Doll with no name

 Usually they have a name, 

but this one,

I don't know.

Melissa?

Laura?

She's a bit of a dreamer,

sat up there in my peach tree.

Wandering around the garden.

Posing in the breeze.

And generally staring into space.

A real daydreamer.

Lucky girl!

Here she is, being made,

still with curly hair.

Did you know you can 

straighten Tibetan lambswool

with a hair straightener?

Me neither, until I tried.

And here is her dupion silk frock

before the paper roses are added.

Find her here on Etsy

Gentle reader,

as you've come this far

 pop on over to the previous post and

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

There's a doll in it for you!

Shared with 

Ivy and Elephants
What's it Wednesday 

Mad Tea Party : Alice Dreaming. Now with added giveaway!

The Mad Tea Party 2013

(....But first,

these important messages

Free Doll.

And stuff!

 Quick scroll to the end for 

Giveaway Details!

And now, back to our

regularly scheduled programme...)

Alice Dreaming.

Beneath the moon,

beneath the trees,

beside the water,

Alice dreams.

Held aloft in the cot

of branches, 

the wind gently sings

a cradle song.

The dream shifts.

Now warm in the embrace

of red flowers,

 trumpeting silence.

She sleeps,

 and sweet sunlight

tips her nose pink.

The key to her dreams,

close by her heart on its ribbon,

is kept safe.

Unused, it bides its time

waiting for her to wake.

Creaky video footage

PRACTICAL STUFF.

I have always been fascinated

 by the idea of a sleeping Alice.

Wonderland is a dream made 

by the living world around her,

filtered through her sleep.

And Alice, 

the real Alice,

is asleep on a grassy bank

 by her sister.

I wanted to make a little Alice Doll 

that would lie in the 

natural positions

of a sleeping child.

I didn't want her to wear 

Tenniel's tucked dress and apron

because those are her dream clothes.

(They even change in 

'Through the Looking Glass'

becoming something much fancier

when she becomes Queen Alice.)

So, I dressed my Alice

in vintage embroidered cotton lawn,

soft and clean and sweet.

I gave her slightly grubby bare feet,

because she's kicked off 

her shoes and stockings,

There's just a touch a touch of sunburn 

on her arms and nose.

And long loose hair

because she's lost her hair ribbon.

Here is how I made her.

Just scroll! 

It's a tale told in pictures!

.

The rough head in paperclay

Sculpted head

Basic design.

Base painting and wig tryout.

Rouge and shading and eyelashes

Cloth body, partially sculpted and painted.

Cloth body, sculpted hands and feet, painted.

Attaching the wig.

Checking the hairline.

Glueing around the ears.

Lace trim around the neckline.

Trying the drawers.

Gathering around the knees.

Sleeping  in the tree.

Bodice and key.

Antique broderie anglais.

The completed dress.

Alice, Dreaming

 I made Alice

specially for this year's 

Mad Tea Party.

Thank you for the inspiration.

Thank you so much for visiting.

And thank you, Vanessa, for bringing us all together.

And now,

as a reward for your patience,

 the GIVEAWAY!

This will be drawn on

 1st August,

or

Lammas Day.

This is my little Alice doll.

She was originally made to go with

Molly Cottontail,

but I think Alice

is lively enough to go and have 

Wonderland adventures 

on her own.

I'll include other random goodies

in the parcel, too.

So, usual rules.

 Follow me

and comment if you do.

I always try and follow Followers,

it's only fair.

Don't worry. She'll have clothes!
These are her painted stockings.

GOOD LUCK!

Shashi and the Challenge.

Shashi over at

Sewing with Moonbeams

had a wonderful idea for a challenge

back in March.

The inspiration was this piece of string.

It looks like a profile, right?

The challenge was to make a doll's head

with this loop of string for the pattern.

Here is mine.

It really did make a cute face.

All the entries are here.

They're all inventive and charming.

Some people even made a whole doll

not just a head.

Sherry Goshan was one of the judges!

I got second prize!

I was thrilled!

Sherry very generously donated 

one of her e-mail doll patterns

as a prize and that will get its own post 

in the near future.

Shashi, dear WONDERFUL Shashi

sent a goodie bag to the prizewinners.

Just see this!

Silks! Fabulous, exotic silks!

Gold embroidered braids!

Tassels!

Jewels!

Everything to delight a dollmaker's heart!

Thank you, thank you!

The doll here is one of Shashi's own she sent me last year

for the Pay it Forward project.

I love it and keep it on display in my sewing room.

If you want to make one,  

Shashi has made the pattern 

for Itsy Bitsy

available

for FREE

on Dollmaker's Journey.

Thank you so much

Shashi!

You're a star!

PS. If you're here for the 

Mad Tea Party 2013

I'm still typing.

Have a cup of tea and a cake and I'll be ready.

Black and Pink in Paris

All finished.

The view of Paris

in pink and black?

Total fluke!

I only had red and black 

left in the printer.

She poses nicely,

with pins through the sleeves.

The hat, all tulle and roses.

The hat can be removed 

and displayed separately,

and  it comes with a hat pin.

The back.

Pink satin bow.

And she's gone!

Sold before I got her

into my Etsy shop.

Now shared with Pink Saturday.

Teresa's doll collection and a good cause

This is just a quickie post

to support Teresa over at

A Magical Whimsy.

She's selling some of her

fabulous art doll collection

to help raise money for 

medical fees for her son.

Teresa has a wonderful eye

for art dolls and I'm not 

just saying that because

she bought one of mine.

This one!

I'm saying it because it's true.

If you're interested in 

beautiful, imaginative art dolls

pop on over to Teresa's blog

and have a look as her lovely collection,

and maybe buy one?