adding pieces

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5 dolls

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.

3 dolls

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.

nothing much happening here

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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.

cashmere goat hair

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hair

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.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum

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softie button

I finished my Softie for Month of…– Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Tweedledee and tweedledum

Here is a picture with hand for scale-

with hand

I really know nothing about these 2 guys, just that they are twins. I am sure I read “Through the Looking Glass”, but it was so long ago that I have no memory of any of it. So I am definitely “revisiting”… just a very casual visit!

They are crochet, using DMC Craft Cotton.

doll parts

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Little hands-

hands1

and here they are, stuffed up to the elbow and a coat of gesso. The next step is sanding. Also, 1 foot.

hands and foot

I am redesigning (or trying to) the foot for these dolls. I want a flat sole that will fit well (better then what I’ve been using) into shoes. I’m not there yet… that’s on the list for today.
I am making wig patterns for these dolls- that is why the felt and clips on head. And that’s my Moomin mug!

2 faces

Fur for doll hair. I will be playing with hair dye again. 2 problems from last time- I missed some spots with the black dye so have odd white patches- I need to be more careful with that. Also, they have a strong chemical smell. I will try to rinse them better, more or else put some kind of conditioner on the furs.

hairs

Blog Birthday!

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Hey, it’s been a year! I can hardly believe it. I am feeling proud of myself! :-)

I would describe myself as being a late adapter in anything technological and also rather phobic about writing, and I have managed to not only do this for a year, but have really enjoyed it. I have looked back to see the finished and the unfinished projects… the finished one got their own link, the unfinished ones are what I am thinking about. So now for a boring rehash-

There were the 2 dolls from antique patterns-here. I think I learned what I needed to know by sewing them together. Then I lost interest, and never felt the urge to dress them.

The gourd head dolls– well I finished the middle one. That turned into Sadie. The other two? Who knows, I might get back to them.

These guys never went anywhere. Not surprising… I’m just not interested in the whole polymer clay sculpting thing. Also, a scale I’m not inspired by.

I never bothered dressing these dolls that I made at WOW!04. Although I learned what I wanted to learn from the class, doing something from someone elses’ pattern and in someone elses’ style- not for me.

I find these bodies interesting. I actually finished 3 dolls from them- Autumn, Minnie and Tallulah, and have 2 dolls in progress. That is pretty good in my picture of things.

Now why didn’t I ever finish this recycled bag bag? Hmmm, gotta get on that.

I never did finish this bag either. Gee this list is getting kind of long.

I never got Golden Baby to a point that I was satisfied with. I recently showed him to a friend for a critique, which was very helpful. I think I know what I need to do now, so he might show up in the finished project file after all.

I have loads of things I consider active projects- 4 ladies– yeah I know there are only 3 in the picture.
And these 5 heads.
Also several knitting projects and softies and , and, and… so many projects, so little time!

forward motion

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A picture of my desk this morning…

desk 2/12

I’ve started painting the heads. Always, some come to life, others never do.

This is what I’m working on for my February Softie. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. Crocheted cotton.

tweeds 1

I need to get this fur dyeing project going. Today I tried using dyes meant for human hair. I bought the cheapest dye I could get at our local drug store- it is still significantly more expensive then buying fiber dyes- ouch! When I did the wig making workshop at WOW! last spring, the instructor said we should use semi-permanent dyes to dye mohair. I am not dyeing mohair, but I thought it would apply. Unfortunately the semi- permanent hair dye was twice as expensive as the permanent, so of course I needed to experiment with both.

First is the semi-permanent-

hair 1

not very good. I am trying for black. I got a purpley grey.

Then the permanent dye-

hair 2

Much better! I need to look at it again tomorrow in good sunlight, but it looks hopeful. The Cashmere goat, which is long and very straight, came out an excellent black. The other two furs, kalgon lamb and pearl lamb, came out a nice dark brown. I had had no luck getting any decent color before this, so I am very pleased.

Yesterday I spent some time admiring the dolls of Rosie Rojas. I especially liked this one.

softies

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tweedle

I have been thinking about this Months Softies theme- Alices Wonderland revisited.

I put some more stuff into my Yard Sale. I have a lot of old photos. I found a whole box of them that someone had thrown away. I couldn’t believe that someone would just discard many generations of a photo history of a family. I sold some of them on ebay, but now I just want to find them a good home… not mine though! If you are interested, tell me what kind of photos you want and I’ll put together an envelope for you.

Yard Sale 1

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I’ve added a new link-Yard Sale. It’s stuff I want to get rid of. I’ll trade or you can pay postage and I’ll just send it to you. I will add more stuff whenever I come across it. I have a pile of old knitting booklets that I haven’t photographed yet.

yarn