So... about dollhouses.  Because we can't have just one project going on at one time!

Once upon a time many years ago, I was daydreaming with my mother in law in a Hobby Lobby about the dollhouses they had displayed in one corner.  Lo and behold both she and I had loved dollhouses since childhood.  Combine that with her tradition of lavish Christmas presents, and guess what I got for Christmas that year?  A dollhouse!  It has it's own gallery here, but I convinced my sister to try making one of her own.

Well... that's not entirely true.  We're making it together but all the design choices are hers and it is currently in her basement workshop.  We started at least two years ago, but dollhouses take a long time.  Especially when you only work on them a few weeks out of the year.  Also, we weren't very good at taking pictures to document the progress.  BUT, what we do have so far deserves it's own blog entry, so here goes!

We've made much more progress since this last picture, including actually finishing out the dining room, and laying out a "fieldstone" floor in the conservatory.  And shingling the roof.  But, like I said: TERRIBLE at taking progress pictures of this one. 

Do I think it will be done in time for the county fair this year?  Possibly.  But don't hold your breath. We're having fun in the mean time! (And as I remind my husband, this is still cheaper than building a full size one. ;) )

~Rachel

Growing up, my sister and I made terrific messes, but we had great fun with our little projects. Sometimes it was just playing house, sometimes it was making clothes for Barbie dolls, and sometimes it was making something in the kitchen.
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I'd like to think our skills have improved since then, but one thing remains the same - of the two of us, I'm usually the "brains" behind a project, and Rachel is the "muscle". I can sometimes overplan a project to death, but but it will be researched and documented like a science experiment. Rachel is great at taking the initial excitement of a new project, and turning that into momentum right away.

Between the two of us, we make a good team. We know how to work around each other, and challenge each other. One thing we are not so good at (yet) is tooting our own horns. Of course we enjoy what we make; however, it always comes as a faint surprise that others would like our creations. 

So hopefully, you, dear readers, can join in the fun, creativity, excitement, and sense of accomplishment that Rachel and I both have for our individual and shared projects. We'd love to hear your reactions and suggestions for our current projects, or know if you were inspired by some of our older, "archived" projects.

​-Kate

Guys. I have a confession to make. There is a fabric I love to work with the most. It is breathable, lightweight, vibrant in color, and oh-so-posh. Silk!

It all started a couple years ago when my hubs and I decided to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. I wanted something fancy to make new outfits from, and settled on silk.

But at $15 a yard minimum, I was at a loss as to how I could accomplish that until a late night Amazon search turned up vintage Indian silk sarees at close to $5 a yard. They even came embroidered! I think our outfits turned out pretty nice!

Well, I’ve improved my dress-building skills a bit since then with the necessary addition of a hoop skirt, plus a better understanding of where to put boning in a bodice for the most bang for the buck. 

Also, Kate and I have started volunteering in the royal court at the Great Plains Renaissance Festival in Wichita.  The court is loosely based on a fictional German kingdom called Blingenstchein because the court hands out…well…bling.  It’s a very generous ruling court. 

After a couple seasons putting older dresses through their paces in the heat, wind, and rain, I can say silk is easy to move around in.  It does wrinkle a bit if it gets rainy. 

I have a simple enough pattern that works, and with a few modifications I will be putting together a German-inspired outfit for Kate and I. So far all I have is the materials, a sketch, and dark winter evenings to fill as a wrestling coach widow (until the end of February, that is).
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But here’s to a new project!  Huzzah!