Christopher Fulbright and I [Angeline Hawkes] will be attending ConDFW 8 as guests and panelists this year. We will be arriving in the afternoon tomorrow. This year we have a light schedule which is good because we're wiped out from various commitments. I will have Advanced Reading Copies of Symphony for the Forgotten available for purchase at my panels and signing and reading. I will be reading one of my new stories from the collection during my reading time.

Saturday

Both of us:
3 pm DFW HWA Afternoon Lunch-Dinner Thing

Christopher Fulbright:
Panel Room 2 (Manchester)
5 pm Fools! I will destroy you all! - Creating Believable Villains

Angeline Hawkes:
Panel Room 4 (Churchill)
5 pm WWDD - What Would Dracula Do? - Horror in Modern Times

Reading Room (Winston)
6 pm Reading from the soon to be released horror collection from Daverana Enterprises, Symphony for the Forgotten

SUNDAY

Angeline Hawkes:
1 pm Autographs

The convention is being held in Crowne Plaza Suites Hotel, Dallas-Park Central at 7800 ALPHA ROAD in DALLAS, TX 75240. For more info and ticket prices, etc visit the ConDFW VIII website at http://www.condfw.org

Hope to see you there!

Whew! I've been busy! I will be SOOOOO glad when we're moved, unpacked and settled again! Not only does this unsettledness [if that's a word] affect my writing routine, but it throws me all off. I have this anxious, pressing, urgency about me and I can't shake it. Driving me batty! Making me forgetful and edgy. Not too much longer though! Christopher and I were told that they moved our closing date up by 3 days...whoo hoo! So, we'll close on March 26. [Clapping Hands].

SEWING:

Finished the baby boy quilt for our friends new baby that's due April 11! Her nursery theme is Zanzibar, so I wanted to create something unique but would match. I made her the Sunbonnet Sam quilt as well [already have posted pics for that one]. Here's a photo:



I ordered a set of the nursery wall hangings and took them apart. Those formed 5 of the blocks. Then I had to applique 3 additional blocks to match the pattern on the backing, which was a toddler bedding sheet from the Zanzibar series that I ordered new. The fabric offerings for the nursery theme consisted of beige stripes, so I wanted something more "animalish". Fortunately, some web digging turned up the coordinated toddler linen set. Yay! Anyway, I think the quilt turned out cute. I'm happy that the white on white quilting pattern came out in the photos under the cut. I did a branch and leaves quilting pattern on the cream squares that copied the branch and leaves depicted in the print on the backing. All in all, I'm very satisfied with how well this quilt turned out!

I started the ballerina print sundress for Kiddo#2 as well. It's shaping up prettily. After this one is finished, I'll have one more sundress, a strawberry print Daisy Kingdom dress, and then the summer clothes parade will be finished.

I was on an ebay doll collector's board, and I think I'm going to be sewing some doll ensembles for the 1920-30s Bleuette dolls. Seems there's a demand for 1930's style doll frocks and I happen to love sewing doll clothes. So, I found some patterns on ebay...not the ones I wanted. The actual Bleuette patterns were going up to $20 and I don't have that kind of money to spend on the patterns right now. I did find one free Bleuette pattern online that I can use. There is a book on Amazon with her entire wardrobe in pattern form, but it's an expensive book and I need to wait to see if I can earn out the money before I invest in the book. For those who are unfamiliar with Bleuette:  Bleuette -- the French doll produced as a premium for La Semaine de Suzette, a French children's magazine published by Gautier-Languereau between 1905 and 1960. Every month the girls got a new dress pattern included in the magazine. Unfortunately, patterns 8 year old girls could sew from then, most women wouldn't know where to begin now....that's where me and my trusty needle come in. lol.  Here's an example of a Bleuette doll...



But, since even the reproductions are expensive, I don't own one. I'm going to have to find a cheap, similiar bodied doll to use as a dressmaker's model. But, I've seen ensembles going from $15 to $54 on online stores and ebay and some of those clothes are mass manufactured. Anyway...if this little venture pays off, maybe I can pay for all the christmas presents this way this year. In past years, I've made quilts to order and sold them on ebay and have done well. The doll clothes will be fun.

Now I'm on a search for 1930-50's fabric. So far I've had to stick to reproduction fabric as that's all I can find. Hoping I'll get lucky at some garage sales this summer. If you've got any old fabric/feedsacks you want to clean out...ship'em to me! lol. It's amazing how many old women are sitting on roomfuls of fabric that no one is using anymore...I'm hoping some of those women decided to clean out the stash and stick it on the tables at garage sales. Usually no one buys fabric...or thread or notions...so when I hit those sales, I do a good job eliminating their piles for them. Yay fabric!

CONDFW 2007 Report:

I realize this is a few weeks overdue! Again, busy, move, all that. lol. Here's a picture of Teh Hotness and me at our signing:


I have another really great one, but I can't find what I did with it, so I've emailed Rhonda Eudaly reudaly and she's going to send it to me. She's in it too. The con went well. A lot of guests/writers cancelled at the last minute due to various reasons, so the guest list seemed sort of scant...Harry Turtledove was there, and at a party we were at, but I was too chicken to go introduce myself. His greatness was too great. He seemed very gentle and quiet though. I should have gone and said hi. I will forever kick myself now. I do that periodically, I get shy. OR I think that the guest might want to be left alone with his thoughts for a few moments after being swamped by adoring fans...so I feel I'm being compassionate allowing them to not have to endure another introduction and another adoring fan. lol. It was nice to catch up with fans and friends!

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION:

Nothing says "YOU'RE OLD!" louder than joining a message board for the planning of your 20th High School Reunion. Did I say 20? Good lord. Where does the time go? I can still remember everything like it was yesterday. It's not fair that so much time has passed but yet, I still feel basically like I'm the same person. Oh, I know, I'm not, but, I feel that way when I look in the mirror and see myself. So, for your horrifying edification, I present my Senior Yearbook picture from my yearbook. Click the cut if you dare!

Can you find me? Of course, my name is right there...but oooo, is that not a portrait of true 80s horror?? You can almost see the 20 lbs of silver braces on my teeth in that b/w photo too! Oh, the misery!

MYSTERIOUS DOLL:

I'm just full of pictures and stuff today...lol. Okay, I have this doll. I bought a turn of the century steamer trunk back in the late 80s, and when I stripped out the rotting lining to replace it, I found the below doll wrapped in fabric stuck in the lining.


She seems to be of Spanish origin going by her ensemble, and is handmade from what I can tell. She is a topsy turvy style, with the peasant maid  in a linen dress on one end, and then you flip her over and her red satin brocade skirt then reveals the dressed up version. Her face is hand embroidered and she has floss black braid down her back. The dress is trimmed in very fine handmade lace, as is her headscarf on the peasant version. Anyone have any doll reference books? I've been looking for nearly 20 years now for another doll like this one in books, on the net, etc etc...and can't find one even remotely resembling this one in dress/style. I find plenty of topsy turvy dolls, but none like this. I know she's very old and need to have her appraised for her value. Anyone have any suggestions? I've taken her to doll appraisers throughout the year who are as clueless as I am. Most have estimated her age to be circa 1900-1940s. All suppose she is from Spain. No info that I didn't already glean for myself. She's a charming doll. I've been thinking of listing her on ebay, but I don't want to underprice her.



WRITING NEWS:

Christopher has begun writing on our collaborative novel. We completed the outline and the prologue and I've unleashed him upon the novel now. I have to finish my story for an anthology I'm submitting to this week. It's a story from Kabar's world, but he's not really in it. He's leading King Segmund of Ur's armies against Lahar the Destroyer of Vail right now...so his wife, Adina, is going to be getting all the action in this tale. So, once I'm finished with it, then I'll be hot on Christopher's trail on the chapters he's already completed his part on. That was an awkward sentence. lol. Anyway, I work better when I'm focused on one deadline at a time. The fantasy story is on its way, and the submission period opens end of this week. So, I'm going to finish it this week, and submit it, then jump on our novel. Have a pile of stories that need to be submitted as well. Things are piling up!

ROUND UP:

Wow! I've gone on and on. I've been waiting for the smoke to clear out of the house while I type this up. I bought an 8 lb roast on sale for $7.41...marked down from $22!! I was thrilled! The thing was huge. Anyway, I packed my BIG roasting pan so I had to make due with my medium roasting pan. As a result, juice bubbled over into the oven. Soooo, this morning's muffins for the kiddos created quite the smokiness. Poor Chris opened all the doors and all the fans were on, but I think I sent him off to work smelling like he had been smoking meat in the backyard or something. The muffins were good though. Blackberry.

Okay...I'm off to do dishes and get the house ship-shape. The plumber is coming to fix this and that for the landlord before we move out. Ironically, the landlord didn't see the necessity in fixing this and that for US, but the next tenants should be grateful. lol.

Sorry I chatted your ears off!