What Should We Tell Our Children About Santa?

Today as I was folding laundry and listening to Christian Christmas music, my mind started reminiscing about secular Christmas music--especially about the music featuring Santa Claus.  Songs like "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," "Up on the Housetop," "Rudolph, the Rednose Reindeer," etc. all bring back sweet memories of my own childhood and memories of my playing Santa's helper with my two girls during their childhoods (their father played the part of Santa).

These were, indeed, magical times that were so exhilerating that it was hard to go to sleep the night before Christmas.  Back in my humble childhood home in the farm country of Mississippi, my older sister played the largest role in making those memories so special.  She would always warm a blanket by the old space heater, wrap me in it tightly, and tuck me in under the covers of the old feather bed. I am sure she did the same for my younger brother and slightly older sister, as well as having the same done for her when she was a small child.  The bedrooms were always so cold, but her sweet efforts to make Christmas special for us smaller brother and sisters replaced that coldness with a warm fire of love in our hearts.  Christmas was so special at our house; it was a unique time of the year when my parents spared their hard-earned money to buy their six children presents.  Although, at a young age we were unaware that our parents were responsible for the presents.  It was seldom that we received presents during the rest of the year, even on our birthdays.  So this was a very special treat.

As I grew older and started to realize those magical times were just that--magical (magic), I had some rather blue, almost depressed feelings for several years after finding out about the myth of Santa.
Right now I feel almost traitorous saying that it would have been better to have not believed in Santa at all.  Why do I say that?  Because as a child I am sure this was my first ever experience of putting my faith into something that I could not see.  To have believed it with all the childlike faith I had was certainly a "setup" for a great "letdown."

This whole "make believe Santa experience" that I described above is one that is shared my many, many people in the world today.  Those who play the role of the trusting child, and those who play the role of the loving "Santa" are all caught up in the myth.  Like all "untruths" there comes a time for "fessing up."  This is not only a dreaded burdon put on those loved ones playing Santa, but it is a life- size disappointment and disallusionment for those children who are lovingly subjected to it.

So how do I think this age old tradition should be handled by Christian parents?  I believe the truth of Christmas should be told.   Jesus Christ is the reason for the season of Christmas. He is the great gift giver, for he gave his life for us.  This Truth may not be as much fun to a small child, but in the long run of life, it is the best road to take.  There will be no embellished myth to confess, there will be no great disappointment to be had by the children; there will be only a Truth that can never be debauched and a promise of a gift -- eternal life--that will never be withdrawn.

To those of you who read these thoughts of mine, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas that is wrapped up in the love and sacrifice of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the gift in the manger.

David, the Psalmist, Comforts Himself and Others in God

"But the Lord shall endure forever..."

Today, I read Psalm 9: 7-10 and received such a blessing from it -- so much so that I would like to share it with my blog readers.

But the Lord shall endure forever; he hath prepared his throne for judgment.  And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.  The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.  And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

When I consider all the things that are going on in the world -- out of control government, corrupt officials, tragedies in our schools, the workplace, our homes, and the world at large, threats to our personal liberties, and the list goes on and on and on-- it is wonderful to have God's Word to bring such comfort to my soul.

I cannot begin to explain this Scripture reading anything close to how Matthew Henry explains it; so since he is my "go-to" Bible commentator, I will share his take on these verses -- Psalm 9:7-10: (Note: I modernized a few of his old English words)  I hope you read this and receive the same blessing as I did.

(Matthew Henry) "He (David) comforts himself and others in God, and pleases himself with the thoughts of him.
  1. With the thoughts of his eternity.  On this earth we see nothing durable, even strong cities are buried in rubbish and forgotten; but the Lord shall endure forever.  There is no change of his being; his love, power, and perfection, are out of the reach of all the combined forces of hell and earth; they may put an end to our liberties, our privileges, our lives, but our God is still the same, and sits even upon the floods, unshaken, undisturbed.
  2.  With the thoughts of his sovereignty both in government and judgment:  He has prepared his throne, has fixed it by his infinite wisdom, has fixed it by his immutable counsel.  It is the great support and comfort of good people, when the power of the church's enemies is threatening and the posture of its affairs melancholy and perplexed, that God now rules the world and will shortly judge the world.
  3.  With the thoughts of his justice and righteousness in all the administrations of his goverment.  He does all every day, he will do all at the last day, according to the eternal unalterable rules of equity: He shall judge the world, all persons and all controversis, shall minister judgment to the people (shall determine their lot both in this and in the future state) in righteousness and in uprightness, so that there shall not be the least colour of exception against it.
  4.  With the thoughts of that peculiar favour which God bears to his own people and the special protection which he takes them under. The Lord, who endures forever, is their everlasting strength and protection; he that judges the world will be sure to judge for them, when at any time they are injured or distressed:  He will be a refuge for the oppressed, a high place, a strong place, for the oppressed, in times of trouble.  It is the lot of God's people to be oppressed in this world and to have troublous times appointed to them. Perhaps God may not immediately appear for them as their deliverer and avenger; but, in the midst of their distresses, they may in faith flee to him as their refuge and may depend upon his power and promise for their safety, so that no real hurt shall be done to them.
  5.  With the thoughts of that sweet satisfaction and repose of mind which those have that make God their refuge:  "Those that know thy name will put their trust in thee, as I have done: (for the grace of God is the same in all the saints), "and then they will find, as I have found, that thou dost not forsake those that seek thee;" for the favour of God is the same towards all the saints.  Note,        (1.) The better God is known the more he is trusted.  Those who know him to be a God of infinite wisdom will trust him further than they can see him; those who know him to be a God of almighty power will trust him when creature-confidences fail and they have nothing else to trust to; and those who know him to be a God of infinite grace and goodness will trust him though he slay them, Job 8:15.  Those who know him to be a God of inviolable truth and faithfulness will rejoice in his word of promise, and rest upon that, though the performance be deferred and intermediate providences seem to contradict it. Those who know him to be the Father of spirits, and an everlasting Father, will trust him with their souls as their main care and trust in him at all times, even to the end.  (2.) the more God is trusted the more he is sought unto.  If we trust God we shall seek him by faithful and fervent prayer, and by a constant care to approve ourselves to him in the whole course of our conversations.  (3.) God never did, nor ever will, disown or desert any that duly seek to him and trust in him.  Though he afflict them, he will not leave them comfortless; though he seem to forsake them for a while, yet he will gather them with everlasting mercies."

Now will you do me a favor?  If you read this entire piece and received a blessing from it, will you email me at missycrissy2@gmail.com and let me know.  If you have a Gmail account, you can also comment in the space below this post. It sure encourages me to think that what I share of God's Word blesses others, too.  Thanks.  Cris

ANOTHER ELSA DRESS

I decided to try a different pattern and type of fabric for this Elsa dress.  It happens to be the same pattern that was used in the aqua skating dress that I finished making yesterday.  Not only the same pattern by Lee and Pearl was used, but also the same fabric.  The dress turned out great and I love it just as much as the one by Doll House Designs.  The two dresses are entirely different in style and fabric, but both depict the real Elsa dress really well.

This dress is made of four-way stretch fabric and most of the stitches were serged in order to maintain the elasticity of the fabric.  Sewing this extremely stretchy fabric was a great challenge, but it was well worth the extra time and careful attention that I had to put into this project.  Here are some pictures of the finished dress and two more that I am adding of the skating dress.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WINTER OLYMPICS

I've been busy sewing today making American Girl doll skating dresses.   It won't be long before winter weather will be here--even in Mississippi--and we will be shut in watching lots of television. One of my favorite telecasts in the olympic competitions is the women's figure skating.  And the main reason I like them is because I love to see the gorgeous outfits that the skaters wear.

These little skating dresses that I just finished making were indeed a challenge.  They have to be made from extremely stretchy fabric--in fact fabric that will stretch in four ways like Lycra or spandex.   Because most of the dresses are made of different textures and sheer values, it is sometimes time consuming locating fabric that will work for this type of costume.  But I took the easy way out and bought a kit of fabric to make one of the outfits, and already had on hand some fabric from dance costumes that I had made in the past.  The pattern that I used was designed by Lee and Pearl.

Here are some pictures.

Psalm 4:8 A REQUEST TO BE HEARD BY GOD

It's been a while since I have posted on my blog; but today, the Spirit prompted me to post this commentary by Matthew Henry on Psalm 4:1 and 8.  In this passage David is making a request and plea to be heard by God.  "Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God......"I will lie down and sleep in peace for you along, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

"He (David) commits all his affairs to God, and contentedly leaves the issue of them with him.  It is said of the husbandman that, having cast his seed into the ground, he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs and grows up, he know not how, Mark 4: 26-27.  So a good man, having by faith and prayer cast his care upon God, sleeps and rests night and day, and is very easy, leaving it to his God to perform all things for him and prepared to welcome his holy will.

In singing these verses, and praying over them, let us, with a holy contempt of the wealth and pleasure of this world, as insufficient to make up happy, earnestly seek the favour of God and pleasingly solace ourselves in that favour; and, with a holy indifferency about the issue of all our world concerns, let us commit ourselves and all our affairs to the guidance and custody of the divine Providence, and be satisfied that all shall be made to work for good to us if we keep ourselves in the love of God."  (Matthew Henry Commentary)

I hope all of you have a great Saturday, October 25, 2014.  Enjoy this beautiful day that the Lord has made and rejoice in his love, care, and guidance; for he is big enough to handle all of our cares, as we live in a world filled with chaos.

Praise God for His Protection Today!

Well, I certainly have a praise today. I know there are many times during the day that God protects us, but today he was gracious enough to let me see his protection. This morning I had just moved my husband, Jim's big old, very much off the ground dually truck to mow under it. Before I could shut the door and move out of the way it started rolling backwards. The whole time I was trying to back up into it to brake it, I kept slipping off the foot rail, and at the same time I was being pushed by the door.
It's so wonderful to know that God's Holy Spirit was leading me to call out "Help me, Jesus" over and over. All of a sudden it hit the old truck parked behind it. 

So I am just thankful to be alive today, and rejoicing in my Savior's love and protection.

Why Should We not Grumble about Our Circumstances???

As Christians why should we not grumble about our circumstances?  In Job 36: 24- 26:  "Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold.  Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.  Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out."

Here, according to Matthew Henry,  Elihu is endeavouring to possess Job with great and high thoughts of God, and so to persuade him into a cheerrful submission to his providence.

"The streams of being, power, and perfection should lead us to the fountain.  God is great, infinitely so, --great in power, for he is omnipotent and independent, --great in wealth, for he is self-sufficient and all-sufficient, --great in himself, --great in all his works, --great, and therefore greatly to be praised, --great, and therefore we know him not.  We know that he is, but not what he is.  We know what he is not, but not what he is.  We know in part, but not in perfection.

This comes in here as a reason why we must not arraign his proceedings, nor find fault with what he does, because it is speaking evil of the things that we understand not and answering a matter before we hear of.  We know not the duration of his existence, for it is infinite.  The number of his years cannot possible be searched out, for his is eternal; there is no number of them.  He is a Being without beginning, succession, or period, whoever was, and ever will be, and ever the same, the great
I AM."

A Little Disappointed in This One

Well, I'm wrapping up the little en forreau dress that I've been making and I wouldn't be honest if I said that it was an easy dress to fit to the doll.  It was not an easy dress to fit to the doll.  The en forreau, the outer robe part of the outfit, was apparently designed to fit a particular size doll--a smaller one than my model, Mattie.  So that is why there are little folds in the bodice on either side of the front opening. Pleased, I am not!  Fortunately, the back of the en forreau and the petticoat turned out as I hoped they would, but with the front not looking so well, in my opinion the whole outfit is a failure!!!

But, what can you expect the first time you use a pattern.  Most professional seamstresses would probably have made a "muslin," a mock up of the outfit sewn from cheaper fabric, such as muslin. I did not do this, however, because the fabric that I used was from the sale bin at JoAnn's, so I did not have a lot invested in the material--just my time.  Hopefully, next time that I make an outfit from this pattern, I will be able to make some adjustments to allow for a better fit.  I also think that my choice of fabric for the en forreau was not a good choice.  The taffeta was very unforgiving when it had to be sewn in curved lines.  That is probably why the bodice did not fit as it should have fit.

Oh, well, it was a challenge to make and an interesting historical design, so I guess that made the project worthwhile. Here are two pictures of the outfit before I have completed the handsewing that has to be done on it.  Once this is done, I will take my final pictures and post them.  Thanks for keeping up with this sewing project.  Sharing with you always makes it more fun for me.  Hope you enjoyed it, too.

 

Working on the En Forreau Gown

Today, I had a chance to sew on the En Forreau gown, but only after I had completely removed all the carpet from my living room floor.  Jim and I have been redoing most of the floors in our 110 year old house, and are so excited to be almost through with this project.  We have had to replace the subfloor and install vinyl flooring in the dining room, master bedroom, and the office, but were fairly sure that we would only have to install an underlayment for the vinyl flooring that we are installing in the living room and another bedroom.  The bedroom has a pine floor that has been painted, but otherwise is in great structural shape, so we will simply install the underlayment and vinyl flooring to this room.

We were so pleasantly surprised to discover that after we removed the old carpet in the living room that the original pine flooring was in wonderful condition.  We never anticipated being able to preserve some of the original flooring in the house, but now we will be able to do so.  Here is a picture of the floor as we found it after removing the old carpet.

Now back to my sewing project.  I had completed the two sections of the En Forreau 1700s gown, and today I pleated and inserted the en forreau back of the gown.  Remember, that the term en forreau refers to the way the back of the gown is made up of a long pleated section that starts at the neckline and extends to the hem of the skirt. This feature of the gown allows it to be fitted in the waist by adding tiny little pleats.  I'm not going to say, that this phase of the project was completed without me having to rip out some stitches, because I would not be telling the truth.  Hopefully, when I make a second gown by this pattern, I will be able to breeze through it.  Here are pictures of the pleated back section of the gown and where it was inserted.

And these last two pictures show little Mattie having her second fitting.  I placed the petticoat fabric against the gown to get an idea of how the colors will look together.  What do you think?

Read the Instructions Before You Begin a Project!

There have been more times than I can count when I have asked my students to please read the instructions before starting an assignment, taking a test, or beginnning a project.  So you might ask me:  "Do you take your own advise?"  To which I would say, "Well, sometimes."

On this En Forreau project I must respond, "Not this time."  I have a word for you today--
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE STARTING A PROJECT!

I've lost count the number of times that I have had to rip out stitches in this dress project. Thankfully, I have been able to correct my mistakes along the way, but tonight I made one that scared me a little.  I made a cut that could only be corrected by sewing the piece back on leaving a seam where there is not suppose to be one.  All in all, though, unless you saw the pattern instructions; you would not be able to determine that it was a miscalculation on my part!  Whew!
Tonight, for my bedtime reading guess what I will be reading???

So what did I accomplish in the little time that I worked on the dress?  I added tiny little pleats to the skirt of the dress and attached one side of the skirt to the bodice.  It looks like the pieces line up, so when I resume sewing, this is where I will begin.  Until next time, good night.

Today is Saturday and I Actually Got to Sew

This morning I finished making a batch of sweet pickles that I started last night, so I did not get to resume my sewing until this afternoon.  I was really anxious to get started since I left one of the sleeves of the En Forreau dress ripped apart last night.  The first thing that I did was re-cut another sleeve and re-attached the cuff.  It looked great, and I was pleased with the results.  The next step involved gathering the sleeve caps and then setting them into the armhole openings of the bodice.  I thought this would be easy enough, because I had done it many, many times before, but to my dismay, I set the first sleeve in backwards.  So it was rip, rip, rip time again; can I say this project was plagued with my careless errors?   Finally, though, I managed to complete the sleeve insertions and it was time to do my first fitting on little Mattie. SIGH!!!

After all the struggling with the bodice of the dress, it really did turn out nice and seems to be a perfect fit.  The wide opening in the back will be where the En Forreau (long sheath) will be inserted.  But first I will have to attach the skirt of the dress to either side of the bodice before this insertion is made.  The En Forreau will extend from the neckline to the hem of the dress and will feature a series of tiny pleats whose purpose is to produce a snug fit around the waist.

I had thought about sewing some more tonight, but Farmer Jim, my husband, asked me to help him count his herd of cows.  For some reason he was coming up short on his count.   I had my doubts that I would be able to do this because most of his cows are the same color--black--and most of them would not stand still for very long.  It only took about three times of starting over with my counting, for me to give it up, for they would invariably escape my mental corral.  Even my idea of taking pictures of them and later trying to count them on the computer screen proved just as hard a task.

Now it was fun to watch Jim count the cows; he is so experienced at doing this.  It's amazing to me how he can tell them apart; but he can.  He knows something physically unique about each one; he also can tell you the due date of each mama cow.

Well, that concludes the events of my day and I'll be posting again on the progress of my sewing project, so please tune in to see what happens next.

Started a New Sewing Project Today

My next sewing project is going to take us back to the late 1700's and allow us to get a glimpse of the dress styles of that era.  The doll dress that I have chosen to make was designed by Shari Fuller of Thimbles and Acorns, a super talented lady who spends lots of time doing research into the fashion trends and styles of centuries past.  

This style of gown, as described by Shari, is based on the popular En Forreau' dress style from the 1770's where the bodice and skirt at the center back were cut in one piece and pleated to fit.  The gown can be worn down or tied up with hidden tapes to form a bustle.  The petticoat is historically detailed with front and back ties that form pocket openings at the sides.

Armed with some old gold taffeta that I found in the remnant bin at JoAnns and a cotton floral print that is the perfect color for the fall season, I began my sewing project.  Determined to accomplish something before the end of the day, I pinned the pattern to the fabric, cut it out, serged the edges of each piece, threaded my sewing machine with matching thread, and started sewing the sleeves. My new goal for the day would be to finish the sleeves complete with cuff, lace, and shoulder gathering.

Here are some pictures of my progress up to this point.

My little model for this sewing project will be Maddie.

As you can see from the last sewing picture above I started with the sleeve, first attaching the lace and later the cuff.  Below is a picture of what I thought was the accomplishment of the goal I had set for the day--to finish the sleeves.  

But after further examination I noticed that I had attached the lace to the right sleeve in the same direction as the lace on the left sleeve.  Of course, we all know (don't we) that they have to be the opposites of each other.  So here I am ripping it out, and figuring out what part of it I can still use and what part I will have to recut.  

But, that is no big deal; most seamstresses know they will have to rip something out sooner or later; so we just take it all in stride and keep moving forward.  Tomorrow, I hope to be able to finish the sleeves, attach them to the bodice, and begin making the En Forreau back of the dress.

YES!! I Finished the Elsa Dress

With excitement and relief I am pleased to present to you the finished Elsa dress inspired by the Disney movie, Frozen.  Most of today was spent taking pictures of my doll, Kirsten, in the dress that I have been planning and sewing on for what seems like two months.

I have to admit, though, it has been a lot of fun working on this project.  It has required, as I said, lots of time as well as a fair amount of expense.  This dress will be unique in that it will not be exactly duplicated again, so whoever purchases it will have a one-of-a-kind little dress for her special doll.  If you are interested in purchasing this dress, you can do so at Etsy.com/shop/missycrissy2.


Last week, I finally got to watch the movie with my little granddaughters, Katie and Jane.  It was a fantastic movie with such a great life lesson, wonderful music, and beautiful animation.  I hope that you have enjoyed following my progress with this Elsa dress project, and it would be so great if you could post a little comment on my blog; otherwise, I will

have no idea that you read it.  Thanks for following.

It's Been A While!

It's been a while since I worked on the Snow Queen Elsa dress.  Hopefully, today, I will be able to complete it.  I am learning to navigate through some software, Corel PaintShop Pro, in order to remove the background from the pictures that I take of my dolls' outfits.  This will allow me to photoshop the doll pose onto a background that I would otherwise be unable to obtain here in Mississippi.  Specifically, a background of snow, that was the setting for most of the Frozen movie.

Last week was really a wild one for my husband and me.  We are striving hard to do our part in redeeming our beloved state of Mississippi back from what seems to be a very low place politically speaking.  It is our desire that the U. S. Senatorial election be conducted and concluded in such a way that each voter in Mississippi can be satisfied that the outcome was arrived at legally and ethically.  Sometimes we often wonder why things have to be so "upside down" in our lives and in the world at large; and we may, like Job, wonder where God is in all of the commotion.

Today, while reading God's Word, I think I might have found the answer in Psalms 33: 8-11..."Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all people of the world revere him.  For he spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.  The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples, But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

(Paraphrasing Matthew Henry) God over-rules all the counsels of men, and makes them, contrary to their intention, serviceable to his counsels. Come and see with an eye of faith God is on the throne, 1. Frustrating the devices of his enemies: He bringeth the counsel (Ps. 2:1 ); the counsel of Ahithophel is turned into foolishness; Haman’s plot is baffled. Though the design be laid ever so deep, and the hopes raised upon it ever so high, yet, if God says it shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass; it is all to no purpose. 2. Fulfilling his own decrees: The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever. It is immutable in itself, for he is in one mind, and who can turn him? The execution of it may be opposed, but cannot in the least be obstructed by any created power. Through all the revolutions of time God never changed his measures, but in every event, even that which to us is most surprising, the eternal counsel of God is fulfilled, nor can anything prevent its being accomplished in its time. With what pleasure to ourselves may we in singing this give praise to God! How easy may this thought make us at all times, that God governs the world, that he did it in infinite wisdom before we were born, and will do it when we are silent in the dust! of the heathen to nought, so that what they imagine against him and his kingdom proves a vain thing.  

There are two things that I would like to emphasize here:  God is still on his throne, and He will accomplish his purposes in his time.

Sewing Again on the Elsa Dress

Today, after spending all of last week working on the floors in "our old house," I am finally sewing again on the Snow Queen Elsa dress.  I love to sew and when I don't get to sew almost every day, I get frustrated.

Here are pictures of the almost completed train and corset (bodice), which was the part of the dress that I was most eager to sew.  It is always a curiosity to see if the pattern will fit, if the pieces will fit together properly, if the fabric selections work together, and on this particular design if I would do an acceptable job on the bodice embellishments.  The fabrics that I chose seem to be working pretty well.  At first I did not know if turning the embellished side of the train fabric to the inside and using it as a show-through lining would work, but it turned out pretty well, as did the bodice embellishments.  What do you think?

Follow me to see the dress continue to come together.  I am anxious to see the finished results, and I hope you are too!

I'm Not Sure of What I Did

My posts are all out of sequence according to date; so for those of you who have been following my posts on the making of the Queen Elsa dress, you will have to select from the categories to the left to find those posts.
Because of other obligations, I have not had time to sew this week, but I hope to get back to the Elsa dress next week.  Thanks for keeping up with me.

Kirsten's Photoshoot Update

Kirsten and I started out for the beach, but realized we would have to walk a long ways from our hotel, so we decided to stop by the pool instead.  Here are some pictures of her visit to the pool at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, MS

Finally at the Beach

We finally made it to the beach to take some more pictures of Kirsten's new hand crocheted swimsuit; but after getting all set up, I realized that I had left my camera card in my laptop.  My husband was sweet enough to take me to the store to buy one, and after eating some lunch we came back to the beach to take some pictures--right before a storm came through.  I did not take the time I should have to get my focus and other camera settings right, so hence the not too good pictures.  But it was fun to get some shots using real life props.  I only wish I had not forgotten Kirsten's beach chair that I worked so hard making.

Ice Queen Elsa Dress On the Table

Today I officially started on my rendition of the dress worn my Elsa, the Ice Queen, in the movie, Frozen.  Many seamstresses have made their version of this little dress for their dolls, their daughters' dolls, or to sell in their online stores or at craft shows.  This dress is very popular with doll owners because the movie itself is so extremely popular.  Of course, what Disney princess movie has not been a huge hit immediately after its release and for decades after.  Just think about Cinderella, Snow White, etc.; thousands and thousands of costumes for dolls, little girls, and also big girls have been purchased or custom-made over the years.  So here we have another one.

The dress that I am making will be for sale in my online Etsy store at Etsy.com/shop/missycrissy2.  I will also offer it for sale locally at craft shows around Christmas time.  I am using a pattern designed by Renee Adams of Dollhouse Designs.  The dress is so magical and gorgeous; and Renee did an awesome job with her pattern, designing it to so closely to resemble the dress worn by Elsa in the movie.

It has taken me many trips to the fabric stores to find the perfect fabrics to use in this creation.  It had to have a nearly invisible long sleeve, close-fitting under blouse that would show the doll's arms and lower neck.  The neckline of the dress and the very long detachable train would have an illusion of sprinkles of sparkly ice crystals.  Probably the most difficult search was for the right color of icey blue fabric.  For the train the fabric had to be sheer, flowing, and wispy blue-white to resemble a light snow trail, and the fabric perfect for the skirt of the dress needed to be satin-smooth, and have enough weight to hang correctly.  Lastly, the corset-type bodice would need to be adorned with sequins, crystals, and beads to give it a dimension of richness.

Planning this dress has been a lot of fun, but I have to confess that the expense of the pattern, specialty fabric, embellishments, and notions have caused me a little angst; for I know to recapture my expense and to make a buck, I will have to charge more than most people want to give for a doll dress.  So the dress that I am making will most probably be purchased by a doll collector or by an older girl who is appreciative of the value and delicate nature of the dress's construction and fabric.

Tomorrow's post will update you on my

progress with the blouse of this dress.  Please visit again.

On a Different Subject

Today as I was reading my Bible, I had just finished watching the news and specifically the hearing on the IRS conservative targeting scandal. Just listening to that man who is the new head of the IRS made my sweet potato pancakes flip over in my stomach. It is so amazing how our country is becoming more and more corrupt with this and other horrible things that are going on in our country. But, apparently, from my reading in Habakkuh the problem with corruption is certainly not new.

Habakkuh was so frustrated with the Lord about why he was allowing all of the similar corruption in Judah to continue unabated. He said in Hab. 1:4 "The law is not enforced and there is no justice given in the courts, for the wicked far outnumber the righteous, and bribes and trickery prevail." (NLB)

But the Lord in all of his wisdom, righteousness, and perfect timeliness responded in Verses 5-11 (NLB): "Look, and be amazed! You will be astounded at what I am about to do! For I am going to do something in your own lifetime that you will have to see to believe. I am raising a new force on the world scene, the Chaldeans, a cruel and violent nation who will march across the world and conquer it. They are notorious for their cruelty...for they clain their power is from their gods."
When I look at the Middle East and what is happening in Iraq (Babylon), Iran (Chaldea), etc. it seems as though history is repeating itself. I sure hope they are not coming for us--as a rod of God's punishment. Something to think about.

Elsa Dress--Day 4--Fitting the Corset

Finishing the task of hot fixing the crystals on the corset of the Elsa dress was accomplished today with only a small blunder.  One crystal landed in the wrong place leaving a little glue trail which I had to clean up. Thankfully, it is almost undetectable.  I was glad, also, that the fitting of the corset was successful.  I was a little afraid it might be too small, since that tends to be the trend of today's AG clothes patterns.  Most of the patterns are designed to fit the newer, smaller framed dolls rather than the older, original American Girl dolls. Below is a picture of the corset fitting and the finished crystal and rhinestone application.