Made to Order is Here
Published December 2, 2011 | 
New in our gift shop is a section for Made-to-Order christening gowns, outfits and accessories. It is going to take a while to get this section complete but Fairy Godmother is now offering made-to-order christening gowns, rompers and accessories from our selection of quality fabrics.
Check it out in our gift shop! http://fairygodmothercreations.com/giftshop.htm
Final Dolls
Published December 2, 2011 | Overall, I ended up making six dolls with some subtle variations in trying to get the right expression and balance. Richard seemed pleased, though I honestly don’t know if I hit this one correctly or not based on the image I had to work with.
Creating from a Drawing
Published July 30, 2011 | Trying to get it right
Richard was looking for someone to re-create his girlfriend’s favorite doll. It seems her parents didn’t realize how attached she was to the doll and they got rid of it when they were doing some cleaning.
He sent me a computer drawing of the doll and we’ve had some back-and-forth conversations about the details. It is interesting how difficult it is to try and create something without an actual image of the original item to work from.
The first prototype was not about trying to match colors, it was about just getting a feel for the overall construction. I also used it as a way to discuss details like the size of the bonnet, the color of hair, length of hair, details of the dress etc. That lead to the second prototype.
This second prototype is actually pinned together in some places so that I can adjust things like the length of the braids and dress fit. We’ll see how it goes overall. Although the actual doll is a simple concept, it is amazing how much detail is needed if you are trying to re-create based on someone else’s memory.
Easy to Make Simple Bear
Published July 29, 2011 | 
A Beginners Pattern
All three of my sons have needed extensive therapy throughout their lives–and will continue to need it. One day, I was talking with my youngest son’s attachment therapist and she mentioned how much teddy bears can help her with some of her patients and how she wished she had a simple pattern to make teddy bears. She was not big on sewing, but wanted a way to make something personal for some of the children she dealt with.
I’m sure there are patterns out there like mine, but this was specifically developed for her. I wanted something that wouldn’t take cutting out more than two pieces and that needed little instruction.
Here is the pattern for simple bear pattern (161 KB)
Here are the instructions simple bear directions (903 KB)
I also created an outfit pattern for added fun.
Here is the pattern simple bear outfit pattern (83 KB)
and here are the instructions simple bear outfit directions
Fort Fun is Family Fun
Published July 29, 2011 | 
Keeping my Boys Busy
I had this on my general web site but am moving it to this blog because I want to move all patterns and how-to projects into my blog and off my main site.
I’m the adoptive mother of three boys. All three have ADHD and are extremely active. When they were young, keeping them occupied during the summer days was a challenge. One summer I discovered cpvc pipe as an activity tool. Cpvc pipe is like long tinker toys and, with some measuring and finding the right connector pieces, I came up with a kit for my boys to make forts with. They used the cpvc to make the frame and then blankets to form the walls. They were able to configure the pieces several different wayst to make forts of different shapes and sizes–some with multiple rooms etc.
It wasn’t long before I realized that we could add water and make our own backyard water park. By putting some pin holes in several of the horizontal pipes and hooking the entire frame up to the backyard hose, the boys could configure a sprinkling system, outdoor shower or water run. The particularly liked putting it in front of the inflateable pool we had and then running through it and splashing into the pool.
I kept track of the different parts and pieces and wrote out the instructions for assembly. So, if you want a challenging but fun activity with your kids, you can download this PDF. It has a parts list as well as instructions for making your own backyard Fort Fun.
I love the celebrations
Published July 19, 2011 | Barbara’s Family Christening
I absolutely LOVE to hear from families who have allowed me to create their heirloom christening outfit. Today, I heard from Barbara and she sent me some lovely pictures. The outfit for her daughter included a unisex gown with a overlay. I had the opportunity to not only work with her wedding dress, but with some lace from her mother’s wedding dress as well.
Here is the note Barbara sent me. I chose not to include their daughter’s name out of respect to her privacy:
Hi Liane,
Just wanted to send a quick note to let you know that (our daughter’s) baptism went perfectly. She looked so lovely in her gown, and the Minister made special note of it to the congregation during the service. Many people came up to me after the service saying how beautiful the gown turned out and how touched they were that my and my mother’s wedding gowns were combined to be with (our daughter) on her special day. Our Director of Congregational Care remarked that in her 10 years at the Church she had never seen a gown as beautiful and sentimental as Lucy’s gown.
Thank you so much for creating a cherished heirloom for our family. Your attention to detail is remarkable, and I am so thankful for your ability to to finish Lucy’s gown, bonnets, and slip on such a short timetable. I am forever grateful to you and look forward to having your work displayed at many (family) baptisms in the years and decades to come.
I put your flyers at the church nursery and hope other parents call upon you soon. Thank you so much again, Barbara & Ben
It’s Official
Published July 10, 2011 | 
Well, it is official. Fairy Godmother Creations is now certified with the State of Ohio as Fairy Godmother Creations, LLC.
I have been making memory bears as a hobby for many years now. It is something I’ve grown to really love doing. The past couple of years, I’ve found myself working more and more evenings and weekends. This year, it has finally crept into my daytime hours as well. So, I’ve decided to treat this as more of a business than a hobby. The addition of the Christening gowns and some of the other services I now offer fall under a really nice umbrella of specialized heirloom services.
I love having a part in creating family traditions, family heirlooms and helping families commemorate important people and events in their lives. If you have ideas of products and services you’d like to see made, please feel free to drop me a comment and let me know.
Published Author
Published June 30, 2011 | I’m rather excited about having one of my patterns in Soft Dolls and Animals Magazine. This pattern is intended for the beginner. I have several of these pin cushions in my craft room and use them daily.
Working on a Pattern
Published May 25, 2011 | 
Christening Gown patterns offer two different ways of dealing with the fullness of the skirt. The bishop style (which gathers at a yoked neckline) and the gathered waist line. Many of the wedding gowns I receive use a heavy satin that does not really gather well in a small gown.
I created my own A-line skirt pattern so that there aren’t any gathers to deal with, however, the final gown seems just a bit ridged for a little one to wear. I’d like to find a way to allow a bit more fullness.
One concept I’m currently working on includes pleats at the bodice. I’m still working out the balance in size of pleats–as well as the placement of the pleats. This is one of my first attempts. I’m not crazy about how the pleats fan out, but the concept is going in the right direction so I’ll be trying again with some adjustments to the pleat size/placement.
Getting the Right Color Eyes
Published May 25, 2011 | 
Stephanie wanted her memory bears to have hazel eyes. Hazel isn’t one of the options when ordering manufacturered eyes so I improvized.
I purchased some clear eyes and added color behind them. I used a combination of green, grey and yellow markers on paper and then cut discs and adhered them to the back of the safety eyes. They not only gave me hazel eyes, but the eyes had an iridescence to them that I really like.
With glasses and a baseball cap, the bears had quite a bit of personality