On Friday I spent the afternoon learning about slopers. We made a basic bodice pattern for my newest dolls. I am hoping to transfer what I learned to all the other naked bodies around my workspace.
The picture shows the basic shirt/bodice I made from the pattern we drafted. Next, I will try to make it into something else!
Today was doll club. Lois did a demonstration/workshop of weaving little paper baskets- suitable for dolls to carry. I was reading through my blogs this evening and came across this great post about paper weaving on Art For Housewives.
Here is my Gourd head doll, Hope, holding the basket. I took Hope to the meeting because this summer I will teach a 2 day workshop on making a gourd head child doll. This will be my first workshop teaching experience! By doing it through my doll club, I am hoping they will be patient and understanding…
I am making progress on the blue sweater- I have started the sleeves. I like how the color patterning is working.
Kitty #4 found a new home today with Jean from Doll Club. Enjoy!
I am feeling very unsettled these days. Too much stress in real life is keeping me from focusing clearly. I keep starting new things and not doing the things I should be doing. Todays project- a doll sweater out of sock yarn. On Friday I am going to spend an afternoon with someone who is going to teach me about pattern making. Knowing that I will be doing this, I am waiting to start dressing my new dolls. But a sweater doesn’t need pattern making.
More dye tests-
Clairol Ultress 8N Light neutral blond- horrible. A very light grey purple.
Clairol Ultress 5RO Auburn- (on tibetan lambswool) -pretty good, though a bit too light in color for my taste.
Yes it is snowing, but I am trying to think about spring. My seeds are beginning to germinate in their pots and I am trying to make some crochet flowers.
Another snow day today- no school. That is 5 so far this winter. Peter will end up going to school all the way through June!
Over the weekend I did some more tests with dyeing fur. I bought various types of human hair dye. I went to an outlet that sells “professional” beauty supplies- i.e., they don’t come in a pretty box, they don’t have much in the way of directions, they don’t include rubber gloves and they aren’t any cheaper. I also went to Walgreens and bought a variety of “home use” dyes. I bought some that were on sale (Clairol Ultress, under $3), one that was a color I liked (Clairol Hydrience 04, too much $) and 2 boxes of Clairol Balsam color($3 plus) that worked last time.
My results so far- The professional color, Blond, was a failure. I don’t know what I did wrong, but I ended up with nice white fur- no color at all. The Ultress was a Black dye (color 1N). It had too much grey cast to it, once it was dry. Next I tried the blond, Hydrience. That worked well and so did my second attempt with the Balsam color. In the picture is pearl lamb, a very short fur and the cashmere goat, long hair.
One dye package will dye at least 12 inches by 6 inches of the long haired fur, which is approx. 2 wigs.
I found a box of stuff to get rid of- I put photos of old knitting books in the Yard Sale link. They are free for postage or trade.
Okay- drum roll please! Big excitement! I now have an online store! Link over there on the right ->
I will be adding more stuff to it regularly and hope to include some doll related supplies that I don’t need.
Thanks Ben!
I’ve been working on these dolls as a group. I love how the dolls seem to come to life when their body parts are assembled. Adding the arms and legs do a lot, but the hair starts to really give them a personality. I’ve been playing with the wigs on different heads. These 5 dolls are made from 3 different patterns but even 2 dolls from the same pattern will not be able to fit the same wig perfectly. There is too much variation due to stuffing, I guess.
I will be sending 2 dolls to the Kansas City Doll Fair for the competition. I have to get to work and make doll stands for the ones I’ll be sending. I am thinking it will be Tallulah and Autumn. As far as I can figure out, the dolls really have to be on a stand and you can’t just have a plain stand… it has to add to the whole look. So I better get to work on that!
I am in a real dilemma about the Kansas City Doll Fair. I would love to go and see it. The only similar type event I’ve been to was WOW/04, which I didn’t particularly love, so I’d like to experience a different one. I would love to see the doll competition. They get loads of dolls entered- 194 last year. Loads of pictures here. I’d like to see the vendors, especially people who go to show/sell their dolls. Also, I could get a face to face critique from a member of ODACA. I am not interested in taking any of the workshops though. My biggest hesitation is that I don’t know anyone to go with or to meet up with. I am not the kind of person who mingles well, who is outgoing with strangers or is very comfortable traveling alone. I could see myself going and coming home again, having made no connections, having talked to no one about the things that interest me, or seeing what I’d like to see in Kansas City. I’m just not good at this part of life. So, I’m waffling.
I seem to have gone into slow-motion mode. I haven’t been feeling 100% and everything is stalled. Slowly, slowly, I’ve been working on the leg and foot pattern. I think I have something good, but I’ve screwed up the assembly/sewing several times, so have put them aside until tomorrow.
I’ve been waiting for a reserved copy of Scarf Style from the library. I finally got it on Saturday- I think it took about 2 months to get. Fun book, although I’m glad I didn’t buy it. It’s very pretty, with lots of nice ideas but half an hour was all I needed to be finished with it.
Also late Saturday I suddenly got enough energy to decide I needed to go to Sasuga Books, a local Japanese bookstore, which is only open to the public on Saturday afternoons. I wanted to look at their collection of Gothic and Lolita Magazines for costume inspiration on the dolls I’m working on now. I also wanted to see if they had any of the great Japanese Craft Magazines or anything at all about the Volkes Super Dollfie dolls. They didn’t. My 2 older kids are going to Japan next month- I’m going to have to make them a shopping list! I’d love to see this magazine-
Dolly Bird.
Last night, Sunday, we went and saw House of Flying Daggers. It is amazing- I thoroughly enjoyed it. Beautiful costumes, beautiful everything.
This fur I’m using is cashmere goat. I am really liking how it looks- although I am struggling with it- I have hairs on everything. So messy. And the skin is thicker then other furs I’ve worked with. Less flexible.
I’ve got the arms pinned on to check the look. Also, I’m still fighting with redesigning the feet. I’ll have to decide if the aggravation gets me a better look or not. Sometimes it is hard to be objective and throw something away after lots of work.