Doll

I’ve been thinking about how to make a doll with braids- not with yarn but with the same fabric as the scalp hair.

Doesn’t she look like the big sister?

I’ve done it again. I went back and redid the face on a doll I had previously declared finished. I couldn’t help it. She was haunting me.

Presenting the new Red-headed girl-

First I changed the mouth and I thought I was done. Hmm. Nope. Then I trimmed her bangs. Much better. Done? No, still not right. Okay, new eyes. Now I’m happy. And she is happy too!

So much better!

Here is a link to the original “finished” doll. I’ve deleted some of the photos, on the blog and on Flickr.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am overwhelmed by the response to my Handmade Portrait! I’ve been getting all choked up when I read the comments on the Storque article. And people are entering the giveaway and actually posting it to their blogs. I have to admit that when the wonderful people at Etsy suggested doing a giveaway where people would have to post the video to their blog, I thought- um, No one will want to do that- well, except my husband, but he might have ulterior motives. So again- Thank you for all the internet love. I’ve been floating on it since Wednesday!

A Reminder- To be included in the giveaway drawing, you need to send an email with a link to mimi.kirchner.giveaway@gmail.com once you’ve posted the video on your blog. All the info is here. You can enter anytime up til 5pm ET.

I am trying very hard to pull myself away from the computer and spend some time in my studio and actually get back into the groove of making stuff. There has not been enough of that for the past few months. I am hoping that the major distractions that have kept me away from my desk are now behind me. See you soon with some finished dolls.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you… but really!

One day you’ve got this-

and the next thing you know, they are all gone! The youngest left for college today. This has been a very eventful week. Bye Peter!

and another thing!

Check it out! To celebrate the Handmade Portrait, I’ll be giving away this tiny world- all the details are here.

Well, okay, I will put them here too-

Embed the Handmade Portrait video on your blog and email the link to your post to mimi.kirchner.giveaway@gmail.com by 5 p.m. ET, Friday, September 4, 2009. I will pick one lucky person using a random number generator.

If you don’t know how to embed a video on your blog, no worries, it’s simple. Here’s how:

-Click the symbol that looks like a sideways V on the video player at the top of the Storque post.
-Copy the embed code from the “embed” tab.
-Paste the embed code into the html of your own blog post.
-Send the link to your blog post to me at the giveaway gmail address above!

So what are these “make-do” things anyway?

I first heard about a make-do when I got interested in doll-making and was immersed in learning everything I could about vintage and antique cloth dolls. The same people who were talking about the dolls, were interested in all kinds of historical needlearts. The definition I came away with was- a make-do is a pincushion made from a household object that is no longer functional for it’s original purpose- Like a sugar bowl without a lid, a damaged candle stick, a goblet stem with no bowl, or a chipped or cracked cup.

I have been making mine, which I call tiny worlds, in teacups, most of which come from the thrift store. I am also lucky enough to have friends who think of me before they throw out something that I might use- Lucky me! My tiny worlds are made on wool balls, covered with wool fabric and then most of the detail work is done with embroidery and wool felt. It is a wonderful way to use up little pieces and scraps around my studio. And it is so much fun to imagine who lives on the miniature landscape.

I didn’t start out with teacups though. My first make-do was made from a broken goblet. Excuse the photo please- that blog post was from my early blog days, more then 5 years ago! Here are some links to other ones I’ve made and also to a basic tutorial on how to make one for yourself. If you’d like to try your hand at a tiny world make-do, the pattern is available here in my Etsy shop.

This one is a tiny house, hiding under the flowers-

And I made this one in an eggcup-

It is tall!

I have put all these latest tiny worlds into my Etsy shop today. And, come back soon- there is another give-away coming… details tomorrow!

Two things are going on here. 1. When I do a tiny world class, I make a few demo parts. Then, after the class, they haunt me until I put them all together. 2. And, since I made the pattern, I have been thinking that I ought to focus on making tiny worlds that are different. So, a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

-some this-

-and that-

One good thing about having a camera that has the option to take huge photos- I took all of these photos on one side of the frame and cropped out the spot! Next, I might have to try Photoshop. On Monday, I will call Canon and get advise.

She is my Garden Girl-

I gave her pigtails. I’ve been wanting to figure out a way to make them and I am pleased with her hair.

a detail of the flowers and her shoe bows-

and in the garden.

update 9/21/09- I redid her face and changed the photos.