I haven’t actually posted about anything I’m working on for a while…. some of that is Christmas related, I guess. I have been working away, slowly, on my ladies. This is a picture of the feet- very fiddly… one finished, one pinned and ready to stitch- but I really like how it looks when it’s finished.
and here are the various parts drying, after their first coat of gesso.
Stuffing is the hardest part of these dolls. I find trying to get a smooth, thin arm very difficult.
I said a few days ago that I was going back to work on my mannequin doll and am trying to improve the pattern. These dolls are inspired by antique wooden dolls, but then they are also leaning toward some early china dolls. The right hand doll is Angela undressed. She was the first one I made in the series. When I made her male companions, I made some improvements, and now I want to make a better lady doll. On the left is the same pattern with better feet… the limbs are not attached yet- she is all just pinned together.
My improved feet are the same as the male version. There is a separate sole on the foot, and a piece of cardboard inside so it keeps it’s shape. In my next version, I have made the foot slightly smaller and the calf a bit thinner. Also changed is the knee joint- aiming for something closer to what a carved wood joint might look like.
I wanted a more “womanly” figure. I adjusted the pattern for the body front- I widened the front body piece and adjusted the darts. I ended up with the right hand torso. My most recent copy of Antique Doll Collector magazine has an article on early china doll heads and I just had to try adding a bun!
and I changed the arm so that it only has one side seam. Simpler is better.
I am not sure what I should be doing now… I have done the 2 sales I am scheduled for and the Gallery I have the bugs in, only takes the bugs. I would have had to jury anything else in earlier in the year and I’m never that organized. I have all these mini- doll parts and partially finished dolls, all layed out on my table. I am sure I have enough finished little ones to get me through Christmas -unless I have a big run on them ;-) So, I think I’ll put all this stuff into a box and clear the way for new projects…
As to new projects- I have a lot of ideas in my head… thoughts going in many different directions. I have started several things and I’ll see which takes off. I have gone back to the mannequin pattern, inspired by all my “new” lace. The lady on the left was my first doll in the pattern series. The fellow on the right is a later one in a series- the body is done but the clothing was never finished.
I have also started painting up some of the heads- several of these are second or third tries to get a face that I like… the one on the far right is sanded and will be repainted.
And then there are the Christmas presents I’ll be working on- of course I won’t be able to show those…
Okay, so you’re thinking, they look the same as the last picture and it’s been 2 days! Well I’ve been working hard on these guys for the last 2 days, but they haven’t really been cooperating. I am having difficulty with shoes and sweaters… typical toddlers.
I have a fuzzy dark blue sweater that I thought would be perfect- I cut out a pinafore sort of thing- it just wasn’t working. Soooo, back to the stash- I pulled out another old sweater- this time a scottish cashmere, sort of icy green color, incredibly soft with only a few moth holes (yard sale- $2) and took it apart.
Here it is in pieces. I saved all the yarn that had chain stitched it together and reused it when I made my mini sweater. Below is the sweater in progress- I used the bottom ribbing (the part at the lower edge of the main body pieces) at the bottom of my sweater and also for the sleeve cuffs. I still need to put buttons on it.
Then there are the shoes… I am struggling here. The one pair I’ve made is not wanting to fit. I’ve resewn one shoe 3 times already. Time to start over… tomorrow.
While I was getting frustrated with difficult toddler dolls, I glued the wigs on, finished the edges on the jumpsuits, sewed on snaps and adjusted elastic- all the stuff that doesn’t really show in a picture. I am hoping to have these guys finished for the show on Saturday, so I have one more day.
I am working on these dolls at the same time… they are going to have the same basic costume. I’ve never worked this way before. I can switch parts around to see what works best. I made the pattern and the jumpsuits yesterday. This morning I was trying on hair.
I found this doll bench for sale (just 10 bucks!) as we were walking to a restaurant for dinner. Perfect for display.
and here it is, in use!
Everything is very raw at this point. I am remaking the black tutu since it doesn’t fall right. Hair is pinned on. Everything needs finishing. But I have found my direction with these 2 pretty quickly. Tomorrow shoes, and vest/ pinafore/ sweater whatever…
I can start working full time on these two dolls. Same head pattern… the differences are in the stuffing, the painting, and the arms and legs. It’s very cold in my studio- not much incentive to work.
I am working on inventory for my next event- a sale called
Girls Night Out. I did it last year and it was an exhausting but successful event- that was when I sold my first doll!
I am working on bug pins and the little dolls. I hope to get a photo gallery of 2004 inventory finished over the week-end. I will post when it’s up.
I have to admit that I am finding working on these production items a dead bore… so I’m working on all kinds of things at the same time- that’s how my work area gets to be such a mess. I do bugs for a while and when I can’t stand it anymore I go over to the mini-dolls. I have all kinds of partially finished projects spread on every flat surface.
What I really want to be doing is making more big dolls, so I am letting myself work on these 2 kiddos, a little every day. It always amazes me how different they look in a picture- it really helps me to figure out what areas of the painting still needs work.
Don’t they look kind of sad and cranky? That’s how I’m feeling!
I kept on knitting until about 5pm this afternoon. I cast off when it was time to get into costume. I will finish the ends another day while Peter is eating all his candy!
I am back from the college trip to Philadelphia- I’m exhausted. I took lots of stuff to work on and got to work on some of it. Here are mini-doll bodies on the hotel bed…
Here they are, back home and getting some clothes.
This is the next item for my holiday production… little dolls for Christmas trees or hanging around all year long. Here are some piles of doll parts-
I am trying to get a stockpile of items to work on for my trip to Philadelphia. I need to do the parts that need the sewing machine while I am here, and then make sure I have all the other tools and materials with me for evenings sitting around in a hotel. I am hoping to bring a bunch of these dolls and also unfinished bug pins and my knitting.
Also, I refreshed my links… I hope they’re all working properly.