We found another spot blue with scillas, down near the lake. There's millions of them at the edge of the forest under the sumacs. So I took some more photos of Bianca there....
So, I've made Steve a vest and a couple of different cravats, one to tie in a bow.... ..and a second cravat that just ties in a knot. Then I tried on Maya's coat just to check for fit to help with drafting a pattern.....and it's totally the wrong period, straight out of Outlander.... The look is a hundred years too early, so I had to design a coat pattern from scratch, with a little help from my Patterns for Theatrical Costumes book. I made up the top of the coat to test the collar, out of scrap pink cotton, so I could draw on the seam lines and see what I was sewing... That's perfect!! But now I'm not happy with the vest. It's too bulky in front, and all those layers of buttons and snaps just make it bulge out too much in a rather unsightly way. It looks too much like 'doll clothes' as opposed to a perfect miniature vest. So it's back to the drawing board with it.
We discovered a new spot covered with carpets of blue scillas, down by the lake, and it was the perfect spot for some photos of the newly finished unicorn..... ...and some fairies, and Willie, of course.....
Today is Luke Skywalker Day, and that means posting one of my favourite Special Days photos....
"May the fourth be with you!!" I made a nice white shirt with a stand-up collar, and put it on Steve. Suddenly he looked like a waiter.... Which demanded more pictures. I needed a 'restaurant', so replaced the furniture and props in my Victorian Parlour set-up, and turned it into one - or more specifically, a nice private corner of a high end restaurant where there was just one table. After all, with a waiter in white, it had to be a high end restaurant. And I only have so many tables and chairs. So, who was going to be at that restaurant? I have very limited number of contemporary dolls. Asa and Benny are both single, so likely wouldn't be eating in such a place. That left Owen and Leona. But neither were appropriately dressed for something so posh. Which meant scrambling to find something better for them to wear. I borrowed a dress and a jacket for Leona, from two of the JID for sale outfits. I gave Owen Leona's white shirt, and Lawrence donated his jacket. I didn't feel like carefully folding in the extra-long sleeves, so just scrunched them up for a more casual look. And then they were ready...to go celebrate their anniversary.... Owen, handsome in his casual elegance... ..and Leona, beautiful in blue.... I had gone through my box of Our Generation food props, looking for something worthy of an anniversary dinner, but I only had plates with spaghetti, fish sticks, or French fries, and none of those would do. So forget the dinner - they've already had it - and went to dessert instead. Steve brought champagne... "More champagne, sir??" Steve tried to keep a straight face and stay 'professional' as he was serving his brother. "Some more champagne, Miss??" "No, thank you. I'm good." It was a wonderful evening.... Now to make Steve's vest and coat, so he can stop waiting tables, and join his family in the past.
The blue scillas are in bloom along the town-line again, but they are so overgrown with dog-strangling vines that it's become rather challenging to take photos there anymore.
I did spot Willie and some fairies making friends with some bunnies.... The new shoes I ordered for Bianca arrived the other day... They are Monique high heels intended for the Tonner 22" American Model dolls, and should fit.... I ordered lilac shoes to go with her dress.... They are a bit long, and rather narrow, but she got them on....
I'm working on turning a white Our Generation colt into a Unicorn. Jan removed the tail and mane, since I wanted to replace them with some nicer, wavy, white mohair as opposed to the long, shiny, straight, synthetic hair, they were originally. Unicorns are not 'glorified horses', but are more related to goats, so have split hooves. So I built up the colt's hooves with Apoxie and gave it split hooves. Unicorns also have very hairy feet, but I really didn't want to glue mohair onto them, so just painted some on... Jan drilled a hole in the colt's forehead, and I filled it with hot glue, and inserted two bent wires. Then I built up a horn with Apoxie.... And while I was working with the Apoxie, I also decided to replace one of my duckling's bills. It had broken off when the duckling fell off a shelf, and no one could find the broken-off bill.
Isis was trying to get the girls ready to go out for a walk, but Nyssa's doll wouldn't fit in the buggy "I'll take my bear out, and carry him. Then there will be room." Nyssa put her doll in the buggy.... ...and put on her hat... Then they were finally ready to go out.
|
AuthorMartha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes. Archives
April 2024
|