Lady Mary goes to Threads of Time Retreat

 Lady Mary

I've just returned from a wonderful 3 day retreat at Threads of Time in Danville, Illinois.   I met my sisters, Molly and Barb there on Thursday and then spent Friday and Saturday with my doll maker friends.  We had a doll show at the retreat and a special showing of "Downton Abbey" inspired dolls.  

Lady Mary made her debut complete with  her signature tiara, gloves and purse.   Her gown is made from iridescent blue silk overlaid with  vintage black lace that I hand beaded.  She is all cloth but her head and arms have been painted with acrylic paint to give them a porcelain look.  Her hair is styled from wool roving.  

Lady Mary's hand beaded Tiara

Lady Mary's hand crafted shoes 

Hand beaded purse in the style of the period

Here are some in process pictures.  

Lady Mary wears underwear even if you can't see it!!

Lady Mary's stockings 

This is what she looked like after needle
 sculpting but before painting

Now she has her face painted and ears added

New Dolls: Pioneer Women and Child

The winter has been brutal but it has given me time to complete a project for my sister.   She loves the pioneer era, so she asked me to make a pioneer woman sitting in a rocker with a child at her feet and she wanted a bonnet hanging on her chair.   Since I make dolls, I decided that this doll would be making dolls!  The child has her own doll too.  I made the stuffing tool from a broken needle and molded a paperclay handle for it.  If you look closely you will see a finished doll (no clothes) in her sewing box along with bundles of fabric ready for her to make clothes for her dolls.  She also has a bag of stuffing by her side.   Of course, she needed a rag rug to complete the setting so I crocheted one for her.   Both dolls are all cloth construction but I painted the faces with acrylic paint so that they look like porcelain or clay heads. I  needle sculpted the faces, painted them with gesso and then added an acrylic base.  I took photos of the process so you can see all the details.   Enjoy. 

It looks great on my bookshelf at home

Close up view of dollmaker and child with doll

Notice the doll has a period costume too!!

Heads that are ready for faces

Child's shoes, complete with soles and laces

Mother's, stockings, shoes, and pantaloons

Close up of hair and bonnet

Close up of doll and stuffing tool

Meet Ma Petit Cheri

I spent  last weekend at Threads and Beds Retreat Center with some dolly friends.   We were delighted to have Barbara Schoenoff there to teach us her new doll pattern: January Girl.   She is a cloth doll that has painted and varnished arms, legs and head so that she resembles a miniature vintage resin boudoir doll.   Everyone chose different fabrics so every new painted lady has a different personality.   I chose a bright happy pink and fuchsia print that has some yellow accents.  I couldn't find any lace to match so I dyed some when I got back home.   I used yellow and pink tulle layered together to use as additional trim.   She is complete with lacy petticoat and pantaloons.  I used braided jute for her hair and hat.  Both are painted and varnished.  Her sleeve caps are adorned with a piece of the skirt fabric that has been "fussy cut" then trimmed with beads.   Her bodice is also trimmed with beads.  She is such a little darling and looks oh so French that  I named her Ma Petit Cheri  (translated: My Little Darling)  
Enjoy!!

Ma Petit Cheri Full View

Ma Petit Cheri Mid Range View

Pantaloons

Petticoat Detail

Delicate Shoes

Indy Cloth Dollmakers Show and Sale

I've been so busy making wonderful items for the show and sale that I forgot to post any pictures and the show is TOMORROW!!.   Well better late than never.   I've made four new one-of -a kind jackets.   I've also make some great knit cowls to wear instead of a scarf.  I've also used some vintage fur to make purses and neck warmers.  Back by popular demand are the Chloe Pin Dolls.  Check out  indyclothdollmakers.blogspot.com and vote for the doll you like.   

                                              

                          

New Reversible Swing Jacket for Fall

I've just completed a swing jacket for fall.   I used a pattern that I purchased at the ASG Expo this year but I modified the lapel.   I wanted a slimmer lapel with a little interest.   The fabric is home dec fabric that I purchased some years ago from Baer's Fabric Store in Louisville before they closed.   So I've had a few years.   Our ASG neighborhood group challenge this year was to use a  home dec fabric for something that was not home dec so.....voila!!    The style is so figure flattering for many shapes and it also fits many sizes.   I love the fact that it is reversible.   To hide the seams I made a mock flat felled seam and couched yarn over the stitch lines.   The multicolor side is loosely woven so the couching doesn't show on that side.   I also mad a pin for the lapel.  

Katie Creates a Character!!

At he 2013 AFICC held in late April, I took a class called "Heiress" with instructor Lillian Alberti.   She specializes in sculpting character dolls using paper clay.  I had never used paper clay before nor have I created a character doll,  so I signed up to learn something new.   Lillian provided us with a instructions on how to use the paper clay for the face and hands and how to make the doll body.  The doll hangs on the wall and the body  is just from the waist up.  We all brought our own muse or sketch of what we wanted our "Heiress" to look like. 
I'm a big Downton Abbey fan so I thought that Maggie Smith, who plays the matriarch of the family, would be a perfect muse.   AT the top left is the picture of Maggie that inspired me.   
Below her is my "Maggie".   She is not so "imperious" and she has a slightly kinder gentler look.    Her jacket and hat are purple silk and her blouse is a silver metallic crinkle organza.  I used vintage lace and beads to embellish her jacket and hat.   I also took a class on hat making at AFICC from Stephen Rausch.   I used the skills learned there to create her hat--complete with hat pin. 

Gift Giver Challenge--The Princess and the Frog

This doll was actually completed last October but it has taken this long to get her photographed!!  What's up with that!!  She was part of the Indy Cloth Dollmakers 2012 Gift Giver Challenge.   I used Stephanie Novatski's pattern for One Kiss is Not Enough for her body but her costume is completely original.

She is called the Princess and the Frog.  As you know the spoiled princess had to learn a lesson about giving and sharing.  When she learned this lesson and kissed the enchanted frog, he became a prince.  She stands beside a pond complete with water lilies and marsh grasses.   Her golden ball that fell into the pond now lays at her feet.  She won 1st place, Judges Choice and People's Choice.   Quite a popular gal!!   She is also a gift for my sister, Molly.  Molly has quite a collection of frogs and now she has another one....just happens to  have a doll attached.  



 Here she is all puckered up to give the frog a kiss!!   I made her crown from gold beads that I threaded on to very thin wire.   The big "bead" the center is actually a fresh water pearl.  Of course she has a necklace, earrings, rings and fingernail polish.



















Her jacket is silk brocade with full bishop sleeves and beaded cuff.  In the next picture you can see that I added a bit of tulle under her peplum to add some volume.   Her skirt is an iridescent silk chiffon over over yellow silk charmuse.   Beads adorn the skirt in a random pattern and the lower edge. 

No self respecting princess would be caught without her bloomers and high heels.   Her golden ball is a Styrofoam ball that I covered with beads by sewing them in a circular pattern around the ball.

 

The pond is a piece of plastic "mirror" sheeting that I cut and painted to look like a pond.  The water lilies and lily pads were constructed by cutting silk flowers into appropriate shapes and then gluing them on the pond surface.    The grass is made from a bath mat that I painted to make it look more natural.