A doll, a wedding dress and a story that continues

We gave our only granddaughter, Rachel, an American Girl Doll for Christmas.  This is Rebecca.  I sewed a few clothes for her, but being the season, I did not accomplish as much as I had wanted to.  I also found it more difficult than expected.  The pieces that you are sewing together are quite small and can be frustrating.  That being said, I did sew this outfit; a top and denim jeans and an over the shoulder purse. 

Rebecca also got a visor.  I sewed a nightgown out of flannel that I had made crib sheets out of for Rachel when she was a baby.  The bathrobe was an old nightgown of mine, pink and silky.  I never did wear it much as I tended to slide out of bed.  There was also a sun dress that all went into the box and was mailed for Christmas.  I took careful measurements of the doll as I had planned to make one more outfit without having the doll around. 

So, my model is my own teddy bear.  I really don't have that much attachment to the bear; he just belongs to me.  I bought the fabric for the wedding dress, and lace over skirt, but the beads that I sewed on the dress came from my daughter's own wedding gown.  I knew I had saved these for a reason at the time she got married and had alterations made to her dress.  I just had no idea at the time what I was saving it for.

The veil just fell into place also.  The beads on the headpiece were also from my daughter's wedding dress.  They just fit perfectly onto a barrette.  The veil...well that actually comes from my own wedding veil from 1966. 

The veil had been in my mother's house and I had totally forgotten about it.  It was in a white box and my mother had written on the box that it was my veil.  Fast forward 34 years.  After my mother passed, my brother and I took what we wanted from the house.  The rest was going to be auctioned off.  Now imagine this.  My mother's house, the house where I grew up, had a full basement, two full floors, and a completely and fulled packed attic.  Unless we would have spent 2 or 3 months going through everything, I might have found the veil.  In fact, I did not even know my mother had saved it.

So a few years ago, my dear childhood friend, Connie, said that at the auction (which I did not attend) she had seen the box with my veil and she won it at the auction.  And then, bless her heart, she gave it to me. 

So, of course, part of that veil was perfect for Rachel's doll.  And so, history carries on.

How time flies!

Our youngest grandchild, and only girl, Rachel, turns 6 today. The time has flown quickly. We interrupted our retirement and moved back to Wisconsin from Florida for 2 years so that I could help out and take care of Rachel while our daughter was going to nursing school. Those two years were precious and I was six years younger. I don't know if I could do it again.

Little Kippy, to the left, is 14 1/2 and has gone through all four grandchildren, helping to raise them by sneaking cookies out of their hands, jumping in the shower with a grandson because a thunderstorm frightened her, etc.

So, Rachel, a very Happy Birthday to you. I hope your day is very special. Love you, Grandma Susie.

Knit one, purl two

While visiting the grandchildren this fall, 5-year-old Rachel asked me for a favor. When she was 3, I knit a hat for her that has turned into a favorite. But, now that she is in kindergarten, it is a little on the small side. So, when I got back home, I ordered the yarn and just today finished her hat.

It is the cutest little hat and very easy to knit. I used the Norwegian Dale Freestyle yarn. It is machine washable and dryable and even though the yarn tends to split for me, it is a good yarn to use for a little girl's hat. If you have a little girl in your family or close to heart, you really might like to try the "Twist and Sprout" hat pattern.

I learned to knit from my grandmother as a child, but when I was in high school and took a Home Economics class, my teacher taught me continental knitting and since then I love knitting a lot more. It is not the "throwing" kind of knitting, but the "picking" kind and much easier for me to handle and quicker.

Some years ago, I saw a picture of some Norwegian hiking socks in a magazine. I love searching the Internet, and even though it took some time, I found a yarn shop that could help me. There is a Norwegian woman who owns a yarn shop in Ames, Iowa. I wrote to her and asked for help. She found a pattern, in Norwegian, and she actually spent the time translating the pattern into English for me, and then I let her choose the yarn for me. A cream-colored pair of socks for myself and a gray pair for the Trout. Though I now live in Florida and do not need these socks for hiking, you never know when I will be in a cold climate, hiking, and in need of these socks. I love them.

Happy Birthday, Rachel Abby

The Trout and I are very fortunate to have four beautiful, healthy grandchildren. Our last one, the only girl, was born 5 years ago today. We had moved back from Florida to be near our daughter and family when Rachel Abby was born. I took care of her for those first two years until we moved back to Florida.

We see each other once or twice a year now, and I find it amazing how her little personality keeps growing and how she is developing into a little girly girl.

Papa and I love you, Rachel, and we are wishing you a very happy 5th birthday today and are looking forward to you being in Kindergarten and becoming quite the young lady. We love you.

All worth it!

It was worth the 24 hour drive to spend a week with our beautiful grandchildren, Josh and Rachel!

"La Belle du bois dormant"

The Trout and I have one granddaughter, Rachel. Rachel was born in 2004, so when we went to France in 2006 and toured the Chateau d'Usse', I knew I had to take special pictures to remember this place for her. The chateau is in the Loire Valley of France, a beautiful part of the country where many chateaus dot the valleys and hills. But, you see, this was a very, very special castle. This was the castle of "La Belle du bois dormant", or "Sleeping Beauty."

We climbed up and up until we reached the top of the turret and there we found the sleeping quarters of "Sleeping Beauty." Even I was reliving my childhood and my imagination came alive. I saw the children's room where they had played with toys and a table was set for a child tea party. Disney had produced the entire film within the walls of this gorgeous chateau. I knew I had to make this special for our only granddaughter. We took pictures of the scenes that Disney still had set up in the castle, but the outside of this chateau was remarkable. This is a chateau built in the 14th century and in the 17th century, Charles Perrault wrote about Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty.

When we got back home, I purchased the book "Sleeping Beauty" and inside the cover, I put the pictures that we had taken of the real castle for Rachel, to enjoy as a child and to carry forward to her own children.