IS IT REALLY SPRING?

Hello Friends!

I hope you’re all seeing some sort of evidence of spring in your area. It has been a long, snowy winter for so many of us but warmer weather and sunshine always have restorative effects. Personally, I have been doing lots of sewing but it's for the one doll I own who does not have perfect measurements and has an option about everything – ME! I desperately need some new summer dresses and I also found this power-suit (photo below) on Pinterest that screamed “make me”.
 

But I also have finished a dress/jacket outfit for Silkstone Barbie (Monograms, Poppy, etc.) and am trying to find a bit of time to photograph it. Photography is a big part of my fashion presentations and it is something that I never hurry through, especially when I have invested so much time on the garment. Of course, you all will be the first to see it when I’m finished.

Happy Spring!

Great North Woods Design
Great North Woods Design on Etsy

Doll Fashions by Great North Woods Design on Facebook
 

THE OFFICIAL DAY OF LOVE

COME FOLLOW ME!

 

This blog is just one of the ways, as you can see by the list of websites below, that I have of staying in touch with friends who love dolls and doll fashions as much as I do. I started this Blog because, while I love the freedom of creating my own HTML website (greatnorthwoodsdesign.com), there is always the fear that the host site will change or be deleted. I do love the immediacy of Facebook too and the ease of chatting with others, and I find that many of my dolly friends like to hang out there. But some are not interested in joining Facebook and although my Blog has a RSS feed, I still maintain an email list for those folks who prefer their news by email.

I confess that occasionally I do forget to send the email list in a timely manner (hanging head in shame) but hopefully, I have now solved that problem. At the top of this Blog, on the right side, is an email notification/subscribe button. Simply enter your email address and a Great North Woods Design Blog update will be sent right to your mailbox every time I post a new entry. The Facebook and the Blog posts are usually identical so you can be in the loop right along with everyone else.

Great North Woods Design
Great North Woods Design on Etsy

Doll Fashions by Great North Woods Design on Facebook

TROCADERO for Silkstone Barbie in my Etsy Shop Now

After a wonderful Christmas, which included the New Year's Eve wedding of my oldest son and his beautiful bride, an ice storm which dominated the news and brought loss of heat and lights to many friends and family members for almost a week, and finally getting back to my exercise program with renewed energy after weeks of cooking great things to eat, I managed to yawn and stretch my way into the sewing room.

I have always been fascinated with the famous old night spots of the glamour days of the '30s, '40s and even the '50s. Just imagine the cocktail outfits that the stars wore to such evenings, knowing they would be meeting the crème de la crème of their peers. This is what I had in mind when I created “Trocadero”, in honour of the Café Trocadero (or the Troc as it was affectionately known) on the Sunset Strip.

See Trocadero in my Etsy Shop now.

Great North Woods Design

Great North Woods Design on Etsy

Doll Fashions by Great North Woods Design on Facebook

Can You Have Too Many Books?

I have many interests but two main hobbies dominate my free time - sewing and gardening, in that order. Like many who indulge in their pastimes, I also like to read about it as well. I have a collection of gardening books that most horticulturists would envy and my collection of sewing books, although much more modest in number, is growing all the time. How-to-books on a subject that interests you are old friends that you will return to many, many times. My favourite sewing magazine, Threads, has published a very comprehensive list of sewing books for every aspect of garment sewing. For those of you who sew for dolls (or for yourself) you may find just the inspiration you need to tackle a project that you have been wary of trying before. I know I often do.

Check out GREAT BOOKS as compiled by Threads Magazine.

Great North Woods Design 
Great North Woods Design on Etsy

Doll Fashions by Great North Woods Design on Facebook

Chinoiserie Red Moon (or a Holy Grail Comes Home)

I finally found one of my long sought-after Silkstones on Ebay. Naturally, when she was offered everywhere at give-away prices, I kept thinking I’d get around to buying her someday. Then, recently, I happened to see a photo of her and realized that I still thought she was gorgeous. Time to get serious! I checked around on Ebay and was amazed at how her price had skyrocketed over time and, coupled with Ebay’s new shipping policy of charging import duties, she was definitely now out of my price comfort zone. But, luckily, I found one for sale right here in my own country (no import duties) and here she is!

Great North Woods Design
Great North Woods Design on Etsy

Doll Fashions by Great North Woods Design on Facebook

RED HOT for Tonner's Tyler, Cami and Antoinette in my Etsy Shop

Great North Woods Design on Etsy

Great North Woods Design

Great North Woods Design on Etsy

Doll Fashions by Great North Woods Design on Facebook