This is Susan, too …

 After carefully taking poor Susan apart and visiting the Doll Workshop in Kinson, it was cleanup time. I washed all her clothes in cool water and used some Vanish for some stain spots, before a cool rinse and spin in the machine. This items were handmade by Nana many years before her death in 2010 so I’m having to replace the elastic on her knitted knickers too. 

And Susan needed a bath too, but being low fire ceramic, and pretty porous, soap and water really isn’t on the cards for her. I found an older paintbrush (not hard for an artist of many years) and also one of my soft, ostrich feather dusters. Ostrich feathers pick up dust using static, then you can shake them off outside. The paint brush loosened a lot of dust. I did wonder who’s skin cells were in there! 

Inside her newly dusted head you can see the eye mechanism. The gentle duster was good to use around her eyes and teeth area. 

The teeth are glued onto a piece of felt, and were poorly attached. Someone got glue all over her teeth but I decided that to try and clean them up might damage the old plastic so I brushed them dry, and used UHU to fix them back behind her bright red lips. 

I think Susan’s face is in great condition, and her colouring very unusual, more like one of my chickens brown eggs than any of the white dolls I’ve seen online. Her eyes seem to be dark grey, not blue or brown. 

Now at  Elllie’s Doll Workshop I bought some new elastic and a new voice. I met another pot doll who was in the shop for a re-string too. I also got Mike’s help to open the old Mama voice and see if we could perhaps hear it again. You can see how I got on in this video on YouTube. I really would like to put her old voice back in! 

Old Barney ....

In March, an old dog called Barney came to live at The Raggy Rat ...

His forelimbs are almost parting company from his body and his wood wool leaks out. But I love him. And so do others, it would appear! 

I think Barney appealed to me because I'm also a work in progress ....

Mirror mirror ...

My friend Jenny wanted me to makeover a mirror for her and I found this shabby chique number at the brewers quay ...

I took the shelf off, and neatly covered the mirror in vintage cotton fabric, by soaking it in PVA. 

A sharp blade cut the edges nearly, and also freed the centre to reflect again! I covered the top of the shelf with fabric too. 

After the shelf was screwed on, gold paint was added, giving an ageing effect and helping the fabric sit well, sort of visually embedding it. 

I hope Jenny likes it, do you?

I finished the button-joined rat!

I bought a lovely vintage throw from Bridport, which was made of two pieces of vintage mohair, and spoke to me with great potential!

this little rat is firmly stuffed and how button joined, and make from short sparse mohair ... I love adding the face features and the whiskers!

The tail is partially filled with tiny glass beads, so ratty can stand up too!

A dusty-pink ribbon and little key charm finish my new friend off! She is looking for a forever family ...

If you make Bunting with rectangles ....

...Instead of triangles ...


Are you Flagging?

The Key!

I made a key fob for a tired key that lives at my neighbours house, just in case!



and then I made some more! I used the hem section of a lovely vintage curtain, the same one I used on my bottom!


Which do you like? xxx

pick-pocket!

The problem - a pocket which shows too clearly where my cards are, and is also developing a hole! (i don't tend to be a handbag sort of person, really)



The solution - a nice new pocket made from pieces of vintage curtain fabric, and padded with a fleece lining to cushion my plastic money for a while!

House Work - laundry!

don't normally like laundry or ironing ... doesn't make for a great blog post, eh?



but its much more fun to wash and sort the treasure found in someone's loft, isn't it?



This one is my favourite, and reminds me of my grandma...



perhaps I will make bunting for my newly painted living room - almost done!



which one do you like best? I do wonder if I will be able to actually CUT THESE! he he!

I have been ...

Putting Skinny-chicken the doorstop to work at the back door ... the children love her so much, they stop and pick her up for a cuddle ... the door closes!



Running up some fresh and funky bunting from some genuine found-in-a-loft fabrics ...



Finally using up some old press-studs on Jackets for Edward Tulanes! Wont get any more at the price, or that place! The half-pence coin was axed when I was around 12 years old. We collected them up in school for charity.



Covering a chair seat, and all of my small cushions with fresh new fabrics ... and then I covered a chair seat in fabric from a skirt that shrank in the wash!



Watched the Fuzzies admire the new colours!

Another scruffy pup!

Des-Res? Another Doll's House ...

once in a while it's fun to get your hands on a Do-er Upper!



first things, first - that leaky roof, I think!



and probably replacement windows and doors ... ooh, I am going to have fun with this! but those local double glazing salesmen won't get my call ...



Not sure that the Cock and Horse in the Bedroom will stay ...



Hospice, or Wet-House? Apply for change of use?


This house came from my friend's loft, and the playmobil people have already moved in!

blog a dog ...

Here is a pretty dog, a little scruffy in the fur department, but then so am I!



she is made from some lovely vintage faux fur, lovely to work with as it has a woven back and such a nice colour too ...



I embroidered her nose and mouth and added a sweet-heart cotton bandanna, left over from all my miniature plush heart sewing ... It matches her ear lining. There are no wires in her ears, I shaped them with thread!



and you can see her at the Valentine's Fayre, Dorchester, February 13th for any last minute gifts and tea and music ...



look out for pretty hearts hanging around Dorchester to advertise the event!

far, far away ....

one day a little raggyrat-rabbit travelled far, far away ...



her name is Lettie, and I think she really enjoys travelling ...



and just now, like the rest of us, she is enjoying some snow with a small friend!



Thank you Lettie and Emily, for sharing your photos, it's good to see you again! keep in touch! And Happy Christmas XXX

Christmas!

As we are well into December now, I thought I had better mention the festive season!



And I made some thing very small and sweet (my hands are tiny, BTW) - Here we are, It's for you ...



Munch, munch ... you remember Old Ben the rat? No, don't eat it Ben ...



There - You wear it Ben! Erk! Ben is not so sure.



Then we went out carol singing



It was a bit Dark for Dave's Camera, but you can just make out me with my blue hat and scarf, and Ben in my hands, singing and amusing Zebedee, my friend's Dogs-for-the-Disabled helping-hound.

Happy Christmas!

A 1974 flavoured Cat!

In october of 1974 when these newspapers were printed i was three years old, and my baby sister a chip-gulling 4-month-old ... the paper is a much better quality than modern days ones ...



Ruth Meech of the Dorset Echo took these pics, and has borrowed the papers for a giggle and a spot of social history ... and what about my dress, you do like it?



It came form the same stash as these papers, some awesome vintage fabrics and even some toys and books, thanks very much to Chris Slade, my other Dad :-) My mum saw it via my web cam, and was very taken with it, and remembered a Richards Shops being in Southport ...

skeleton - a project for the new year !

this wheeled toy featured a ginger and white but very grubby and oily dog ... but not any more ... a new project for me! i stripped down the deformed and smelly individual who was also filled with old foam chips - remember when most toys where?

now, what shall i do ...?