Tag Archives: dog

trying out the new dog pattern tweeks

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Here is the first of the pattern tweeks. I cut the pattern down the center (lengthwise) and added about one inch in the middle. Then new nose, new tail, shorter arms and slightly different ears.

Voila! A pug!

I put a pipe cleaner into the tail so I could make it curl.

I am still wondering about the mouth. The black stitching doesn’t show up in the photos- I’ve lightened it up here.

It is all pretty dark in real life too. I might have to think about highlighting it. I’m still thinking. Also, she might just need a giant bow on her head…

 

dog 4

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and here is that other one I mentioned.

I think the golden/mustardy yellow is my new favorite color.

His hat is pinned in but I’m thinking I probably ought to sew it.

I’m liking his profile.

This is #100 doll in my 2011 flickr photostream. It is weird though- I’ve done several projects this year that I can’t be public about so the numbers don’t feel terribly meaningful. Ah well, it is still an exciting number!

going to the dogs

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I know. I just can’t help it with the lame jokes.

It is getting cold around here. I thought he needed a scarf.

I wasn’t satisfied with the edge between the sweater and the dog body parts. I had already put the ribbing at the neck, but that didn’t work with the scale at the wrist and the bottom edge. I added a couched edge, stitching down a layer of yarn- about 8 lengths of wool. I am happy with that finish. You can’t really notice it in the photo and but it softens, finishes and covers the seam- all good.

Next, dog #2-

His ears are made of a wool/angora blend. So soft. I did a blanket stitch around the bottom of his sweater.

Why do these dogs make me think of beatniks?

And, Miss Dog #3

I have one more finished but it is too dark to photograph today. I’ll show you tomorrow. My natural inclination would be to spend another week or so on these doggies- making thin ones, fat ones, all kinds of colors and textures, accessorizing with beatnik paraphernalia, all the fun stuff. But, that can’t happen right now unless I want to show up at the markets I’m doing in just a few short weeks with only dogs. Which wouldn’t be too terrible, except next year, when I end up with no dogs, people will wonder, eh? So, onward to try to have a decently rounded out inventory. The push of the holiday season!

a new guy!

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A Dog!

It is so hard to photograph a dark object and still have the details show. The mouth is embroidered in black though it hardly shows in this photo.

the back-

Here is a side view so you can see his nose profile.

Some notes on designing: Making a new doll, even one that isn’t all that different from what has come before, doesn’t happen quickly, easily or by magic. It is methodical and it is work. I was in the midst of working on a pile of other things when I had an idea- a dog, sort of a dachshund, with a striped sweater. I drew out some thoughts and went back to work, finishing up what needed to be finished. That is how the ideas come- while I’m working on something else. As I work on that other project, maybe looking at it at a funny angle or some random mistake, will give me an idea to try something off in another direction.

Then comes the hard part. I started playing with my pattern and making prototypes in-between the other things I’m working on. If I’d said to myself, I’ll work on this when I finish all these other things, I’d probably lose interest and maybe or maybe not ever get back to it. Instead, I fit in little bits of time to work on my dog. Here is a photo of my desk with 4 prototypes and a bunch of the paper pattern pieces.

The first iteration was that flat gray tweed and just about everything was wrong with it. hmm, Good to know! I unstuffed it and threw it in the bin. Then pulled it out again for this photo. The 2 white ones came next. They are made out of an old wool blanket- my scrap paper of wool. The one on the right came first. Among other things, the ears are too small and the head is too wide. On the left came next (#3). Ears better, thinking about the nose, hmm, not so sure I like his body. #4 is the all brown one. He is a lot slimmer and his hips/legs are redesigned. I made a few test noses before deciding on the one I like best. Now I am ready for #5, the dog with his sweater that I’m showing at the top. It has been about a week in the designing. Ta Da! Magic ;)

And I will continue to tweak for a while. That is the fun of it all!