Monday, July 9, 2012

WIP: A Wonderful Day!

I hope you're having an amazing day!
I am!
Yesterday was very frustrating.
I spent ALL DAY sewing  little black aprons
and every single one of them had something wrong.
I ask you, those of you who make dolls,
why does it take four times as long 
to sew clothes for a doll
than for a person?



I made Hubby a Jedi cloak
and it took less time than this and
that included sewing a lining.
And he's six feet tall.
(six feet of gorgeous!)


But today? 
Today is better.
It's cool outside and cloudy.
I made cappuccino and 
hot buttered toast for breakfast.
And I won a GIVEAWAY!

The wonderful, talented and sweet
Penny of Angelsdoor
had a lovely idea for a giveaway.
A tiny fairy bed she made and painted herself.
With a weeny teeny fae on it!
And it's going to come to my house 
and I'm just so thrilled!


Penny is a really sweet and talented lady.
I think she's the only artist I know
sculpting images in relief
and they look so lovely.
She makes wonderful little fae
and the charismatic Bebe
who has exciting adventures.

I also passed a personal milestone
I got over my fear of sewing knit fabrics
and made stocking!
See these? Real striped stockings!


Hand image from the Graphics Fairy, of course.
I always keep one handy.
 Handy, get it?
Uh, never mind...

I finished my Alice doll


I still think she looks creepy
but better than she did.
Not quite so Voodoo Alice.

And Miss R White clearly likes her.



Just to show I can make uncreepy Alices
(Is uncreepy a word? Well, it should be!)
Here's one I did a few years ago.


She lives in England now.

And as my own Giveaway has arrived with Sherry,
I can post a picture of the Button Bunny Baby
I put in her Bag O'Bunnies.


The face is a button I made from paperclay
and I thought it was a shame 
to leave her just as a button
and she got a body and a bonnet with
bunny ears, too.

I need to get back to my sewing.
I have a deadline!


To follow this story from the beginning
go here.

For the end of the story, see here.

22 comments:

  1. doll clothes are harder!!..smaller?i'm not sure why!
    your dolls are so fabulous..so beautiful!
    knits...good for you!!! i avoid them like the plague..as i do zippers,buttonholes!!!!!!!(which limits my sewing!!).
    xo

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    1. Buttonholes? Bleh... I actually got out the DVD that came with the sewing machine, to see if I should do buttonholes. No, not going to happen. Not for teeny weeny buttons. She'll get loops, I can make button loops.

      I'm so glad you like the dolls. I have such fun making them. Apart from, you know, screaming at the sewing machine...

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  2. Congrats on your win! What a lovely prize :)

    I like your Alice doll, I don't think she looks too creepy. Love the stockings.

    I know what you mean about doll clothes, last one I needed to do I sent to a friend to do.

    Miss White is looking Awesome!

    Hugs,
    Victoria

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    Replies
    1. Oh yes! I saw the Count when you got him home again, all in his finery with the spider web on the back of his cloak. Very glam he looked, too and so handsome!

      I think I'm too close to the Alice doll to see her properly. I painted that face a dozen times and couldn't get it to look like I wanted. But it seems to suit Miss White.

      However, the stockings?> I'm thrilled with the stockings! Even if they're a bit saggy around the ankles, I don't care. I made doll stockings and I'll do it again!

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  3. Absolutely, positively, GLORIOUS dear Rabbit! I ADORE those striped stockings....Should you ever find that glove large enough for shoes for me, would you be ever so kind to do me some striped stockings as well? ;o LOVE them!! Alice looks wonderful - and perfectly Alice-ish....And that little bunny folk you sent to Sherry is SOOO precious! Congratulations, too, on your sweet, sweet, win....Lucky you! Wow....what a jam-packed day you're having! Smiles & Hugs ~ Robin

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    1. Thank you for always being so sweet. And yes, dear Miss Crow, if you get the shoes, of course you get stockings, too. However, forgive me for asking this, but a crow's foot looks like it could fit into a glove anyway...in which case, you just need stockings.

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  4. Dear Rhissanna,

    How very sweet of you to post a photo of my sculpted fairy and bed and your very kind words.. Yes, they are on the way.. The little fairy was sculpted of cernit polymer clay and I make her clothes out of a wee doll stocking... I shipped out priority, so it should get to you by Wed.

    Your rabbit is just fantastic! You did a great job on the stockings! I think working so small make it harder.. I know with me it is anyway..

    I just LOVE both your Alices..
    Alice and Miss R. White look GREAT together. Beautiful work!!
    Have a great day..
    Blessings,
    Penny

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Penny and I'm really looking forward to receiving it. Harassing the mail man, even.

      So, I'm making doll stockings and you're turning doll stockings into fairy dresses... We could come to some arrangement, right?


      Thank you for your lovely comments about the Alices.They're both very different aspects of the same wonder-child.

      Delete
  5. Maybe they are harder because the dolls won't hold still? ;)
    I'm glad today was better, and I just love those striped stockings!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you're absolutely right. It's as hard as making frocks for chickens. They won't hold still and they run off with the pins. Very difficult.

      Delete
  6. Love the stockings...fabulous!!!! I've never made any so I personally think making stockings is awesome. That giveaway you won is really sweet:) Lucky you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I checked out a few tutorials for sewing knits fabrics. You need a walking foot, they said. You need twin needles. I didn't have either of those, so the best advice I could extract from all the articles was; to cut the fabric the way I wanted it to stretch, use a zigzag stitch and make absolutely sure the fabric doesn't stretch as it sews. That seemed to be the most helpful thing to know. There's some puckering, but it's probably only noticeable to me, specially once the stocking are on her legs.

      I do feel like I've crossed some kind of Rubicon and I'm not scared of sewing old t shirts any more!

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  7. For me, doll clothes are more difficult because I have a higher expectation for them. Because they are small, little mistakes look big. If you're sewing for humans, those little mistakes aren't going to stand out. Also, I draft all my patterns and I hardly ever draft a pattern for myself. Not that I've made anything for myself in the pas t decade.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I think you're absolutely right. The tiniest bump that wouldn't be noticed on an adult's dress is a massive great flaw on a tiny doll seam. I'm cack-handed (UK for 'klutsy'?) and clumsy so I spend a lot of time cursing and ripping out seams.

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  8. Rhissanna, I'm really enjoying the creation of Miss White - she is going to be a beautiful bunny !
    I usually stick to hand sewing for doll clothes. I'm no good at using the machine, it's so frustating when it eats up the fabric and spits out those strings of knotted thread ^_^

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Oh dear me, yes. There's nothing worse than the dreaded chomp chomp chomp of a greedy sewing machine munching up all your fabric and spitting out the bits. 'Sew, then cut' was the recent advice that has helped me a lot. Of course, that's not always possible.

      Thank you for coming along with me on this journey. Every single person who pops in and everyone who leaves a comment has really made a difference. Your support and encouragement means a lot.

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  9. Hi Rhissanna,
    You are so funny....Oh my! Did I make you jump right out of your seat with the music? I am so happy you enjoyed viewing this pair.. Thanks so much for your lovely comments.
    All my doll stocking are weeeeee tiny.. About the size of your baby finger... BUT, I do have some doll shoes that I would be more than happy to share with you... I was in my favorite thrift shop and hit the mother load... A large bag of doll accessories and shoes from Kemper doll company, for next to nothing.. In fact, the clothes that the little fairy that is on her way to you, were made from tiny stockings... You might be able to use them for your larger dolls or rabbits.. Just let me know..
    I can't wait to see your bunny completed.
    Blessings,
    Penny

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    1. Oh my! Really? I mean, yes please! I know Kemper as the people who have the doll wigs as well as the gorgeous shoes. Yes please, I'd love to have some!

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  10. Your dolls are so pretty and your stockings look amazing.

    Congratulations at winning the fairytale bed.

    Dee

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    1. Thank you, Dee! I hoped you'd like my rabbit! And yes, isn't the fairy bed sweet? I'm just thrilled about it.

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  11. Congrats on your fantastic win! She's so sweet! Don't you love giveaways? I think I love running giveaways as much as winning them! xo Jennifer

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    1. Thank you! Yes, I was thrilled to bits. The weeny little bed and the weeny little fairy are both gorgeous. I've only done one giveaway so far, but I'm had such fun I'm about to do another! They're one of the best parts of blogging!

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Thank you all for the wonderful and supportive things you say! I'm thrilled to read them and I reply to each one.