These cute little necklaces are so simple to make. You can look for tiny charms in craft stores. I found some in Hobby Lobby, but you could also repurpose some vintage jewelry. Materials: Small jewelry charmsSize 10 cotton crochet thread (black or other colors)ScissorsFray-Check For the necklace cord, you can use crochet thread in any color you like. Black works well. Cut a piece of the crochet thread, about 8” long. Thread charm onto the middle of the thread and tie to secure charm. Put the cord around the doll’s neck to check length. Tie the ends together at the back of the doll’s neck. Use a square knot. Clip…
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Aisling from Ireland
Meet Kitty Friend Aisling (pronounced Ash-ling), from Ireland. Aisling has a new hairstyle with pigtails, and I added instructions in the Flexible Kitty Friends Tutorial, so you can make a similar hairstyle for your own Kitty Friend. Aisling’s skirt has three colors: green, white and orange. It mimics the Irish flag, and the three colors are meant to represent unity (white) between Catholics (green) and Protestants (orange). The color green has been associated with Ireland since the late 1600s, when the Irish started wearing green ribbons in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick is also associated with the shamrock, because he used the shamrock’s three leaves to explain the…
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Hitty Fun and Games
For last month’s photo challenge on Hittygirls, members of the group posted pictures of their Hitty dolls and their friends having fun and playing games. I uploaded this photo of Michael Langton Hitty and Hitty Myrtle skating in the Dolly Olympics. You may recognize their costumes, which they borrowed from Kitty Friend Maxine. The moderators for this challenge put together a prize package for one randomly selected winner, and that lucky recipient was me! Now I am going to share some photos of the dolls enjoying their gifts. The prizes included a mini golf set with a green, 2 putters and golf balls; a woven carryall bag adorned with charms;…
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Tutorial: Maxine’s Ice Skating Outfit
Maxine loves winter sports, especially snowboarding and ice skating. She is currently practicing both a long and a short ice skating program, so she needs a couple costumes to wear. This pattern for a Flexible Kitty Friend will make a Bodysuit and Circle Skirt with appliqué decoration (which is glued on to make things easy). Add a pair of ice skates made from felt, and Maxine is ready to impress the judges! Download Maxine’s Ice Skating Outfit Here! I am looking forward to seeing all the Kitty Friends and outfits that you create. You can join the Kitty Friends Facebook Group and share your photos and stories with other group…
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Kitty Meets an Ice Fairy
Earlier this month, Kitty was on a book tour in Canada. One of her fans, named Chloe, contacted her and wanted to meet her. That night Kitty traveled to a remote location in northern Canada. As she stood there waiting in the cold, she was glad to have her cozy Christmas cape. High up in the sky, a tiny snowflake appeared which slowly got bigger and bigger. Kitty realized it wasn’t a snowflake at all. It was a little girl with wings! Her skin glinted like diamonds, and she wore a sparkling gown. A silver lace crown with sequins topped her silky white hair. Her boots reflected all the colors…
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Tutorial: Kitty Friend Stand
One of the best parts about Kitty Friends is that they love to be photographed. However, it can be difficult to pose them sometimes without a stand. Some Hittys also have trouble standing up by themselves. I love my Michael Langton resin Hitty, but she is very top-heavy. Fortunately, I found a simple way to adapt some inexpensive doll stands purchased at Hobby Lobby. This tutorial will give specific instructions to adapt stands for Kitty Friends and a Michael Langton resin Hitty. However, you can use the same steps with customized measurements to fit your own dolls. Materials: Small metal 2-part doll standPlastic drinking strawPiece of 1/8” wide elasticNeedle for…
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Tutorial: Flexible Kitty Friend
I hope you have already had a chance to make a Felt Kitty Friend. This variation is a little more complicated than the basic version, because the arms, legs and body are all separate pieces. Using pipe cleaners instead of wooden pieces for structure makes the doll more flexible. (Thanks to Betsy-TN from Hittygirls for this idea!) I have also included instructions for an embroidered face. Flexible Kitty Friends take a little more time to sew than Felt Kitty Friends, but the result will be a doll that’s a lot of fun to play with. The two Flexible Kitty Friends pictured with Kitty are named Chloe and Maxine (Max for…
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Kitty’s Christmas Party
Kitty is hosting a Christmas Party for her Kitty Friends. Sharleen, Olivia and Jordan are happy to accept her invitation. David is visiting his grandparents in Florida for Christmas, but he did send a photo of a recent trip to Universal Studios Orlando. He loves all the Jurassic Park rides, especially the newest roller coaster with a Velociraptor theme: the VelociCoaster. Olivia admires the “Merry Christmas” banner, and Sharleen likes the poinsettias. Jordan is more interested in the pile of presents in the corner! Kitty explains that she has planned a fun afternoon, and she will start by reading from two books by Charles Dickens. Naturally, A Christmas Carol needs…
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Tutorial: Jordan’s Holiday Sleepwear
Jordan loves Christmas, and he always wears Holiday Sleepwear to celebrate the season. He loves his comfy Sleep Shirt and Sleep Pants. Cozy felt Slippers complete the outfit. He can hardly wait to wake up on Christmas Day and open his presents. Download Jordan’s Holiday Sleepwear Pattern Here! I am looking forward to seeing all the Kitty Friends and outfits that you create. You can join the Kitty Friends Facebook Group and share your photos and stories with other group members. Jordan’s Holiday Sleepwear Instructions Materials Stretch knit fabrics for shirt and pantsFelt for shoesNeedle for hand-sewingSewing thread to match fabricStraight pinsCraft scissors for cutting out patternSmall embroidery scissors for…
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Tutorial: Olivia’s Holiday Outfit
Now that you have made your own Kitty Friend, you will want to dress her appropriately for the holidays. Olivia’s A-Line Dress, Tights and Shoes showcase her style brilliantly. I chose a festive print for the dress and a solid color for the tights. Her shoes have metallic braid accents. Download Olivia’s Holiday Outfit Pattern Here! I am looking forward to seeing all the Kitty Friends and outfits that you create. You can join the Kitty Friends Facebook Group and share your photos and stories with other group members. Olivia’s Holiday Outfit Instructions Materials: Cotton or cotton-blend fabric for dressStretch knit fabric for tightsFelt for shoesNeedle for hand-sewingSewing thread to…
