Skating in the snow

Inspired by the Winter Olympics and Dancing on Ice, the toddlers Edmund and Louisa have been practising their skating at a local rink.  However snowfall on the first 3 days of spring meant winter returned to the garden and with the pond frozen, they were keen to try skating outdoors.

Miranda and Timothy tested the ice first as Edmund and Louisa watched

"It seems strong enough" said Timothy

The pond was too small for much moving about but they could do a spin together

Gingerly the toddlers ventured onto the ice

The bigger children encouraged them as they started to slide across the ice

"You're doing fine Louisa" said Florence as Edmund watched

Soon they had more confidence that the ice wouldn't crack and the bank wasn't far away if they slipped over

The other children cheered them on as they skated about

Florence and Timothy joined the toddlers on the ice, though it was crowded on the small pond

Nicolas James fetched the sleigh

"Does anyone want a ride?" Nicholas James and Trendon Elliott called to the busy skaters

Louisa's legs were tired and she was keen to have a ride in the sleigh

The boys dragged the sleigh with Laura walking alongside as they went to explore the snowy wastes

The intrepid explorers set off with tired Louisa enjoying the ride

Louisa waved as the boys pulled hard through the deep snow and Laura trudged beside the sleigh

It was hard work and the boys were feeling warm despite the cold air so they didn't make the journey very long before they were pulling the sleigh back to the pond

Edmund continued practising his skating for a little longer before they all went indoors for hot chocolate and biscuits

*****

We planned this photo story as soon as we knew there was snow on the way.  We don't have a pond but that didn't stop us from inventing one from something which was normally quite hot!

The pond was actually a cast iron barbeque plate from a portable unit - it is a large round hotplate to go above the gas flames.  I laid it on the patio, made sure it was level and poured water on it which froze.  When it snowed we had to sweep the snow off it (about 2.5 inches overnight this morning after previous snowfall of about 2 inches) then watered it carefully again which froze quickly (the thaw hadn't quite started).  The doll skates did make marks on it though I didn't take close up photos to show this.

The 'pond' during the thaw later in the day

As anyone who has a Sasha toddler knows, they are notoriously hard to pose and with skates on in the snow there was an added difficulty, especially as we didn't want to spoil the snow close to where they were standing for the various parts of the story - we had to reach over untouched snow as far as possible without falling on our noses!

My younger girl was a willing helper, getting the dolls in position, moving them and attempting to get them standing and brushing the snow off when they fell over.

Setting up a sleigh shot

Toddlers on ice

Dancing on Ice has been on TV in the UK for a few weeks with Miranda and Timothy having their photos taken some weeks and featuring on the Sasha group on Facebook. 

Miranda and Timothy during Week 2 of Dancing on Ice

Harriet, Miranda and Timothy during Week 3 (Disco week) of Dancing on Ice

However our Gotz Sasha toddlers Edmund and Louisa started asking for skating lessons.  On the principle that the sooner you start children on the ice (once they can walk and run) the better, their big siblings decided they needed to find some skates to fit the toddlers little feet.

Lisa Hartley made the boots and after looking up a few methods online, my girl and I decided that making the blades with wood was probably the best solution when we don't have all the tools or materials needed to make metal blades.

So out came my stock of lolly sticks, we also ate had some ice creams of a certain brand which have shaped wooden lolly sticks for the blade mounts on the bottom of the boots.

I used the bigger Gotz / American Girl doll ice skate blades as a guide for the shape of the blades and drew onto a lolly stick to fit the size of the smaller boots.  Cutting individual lolly sticks with the slightly complicated shape was not easy if done individually (I split a couple when trying) so the portable bench vice was brought into the house and I set to work with a razer saw, fine carving chisels and sandpaper.

Four lolly sticks side by side in the bench vice were cut and carved to shape while clamped together to make the ice skate blades

The blades glued to the base plates to make the skates

Once the glue was dry, I sprayed many layers (over several hours to allow drying time) of chrome coloured paint to try and get the wooden blades to look like metal blades.

The spray painted skate blades

This morning, with the paint dry, I glued the finished blades onto the base of the boots.

The Toddler Ice Skates

At Christmas time I knitted Louisa the long tunic sweater with front pocket (number 18 in the book by Jane Woodbridge and Patricia Evans), I used 4 ply wool but smaller needles to scale it down to suit a toddler rather than a Sasha.  Today, on the car drive to and from a birthday celebration walk and meal with family, I knitted a hat to match.  Edmund is wearing the hat and cardigan I made for him when he arrived a couple of years ago.

Toddlers Edmund and Louisa take to the ice in their new skates

Now they need to have fun on the ice getting their balance and learning some basic moves.

New skating dress for Dancing on Ice final

It has taken 2 weeks to complete the latest skating dress for the Gotz dolls (I haven't been able to work on it every night).  When I wrote last, I was cutting out pattern pieces for a dress based on a full size Jalie skating dress pattern which I scaled down by eye.  I then part made a prototype version of the dress in white T-shirt jersey material.  This has a bit of stretch to it which is slightly different from the less stretchy material I used for the proper dress so I knew I'd have to adjust it a bit.

The dress consists of a cut down leotard, a simply shaped skirt which on the prototype was made of 6 panels stitched together and a strapless bodice which I designed based on a Joan Hinds pattern.  The bodice was double layered to make tidy edges (sewn inside out then turned out) and to test the join of bodice to skirt and leotard I sewed both layers to the bottom half, even though this was technically wrong if I had wanted to use that version for a real dress, as it made a very thick seam just below the bust line.  But the main purpose was to see that it fitted, not to finish this dress.

The prototype dress, showing the panel empire line skirt

The bodice seams on the prototype dress

Then came the exciting bit of cutting the proper materials - a gorgeous soft gold polyester and a shimmering see-through random weave of gold which has gold flecks in the thread.  Both of these were remnants at John Lewis and I had seen the possibilities for a doll's skating dress as soon as I picked them up (don't you just love those finds!)

I sewed the leotard section first, and it fitted my Anna doll beautifully, better than any of the previous leotards I've made (maybe I'm getting better at the leg fit).  I had decided that because the see-through material shows the seams, the fewer seams on it the better, so I recut paper pattern pieces - one for the front, one for the back based on the 6 pattern pieces I had previously cut.  So the skirt has side seams and no others.  The main straight seams were sewn with the machine, but all finishing the inside of the seams to make the edges lie flat and the hem had to be hand stitched.  The skirt was then attached (by hand) to the leotard, before I sewed on the bodice (all done by hand, I could no longer trust the machine to not catch the lacy material).

The leotard

The skirt sewed to the leotard

I had some gold ribbon from a Christmas box of chocolates - just enough length to make the shoulder straps and doubled over waistband.  I stitched the waistband on slightly too tightly so the dress has to be slid carefully over the doll's hips but it does come off and go on okay, so I didn't unpick.  Plastic press studs were used for the bodice opening and the shoulder straps at the back of the dress.

After sewing the ribbon waistband and front bodice decorations

Perhaps the nicest, fiddly yet relaxing part of making the dress was sewing on the decorations.  The tiny gold beads holding the sequins in place have holes too fine for the finest needle head, so had to be threaded by hand (I was constantly threading and unthreading the needle.  But it was enormously satisfying work - I sat in the kitchen at the breakfast bar on a high stool (very comfortable and supportive backrest) for a while on two sunny weekend afternoons and stitched while keeping the dog company.  The decorations probably took about 3 hours to stitch all told.

Close up of the front bodice decorations

At the last minute, just before Dancing on Ice the final started on TV this evening I made the hair scrunchy.  Weeks ago I had bought via ebay a new pair of American Girl skates with gold laces.  These complete the outfit.

The gold laced skates

My girls were thrilled with the result of all this effort, and I'm pleased too.  All the dolls were changed back into their skating outfits (except for Belle and Matilda who don't have skates yet), and the whole family sat down to watch the skating.  We were pleased with the winner too as she was our favourite.

Front view of the gold skating dress

Back view of the gold skating dress

Close up of the back decorations

All the dolls lined up for the Dancing on Ice final (l-r Anna, Samantha, Matilda, Susie, Jayne, Peter, Belle, Harriet and Elizabeth)  Note that Susie is wearing Harriet's dress, and Harriet is wearing Anna's blue skating dress.

Dancing on Ice week 1

This evening was the first installment of the 2010 series of Dancing on Ice with Torvill and Dean.  I had finished Peter's skating outfit a couple of nights ago, in time for the start, so at last he has something to wear to tie in with the girls.  When the programme started my little one insisted that all the dolls with skates had to change into their skating outfits, and the whole lot of dolls, including the new Aussie girls ended up on the sofa with my girls to watch the programme.  Somehow my husband managed to squeeze in too, as he likes the programme and usually has interesting things to say about each performance with the eyes of a layperson who has only skated once.  Belle likes Harriet's original knitted dress, but I realised for the snow photos that it really is too short on her to be called a dress (although the dolls are the same height, the difference in their proportions does make a difference to how the clothes look on them), so I lent her Anna's skirt that I had made some months ago, as the elastic on the skirt isn't too tight for her waist.  I think it looks pretty good with the cream jumper.

All the dolls:  l-r Harriet, Anna, Matilda, Jayne, Belle, Samantha and Peter
my girls are hidden in there somewhere

My elder daughter was allowed to stay up for the skate off, but we recorded it for the younger one, as it was definitely well past her bedtime and she had a late night on Saturday.

Later Peter tried his skating moves with Harriet and then Anna.  But I think he would secretly like to skate with Matilda, if only I can organise some skates for her and Belle.  I suspect I shall have to buy some Gotz skates and use the blades on some home-made skates.

Harriet and Peter who is wearing his new black leggings and silver top

 

I french-plaited Harriet's hair

 

Showing Peter's top made with that difficult silver material

 

Peter and Anna