
Doll-in-progress
Here is the newest doll, well, her head, anyway! As soon as I saw the large boucle yarn on Weir Crafts a few weeks ago I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I knew it would be perfect for textured hair. I had the coffee-colored knit fabric already which I used for … Continue reading Doll-in-progress
Living life
We’re firmly into summer here which means a lot of staying indoors except in the early morning or evening. It’s just too hot. Yesterday afternoon the temperature was 98 with a heat index of 108. It was like a sauna. The little girls have a wading pool in the back yard but they’re only permitted … Continue reading Living life
New Doll(s)
I finished this doll the other day and mailed her yesterday to a friend who couldn’t resist her. I had so much fun making a doll with hair that looks real. As I mentioned in a previous post, this is mohair weft, from an adult angora goat. It’s a little coarse, but absolutely like real … Continue reading New Doll(s)
Saturday morning
My rosebud is opening up. Another bud is starting to open too. It’s been a busy couple of days, but in a way it feels like I’ve gotten nothing done. Don’t you hate that? So much of the work is intangible: taking care of small children which involves a lot of “watch me, Mama!” I … Continue reading Saturday morning
Wednesday Collage
Growing things I’ve never had a rose bush before. I discovered that there was a small, barely alive one mostly hidden by the front shrubs and I decided to see if it could be coaxed back to health. I aerated the soil and added some rose fertilizer but as the weeks went by nothing really … Continue reading Wednesday Collage
Two recent Orthodox dolls
This is the most recent (custom) priest doll. This next doll was ordered by the same person, a bit of a departure because he is the first saint doll I have made. This is St. Christos the Gardener. The cover of this children’s book was the inspiration. In some icons he’s depicted holding one or … Continue reading Two recent Orthodox dolls
New Week
Yes, this is Tuesday and not the beginning of the week, but sometimes I get a late start.* There’s always so much optimism in the beginning of a week. I imagine how productive I will be, how I will stick to the diet, how I will wear my step-counter and exercise more, how I will … Continue reading New Week
Praying With My Feet 