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Making Progress

3/21/2023

The baby dragons are coming along. I last shared about them back in mid February when I'd sculpted all their feet. But then I got side-tracked for a month with other projects.

Before moving forward with their legs, they first needed their wings. I wanted them to have a bit of wire supporting them, and didn't want arms and legs getting in the way when I sewed on the wings. So the next step was to design and make the wings.

I wanted the top edge of their wings 'stuffed', but stuffing something so tiny would have been very difficult, so I layered some thin batting along the top edges. Then after stitching, turning, and top-stitching, the wings had a 'stuffed' upper edge...

Then it was time for the arms. I wanted separate fingers for the hands, but really didn't want to try turning tiny, separate, cloth fingers, so I designed the hands without fingers, and stitched beads where the fingers would be. The beads would serve as anchors for the sculpted fingers.

I was going to use Apoxie to sculpt the fingers since it's very strong, but it's very soft and not the easiest to work with, so I just sculpted the thumbs and middle fingers first, and let those cure.

I had also just finished beading the last baby....

Then my sister offered to help sculpt the bases for the remaining fingers, and after those cured, I finished all the fingers...

I attached everyone's wings, then sewed on their arms and legs with button joints. Then they were ready to have their hands, feet, and wings painted, but I couldn't resist posing them for a photo with their parents first.

The next step is to paint their Apoxie feet and hands to match the colour and patterns of their fabric bodies. But I won't be sharing any more photos of the finished babies, until they actually 'hatch'.

A Walk in the Snow

3/20/2023

I bought a Victorian style stroller at a doll show back in October, and it had been sitting on my kitchen table ever since. It needed some work, and I knew I'd be more inspired to do it if it stayed sitting in view. Even if it took months....

Well, when we were expecting that last snowfall, I was thinking of how to take advantage of it, and thought my Victorian family could go out for a stroll, which was just the push I needed to finally address the stroller. I painting the hood gray, sewed a mauve lace liner, and wine red cushions...

Then my Victorian family went out for a little walk in the snow...

Sena was all bundled up, nice and warm in the stroller...

Steve took on the job of pushing the stroller through the snow...

It was wet snow, and perfect for making snowballs...

A New Dress

3/19/2023

I started work on a new dress for Naomi. She will eventually need a high-waisted dress to accommodate her 'baby bump', so I went with something Italian Renaissance inspired.

I chose three red brocades; dark red for the bodice, a red and gold brocade with a woven border for the main skirt, and a brocade with a larger design for the front panel of the skirt.

The biggest challenge were the intricate sleeves, and how to create the look of embellished panels tied over a puffy chemise underneath, but all in one piece.

it took considerable planning, and LOTS of handwork. Each decorative element had to be basted in place first before machine stitching. Then there was lots of hand finishing, and beading.

The bodice and sleeves pinned in place to test the fit...

Then the almost finished sleeves could be sewn into the bodice...

The next step is to sew the underarm seams, and add the skirt.

A Wig for Dominic

3/18/2023

I've spent the past two and a half months working on a story to explain why Baron ends up looking different. In one scene, Dominic enters the room...

...and comforts Miho....

And it hit me just how much I disliked his wig. It was the best I had available when he first arrived, but I had always envisioned him with something else. As an older man, I envisioned him with long, combed back hair, sprinkled with grey. But that is the most difficult kind of wig to make, since the entire front hairline would show, and men have a very distinct hairline. I used to be able to do it on an art doll when the hair was glued directly onto the doll's head, but making a removable wig in that style is a totally different thing.

But since the new story would take place many months after he last appeared at Baron and Naomi's wedding, this was the perfect time to finally address his wig. So I chose a dark brown and grey mohair, and set about making the 'salt and pepper' fringes for his wig.

Then I spent two whole days gluing the mohair onto his wig cap, one tiny bit at a time.

Then I reshot the scenes in the story...

But I still wasn't happy with his wig. The gray was too 'chunky' in areas, and his hair was too 'pouffy' on top. I considered starting all over from scratch, but before I did, I'd have nothing to lose if I played with this one a bit more. So I took a different, warmer gray mohair, and glued wisps of it in place to even out the grey, then worked in a bit of hair gel to tame the top.

Much better!

The wig could still use a bit of trimming, but it was good enough for now.

Picnic on the River

3/17/2023

They finally arrived at the spot Baron had planned to have their picnic. It was a lovely, remote spot out in the river just east of the village of St. Roche des Aulnais...

Baron laid out a cloth on the picnic table and started to unpack his basket...which was filled with many of Naomi's favourite things....

"Would you like some help?"

"Wow...it looks like you thought of everything."

"That cheesecake looks delicious!"

"This is such a beautiful spot."

"And you've brought all my favourite things."

"Of course! My wife deserves only the very best."

"This is the perfect way to end our week here."

"I've had such a wonderful time."

"Although...it will be nice to go back home again too."

Then as the sun went down, he took her in his arms...

"I love you so much, no matter what time we are in..."

And just like that, their honeymoon was over, and it was time to go back home.

the Eastern Townships

3/16/2023

Baron and Naomi headed east, away from Quebec City, through the picturesque towns along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.

They stopped in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli...

There's a wonderful shop there, full to bursting with all manner of interesting things....

the Last Day

3/15/2023

It was the final morning of their honeymoon, and all their bags were packed, when Naomi noticed Baron had a large wicker basket she'd not seen before.

"What's that? What are you doing?"

"I arranged for the hotel to put together a special basket..."

"I'm going on a picnic."

"Want to come?"

"Yes! I'd love to."

"So, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

One Last Night

3/14/2023

It was the last night they would spend in the hotel. "I've had such a wonderful time this week."

"Me too..."

"And this is our last night here..."

"I love you so much..."

the Cathedral

3/13/2023

Baron and Naomi headed out along the north shore...

To the town of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré...

...with its magnificent cathedral...

"It reminds me so much of the cathedral back home."

Then they took a little walk through town...

"I think it's time to head back to the hotel."

Another Day

3/12/2023

After another romantic night in their hotel suite, Baron and Naomi were getting ready to go out for the day.

"It's so beautiful here."

"Well....maybe....you'd like to stay here....in your own time."

"What do you mean 'stay here?'"

"Well...with all the modern medical care available here...I was thinking that it might be a lot safer for you and our child."

"Back home you wouldn't have any of that."

"That's so sweet of you...to be so concerned...and so selfless..."

"...but I'm not staying here without you. I love you, and I don't want to go through this alone. This is your child too, and I want for us to go through this together."

"Plus, your Mom is a powerful sorceress, and I don't think she's going to let anything happen to our baby."

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