Spent all day yesterday figuring out how to make panniers to hold out the Queen's skirts. Even though the gown is inspired by costumes from the Rococo period, I'm not a fanatic about historical accuracy, so am not going to stress over making everything exactly period perfect. 
All I want is something stable to hold out the skirts.

The first picture shows Asa with the basic pannier-slip I designed. The waistband hangs low at 
the waist in order to reduce bulk at the waist, as there's still another two skirts that have to go on top of it. There's two channels sewn on the inside for wires, and it needs padded hip rolls to fill out the upper sides. Without the wires it's hanging rather oddly, but with the wires and hip pads it will take on the proper shape. The hip pads had to be designed after the main pannier structure was wired, because I needed to know the exact size and shape of the space to be filled. After sewing and stuffing, I had to hand-stitch the pads into place.  Next time I need to make one of these it can be made altogether in one piece, and that should be a lot easier.

I'm thinking of making a doll stand with a wooden base so Asa will stand an extra 1/2 inch higher, allowing for a slightly longer skirt.   The underskirt is next.

Well, I've finished the Queen's shoes, and they turned out pretty good after all. I really don't like sculpting with Apoxie, but once it's cured it's wonderful to work with. So it's always a matter of deciding when something is "good enough" (one of the few times that "good enough" actually is) and knowing there's a lot I can do to refine the sculpted Apoxie after it cures. Some sanding and carving, and the soles and heels became as I had always wanted them. Some paint and glitter, and the shoes were all done, and ready for my Queen to put on.

Now that the shoes are finished, I can start on the under-pinnings and slip that will hold the skirts up, because now, with shoes on, I know how long everything has to be. The under-pinnings and hoop petticoats are the next thing I have to make, and like the shoes, I'm not looking forward to them at all. But they have to be done before I can get to the fun part - the costume itself. So I better just force myself to start......sigh......after I water and fertilize my plants, and clean up all those shoes from this morning's shoe store photos....... and sweep the floor, and......

Today is "Measure Your Feet Day", and Nami was wondering just how big her feet were. Bonnie had a tape measure, but neither had learned about centimeters or inches in school yet....

So Nami decided to get the help of a professional, and went to the shoe store 
at the mall where Lonnie was working part time.

Lonnie carefully measured Nami's feet. "You have big feet - they are the same size as mine"

..and of course, now that Nami knew how big her feet were, and what size shoe she
 needed, she decided to take advantage of the Big Spring Shoe Sales....

"Gee Mom, I just wanted to help Lonnie get a nice big sales commission..."

Well, I finished the mask for my Queen of the Night today. I had actually started it late last summer before Asa went away for her new faceup, but her costume kept getting delayed....
over and over again, so it was never finished.

I've started a Tutorial page for "Queen of the Night, a Creative Journey", where I will continue to post updates on that costume. I'll post about it here in my Blog too, but if I have a Tutorials page for it, then it will be all together in one place and easy to find at a later date.

I've decided that there are so many parts to the Queen of the Night outfit, that the page will become way too massive, so I've decided to cut out the progress on the mask and shoes and present them as separate Tutorials. I've already finished the Apoxie Mask Tutorial, and it can be accessed through the "Queen of the Night" page, or by clicking on the photo above.

Today I also struggled with the soles and heels for my Queen's shoes. It sounds so easy - roll out some Apoxie, cut out the sole and smooth it on, but Apoxie is like working with chewed bubble gum, and doesn't want to co-operate. The heels were especially difficult, so I quit when everything looked "good enough". After the Apoxie cures, I can carve and sand the soles and heels into shape. Then paint and glue them on. All I can say, is that it sure is a lot easier making permanent shoes on an art figure, than it is to make a nice pair of removable shoes!!

*The Rococo Shoes Tutorial is also already up, and I will add to it as I progress on the shoes. It's also accessible from the Queen of the Night page, and by clicking on the photo above.

Today is National Hugging Day, the day to give someone you love a nice big hug....

It's also the day I'm determined to make some shoes for my Asa. I spent hours last night trying to come up with a decent sole pattern, until I realized the doll was the problem - trying to hold her up with one hand while trying to trace and fit a cardboard sole was just too frustrating.  So we switched off Leona's high heel feet, and I stuffed then into Asa's stockings. It was so much easier working with just the feet. I figure it will also be a much lighter alternative when I get to the sole sculpting stage, as there won't be all the weight on the heels to make them squish.

Yesterday was National Popcorn Day, and Elin managed to polish off a giant bowl full.

Leona arrived this morning. She's a lovely doll, but she's going to need some work. I expected that. Anyway, I dressed her in the clothes and wig she came with in order to take her first arrival photo. It's nice to get a doll with a face for once, and the clothes come in handy too, as there's already two dolls ahead of her needing something to wear. At least she'll be warm as she waits.

Every time I look at her photo she reminds me more and more of an older version of Peach.

Leona came with the "glamour bust", which I've always avoided ordering as I expected it to be rather huge, but it really isn't at all. I'm thinking of doing some head and body juggling, and giving this glamour bust to Asa for her more mature character. I'm sure Leona won't mind becoming a little less endowed.  Now to start thinking about what character she will become...

I'm a bit at loose ends trying to get inspired and motivated to start something new, and for my own dolls this time. Took Aeran's blonde Tibetan lambskin wig that Peach has been wearing lately, and tried it on Owen. I've always envisioned him as having long dark blonde hair.

That wig was made from a rather skimpy piece of mohair and doesn't have that normal pouffy look. I think dyed a dark blonde or light brown it would be perfect for a Musketeer or fantasy hero. So, that means taking apart my Layla's wig which is made from that same mohair, and designing a proper male wig pattern that will look good without a hat, and making Owen's wig from the pieces of Layla's wig. Dye it, and work in some hair-spray so it looks more greasy and less fluffy.  Then making Layla something new. While I'm at it, I should make Peach a blonde wig too, since Aeran really needs it back.

I've been thinking about how to make my MSD-size dolls look like a unified group. Asa's Queen of the Night, and Owen's Musketeer will both be heading in the Rococo direction. Isar, Kyle, Maya, Adrian and Aeran are all in the "Fantasy Adventure" genre. The rest are a mixed bag. I think eventually to make everyone a costume for both. I've even been thinking....sigh.....do I even dare say it.....that....  some of them might work really well as .....gasp...."modern" teens". I can just picture next time I'm in the Rockies, of having a group of young adults in jeans and hiking boots with  back-packs and wilderness gear. Now, that would be a real challenge!!  I better get going on those fancy Rococo shoes for Asa before I start getting any more bright ideas!!!!

When the kids are away, the mice come out to play. They are enjoying all the new toys in the playroom - a trike from Charie, and some very old toys I made for Marianne's Barbies when she was little. She gave them all back to me recently so I could use them with my dolls.

Notice the nice new neutral carpet? We had to find something to replace a night table that was leaving along with an old bed for our grandson this morning, and Jan pulled out an old smyrna runner. I thought it would make a great carpet for doll photos, so am borrowing it.

 I think I'll open a Favourite Photos album for any mouse photos I take throughout the year. There's never very many, and it's nice to have all the photos together in one spot. 

So, all the doll outfits that sold yesterday are in the mail, heading off to their new homes. I've finished knitting the baby afghan and am crocheting an edge around it. It's hard to believe it's finally time for my own dolls, but it's probably going to take a day or two to get into this new mindset. Probably a good idea to start with something mindless - like starting the "Adventures in Sewing" page where I'll document my progress on Asa's costume. 

I've just put four outfits up for sale. All were made to fit a Kaye Wiggs MSD. The Summer Goddess and Alice are duplicates of a commission I just finished, and the two Christmas Pinafore sets were made for the free patterns released last month. 

Both Christmas Pinafore sets are reduced due to permanent iron stains. Just click on photos for more information...