This past Saturday, we were with our 5 yr. old grandson, Aaron, his 2 1/2 yr.old brother Matthew, and their sister, Sara, nearly 3 months old. While talking with our son and DIL about holiday plans and gifts, I asked Aaron what he thought his little sister would like for Christmas. "A dolly," he quietly told me. "She may like that," I replied.
Hmmm...she will be only a bit more than 5 months old at Christmas. I'll have to give it some thought. The mind begins to churn.
Later, in the car on the way home, I remembered a pattern I'd had tucked away of a soft-sculpture cradle and small stuffed dolly that would be perfect for little hands to manipulate and to hold. I could see the pattern in my mind, where it might be, and remembered that I had cut out most of the pieces for the cradle...Then, I painfully remembered that several months ago, in a "purging state of mind" I had cleaned out some drawers and shelves of projects I knew I would never complete or didn't like anymore. Horrors!!! Had I donated the pattern and fabric for the cradle and dolly that would be perfect for Sara?? Oh, no!!
Yesterday morning, even before I had my coffee, I went on a search. I searched through a couple of drawers in the chest of drawers in the guest bedroom, thinking the pattern / project would be there. Nope...oh, dear. Not in the closet, either. I knew it wasn't in the sewing room. Where, oh where? Did I really donate it?
You know how what you're looking for is always in the last place you look? The downstairs bedroom still has quite a bit of my "vintage" sewing / quilting things in that closet. It was my last resort in my search. There, lying on the shelf on top of a stack of stuff was the pattern and the cut out / basted pieces that I had done so long ago.
I was literally doing a happy dance. The dog went back upstairs to the bedroom where my DH was till asleep. Later, when I told my DH of my search and success, he said, "So that's why you were opening drawers and the closet in the other bedroom...and muttering." "Yep."
I had intended to make that dolly and cradle for my cousin's daughter. She has children of her own, now, I think.
This is the link to the "vintage" pattern (copy and paste into a browser)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1722763...rch_query=doll cradle pattern&ref=sr_gallery_16
It's "Soft Cradle and Dolly" by Patch Press. The copyright date on the pattern is 1981.
Now, Sara will have her dolly for Christmas. Thanks, Aaron. Grandma loves you and your suggestion. You're becoming a thoughtful and wonderful brother.