My faithful readers will no doubt have noticed that I haven't been posting any quilts recently. There's been some much needed home maintenance going on at my house. Think plaster, dust, paint. Everything is in bins and since I didn't move out, the bins have been moving from room to room as the work progresses. I can sew small projects but not quilts since my quilting room is all packed up. I have plans for quilts...but they are only being constructed in my imagination at the moment.

This week I packed up a bookcase. There were a couple tattered magazines next to some old Bibles that I have moved on numerous occasions. I've never looked at them. Turns out I was missing a DYI gold mine!

Cover of June 1858 of Godey's Lady's Book

The 1858 June edition of Godey's Lady's Book is packed with patterns for sewing, handwork, recipes, menus and a drawing lesson. And there are tips for the nursery/sick room and illustrations of the latest fashions. I do wonder how the publisher could afford to pack so many features into one issue!

When I pulled this magazine off my bookshelf it opened to a page with a pattern for a doll's cap. That stopped me in my tracks. (And stopped the packing of books into boxes for a while too)!

Yesterday I copied the doll's cap pattern at 120% and cut it out allowing for 1/4 inch seams. This will fit a doll with a head circumference of 12 1/2 inches. The pattern is great. The center section eases onto the curves of the sides of the caps beautifully. The pattern designer clearly knew what she was doing. (Click the link to get a PDF of the pattern in its original size). I made a reversible cap--the green daisy on the outside and white on the inside.

My Blue Ridge Mountain 1960 doll is modeling the cap in the photo at the top of this post. She didn't want the ties done! I think she's very cute in her new cap!

Here's a photo of what the doll's owner might have been wearing. Note the text...the design is for the coming winter. With everything made by hand, that's is very realistic.

Clearly little girls in the 1850s weren't climbing jungle gyms or riding bikes!

Here is a look at a home scene.

A bit more from this magazine in my next post--some embroidery designs, fashions plates, and ad for Charles Dickens' books! Anyone interested in recipes for rhubarb wine? It's got those too!!

I promise to get back to quilting...but may be a while before the dust finally settles!