I must be on a roll today. I just finished this doll. All it really needed was the tassel. I was going to add more beading and decided that I liked it just the way it was.
The swap at CQI is over but this doll is for me. There will be another swap coming up though. I have a lot of ideas for that one. But I must wait, I have other things to finish up first.
Here she is! The first doll I've made. It was quite a journey. There is a very fine line between fun and frustration. I'm happy to say that the fun stands out more. There are quite a few mistakes I've made along the way too. I hope I remember them so I don't do them again.
I'm not too crazy about her hair but she looks better this way than bald. I think that doing hair will only improve with experience. Oh, and her legs are way too wobbly, I think the thread broke. I'll have to redo them. That was part of the frustrating part. Her arms and legs would get in my way. I felt like I needed an extra hand at times.
For now I'm going to leave her up on the television where she is very visible. I'm waiting for her to tell me her name!
Just a little update on this doll. I dyed the lace and then added some Jacquard paint for a little sparkle. I'm using seed beads to hold the lace down. My poor fingers and I'm not even half way there yet! I love adding beads to things. That extra step just makes a big difference.
I also dyed lace for her wrists and ankles. Unless I change my mind.... again.
Here is a better picture of my friendship doll. This one is for me and she is finally finished. I'll have to think up a name for her.
This is what I've done so far today. I think I'm addicted to these cloth dolls. And look at those hands! Not one seam broke through. Perhaps I'll get the legs done tomorrow.
Here she is! Another friendship doll. This one is for me. While she isn't completed yet, I do have her hanging on the wall. Unfortunately she is by herself for now. I swapped 2 of my other friendship dolls at the CQInternational yahoo group. I'll be sure to post photos of the dolls I receive.
I'll also be sure to post a better photo when the sun comes out. It is a rainy day here in my part of NY.
This is my second Paisley Face ATC. As I mentioned before, I painted this one first. I couldn't do any shading with the face since I only used markers for the features. I really don't know which one I like best.
Well, I'm on to other things already! I've been waiting for the rain-delay to end for the Met game so I pieced another Friendship doll and started to bead it. This one will be for me. I just might be back tomorrow with a picture.
Its a paisley... and its a face so I named it Paisley Face! This is an ATC that I made today. I wanted to make something fast and instead worked on this off and on all day. I thought an ATC would fun. I haven't made one of these in a long time. I marked a piece of muslin 3 1/2 X 2 1/2. I drew the paisley and in the curve I "saw" a face. It came out better than I thought it would and was disappointed that I did it on plain muslin. I tried to bead the background but I didn't like the way it looked. So I tried to stitch the background and didn't like that either. So, out came the paint. This is Lumiere by Jacquard. The color is halo violet gold. Since I had the paint out I painted more muslin pieces to make more ATC's. I don't know if the face will work on the painted muslin but I will try. I need to get a new black marker. Her "mascara" is on a bit thick. I don't know why the marker came out like that. I'm going to have to get in the habit of marking a scrap fabric before I draw on the face.
I made a little more progress this afternoon. I finished the ruffle around her neck. I also added the lace and ruffle around each wrist. Her hands are finally painted and no longer look like she was wearing gloves. I think her hands look much nicer with the fingers interlocking. You can see less flaws. Maybe I should put something in her hands? Hummm, I'll have to think on that. And the waistband of the skirt just isn't working for me. lol I'll have to play with it a bit. I have what I think is the perfect fabric for the shoes. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get to play with that. I am way too tired to start tonight. I know I'll just get frustrated. And then comes the hair. I have absolutely no idea on that one. I think I should practice on one of the many "extra" heads I have in a small plastic bin on my sewing table.
Well, I am proud of myself for coming as far as I have with this. I have always admired these dolls and never thought I'd be able to do one. I am already trying to think which one I want to do next!
This is my current work-in-progress. She is chock full of mistakes but I am loving every minute of it! Especially once I purchased an open-toed craft foot for my sewing machine. What a difference that made. Imagine being able to see where I am sewing.
This should be "Goldberry of Withkywindle" which is a Patti Culea pattern. I did her feet wrong but thats ok since she will be wearing shoes. I didn't stuff her hands enough nor did I paint them before I attached them to her arms. When I have her fingers interlocking they look much better. I was just sitting outside attaching the ruffle and when I went to snip a thread I gave her a boo-boo instead. Time to put her down and some fray check should solve that one. I hope! I'll also paint her hands and they can dry overnight.
I will be posting an update in the next few days.
I am so excited! But I shall start at the beginning. On CQInternational, a yahoo email group, we are making and swapping friendship dolls. When I posted a picture of my first doll I was approached (by email, of course) by Pat inquiring if I would make and sell one to her. Can you imagine my surprise! Pats own work is awesome.You can find her blog Gatherings here. And she was interested in something of mine. As Grandma would say "Imagine That!".
So, here she is and as I type she is in the capable hands (cross those fingers and knock on wood!) of the postal service on her way to her new loving home. I just couldn't be any more excited as I am now.
So, thank you Pat! Your simple request has made my day, week, month, and year!
I just realized that I never posted a picture of my second friendship doll for the CQI swap. She is made of all cotton fabrics. Her hair is a trim and then small beads which kind of look like a crown. You really can't see it too much in this picture. She is also beaded all around the edges. She is also only 6 inches tall.
I love making these dolls!
Here is my second block. I found these pictures thanks to someone on a redwork yahoo group. You can find them here:
http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/coloring_page.php?id=94
If that doesn't link you can "copy and paste" to get there. But be warned, they are cute!!
I can honestly say that I never get bored! I might get bored with a certain project but there are so many things to keep my hands busy! This is a picture of my lastest project. This picture was found on a free online coloring book. I simplified the picture and used a varigated blue DMC floss. My "plan" ( as if I ever really stick to what I plan anyway) was to make this one block and use scrappy blue squares and make a small wallhanging. Well, it was so cute and fast that I made another one. (Picture to follow) Now I'm on my third one. Perhaps it will turn into a four block wall hanging! We shall see.
I love these spring flowers. My son the firefighter brought these home for me. They are from a fund-raiser. Flowers that bloom in the spring just make me smile.
I also have some in my garden that have started to bloom. I should go take some pictures. I would do it now before I forget but it is raining, raining hard here. Now, I'm not complaining about the rain, I just wish it was a warmer rain! I am soooo ready for spring or better yet summer. The weather just isn't cooperating. On this same note I saw on the news that some places have the "s" word.. snow! How wrong is that!
Isn't she something! This my latest creation. A friendship doll. I am a member of a yahoo group CQInternational. This is a fun group with swaps and round robins. The current swap that I signed up for is a Friendship doll swap. These are the same style as a spirit doll. She will be swapped out and I will receive a doll from someone else. I wonder how hard it will be to mail this one off!
She is 6 inches tall. I crazy quilted her body and used lots of beads on the seam treatments. For her hair I used "Bling Bling" yarn from Bernat. I would describe this as eyelash yarn and fuzzies. And a little bit of sparkle thread too. I drew her face with colored pencils and fine marker. What fun!!
I'm working on another now.
