I might have to take some more pics tomorrow because you can not see the print design on the fabric of his beard or his embroidered mouth. I am still getting used to my new camera.
His belt buckle is made from an antique hook of a hook and eye set. It looks handmade to me, with a hammered flat edge.
Yes, I did have too much fun figuring out how to make a felt cutlass!
And I knew I had some buckles somewhere so I started searching my bookcase and found a cigar box full of buttons I’d forgotten about- like a surprise gift to me from the past!
I’m not sure if it is obvious over here in my sweet corner of the internet but my life has been a bit CRAZY lately- and mostly in a good way. I thought that things were going to slow down for me after mid-October which was when I needed to have everything submitted for the sale at One Kings Lane. Instead, every day seems to bring more exciting opportunities into my email box. I was hoping to have my Etsy shop chock full of goodies for the start of the Holiday season, but instead I have been selling like gangbusters (Hurray!) and it is pretty bare. I’m sewing as fast as I can, but I’ve also said yes to a number of (fun, amazing, fantastic!) things that mean my focus is elsewhere. I am so behind on emails and if I told you I would make you something… well, hopefully? It might still be a while though. It is exciting and very busy times around here!
This is the last of my pre-Washington DC output. This pirate was finished up at 9pm on the evening before we left. Again, no formal portrait.
He also found a new home in Washington DC.
I am working on lots of new stuff and have other news to tell you about. So, I’ll be back soon!
Do you know what is extra-special about her? She is #100 doll for this year!
I gave her a laced-up-in-the-back bodice. Here is a close-up of her hair-
And her gorgeous antique button belt buckle.
I’m back to work on the fellows. Hopefully there will be lots in the next few weeks.
Can you see the over-dyed fabric of his hair and beard? I’m always on the look-out for good hair prints.
more of the skeleton fabric but this time in black.
He has long sideburns.
2 pirate pals.
This is the what my son is doing in England- so amazing!
Big News! I will be in San Francisco at the Renegade Market on July 21 and 22. I’m so excited and I hope to see you there!
I’ve had a crazy week that somehow shattered my focus. I seem to be going in all directions and am trying to force myself back on track. I need to focus on finishing all the pieces I’ve started!
Isn’t this amazing skeleton toile? I thought it needed to be a pirate.
I lightened up this photo so you can see the design of the fabric. It started out black and white and I over-dyed it with blue.
I finished him. It turns out he is a pirate. I think it is the boots.
He is a patriotic pirate. He has Ben Franklin on his back and George Washington on his arm.
I used a blue variegated floss for his eyes so they are slightly different colors.
Isn’t this perfect for his hair?
I found this little buckle in my stash. Perfect.
Things don’t always go smoothly when I’m putting the dolls together. I cut this tattooed man out last spring and sewed him up at the end of May. Now I stuffed the body and did the face embroidery. I sewed the fingers and then stuffed the arms. I was about to sew the arms on when I realized they not the same size. At all. I put everything aside and went to Vermont.
Today I unstuffed both arms, back to the hands. Then I carefully retraced the pattern onto the bigger arm. There was a bit of fiddling on both, sewing, taking out, resewing. Fixing mistakes often takes much longer than you’d ever expect. And of course I don’t have enough fabric to just make new ones.
But, he made it through the reconstructive surgery. He did not end up in the pile of not-sure-how-to-fix problem dolls. Phew!
This poor fellow has been sitting around, waiting to get made since I don’t know when in 2008. Here is the first one I made.
His hat comes off. He has a bit of (handkerchief) linen around his neck.
I made him a felt flintlock pistol.
The coat front and tail are lined.
I’ll be cutting out some more men in the next few days but have to do some more dyeing first. Also, I need to let my poor fingers have a break and heal from sewing cotton. I find wool so much easier to work with. Anyway, off to Etsy to post all the fellows into my shop.
the coat with tails made me think of Mr. Darcy– Mr. Darcy gone bad. Although, if any of Austens heroes were going to go the pirate route, it would more likely be Captain Wentworth from what I must admit is my favorite one of her books.
I like him without his hat on-
He can carry it under his arm.
I had to underexpose these photos so you could see the details.
I love this guy! He has been waiting to be made for a long time. There were a lot of fiddly bits to figure out which is actually what makes it fun to work on.