Saturday, 10 May 2014

Designing Barbie Doll Clothing

An Afternoon at Grandma's House

Designing Barbie Doll Cloths

Two girls sorting through cloth for their dolls cloths

When I was a little girl I remember sorting through my mother's scrap fabric to find just the right bit of cloth for my Barbie.  I would then cut and sew the fabric on her machine.  I have vivid memories of her sewing machine in the of the dining room, a black Singer.

On my last trip to the Thrift shop I purchased three Barbie dolls for $2.00.  They are not fancy dolls and they work well for designing and measuring.  My thought was that I would sew or knit an outfit for each girl for Christmas.  When the girls found the dolls in my sewing room they proclaimed their desire to 

"design their own cloths".    

So today we found ourselves in my sewing room going through my boxes of scraps and cotton fabric purchased for their Maplelea's.  I think the girls had as much fun sorting through the fabric and draping it around their dolls as they did in the designing.
Draping white fabric around a Barbie Doll
 Their designs were influenced by the movie Frozen with each girl wanting a slit up the front of their Barbie doll dress.

Barbie doll modeling a child's cothing design
Ruth choose a patterned fabric with a drop wait, 3/4 length hem, Disney Princess ribbon  and red hearts.
Rylee and her Barbie dress Design

Great Job Ruth!

Barbie doll modeling child's design
 Emily's dress is a white wrap around with fold over bodice and side slit with back tied sash.

Young girl smiling holding her Barbie Doll clothing design

 Great job Emily!

Grandma Snyder
©twosnydergirls   

Friday, 9 May 2014

Prayer Mother Teresa Quote

Mother Teresa Quote Prayer

Celtic Prayer


God to enfold me,
God to surround me,
God in my speaking,
God in my thinking.

God in my sleeping,
God in my waking,
God in my watching,
God in my hoping.

God in my life,
God in my lips,
God in my soul,
God in my heart.

God in my sufficing,
God in my slumber,
God in mine ever-living soul,
God in mine eternity.

Grandma Snyder
©2013-2015 twosnydergirls

Thursday, 8 May 2014

Phillis Wheatley a Woman of History




May 8, 1753 to December 5, 1784
Phillis Wheatley
Phillis was born in Senegambia West Africa a free African child and at the age of seven sold into slavery and transported to North America where she was sold to the Wheatley family as the personal servant to Mrs. Wheatley.

As a house slave and Mrs. Wheatley’s personal servant Phillis had what was considered a privileged life and Mrs. Wheatley taught Phillis to read and write after recognizing an intelligence and creative ability believed impossible in Blacks.

By 1771 Phillis had distinguished herself as a poet and an oddity given her status as an African slave having written up to 28 poems.  As a result she was allowed to travel with the Wheatley’s son to London England where she was invited to meet members of the British Upper Class, many of whom were notable abolitionists.

While in England the Countess of Huntingdon provided the funding to publish a volume of Phillis’ poems, “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral” was published in 1773.  

As was the tradition Phillis was the first African American Woman to be published.  Phillis was published under the name Wheatley as slave were known by the last name of their owners.

John Wheatley left instructions that Phillis as his property be emancipated upon his death.  Phillis’ freedom rather than being the beginning of a better life thrust her into a life of poverty and physical hardship, no longer living within the Wheatley household she was forced to make her own way.  

In April 1778 she married John Peters and they are reported to have had up to three children who all died in infancy.  In 1784 Peter’s was imprisoned for none payment of debt and the same year Phillis died.

Click here to link to Phillis' Poems


Phillis’ intelligence and notoriety as a published poet acted as an early catalyst for the antislavery movement.  New discoveries of her early “poems, [and] letters associate her with the eighteenth-century black abolitionists” http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/phillis-wheatley
 
Phillis is a woman of history.  She was supported to develop her skills, encourage to step outside of the known boundaries of her class by her white owner and she took risks writing poetry that addressed the equality of black slaves to an all white audience. 


On Being Brought from Africa to America
By Phillis Wheatley

'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a diabolic die."
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain

 

To read more about Phillis Wheatley please follow these links









 

Grandma Snyder
©2013-2015 twosnydergirls