Brown Shugah Junction

Look at my beautiful girl! When we started over a year ago she was 9. Now in a few weeks she will be eleven!! She just looked so grown up and mature today… not my little girl Dolli making partner anymore…time is moving too fast. 🥺 She is becoming such a beautiful young woman. She has become a good sewer over this past year. Today she came wanting to work on a project she has been hired to do. It would have been a simple project if it hadn’t use silky fabric. Sewing on silky can be frustrating for a novice… even for some seasoned sewist as well! She got frustrated several times but didn’t give up when the fabric challenged her and the stitching had to be ripped out several times…this fabric notoriously crawls. Although she is not quite ready to handle this type of fabric yet. After pinning the parts together, I made her do all the sewing. She was a trooper! That’s what i love about her…
It was so challenging for her… couple of times she asked “ can you just do it?” I shook my head “no .this is your job”. 😂. She gave me the side eye and just kept working at it!
We talked about the numerous lessons she’s learning from this experience. I don’t want her to get discouraged or sour on sewing in general. So I promised her if she continues to grow her sewing skills , by the time she is ready for her first Jr high school dance/ prom We will make her first dress from similar fabric.
As always it is such a joy when she comes by to hang out with me!
Her sweet mama even brought me dinner when she picked our girl up. I DIDN’T HAVE TO COOK!🤗❤️🤗❤️🤗

Although my back is giving me the blues… my spirits were lifted DolliMaking with my girl …she always brightens my day.
Today she finished the gown for her princess/bride doll. …learned to make a drawstring and channel… practiced her top stitching skills and introduced to using a bias tape maker to make and press a drawstring!
Next she tacked the corners of the dolli’s head in preparation for adding her wig.
It was a short lesson today. But she will finish her Dolli next lesson.

Look at who took time out from her busy fun filled summer activities and travel to come see me today…. all chocolate and toasted by the Georgia sun. We just picked up where we left off from her last lesson …listening to George Benson and catching up.
After stuffing and using a ladder stitch to close her Dolli’s body, we started on the gown skirt…introducing working with tulle… tulle can be tricky… but as always my girl learned in flash! Making the skirt also involved measuring, pinning and “stitching in the ditch”. She also unexpectedly learned the value of have a magnet wand to quickly pin up the bowl of pins that found their way scattered across the floor.
Loved having her over and look forward to seeing her on her next break. 😀😀

Taught my first private sewing lesson of the summer! This young lady had never touched a sewing machine! And left two hours later with a tote bag she made for herself! She is very proud and now hooked! Another one bought into the creative fold!!! My job is done!

On Sunday…(before my sweet Lacey’s ordeal. 😕)
My little Dolli-making partner came over to continue working on her Dolli # 5! The Scrappy Princess/Bride!
… with Sly and the Family Stone rocking in the background and a few dance breaks…As she worked on body assembly.

My focus this lesson was to continue to help her develop… what we call at Brown Shugah Junction… “ Happy Habits”.
First Happy Habit : Using what BSJ calls a “Tidy Tub”.
When dolli-making there are aways bits pieces of what can become annoying debris… thread tails and clippings.
A Tidy Tub is a small container kept nearby the machine and workspace to place thread and other clippings. To be used as you sew to avoid sewing problems and to kept a neat work area. This makes for a “happy habit”!
Next HH : Finger Pressing… or what my girl likes to call “thumb pressing “. Dolli parts are small and most irons are big… finger pressing a seam open first makes pressing them much easier and accurate.

HH #3: Pulling stuffing into small pieces in a pile before stuffing dolli parts.
Makes for easier and smoother stuffing.
(Stuffing is my girls least favorite part of Dolli-making🤣… but i have convinced her that stuffing skills are a crucial for making beautiful and durable dollies… admittedly stuffing requires patience and commitment.)
As always she is a total joy to dolli-make with. Although, she did give me the side eye and had jokes about my way overdue need for a manicure!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣

It was good to see and Dolli-make with my girl today. This week she started Dolli # 5 - The Princess/Bride. No sewing machine needed because all the BSJ ScrapBoxDolli-Making dolls are started by making the face first.
My girl did a beautiful job of hand embroidering the face wouldn’t you say? Also, she made her Dolli’s wig.
Next lesson we will begin Dolli assembly. As always, we had a good time…we were listening to Prince this lesson… so we had to take a couple of dance breaks as well. 🤣🤣🤣

I feel so honored that my little dolli-making friend just wants hang out w/ me sometimes… So yesterday while her mom had a day of getting beautiful…we took advantage of President’s Day sale at JoAnn’s… where i taught her a few more things about savvy craft/sewing shopping. However, after that she became my teacher on how to shop at Ulta, Bath, Bodyworks and Old Navy ! ( have really cute things there in my size too … linen!!! I was pretty tired by the time we stopped to eat🤣🤣🤣. My greatest learned lesson is that I have become a LAZY SHOPPER! Over the passed few years. If i need something, I just find it on Amazon ( or another online stores) and Let them do the walking and deliver to my front door! 🤣🤣🤣
Such a fun time. … we’ll get back to Dolli-making soon!

This is Mrs Jenkins..Church Lady. She is one of my one of a kind Art dolls w/ a polymer clay sculpted face and a poseable wire armature sculpted cloth body + other fine details. However, we all have to start somewhere. Let BSJ ScrapBoxDolli-Making start you on your journey. (Private classes coming soon. )
JOIN THE REVOLUTION!!!
www.brownshugahjunction.com

If you have scraps and need a gift in 2 hours …BSJ has the pattern download … and BOOOM!!!! You have a gift Dolli for that special person!!!
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THE BSJ REVOLUTION!!!
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One Day to Launch!!
Father God Bless and cover me as I step out on faith tomorrow to pursue the desire of my heart, launch my dream and share the Gift you have given me. To You be the Glory.
In Jesus Name Amen
Please send your prayers and positive energy my way.

TWO DAYS UNTIL LAUNCH!!!

THIS DIGITAL AGE KEEP KIDS “WIRED” most of the time ...with
Brown Shugah Junction Dolli-Making they can disconnect for a while …to explore / discover their imaginations uninterrupted by outside influences.

Sooooo…. turn off those devices, turn on the sewing machine and spend some fun and creative time with your favorite kiddo! …MAKING MEMORIES THAT LAST A LIFETIME!

Spread the word and share with your friends!

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3 days until launch!!!

BSJ Dolli-Making is all about LOVE, LEARNING , LAUGHTER and LEGACY!

Our Dolls are Black, Biracial, Multi-Ethnic, fun, whimsical, colorful and anything your imagination want them to be!

Create them to best represent you!

SPREAD THE LOVE….
Spread the word and share with your friends!

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ATTENTION ALL QUILTERS AND SEWIST!!!…

Now you can use all those beautiful 100% cotton scraps you’ve been saving! With the new BSJ Doll-making Line… you can make beautiful Dolli keepsakes for all the special people and kids in your life!

3 Day… count down to launch!!

Spread the word and share with your friends!

Follow and like the BSJ page
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YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A WORLD CLASS DOLL MAKER to experience and share the joy of doll making.

Trust me! If you make it , your kiddo will love and cherish it for Life!!!

BSJ Dolli-Making patterns have step by step instructions w/full color pictures and are designed so that ANYONE can make a doll! Hand made dolls leave a legacy of love!

4 DAYS TO LAUNCH AND COUNTING!! Spread the news! Share with your friends!!
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COMING IN JUST 4 DAYS!!!...

This is the face that inspired and launched BSJ!
So, it seems only fitting to bring her back for the launch of the BRAND NEW BSJ!!! (+ she’s my Chief Cheerleader!)

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4 DAYS AND COUNTING🤗🤗🤗🤗

Today my little Dolli-making kiddo finished her 4th Dolli!!!!She is so proud of it! And, I am so very proud of her… who had never touched a sewing machine a few months ago! However, she didn’t need her sewing machine today. Finishing her Ballerina just required stuffing ( her favorite thing to do…not!!!🤣🤣🤣) and some hand stitching she learned when we began: running stitch, whip stitch… and her favorite the ladder stitch! As always, her recall was great and she did a great job! She made the face using the new BSJ face appliqués and some basic embroidery…I love the face! It is sooo cute! She did a fantastic job! Well, next time on to Dolli # 5!!!!

THE WAIT IS OVER!!!It has been over 7 years in the making (and A LOT of life in between) but the NEW BROWN SHUGAH JUNCTION DOLLI-MAKING PATTERNS, KITS AND PRODUCTS!! will launch FEBRUARY 4TH!!! GTG!!!! The first 7 of the 28 new BSJ patterns will be available for instant download!!!

It was such a joy having my sweet dolli-making partner back today. She brought me lovely birthday and Christmas gifts! So sweet and thoughtful! Well, the holidays are over, so we got back to dolli-making and finishing up her 4th Dolli. A ballerina! Which is such an appropriate dolli for this dancer who has been dancing since age 3!
We reviewed skills and terms. She had great retention. We discussed the importance of fractions in sewing/ dolli-making…she shared with me that she is currently studying fractions at school! … glad i could help her see their practical use. As you might notice she came with some lovely new nails😂. I was a bit skeptical about them … however, she worked them and never missed a beat … even when hand stitching the Ballerina’s hair and Tutu! I am certain she will finish her dolli next week. My girl is becoming quite the proficient dolli-maker!!

TOP SECRET!!! Can’t share what we made. …but we put dolli-making on hold to make family Christmas gifts today.
However, we were able to get in some new skill building: drafting a simple pattern and using new and little challenging materials. I love her focus! And it was a lot for her to take in today. She got two gifts finished and hopefully we can get the others done before Christmas! Although i think i wore her out a little today. She was excited to go home to make Christmas cookies with her mom. It was a productive 3 hours. ( we typically only go 2 to 2.5 hours). PS. This time i played The Marvettes and the Stylistics. She liked them but she was over my music🤣. So i asked her what she wanted to listen to. Mariah Carey is what she wanted to hear and sing along to. And i was able to join in.! Funtimes!

BROWN SHUGAH JUNCTION is just 57 followers away from 1000!!! Please like/follow our page .
And share with and ask your friends to follow too!!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗 thank you!!💕❤️💕