and trying my hardest to deal with the horror of Hurricane Katrina. I have found the images and stories I’ve been hearing so disturbing that I’ve had to struggle to clear my head and try to lose myself in my work. That’s why I haven’t posted.

The brides and grooms are almost done. I just have to fix some mistakes, do some finishing work and add some color with details (brides).

I really like how the guys look- I guess it’s true that all men look good in a suit!

some of the fabrics I’m using for the brides-

The pintucks at the bottom of the pantaloons are from an antique shirt (bodice) front. I only had one side of a front of the bodice- makes you wonder! The lace is added seperately.

The over-dresses are made of lace pieces- this one was the bottom of a petticoat, I think-

This one is pieced together from some fancy cuffs- I also have a collar that matches, but I didn’t need that much-

and this last bit was something out of an old friends dsess-up trunk. I have no idea what it was originally-

One more atc- from Hil at Spirits Dancing in Australia. Isn’t it wonderful- It’s a computer bug!

This is my desk today-

It is piled with reference books, dolls, fabric and lace. The brides are coming along. The challenge with them is to make myself use some of the beautiful antique and vintage textiles and lace I collect- after all, this is what I am suppose to be collecting it for! The 3 ladies have their pantaloons, petticoats and their underdresses. I am now working on the over-dresses of lace.

The groom costuming is also moving along. I found (on my bookshelf) this book by Susan Sirkis. It has historical fashion drawings and patterns for dolls. I was able to modify one of her frock coat patterns to fit my groom- so helpful to have a starting place. I found the sewing instuctions hard to follow though and gave up trying to follow them.

Here is a fantastic and fun site– it is the Chomick and Meder Cafe Press Shop.

lads-

and lasses-

I got tagged by Hilda at Planeta Hilda. I have to admit that I was pleased to be tagged, but it’s not really something I want to participate in. Suffice it to say, as a middle-aged, ADD artist, I have plenty of idiosyncracies!

A new sketch book and some topiary emroideries-

this one is another atc-

a pile of dolls- now they have faces.

I thought this bride and groom project was going to be easy. I used one of my patterns that had worked before, shrunk it in the copy machine and did just a few adjustments… I am now on my fourth prototype, trying to get things right. I’ll have a whole wedding party at this rate!

When I get frustrated or my hands start to really hurt, I play with the applique. Emboldened by the ATC’s, I tried something a little bigger-

Some ATC tutorials- from Judi at Art Dolls.

And Hil at Spirits Dancing pointed me toward this one.

I have more if you are interested in trading. The ones that aren’t available have a name in the description area.

I have put several in progress dolls aside to work on a wedding present for my niece- a bride and groom doll. I am trying a smaller and modified version of these ladies. I can’t quite figure out why they come out so differently after shrinking the pattern on the Xerox machine.

I’ve been trying to impove her figure- make her slimmer and with more of a neck. The one with legs can be the middle-aged doll-maker aunt, in a china doll form…

and now I’ve gotten even more distracted! I got my patch from Craftlog and am inspired! I have had thoughts of ATC’s and mini- appliques in the back of my mind for some time now. Today I played with inks and paint on fabric- voila!

– Mimi patches!

Now I need to figure out what’s next with them.

He’s done… although looking at this picture maybe I should do something about his bad hair day. I’ve named him “East”. I will take more, and better pictures next week.

Tomorrow, early, I leave for Philadelphia and NIADA. I am nervous and excited. I will have the opportunity to have 2 of my dolls critiqued by NIADA artists and it has been a difficult decision to choose what to bring.