(Inside A Black Apple)

The Beginnings of a Little Patch

This weekend is for doll-making...big (ish) and small alike! I thought I'd share a peek at some of the little guys that are in the works.

Oh! And lots (and lots) of folks have been inquiring about the new paintings, and when the originals will be available. This makes me so very happy! The answer is: The Milkland update. I'll have the exact date and time ironed out tomorrow, and I'll try and make an update-announcement then.

It looks really beautiful outside, so I'm going to get out of the house for a breath of fresh air, and then come back and shut myself in my golden-lamp-lit studio and sew, sew, sew.
See you soon + Happy Weekend!

A Particular Doll for A Particular Little Girl

One of the handmade gifts I made this year was a little Sophie doll for Josiah's niece Reagan (who is sweet, hilarious, and endlessly entertaining). We have a crazy rapport, and always do lots of coloring and make-believe when I'm in town. However, she is very honest/blunt (as most children are), and I was terribly afraid that the moment she opened her gift would be the moment when I find out that only adults actually like my dolls.

Luckily, I think the pink-clad sweetie was a hit!

I think she ended up being named "Belle" (from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, naturally). The "R" pin was then transferred to Reagan's sweater, because ( I was informed) you can't have someone who's name starts with a "B" sporting such a pin.
Don't be silly.

Sugar + Nutmeg Petite Dolls

Sorry it's not exactly the morning...but about an hour before update time! My computer is acting a little funny, so let's hope this goes off without a hitch (fingers crossed).

These little ladies are crafted of wool and distressed vintage velvet (respectively), and have vintage doily collars. They also each sport a jaunty wool beret!

Sleigh Ride Sophies

Here is the quartet of Sophies that will be available in the mini-update shop tomorrow (Friday)! I am really pleased with these little gals...their capelets just send them over the edge into cold-weather-cute territory.

Each little cape is made of wool felt, is fully removable (to reveal the cute yoke detail on each dress!) and fastens with a vintage button.

 

I'll be back very soon (tomorrow morning before the update) with the new batch of little dolls.

See you soon!

A Tiny for A Tiny

There are three things that I know about the middle Chicken-little (Delia).
One: She is the human I know that is mostly likely to secretly be a fairy.
Two: She loves dolls.
Three: She loves tiny things.

So when her birthday rolled around last week, I knew what was in order. A tiny doll. You might remember last month that I made a sketch/artsy themed birthday present for her elder sis...it's amazing how different children's personalities are even right at the beginning of their lives. Those two are so special and quirky and such individuals already.

Right, but back to the tiny doll.
This photo is about to scale (the doll is probably around 5"-6" inches tall):

I made her with a little nightie on, and then a removable dress, capelet, hat, and scarf. I thought about tiny, 1/2" felt removable shoes, but then I thought about all those literally tens of chewed-on Barbie shoes that went missing during my stint as a little girl. So painted-on, it was!




I had a little bakery box (which I think was intended for cookie-giving), and she fit very sweetly inside...almost like a doll from the store.

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She's really like a teeny shrunken Sophie doll (I redrafted the pattern rather than shrink the existing one, especially because I wanted her to have a shorter torso). Her new owner seems to be a big fan, as I watched her walking around clutching her and fussing with her tiny clothes and such. Hooray!

Sorry if this post is a little crazy, I am having a bad post-election-anxiety migraine/cold right now, and I'm a little whacked from the medicine that is, quite seriously, the only thing allowing me to look at the bright glare of the computer screen without sunglasses.

4...5...6...New Doll Kits!

Hello, everyone!
The three new sets are now in ye olde Black Apple shoppe, featuring:

Harlequin Fairytale Fabric

Wee House Fabric

Red Riding Hood Fabric

I really love these three particular fabric designs, and I hope you will too! I agonized over the selection of pretty much every element in these kits, and I'm pleased to offer them up for holiday gift-giving and project making. Thanks to Mrs. Lucy Berkley for help assembling these, what a pal!