My summer easel is turning out to be my sewing machine!  Though I’m still drawing and painting (and there’s even a large charcoal in process ON the easel) I’ve been spending a good bit of time sitting in front of my 1965 White sewing machine given to me by my mother-in-law when I got married twenty-two years ago.  She apparently bought it new to try learning to sew but packed it away in frustration after only a few tries.  It has been a honey-of-a-machine for me all these years and it’s getting quite a work-out this summer.

Maddie and I have loved Groovy Dolls for a long time.  I came home one day a few weeks ago with her in the middle of my studio/sunroom floor surveying fabrics, buttons, and yarn.  “I have a great idea, mom!” she says…and I know this actually means: “I have a great idea for YOU to make for me, mom!”  Humph!

Well, I do love making dolls and always have.  I spent my entire childhood, I think, making dolls, doll clothes, doll accessories with a dear girl friend of mine: she and I burning up our machines at whoever’s house we found ourselves.  We did play with our handmade dolls, but only long enough to have other ideas and dreams set us off on a search for just the right stuff to create our idea.  I have two boxes of dolls and dolls stuff up in our attic from those years, 5th grade up through high school even.

So Maddie and I set out to make a simple little doll to be a friend to her Groovy doll.  Maddie chose everything:  the blue hair, the striped leggins, the floral sundress, ribbons, pigtails, everything.  I just followed orders (of course, giving my suggestions on things that could be made more easily than what she was asking for:).  Maddie named her Aquamarine…a fitting name for this blue-haired, fair beauty.  Maddie says she is the perfect complement to her red-haired Groovy doll and so they are best friends!

I LOVE the world of an eight year old!

P.S.  Maddie took this photo…I think she’s quite a good little photographer as well as doll designer!