My dearest readers…

I am so excited! My insides are all giddy and finding it difficult to make a body sit still….

The Etsy Shoppe is almost ready!
You know, there's all that painting and papering and hammering and shelf-filling and basket fluffing and sorting of ribbons to match mousie shawls…oh my goodness…whew;))

So I'll give you one more little post (gosh…it may be a long little post, by the time I squeeze in the rest of the photos and of course…chat about most of them, as I go…)

So …we left off at the sweet little pocket that reads ..Anne with an "e"… and I found out that Debs and Patti also have the middle name ..Anne with an "e"….
Love our Girlfriends!

It was Karen that determined we had a squirrel hole in the cherry tree.
I coaxed and coaxed and finally convinced little squirrel nutkin to come for a visit ...

He is such a tiny little thing. I just love red squirrels!

Oh my my… I almost forgot Violet Vale… I love violets, so I was glad to be able to include them on the sweet pinafore...

After the stitching was completed, in the coziness of the living room, it was time to move back to my little studio in the sunroom and set up camp on the old treadle sewing machine.
Time to make the dress...

Another tool I discovered I needed, after viewing Natalie Jo's blog, was a Clover iron…similar to a curling iron..but for tiny doll seams and pleats and sleeves .. (and a little bit of lavender linen spray makes it all smell so lovely:)

I love this tiny green gingham…it's shade…it's weight… it is perfect for my Holly/Anne Shirley

I had learned a sweet crochet trim that Natalie Jo uses quite often and just knew it would be the perfect trim on the neckline …

Oh, I just love it…

Well, of course, I had to add it to the sleeves…

One of the things I found most endearing about Anne Shirley, was the way she clung to that old carpet bag of hers…containing all her worldly possessions.
I love carpet bags.
I also love Mary Poppins.
I love that Mary Poppins carried a carpet bag.

Now, where in the world was I going to find a tiny pattern for a tiny little carpet bag for Holly Hobbie, who really wanted to be Anne Shirley?

I could not believe my search resulted in finding a pattern for a Mary Poppins doll…that also included a pattern for her carpet bag!

It would make a weensy little bag..that would meet with Eliza mousie's approval…
...for she would want to ride inside...

She thinks this will work just fine…

I centered a pretty rose on the front of the bag…

…and think that this might just be the cutest little thing in the world!

I'm so thankful for a Mary Poppins doll pattern from the 60's…found on ebay...

Eliza just can't get enough of it. The felt lining is so very soft...

Now, to add the handles….

..and it would be finished.

This project came to a halt in February, when the Hitty kit arrived…leaving Holly headless…

When the winter ended…I ventured out to the knitting shop I love and came across the perfect "hair" for our Holly…I mean…Anne;)
and a little sock that would be her head…

Today, I picked up sweet headless Holly…Anne…
and realized it was time to get back to work and finish this dear little one…
…while it is still 2014;)

I managed to stitch down the back seams and add little snaps for closure on the dress and pinafore.

Eliza wanted you to see the completed Violet Vale…

and the pretty little carpet bag…

…that is perfectly perfect in every way;)

I will be working to finish sweet Anne's head and head full of auburn hair…and will post as there is progress.

And before I sign off, here, I wanted to show you some of the most adorable grandchildren a Grammy could ask for.

You remember Xavier, the little boy who comes to visit…and falls in love with Eliza….
Well, he is now 7 1/2 years old and is in 2nd grade. It does not seem possible.

Sophia, who loves posing in front of the tree in front of the restaurant we visit on most Sundays..