Linda Walsh Originals Blog Pages

Friday, March 17, 2017

Gotta Love Beautiful Dresses



I absolutely love beautiful dresses - especially embroidered and beaded couture dresses.  I can spend hours just browsing through the couture websites and looking at beautiful dresses eye candy.  So, of course I had to set up a Pinterest board to house all the Beautiful Dresses I love.

I've pinned close to seven hundred dress designs I love.  Here's a few of my favorites:














I hope you enjoy all the beautiful dresses I've pinned to my Beautiful Dresses Pinterest board and hope it inspires you to create one of our own.


I absolutely LOVE beautiful dresses - especially those of the Victorian kind or elaborately decorated with beautiful embroidery or beads. Here's some of my favorites.

If you love my Beautiful Dresses board please follow my board by clicking on the link above.

Wednesday, March 08, 2017

Gotta Love Doll Histories Free E-Books - Part 1 - Part 4

Besides being a lover of Victorian dolls and genealogy I also love history - especially doll histories. Being a lover of doll histories prompted me to write all the doll history posts on my Victorian Dolls, Victorian Traditions, The Victorian Era and Me blog.

DOLL HISTORIES ON MY LINDA'S BLOG AND MY VICTORIAN DOLLS, VICTORIAN TRADITIONS, THE VICTORIAN ERA AND ME BLOG 


















































I thought if you were as interested in doll histories as I am you'd like an easier way to read all my dol history posts.  So, I created .PDF's for all of my posts.  In all there are 4 different .pdf's each with up to 50 pages.  If you would like to download my "Gotta Love Doll Histories Part 1 - Part 4 just click on the pictures or titles below:

Copyright © 2004-2017- All Rights Reserved - Written by By Linda Walsh

The Bangwell Putt Rag Doll
The Molly Brinkerhoff Doll 
The White House Doll
Apple Head Dolls
Penny Wooden or Peg Wooden Dolls 
Wishbone Dolls
Early American Wooden Dolls By Joel Ellis 
Tuck Comb Wooden Dolls
Grodnertal Tuck Comb Wooden Peddler Dolls 
Grodnertal Wooden Costume Dolls
Beautiful Peddler or Pedlar Dolls 
William F. Goodwin Patent Walking Doll 
Dolls From The Index of American Design at National Gallery Of Art
Shell Dolls 
Frozen Charlotte Dolls 

Copyright © 2004-2017- All Rights Reserved - Written by By Linda Walsh

Clay Pipe Dolls 
Roxanna Elizabeth McGee Cole's Dolls
Wooden Spoon Dolls and More 
Bartholomew's Babies 
Carved Nut Dolls 
Clothespin Dolls
Miss Columbia and the Columbian Rag Doll 
Pioneer & Prairie Dolls, Rag Dolls, Appalachian Dolls, Wagon Train Dolls, Table Cloth Dolls, Pillowcase Dolls, Handkerchief & Prayer Dolls, Folk Art Dolls 
Quaker Dolls 

Copyright © 2004-2017- All Rights Reserved - Written by By Linda Walsh

 Missionary Rag Babies 
China Head Dolls 
Babyland Rag Dolls With Painted Faces and Lithograph Faces
Wax Dolls, Montanari and Pierotti Dolls 
Polly Heckewelder Moravian Rag Dolls 
First Presbyterian Church Rag Dolls 
Izannah Walker Dolls
Papier-Mâché Dolls
Milliner's Models Dolls 
Boudoir Dolls 
17th, 18th and 19th Century Wardrobe or Trousseau Dolls
Topsy-Turvy Dolls - Two In One 


Copyright © 2004-2017- All Rights Reserved - Written by By Linda Walsh

The Maggie Bessie Cloth Doll
17th, 18th, and 19th Century Wooden Dolls
For The Love Of Rococo Dolls 
Hitty Dolls 
The Beautiful Collection of Fashion Dolls At The Strong National 
Museum of Play
How Wonderful! I Heard From A Descendant of Roxanna Cole - Hilarie Johnston
The French Doll Fashion Collection At The MET
The Innu Tea Doll
For more information on all my free e-patterns, e-printables and e-books please CLICK HERE.

Please respect My Terms of Use:  All patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products © 2004-2023 Linda Walsh Originals-Designs by Linda Walsh. All rights reserved. Commercial selling or reselling by any means prohibited without the written consent of Linda Walsh.

Patterns, e-patterns, printables, e-printables, e-books, graphics, tutorials, how-to's, articles and other e-products are for personal use only. You may not modify, photocopy, download, upload, post, transmit, display, perform, publish, license, reprint, create derivative works from, mass duplicate, re-sell, digitize, and reproduce in any other form (print, digital or electric) or commercially apply, embed, share, Email, or redistribution in any other means. Use of any of the above is prohibited without the written permission of Linda Walsh.

However, you may link to my website(s)/blog(s) and the individual page(s)/blog post(s) (including 1 picture) but do not copy, reprint or duplicate my website(s)/blog(s) or individual page(s)/post(s ) without my permission.

Items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are intended for personal use for fun or small scale personal and business profit as long as you credit us with the design. Large scale commercial use (i.e. mass production) of items made from Linda Walsh Originals E-Patterns are by permission only.

Please see my Terms and Conditions for additional information.

Copyright © 2004 - 2023 - All Rights Reserved - Written By Linda Walsh of Linda Walsh Originals and Linda's Blog. Linda is a doll maker and doll pattern designer.

Friday, March 03, 2017

My Dimensions Cliffside Beacon Counted Cross Stitch Picture



January and February afforded me plenty of time for cross-stitching due to some health issues I was experiencing.  So, I decided to complete some Spring and Summer seasonal cross-stitch picture kits that I had previously purchased.  Most of the cross-stitch pictures I have completed have been for the Fall, Halloween, Christmas and Winter seasons so I decided to buy some flower and beach themed kits.

The cross-stitch kit I just finished was a counted cross-stitch kit from Dimensions Gold Collection Petites entitled Cliffside Beacon.

Like the other Dimensions Gold Collection Petites kits I had bought the kit included the pattern, pre-sorted cotton thread, 18 count ivory cotton Aida, needle and instructions.

The Cliffside Beacon pattern uses full counted cross-stitch, half cross-stitch, french knots and outline stitching for emphasis and depth and this detailing really makes the picture stand out. It also varies the number of threads used with the various stitches to add to the depth emphasis. The design of this cross-stitch gives the finished picture a 3 dimensional aspect with the half cross stitch, french knots and outlining being used for artistic effect.

The pattern came with starting and working order instructions as well as samples of the various stitches required, color coded keys (with code #'s, lengths, color names, and cross-stitch symbols) and a chart with color coded symbols.  The kit came with instructions for finishing the back of the picture.

While I was very pleased with the end results of this design there are some things in the kit and in the instructions that can be improved upon.

This is the first time I've encountered a color coded chart that was extremely difficult to read.  It was just way too small.  It was not easy to distinguish between the symbols at times and made following the chart difficult.  I had to stop and undo some of the cross stitches I had just done as I had lost my place on the chart.

As was the case with previous Dimensions kits the thread sorter was poorly designed. The embroidery threads were glued to foam backed 6" by 1 1/4" strips of cardboard that had a picture of the color of the thread and it's number. In order to get to the threads you had to separate the foam back from the cardboard strip. Very quickly the threads separated from their section and then you no longer knew what the thread number was to tie to your symbols & legends.

As I have done with other cross-stitch kits I've completed I had to alter the thread sorter to suit my needs. I pulled the thread sorter apart to get rid of the foam and then punched holes in the cardboard strip just above each color and color #. I inserted the floss threads that went with that color and color # through the hole and tied them in a loose knot. I then added color coded symbols with colored pens beneath each color so I would know what symbols went with what color.

Short of changing the thread sorter all together to make things even easier for the user the color symbol should at the very least have been shown on the thread sorter strip of cardboard as well. That way you would only need to use the thread sorter strip of cardboard to follow your chart.

I also decided to once again utilize the rectangular wood frame jig that my darling husband built for me that I could tape the edges of the 18 count ivory cotton Aida to. The wood frame jig is a rectangular embroidery hoop of sorts and can accommodate a 5" by 5" cross-stitch picture kit or 5" by 7" cross-stitch picture kit. He had made it out of 1/2" x 1" pine wood strips with an adjustable center strip that I use for the 5 x 5 square designs.


The pattern called for leaving several sections of the ivory aida cloth showing in the beach, cliffs and lighthouse. I don't like doing this as I think it makes the picture look unfinished. Instead I used 2 strands of ivory embroidered floss that matched the Aida cloth and finished them in a cross-stitch pattern to fill in where the ivory areas of the aida cloth were to be,


The instructions called for using 3-strands of the white embroidery floss to be cross-stitched in various sections which created a thick aspect to those sections and added to the 3-dimensional aspects of the picture. However, they didn't include enough of the white thread as I ran out of it.

The kit came with instructions for finishing the back of the picture.  I had chosen an off white glass-less Mill Hill 7" by 9" frame with a 5" by 7" opening instead of a standard glass frame which utilizes a mat to finish it which I think really brought out the beautiful colors of the cottage scene. Plus without the glass you could really see the 3-dimensional aspects of the picture.

When using the glass-less frames I tend to favor 1/4" foam backed adhesive mounting boards for the cross-stitch pictures I'm inserting into the picture frame as they perfectly fill the space between the front ridge and back of the frame.  So, I stretched and mounted my picture on a 5" by 7" foam backed adhesive 1/4" mounting board, taped the four corners so I could sew them with nylon thread in a "V" to make the corners taut with the adhesive board and then taped the remaining vertical and horizontal sides with masking tape.

I added the back that was included with the frame and taped it to the back of the frame to hold my picture within the frame.  Then using paper glue I cut a piece of thick decorative paper to fit the 7" by 9" back of the frame and glued it on to totally finish the back of the frame.


It took me 86 hours to complete this picture including the framing. Despite the problems I encountered I love the way my Dimensions Cliffside Beacon picture turned out. It's absolutely beautiful and the 3-dimensional aspects of the beach scene are amazing.

Thursday, March 02, 2017

My Dimensions Bayside Cottage Counted Cross Stitch Picture



January and February afforded me plenty of time for cross-stitching due to some health issues I was experiencing.  So, I decided to complete some Spring and Summer seasonal cross-stitch picture kits that I had previously purchased.  Most of the cross-stitch pictures I have completed have been for the Fall, Halloween, Christmas and Winter seasons so I decided to buy some flower and beach themed kits.

The cross-stitch kit I just finished was a counted cross-stitch kit from Dimensions Gold Collection Petites entitled Cottage Bayside.

Like the other Dimensions Gold Collection Petites kits I had bought the kit included the pattern, pre-sorted cotton thread, 18 count ivory cotton Aida, needle and instructions.

The Cottage Bayside pattern uses full counted cross-stitch, half cross-stitch, french knots and outline stitching for emphasis and depth and this detailing really makes the picture stand out. It also varies the number of threads used with the various stitches to add to the depth emphasis. The design of this cross-stitch gives the finished picture a 3 dimensional aspect with the half cross stitch, french knots and outlining being used for artistic effect.

The pattern came with starting and working order instructions as well as samples of the various stitches required, color coded keys (with code #'s, lengths, color names, and cross-stitch symbols) and a chart with color coded symbols. The colors and symbols on the keys and chart were easy to read and follow. The kit came with instructions for finishing the back of the picture.

While I was very pleased with the end results of this design there are some things in the kit and in the instructions that can be improved upon.

As was the case with previous Dimensions kits the thread sorter was poorly designed. The embroidery threads were glued to two foam backed 6" by 1 1/4" strips of cardboard that had a picture of the color of the thread and it's number. In order to get to the threads you had to separate the foam back from the cardboard strip. Very quickly the threads separated from their section and then you no longer knew what the thread number was to tie to your symbols & legends.

As I have done with other cross-stitch kits I've completed I had to alter the thread sorter to suit my needs. I pulled the thread sorter apart to get rid of the foam and then punched holes in the cardboard strip just above each color and color #. I inserted the floss threads that went with that color and color # through the hole and tied them in a loose knot. I then added color coded symbols with colored pens beneath each color so I would know what symbols went with what color.

Short of changing the thread sorter all together to make things even easier for the user the color symbol should at the very least have been shown on the thread sorter strip of cardboard as well. That way you would only need to use the thread sorter strip of cardboard to follow your chart.

I also decided to once again utilize the rectangular wood frame jig that my darling husband built for me that I could tape the edges of the 18 count ivory cotton Aida to. The wood frame jig is a rectangular embroidery hoop of sorts and can accommodate a 5" by 5" cross-stitch picture kit or 5" by 7" cross-stitch picture kit. He had made it out of 1/2" x 1" pine wood strips with an adjustable center strip that I use for the 5 x 5 square designs.


The kit came with instructions for finishing the back of the picture.  I had chosen an off white glass-less Mill Hill 7" by 9" frame with a 5" by 7" opening instead of a standard glass frame which utilizes a mat to finish it which I think really brought out the beautiful colors of the cottage scene. Plus without the glass you could really see the 3-dimensional aspects of the picture.

When using the glass-less frames I tend to favor 1/4" foam backed adhesive mounting boards for the cross-stitch pictures I'm inserting into the picture frame as they perfectly fill the space between the front ridge and back of the frame.  So, I stretched and mounted my picture on a 5" by 7" foam backed adhesive 1/4" mounting board, taped the four corners to square them so I could sew them with nylon thread in a "V" to make the corners taut with the adhesive board and then taped the remaining vertical and horizontal sides with masking tape.

I added the back that was included with the frame and taped it to the back of the frame to hold my picture within the frame.  Then using paper glue I cut a piece of thick decorative paper to fit the 7" by 9" back of the frame and glued it on to totally finish the back of the frame.


It took me 82 hours to complete this picture including the framing. Despite the problems I encountered I was very happy with the way my Dimensions Bayside Cottage picture turned out.  The 3-dimensional aspects of the picture really stood out and made for an astonishingly beautiful picture.


Wednesday, March 01, 2017

Joy Snow Globe Ornament Cross-Stitch Kit From Dimensions



I just love to cross-stitch small ornaments because they don't take a lot of time to complete.  I also love Christmas decorations that have the word "Joy" in them because every time I look at them I think of my  mother whose name was "Joy."  So, when I saw the  "Joy Snow Globe Ornament Cross-Stitch Kit" from Dimensions I knew I was going to make it.

The "Joy" globe Santa ornament kit contained the presorted thread, 14 count plastic canvas, needle, and instructions.  The  pattern uses full counted cross-stitch and outline stitching for emphasis and depth.

The pattern came with starting, stitching, finishing and even cleaning instructions as well as samples of the various stitches required, and color coded keys (with code #'s, color names, and cross-stitch symbols) and a chart with color coded symbols. The colors and symbols on the keys and chart were easy to read and follow. 

I had no problem cross-stitching the globe ornament and then cutting the plastic canvas close to the sides of the globe. I was pleased with the way the globe ornament came out but was disappointed that the finishing instructions only contained instructions for making the cord and nothing for finishing the back of the ornament. It's was such a cute ornament to leave the back unfinished with the cross-stitch threads showing didn't seem to me to be the right way to finish this ornament.


So, I decided to finish the back of my ornament with blue felt. First I cut a piece of .25m DMC embroidery floss for the hanger and taped this to the back top of the ornament using double sided tape. Then I cut a square of blue felt to fit the back of the ornament and taped it to the back of the ornament using double sided tape. Once I was satisfied that everything was holding I cut the blue felt along the globe ornament edges.




It took me 15 hours to complete this ornament.  I was very happy with the way my Dimensions Counted Cross Stitch, Tree Ornament turned out and hope you like it too.