UFDC Convention (Day Two – Monday)

Well, Monday was a fun day for me. I had not been scheduled for a workshop (though I tried for one) so decided to set off for another show that runs in tandem with the convention. This is called the National Doll Show. A free bus runs between the two venues so there is time to do everything. I met Nada Christensen in the morning and we set off to catch the bus for a fun day shopping.
Most of you know I am not really a doll collector, so I went for fabrics, laces and whatever caught my eye. There were THREE showrooms, all delicious. I purchased fabrics and laces, and oh, my Goodness, a doll caught my eye. I stared at the half dolls so long but was sure it was a mistake. I learned what I could of the maker, Kathy Redmond, and moved on. I was not there to buy dolls; I was there to indulge in fabrics. (But the dolls haunted me.)
I snagged some gorgeous full length laces, and to die for colors in silk. And then I turned a corner, there before me was a booth that sold antique and vintage fabrics. (See the picture) The top fabric is green and black, 1860’s, the sheen doesn’t show, nor the fineness, so beautiful. The second with the dots, is 1830’s, can you believe it? It is VELVET, so fine and soft, feels like air! The third fabric is a vintage sheer gauze floral stripe. (Wonderful for my “large” 12” Ultimate Fashion®) And finally, the white is a dotted net. I longed to find a black one, but snagged the white anyway. I am in love with these fabrics.
Nada (pronounced NAY- duh) bought a wonderful antique milliners shop in 1/12th scale for her sales table at the UFDC convention. We missed our bus, so sat down and ordered lunch, visited and shared stories. We separated when we returned as she needed to finish setting up her sales table and I wanted to work on a sewing project I brought from home.
Later that afternoon, I went to a table hostess meeting, a large opening ceremony where the announcements were made and the finally, the convention sales room opened. You guessed it, on to more fabric and laces. And I did buy more fabrics, from three more vendors, and more trims, and looked at more of the most gorgeous antique and modern dolls I have ever seen. What a wonderful event.
Well, I was spent for the day and needed to chat with hubby and catch some shut eye before classes the next morning.
Stay tuned for more about the convention and exhibits and workshops.
Kathi
P.S. did I mention the food was wonderful?
Kathi R. Mendenhall, IGMA Artisan
La Petite Belle Patterns
http://www.minipatterns.com

Home Again

I'm home from my first UFDC convention. (www.UFDC.org) What a great education! I participated and learned as much as I could. Driving from Nashville to Atlanta on Sunday should have been easy but getting over the mountain in such a rainstorm and fog about did me in. Thankfully, just south of Chattanooga, everything was clear and I arrived about noon in time to register before they closed for lunch. I was taken care of really well, and shown the ropes, put this here, do this with these and don't lose this, etc., etc. Guess, what I shared something I wasn't supposed to lose, there were no replacements and I was lost. Thankfully, my friends from home came to my rescue. I had lost, immediately, my little book with all the times and rooms where all the events were taking place. (Truly everyone was really helpful and kept me on track.)

Sunday was pretty uneventful for me, but Monday would be busier. So, I familiarized myself with the hotel and my surroundings. The convention was held at the beautiful Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, and I was roomed on the 44th floor. Yikes! I took the first express elevator that came and got my bags up to the room. The elevator had no windows, you know like a normal elevator, and I suffer terribly from sea-sickness, well, you can guess I didn't take that elevator again unless I was going two floors. No exceptions. From then on I took the elevator with the glass wall to the Atrium in the center of the hotel, looked up and held on tight. (No nothing bad happened, but I was shaken.)

See the picture from my room? Way up high. From this picture I am looking somewhat north. The two "hills" on the left are, I believe, Kennesaw Mountain and Little Kennesaw Mountain. I went to high school in Marietta, Georgia and dated my husband there. He's an historian by education and we had to go up Kennesaw Mountain, down it, up Little Kennesaw, down and ... well you get the picture. I had to read every tombstone and sign and listen to the battle as it happened. I married him anyway. But, I digress.

The really COOL picture I took did not turn out. I caught a storm and lightening moving in at my window height. Another unnerving thing, a helicopter flew past a few days later. No camera handy then, but suffice it to say, I could have waved at him and he'd have seen me. Eerie.

I must discuss the food. Delicious. Enough said. More about dolls and the convention coming up. I took some wonderful pictures and learned great things in workshops, attended a splendid luncheon and made lifelong friends. Stay tuned!

P.S. I didn't watch TV at all.


Kathi R. Mendenhall, IGMA Artisan
La Petite Belle Patterns
minipatterns.com

Going on a Journey....

Well, I can hardly contain myself. I am going to the UFDC Convention in Atlanta. I leave Sunday and return home the following Saturday and I hope to have so much to report. I am sure I will have so much inspiration I will not know where to begin.

I have been working hard to complete an outfit for my 12" Ultimate Fashion by Alice Leverett. (www.justalice.com) Pictures will follow when I get back to show and tell, but I did finally finish. My biggest problem right now is finding her wig before I go. (So much is in storage as our house is for sale.)

Not to worry, however, I am taking some classes while I am there. I will be making a new bag for "my lady" to return with all her new finds and accessories. (Alice Leverett class) Then she will have a new place to keep all of her correspondence, a Papeterie. (Sherill Williams class) Finally, if I do not find her wig, Mary Zoch will be teaching me to make a new one for her. These ladies are wonderful teachers and I feel quite fortunate to take their classes. What will I be doing while not in class? Shopping, of course! There are showrooms with antique dolls, and vintage dolls and new dolls, and art dolls, and Barbie dolls, and Tonner dolls and soft sculpture and new born, you think of it and it will be there. There will be fabrics and trims and ribbons and laces, and oh, my I’m so excited. This is my first UFDC convention and I am delighted to be going.

On Tuesday night, we are attending a bid and bite auction, and banquet at the end will be so enjoyable with all the new friends I am hoping to meet, and meeting up with old friends I have planned to meet. So, look for more news and more ideas, and hopefully more inspiration for all of us in the weeks to come.

Stay tuned!
Kathi, minipatterns.com

Happy Forth USA - 233 years!

My 2 Loves Collide

I am thrilled to finally accomplish this task. After months of THINKING about it...I actually did it and was successful. You may or may not know that I began to make jewelry a couple of years ago. This past winter I finally bought a torch so that I could learn a little silver smithing. It is not EASY!! I had done very little with it..afraid to turn it on for a long while. Afraid I would blow up the house. I insisted that my hubby get me a fire extinguisher to keep by my side. When I have done things they have not always turned out...some in a melted heap. But when my dear friend Kathi's Birthday neared I wanted to do something special. I could not keep it a surprise though. Knowing that she makes incredible French Fashion doll's I wanted to try to make her some silver and enameled buttons.....so I had t ask her what color and size she wanted. When she said 1/8' I freaked..that is TINY!! I have never soldered anything that small, let alone punch out silver disks that small. I had to get a smaller punch. Then I went over it and over it in my head...how I would do it. For months!! I finally got a quite moment and just did it. It was not that hard!! I only melted 1 down while soldering and did not burn the house down...YEAH!!! Now we can't wait to see that doll!! Michelle minidolls.com