Latest Challenge: Doll Parts Swap

In November, club members were asked to bring an unfinished doll- basically one that was cut out and stuffed only- to the meeting concealed in a bag. All the bags were put on a table and everyone picked one. All dolls needed to be completed and brought to the February meeting. At that meeting we would try to guess who completed the doll and who began the doll.
Here is a picture of the doll that I picked:

All cloth approximately 10 1/2 inches when the head is added

The first major challenge is to get her to stand independently. The feet are quite small and offer no support, but the legs do not bend so she can not be seated. Also, I really like the shape of the legs and don't want to lose that aspect.
Since the February meeting falls on the fourteenth, my plan is to make a Valentine Doll. Not a very original idea, but it's what I'm going with anyway.
To solve the problem of support, I opened her heals and ran a brass tube up each to the hip to support her body. Then I made a pair of paper clay shoes around her feet, painted them black, varnished them to represent paten leather, added a few bows and voila! She stands!

She has a very unusual torso shape. I thought the small waist demanded a big skirt. So I made her one using Valentine style fabric. Underneath the skirt is a netting slip to add the poof. She has a pair of white tights and red underpants. WOW. I also made her a felt jacket embroidered with black hearts. It is tied at the waist with a black ribbon and her lapel pin is one of her skirt hearts on top of a piece of black felt cut into a heart shape.

Second major challenge is the head! It is a pancake head- I have absolutely no experience with this type of face. The good news is I have two sides to work on so if the first side is a disaster I haven't completely ruined her.

I finished her and I will say she was a challenge for me! I hope whoever she belongs to likes the choices I made when completing her.

POSTSCRIPT:
Mother Nature won- the February meeting was postponed until March due to a major snowstorm. So we didn't get to swap our creations until yesterday! I think I hit the jackpot. Pat Hinga took my doll parts and created this little fellow. I think he is absolutely wonderful.

Originally, some time last year I had planned on attending a Peggy Wilson workshop. but in the end I came down with the flu and missed it entirely. The prep work for this class was to cut out and stuff the body parts. I think I stuffed the head but that is it. So I ended up bringing the unstuffed body and two stuffed heads to the club swap. Pat picked my bag and voila! she put her creative talents to work. The hat is crocheted, the vest is embellished with stitchery and the shirt even has little buttons. Pat designed all the clothing herself. He is just delightful- I could not be happier.

Decision Made!

I finally decided she will become Wall Doll #9. I think being on the wall is the best way to protect her elegant hairdo. So I made legs and creature feet and a lovely pair of capris for her today. I also know who she is now- her name is Poetry. When she is finally finished she will be clasping a leather bound book of poetry. I knew she needed those glasses for a reason.

If you look behind her on the door to my sewing room you will see Pebbles. She is made in the same pose with legs crossed at the ankles. 

Wicked!

It really amazes me the unconscious effect of music. I have been listening to the Broadway cast recording of the musical Wicked as I have been felting this head. And low and behold she is sort of green! When I gave her the green eyelids and especially when I added the green lips I thought I had ruined her but..there is something endearing about her. She just refused to be discarded - so I continued by adding green hair!
In for a penny in for a pound!

No Glasses
How do you like the work table! Could it be messier?? I especially like all the liquor bottles!

With Her Glasses

Add a fitting hairdo!

 I'm on vacation this week so I hope to find time to continue working on her. Next step is to make her arms and legs. I think I'm going to needle felt naked feet since she is an elfish creature. The big decision is whether she should be one of my wall dolls or someone that sits on a table??



decide.

Bottle Doll #8

A friend gave me the Long Neck giraffe bottle last month. I have many other bottles waiting in line to become whomever they are destined to be, but I decided to start with the last and work my way back.This time instead of using fabric, I decided to try needle felting to see if I liked the result. I do like it, but I think I will also continue to use fabric as well in the future. Nice to be able to have the option depending on how the spirit moves me.

Ambassador to the Tooth Fairy

My grandson has a loose tooth. It is his first loose tooth and he could not be more excited by the prospect of it falling out. So I made him an ambassador to the tooth fairy. I think he will like her. She isn't too girly and, more importantly, he will be able to see his tooth inside the bottle. He is a checker. He will want to check on it many times before the tooth fairy comes so I think it is important that he can actually see it. In the morning the tooth fairy will have made the swap and all will be well. I don't know when the big day will actually come, so I plan on giving the little fairy to my daughter to have on the ready!

After

Before

Put the tooth inside

 All you need for this project is a little bottle that has a screw on top- I used a Cover Girl Foundation Make-Up bottle; and a bit of felt, roving, a thin pipe cleaner and some ribbon. Voila! The perfect spot for a little tooth awaiting reimbursement.

Wings are wired ribbon

Made It!

Just squeaked by completing the ornaments for Christmas stockings this year. Here they are:

Ornament 2014

I am making pairs of Russian Skaters as my 2014 ornament. I made a pair for the annual ornament swap that my doll making group does each year and I liked them so much  I decided to try to make 6 more for my children's stockings. May have bitten off more than I can chew but time will tell.

These are the pair I gave away at the ornament swap.

 A shot of her pantaloones. All she needs are her skate laces and she will be done!

They start with a simple pipe cleaner frame and a wooden bead head. I needle felted a torso to give them a bit more body shape.  Once the frame work is done, the fun begins with costuming. Now that I have completed my first pair, I have so many color scheme ideas for the next ones. Just not enough time in the day to accomplish everything I would like to do.