Chimera

chimera

softie button

Hopefully I am getting this in right under the wire. This is my Month of Softies contribution. I named it Chimera because that word and idea has been buzzing around in my head since I heard it said in a discussion of stem cell research.

I didn’t think I was going to participate. The monster theme had no appeal. But I kept thinking about it when I saw what people were coming up with. I was thinking that a cuddly toy isn’t my idea of a monster. I thought about what monster means to me- I got stuck on the sea monster idea, a giant squid or something. Then I saw this and this drawing by Mariana Massarani and I got really inspired!

She is made from my (box) graveyard of reject doll parts. 6 hands and 1 head. The body is made of a linen napkin I got last November and a piece of silk that was somebodies curtain once. The napkin has a large purple H embroidered on it- I used it as part of the body. I used vintage trims inherited from my mother and mother-in-law’s stashes. The buttons are mostly from a jar that my neighbor gave me before she moved last summer. I think that’s everything.

I will post better pictures when the light is better.

good stuff

things are happening!
My test workshop went well. I learned a lot and Lois was pleased. I have a lot more work to do if I want it to go really smoothly.

On Wednesday night I sold a doll from my website- sight unseen. This is the first time this has happened. Very exciting!
1958 Hand-me-downs is on her way to Kansas!

I am actually working on something for the Month of Softies April theme- the recycled monster. Very late, since I wasn’t thinking I’d do it… but then inspiration struck! More on that tomorrow.

And lastly- I got a huge box of gourds today with a surprise in it. When I started preparing for my test workshop, I realized I needed to order gourds. I spent an evening researching and then on Monday I ordered 25 bottle gourds, under 5″ across the top. The cost averaged out to $3 each with the shipping. The box came this evening around 6:30- don’t those UPS guys ever get to go home? Anyway, after dinner I opened the box and peaked in- it looked okay and I didn’t bother to unpack it or anything. After a little while, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. There was a mouse in the box! Boy, it must have been really surprised to find itself in a new place!
I figured I better check the box after that- outside. There were a lot more then 25 gourds in the box- that’s good. But 4 of them had holes chewed in them- maybe the mouse did that during the trip. At least 5 more had serious enough flaws to make them unusable for dolls. About half the gourds are bigger then I really like. Some of them are damp. And I have only done a very cursory inspection so far. I wonder if this is standard. The other time I bought gourds it was through ebay and they were much better. I don’t know if my expectations were unrealistic. I think I will have enough good ones to do my workshop, so I’m okay though disappointed.

working on…

I am going to do a workshop this summer on making a gourd head doll. I have no experience doing this type of teaching and I’m very nervous. I am doing a test workshop tomorrow, with just one friend. I am trying to be more aware of how I do things… and also simplifying how I usually do things.
Test faces-

faces

I have to make notes about the colors I’m using. I have never had to explain it before. I am making stencils for the facial features. I will have to figure out how to explain their placement. All gourds are different so one pattern wouldn’t work for every shape. I think I’ll learn a lot tomorrow.

I am making slow progress on my doll, though I really need to find her a name-

doll

I had a terrible time finding the right fabric and color for her stockings. I must have pulled out at least 20 different fabrics to try. I think these are good. I had some lace all cut and dyed for her cuffs, but somewhere in the move back up to my attic, it got lost. It’ll turn up sometime, I’m sure.

The coat is close to finished. I got the darn lining in. I am working on these frog closures for it- although they are just decorative. The coat also has hook fasteners sewed in so they won’t show.

coat

ego boosting

I had a very strange experience this evening. I was reading through my bookmarked blogs and came across my name twice! So weird!

Once, here at il Bloggo where she has links to pictures of artists studios. I love looking at other peoples work spaces!

Then again at the fantasticly linky blog Art for Housewives. She has a great list of links to all kinds of dolls.

selling on ebay

clown

I’m tired of trying to give these vintage knitting books away, so I put them up on ebay, if anyone is interested. Can you believe that creepy clown!

Also, I found out there is a doll auction at Skinner next week. I hope I can make it to the preview- it is always an amazing opportunity to see fantastic dolls. I really want to see this Dorothy Heizer doll.

hat

hat

It’s a hat.

I’m working on all the fussy stuff. I’ve been struggling to get the coat lining in place- it would be easier to do if I had any idea what I was doing! Lots of ripping out going on. I’ve got the snaps and hooks sewed onto the shirt and puffy pants. I am having a real dilemma finding the right color and fabric for her stockings.

I’m back with more stuff

The midwest trip was a success- Son #1 has figured out what he wants to do for college next year and that was the reason for going. I made sure he got where he needed to go, checked out the various colleges and met up with some old friends. That was the best part!
I also went to the Minneapolis Textile Center Garage Sale- I wish we had one of these in Boston!
I came home with a little bag of yarn- my favorite green colors-

yarn

an interesting fabric sample from Jack Lenor Larson and a packet of fabric bits-

fabrics

2 silk Japanese kimono-type jackets (I don’t know what they are really called)

kimonos

some bags of buckles and buttons-

buttons and buckles

and a pile of misc. stuff that was all in a shoebox for a dollar. I could see a few things I wanted so I just got the whole box.

box

I spent $13! I shoved everything into my suitcase to come home, and it must have looked very suspicious when it went through the x-ray scanner at the airport, ’cause they searched my suitcase. Oh well, the price of stopping at a great yard sale right before getting on an airplane!

Today a neighbor stopped by and gave me more goodies-

from mim

I’m feeling very lucky!

I’m back with more stuff

The midwest trip was a success- Son #1 has figured out what he wants to do for college next year and that was the reason for going. I made sure he got where he needed to go, checked out the various colleges and met up with some old friends. That was the best part!
I also went to the Minneapolis Textile Center Garage Sale- I wish we had one of these in Boston!
I came home with a little bag of yarn- my favorite green colors-

yarn

an interesting fabric sample from Jack Lenor Larson and a packet of fabric bits-

fabrics

2 silk Japanese kimono-type jackets (I don’t know what they are really called)

kimonos

some bags of buckles and buttons-

buttons and buckles

and a pile of misc. stuff that was all in a shoebox for a dollar. I could see a few things I wanted so I just got the whole box.

box

I spent $13! I shoved everything into my suitcase to come home, and it must have looked very suspicious when it went through the x-ray scanner at the airport, ’cause they searched my suitcase. Oh well, the price of stopping at a great yard sale right before getting on an airplane!

Today a neighbor stopped by and gave me more goodies-

from mim

I’m feeling very lucky!

I’m back with more stuff

The midwest trip was a success- Son #1 has figured out what he wants to do for college next year and that was the reason for going. I made sure he got where he needed to go, checked out the various colleges and met up with some old friends. That was the best part!
I also went to the Minneapolis Textile Center Garage Sale- I wish we had one of these in Boston!
I came home with a little bag of yarn- my favorite green colors-

yarn

an interesting fabric sample from Jack Lenor Larson and a packet of fabric bits-

fabrics

2 silk Japanese kimono-type jackets (I don’t know what they are really called)

kimonos

some bags of buckles and buttons-

buttons and buckles

and a pile of misc. stuff that was all in a shoebox for a dollar. I could see a few things I wanted so I just got the whole box.

box

I spent $13! I shoved everything into my suitcase to come home, and it must have looked very suspicious when it went through the x-ray scanner at the airport, ’cause they searched my suitcase. Oh well, the price of stopping at a great yard sale right before getting on an airplane!

Today a neighbor stopped by and gave me more goodies-

from mim

I’m feeling very lucky!

war in the streets

Tomorrow is Patriots Day in Massachusetts. All weekend we have this kind of reenactment going on in the neighborhood and the local area, . It is odd to hear musket fire in the distance while out in the garden!
The Marathon is the other Boston event that happens on Patriots Day. My flight back from Minneapolis was full of runners. It wasn’t the typical group of airline travelers- all the other flights I was on were full of business men.