28 January 2013

Extra long weekend!!

Happy Australia Day!!

At the end of a 4 day weekend, what have I achieved?? Very little, to be honest!! Although I have started a new appliqué design from one of the quilting books that have been taunting me for weeks now!

These are called Jolly Golly's. Still need faces, but the basics are ready to build upon. They should be the border on a quilt, but I'm thinking of another bag, with these guys travelling around the sides, maybe some piecing in there for good measure? Playing with some felt mouths, and may use googly eyes, I don't think painting them will be a success. Still some tinkering to do before a final decision gets made.

I did finish all the hand sewing on my doll, made the belt shorter, added the straps to the shoes, hooks and eyes, press studs, etc. More items for the Canning Show - done!! She will get a new hat, if I get around to it before then....

19 January 2013

All done.... well, almost....

Only cause I'm cheating a little bit!! Didn't have the hook+eyes to finish completely, but couldn't wait to post her!

She is supposed to have a sunhat, but, not sure. Maybe a sailor hat?? Mmmmmm...

Also discovered, purely by accident, that I had bought a version if this exact doll a while ago made by someone else! How freaky is that?? Everything is the SAME - the clothes, the face, the construction! I mean, if its not from the same pattern, I'll eat my own hat!! LOL!! The finishes are different - hair is glued and short, face is embroidered, and added fingernails - but has the original big hands that I changed with the intention of stitching fingers, but that didn't happen.....

So here she is, in all her faked-up-with-pins glory!!







14 January 2013

Dress and underthings....

I have made some progress with a dress done plus some knickers.

Still need to do the belt and collar, but progress is progress!!

The instructions are pretty vague with regards to the dress. It says "make 3 even pleats in the front and 2 in the back". Say what now?? Where do they go, how big are they?? I already unpicked it once, I ain't doing it again!! It gets covered over with the collar anyway.....

Will try and do some more tonight, but it's too darn hot! I can't get motivated in this weather.....



12 January 2013

She's an alien no longer!!

I have been mulling over how to do her hair for a week now. I tried a couple of techniques and didn't like any of them, although a lot if that had to do with the actual wool that I chose to use than anything else! It was a 2 part wool, twisted together pretty loosely, one an eyelash type, the other a curly type, called Stellar by Moda Vera. I tried as per the instructions to make loops and stitch on, but I didn't like the result, so I though I could crochet chains and then stitch them on, but wasn't easy to see the loops and it lost the frizziness. Googled another technique of crocheting using two parallel rods, but it was sooooo slippery I couldn't keep the lengths consistent.

Finally decided on the old "stitch it to a strip of fabric" method. It works well, as long as you know your hair style you want to have in the end. This girl has a centre part and 2 ponies in the pic, so that's what I aimed for. Still to decide whether to cut the loops at leave them alone - cant change my mind if I decide to cut the and not like them!! We'll see how she looks once she's dressed....













06 January 2013

Basic dolly done....

Not sure how it supposed to look without its clothes and hair, but here is my final result. I stuffed up one of the eyes, but she still has an interesting look about her.

I tried her in a wig I had here, and it doesn't look half bad!

Not sure on her hair, yet, but at least I have a body to put it on!!







01 January 2013

Back to some 3D....

Have been searching through my craft and sewing mags and books for my next challenge and I think I found it! A Better Homes and Gardens compilation mag from the 80's has a couple of different, interesting and fairly simple dolls, but one stood out.

She is supposed to be 33cm tall, but we'll see. She seems to have a tiny head and big fat arms! Not sure on the head attachment, as its a technique I've not seen before.

All drafted, just need to separate the individual parts and get cutting!