Honey Beatrice Taa Daa

So, I've had this idea in my head for a long time.

To make a Bee Lady doll....

 So I worked on a pattern (it took several tries, this was not the first)

But it was the last!

 

For several months I've been cutting and stitching and trying to figure out how to make her. And when it came down to it, after taking strips of black and yellow fabric, cutting them into strips, then stitching it all together, I couldn't bare to cut it!

 
So I made an attempt with muslin.

 
So glad I didn't use that material as the first few patterns and muslin attempts were not good!

I like her!

Now for the rough part.....I'm going to have to cut that striped material.

 

The first face I made was a failed attempt.  I had it all done except I didn't like the eyes.  I was trying to take the eyes out and I ripped the fabric!  Darn!  So I started over.

And after I got her put together, I realized the mouth was too low....

so I had to re-do the mouth.  And you can see where I took the old mouth out, but too bad!

Then I picked out some hair color and decided that it needed to be long, just like the Bee Lady.  I stitched every hair on that head!

Who knows where I got this material..probably a garage sale.  It was in my stash.
She had to have wings...and antenna

and it was cold out so she wanted a coat...

and I jokingly tell people I knit all of my (real) bees a scarf to stay warm in the winter, but she preferred a shawl...

Do you see a resemblance?

  
She's getting there...

She was cold sitting up there on Valentine's Day, so I made some hand warmers and leg warmers for her...

and a bag, and she has already been visiting some friends.  She went to crochet group with me last week, and she is begging me to go to Florida! (hence the sunglasses)



     
Meet Honey Beatrice....Honey Bea for short!

Cindy Bee

Part one "Bee Lady" post

I  have never been one that could draw.  I can doodle. But I can not draw.  I can get an idea in my head, but I cannot get it on paper....but I do try.

 Ew!  (I dug her out of the back room...she was made several years ago)

 Back in January of 2009, when our family gathered at my Brother and Sister-in-Law's house for our Dad's birthday, I took my drawing pad and some books on honeybees with me.  I was going to have my artsy nephew draw a bee lady for me.  As I recall, he had a rough night the night before, and didn't really want to draw.  But he has a good heart, and loves me, so he attempted.

 "What about these?" he says.  noooo....too alien looking.

 

 "Do you like these?" he asks....not the top one....too insect looking.  I'm looking for a bee, that reminds me of .....well....me.....a bit cartoonish.....not in a super hero way or an alien way though....He gives me the eye roll and my sister says to make her look "groovy!"  Give her a 70's kind of look.

He comes back with this!!! Perfect!

 I LOVE HER!

Except she needs a purse....I have loved purses since 2nd grade when I wanted a white shoulder strap purse.  So I doodled her a bee skep purse.

 And I love gardening.....especially growing herbs, so I doodled her some herbs....that's fennel (or dill-they doodle alike!) chamomile, and lavender beside her on the left....and I doodled her some bees buzzing around her.  I also doodled some grass and a ladybug.

 I showed her to my friend Teresa, who can draw, and I said, "she needs something else."  Teresa drew the Hill Top Farm sign.  We had not moved out here yet, but we had the place named.

 The Bee Lady from Hill Top Farm was born!

I even made a "Bee Lady" purse out of the design.

 Now on to part two of this post...................

Cindy Bee

Spring-y ideas!

This is how I feel....

Instead...I did some rearranging...and spring cleaning...and organizing....

I tend to do this kind of stuff when I'm overwhelmed with things that are out of my control.  I suppose if some Freudian type person cared to analyze they'd say I do this so I would feel like I am in control.  Whatev.... Let's get on with it.

I moved several of my cook books out to the bakers rack.  I'm tired of them all being in the back room. 

 I also moved some decorations I found in a box that I used to have on our sun room at our old house.

 Beach-y kind of stuff.  I'm in the process of putting out some of our vacation pics. 

 I've decided I'm doing anything and everything I can to start Spring early in my mind!  My mind goes to all kinds of places, so surely it can go to Spring!

 

Care to join me?

 

BTW... Thank you for all of the sympathy wishes.  Before that tragic news, I was telling you about the Winter Woolen Workshop.   I had mentioned wanting a couple of things...and I was hoping I didn't cave.  

Welp...I caved. 

 I told myself, "Self, if you make enough money selling stuff, you are going to buy that gorgeous llama hat and beautiful pottery pot."  I did, so I did!  I'm wearing the hat and holding the pot.  You can't hardly see the hat, but it is soft llama and knitted and has tiny sparkles in it.

 Very Springy indeed! 

First spring thing to do....go get a tulip or a hyacinth at your local flower shop or grocery store and put it somewhere in your house where you will see it a lot.  It smells wonderful.  GO!

 Oh yeah...I have to tell you something that made my heart soar.  I was walking to my car when I was at the Winter Woolen Workshop.  As I was walking out....I heard them!  Way up high in the sky...Sandhill Cranes!!!!  Spring is coming I tell ya!

So here is  my plan.  Do fun, colorful (or colourful!) things to make you feel spring-y!  Put the snowman decorations away peeps.  OUT WITH THEM!  So besides adding my little seaside corner to my studio, I've been making yarn cakes out of this old cotton yarn.  I'm making these 'cakes' because it's easier to tote, and easier to store the yarn this way.  I've been putting things away and organizing and such.  It's part of my spring cleaning plan.

This is yarn I've had for years.  Not really that great for much but little mindless projects, which seem to work for me right now.   I'm making these flower coaster thingys....to hook all together and put down the center of my table at Easter time.  (Started that a year ago)

 And I'm making bunting.  Wanted to do that a year ago, but never did.

 Bunting for me, which I shall possibly hang up in the summer.

And bunting for my Dixie Doodle (the boy dog with the girl name.)

  I made him a new bed.  And I'm going to decorate it for him.  He loves it!

 

I got the idea from Dottie Angel's blog.  Dixie thanks you Tif!

 Oh, and I'm making happy springy dishcloths too....No more doing dishes with dull colored dishcloths.  This is just the beginning peeps.  Spring is here......can you feel it?

 So....let's recap.
1) go get a tulip or hyacinth
2) if you have old/cheap yarn, do mindless fun things with it
3) if you don't, surely you have material....make some fun colorful bunting
4) make some bright colored dishcloths....if you don't knit or crochet....go buy some.
5) get out some beachy vacay pics and hang them up.
That should keep you busy for awhile.

And make some plans to get out of the house!  I have lots of plans this weekend.  But for now, this past weekend.  Besides shopping for new clothes...

I took my parents out to eat for their

57 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

Let's hear it for my parents!!!!

yaaaaay--clap-clap-clap-clap-way to go parents!

 Then, Sunday my Sister came over with her Mother-in-Law. Then Vickie (our cousin) came over too.  We all made these election buttons for my Sister

.  who is running for Noblesville Township Trustee.  If you live in Hamilton County, please vote for her on May 6.  She would make a good Trustee.  These buttons are a hit already!

 When the election is over, they take the paper off and they have a cute wooly pin to wear!

  
I didn't know these pics were being taken.  They were sent to me so I thought I'd throw them in this long photo heavy post! They are of the beekeeping class we taught.  That's Paul our extension officer and me.

 And this is the beekeeping class.

  Rumor is it's going to get in the 40's this weekend and maybe sunny.  Cross your fingers!   I'll get to see if my bees are alive.
Off to bed with me now.  I have a good mystery to read.
Goodnight!

Cindy Bee