Blog Archives

A Royal Portrait

3/13/2024

Lawrence was a busy King and didn't really have much use for pomp and ceremony, but it was part of his job, and Monica kept reminding him that it was traditional for the King to pose for a special portrait every ten years to mark the anniversary of his ascending the throne. So he didn't really have much choice. The Queen, who loved her husband dearly, dreamt of a magnificent portrait of him all decked out in his full royal regalia. So it had been arranged....

As luck would have it, Narin, who was the King's private secretary, also happened to be a very skilled artist, and he agreed to paint the portrait. Which pleased Lawrence no end, because he could still discuss business with Narin, instead of wasting his whole day standing there posing for a painting in silence with some flaky artist.

Narin was all set up in the great hall, ready to begin. "I understand that you'd like your horse in the painting as well Sire..."

"...so he's waiting in full armour, and I'll fetch him as soon as you are ready."

"Great. Shall we get started then?"

Coming of Spring

3/12/2024

It's been a record-breaking warm 'non-winter' and now we are headed into an early spring.
Sara had picked some pussy willows...

...and was out enjoying the beautiful weather...

..watching the geese in the spring flowers...

Mother and Child

3/11/2024

Just some photos of Agnes, cradling her sleeping baby...

Baby Elves

3/10/2024

The two baby elves with their wispy wigs...

Baby Elf Wigs

3/9/2024

When my first Baby Elf from DreamHigh Studio arrived last summer, I found her head way too bare looking. But I didn't want to make a wig that would make her head look even bigger, so I painted some hair on her.

My intentions were to paint hair on my second baby elf and all the faceplates. But that meant both dolls would look exactly the same, which didn't seem all that appealing.

But then, when everyone started getting their own baby elves, someone posted a wig making tutorial on Facebook that showed how to make a really wispy baby wig. It looked adorable, so I thought I'd give it a try. The wig cap was made the same way I always do, by first covering the entire doll with two layers of plastic wrap, then wrapping the head with a long strip of 1/2" wide peach coloured tulle. The wig cap tends to shrink a bit, if the tulle is pulled tight, so it's important not to stretch the tulle when wrapping the head. It was convenient that the doll didn't have eye lashes, so I could tie string around her head so the tulle was nice and smooth. Then I painted on the first layer of Gemtack glue. It has to be Gemtack glue since it dries waterproof, which means the wig can be wet later, without falling apart. After the first layer of glue dried, I painted on a second layer.

When the second layer had dried, I carefully drew on the edges of the hairline so I'd know where to cut the cap. Then I removed the tulle cap, and the plastic wrap from the doll. I cut the wig cap along the lines I'd drawn. Then I covered the baby's head with a new double layer of plastic wrap, and secured it around her neck. (which always feels so wrong, like I'm suffocating the doll)

Then I started the tedious task of gluing on individual tufts of mohair, by first brushing a line of glue on the wig, positioning the end of a thin wisp of mohair on the glue, and then using the brush with more glue to securely hold the mohair in place. Each time more mohair was added, it needed to completely dry before more could be glued on. I was working on two wigs at once, each a different colour, so had to be careful not to mix up the two colours of mohair.

I kept gluing on thin wisps of mohair until I reached the crown...

Then I brushed some glue into the middle of the crown, and laid two thin strips of longer mohair criss-cross across the crown. When the glue was getting tacky I pressed it down with the edge of a comb to suggest a 'part'. I'd occasionally press the 'centre part' until the glue had dried.

When the wigs were thoroughly dry - I waited 24 hours to make sure - I wet the wigs, carefully combed the mohair, and applied a bit of hair gel. Then I started trimming the hair, snipping upwards towards the crown one tiny bit at a time. I was very pleased with the final result - nice thin, wispy baby wigs that didn't make their heads look bigger...

A Carrying Case

3/8/2024

Then I wanted to make a carrying case like my Mom's machine. Her's was wood, and the handle of the sewing machine would fold upwards so the case would fit over it.

But my little sewing machine crank wasn't moveable, so I made my case with a solid wood bottom so no one would ever be tempted to try and force it over the sewing machine.

I made the case out of cardboard, with Apoxie edges. The handle was a miniature, 1/12 scale, swivel door handle, which I build up with a bit of Apoxie. Then I painted it.

A New Machine

3/7/2024

Iris was thrilled to have a brand new sewing machine.

It was the latest model....

....and she just had to check it out.

Sewing was going to be so much easier...and faster....now.

Decorative Painting

3/6/2024

Then it was time to paint all the decorative gold embellishments on my little sewing machine, using one of my very finest brushes. I knew I'd never be able to paint the name 'Singer' so I cut it from a paper printout and glued it on.

Then with all the decorative painting done, and the fly wheel attached, and several coats of satin varnish..

...and the machine threaded...

Big and small...

Making a Sewing Machine

3/5/2024

I've wanted to have a Victorian sewing machine for my dolls for a very long time. There's plenty for sale online, but they are all 1/12th scale, and that's way too small. I'd been using a brass pencil sharpener shaped like a vintage sewing machine in my photos in the past, but I wanted something better. Something like my Mom's vintage 1870's sewing machine....

Jan had shaped a couple of pieces of wood last summer - the main body, and the wooden base - but the thought of making a sewing machine just seemed way too intimidating, so the pieces had lingered in a bowl on the end of the kitchen table ever since. Then in February I finally decided it was time to attempt to finish it.

The wooden body was a bit irregular, so I added a layer of Apoxie to smooth it out. The biggest challenge was finding something for the fly wheel. Then I came across a bag of LEGO wheels at Value Village, and thought there was one in the bag that would be perfect, so bought it. I removed the tire, and built a rim of Apoxie around the outside. It had a thin wire inside so I could make a handle protrude out of it. The handle was made of three beads.

I wanted the sewing machine to look as realistic as possible, and I wanted to be able to thread it, so I wanted to use a real sewing machine needle cut in half. For the presser foot I took one of my tiny metal forks and broke out the middle two tines. Then gathered all kinds of bits and pieces - wire, studs, snaps, and some tiny beads - that might be useful for some of the machine parts.

I had my Mom's machine and the tiny brass pencil sharpener for inspiration...

I painted the body and base plate black, and Jan drilled some holes for the needle and 'presser foot' and I glued them in...

Jan drilled holes for the wires I'd cut and shaped.

I had some thin silver metal, which I cut the bobbin plate and feed-dog out of. I glued them in place and used carving tools to press the indents suggesting the feed-dog into the metal.

It also glued a metal plate on the end. Then Jan drilled holes into it for the wire loop 'take up levers' that I'd formed. I used a large snap fastener for the tension disk. I wasn't going to bother with the thread wind-up mechanism, so glued another snap and decorative stud to suggest the parts on the full size machine. A hole was drilled for the dowel which would hold the fly wheel, and it was glued in. Finally, the bottom of the main body as a bit uneven and there was a slight gap between it and the base plate, so I added a ring of Apoxie to cover and support it.

Then it was time to paint it.

First Signs of Spring

3/4/2024

It's been a very unusual winter here, with record-breaking high temperatures, and almost no snow. Yesterday we went to visit out daughter, who lives in the Windsor area. (which is across the river from Detroit, for all you US readers). Well, she had crocuses already blooming ....

And there were even some dandelions blooming!

This morning I took a look at our sunny front garden, and sure enough there were some crocuses in bloom there as well....

I don't know if this means an early spring, or not. We've had snowstorms here even at the end of April, but with global warming everything has changed. So who knows?

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