Blog Archives

My Trip Family

9/16/2014

I've decided that on our upcoming road trip, I'm going to take dolls which I've not taken before. It's time to leave my favourites home, and give the others a chance. Plus, I want to move away from just bringing little kids. So I've chosen Bonnie, Owen, Peach, Leona, and Efreet.

This is how they all look right now, and it's just a coincidence that Bonnie and Peach are wearing similar outfits. I have just 10 days to turn them into a cohesive, contemporary, family group, who enjoy hiking in the wilderness, and exploring new places. I know what I'm doing for Efreet, Bonnie and Leona - I've already cut her wig down from a long wavy fantasy hip-length to something much more contemporary just past her shoulders. The biggest challenge will be Owen and Peach - deciding on the best wigs, and finding or making suitable clothes. Owen will be especially challenging, as he was never intended to be a contemporary character.

But first the easy ones. Today I have to design a long pants pattern for Efreet and Bonnie, and continue knitting the sweater I started for Leona.

Musketeer in the Palace Gardens

9/15/2014

Took Tedros to the Guild Ruins Garden after dinner last night. There was a limo with a newly married couple, and a bus full of wedding party and guests there for formal wedding photos, so I was a bit restricted as to where I could take photos. Fortunately they were mostly shooting at the amphitheatre ruin, so I could only use it as a distant background.....

I'm very happy with how the photos turned out. That Ruins Garden is such a perfect place for taking photos of dolls in elaborate period costumes. I just wish Tedros was easier to lug around and pose. He looks incredibly impressive, but I can't do hardly anything with him - which is why he's always in the same old poses. Even with wires in his arms, I still can't do hardly anything with them, but at least they weren't hanging limp and lifeless anymore. It's no wonder I gravitate towards my smaller dolls - they are light, easy to carry around and pose, and fit nicely in a small box for transport. I would love to take photos of Tedros with some of his lady friends at the Ruins Gardens, but that would be just too difficult, so will have to maybe try that at home.

Doll Show Finds

9/14/2014

Today was the annual Maple Leaf Doll Show in Cambridge, which I've been looking forward to for weeks. There are so few doll shows anymore - just two within decent driving distance - so the hour drive to Cambridge is well worth it. I go mainly to look for interesting, inexpensive, doll props, and like every other year, I wasn't disappointed. I found a wonderful wooden love-seat, a slider horse, another tea set, lots of tiny stuffed animals, a few dolls, and a tiny vintage camera from an antique dealer. My kids were thrilled with all the new things - well, most of them were......

Efreet loved all the little stuffed animals. They were from a Noah's Ark set. He also loves his new sweater I knit for him, and won't take it off. The new Johnny wigs arrived this week, so Efreet also has a new dark brown wig. I find it makes him look like a little boy from the Middle East, or India....and his black eyebrows actually work now....

Bonnie liked the two new dolls. She'll have to share them with the other girls, but that's okay.....

Ringo went straight for the new camera, but then excitement turned to disappointment,
as he discovered there was no film inside. How could I buy a camera with no film?

The camera is a real, working camera - a Colly Spy Camera. I'm not sure if it was a bona fide spy camera, or a toy. Forgot to ask. I tried googling it, but none of the posts confirm either way. We'll just have to pretend it has film, and I'll take the photos alongside Ringo so he still gets his pictures.

Checking Out His Clothes

9/13/2014

Taking the studio shots means photographing the doll in various stages of undress in order to show all the parts and details of an outfit. I figured since Tedros was half undressed, i might as well go all the way, and try insert some wire into his arms so they pose better. His arms are so big and heavy, they won't do anything but hang there, and I'd really like to take some more nice photos of him in his Musketeer outfit. So, while Tedros is laying in the other room waiting for 'surgery', my mice have decided to take a closer look at all his clothes.....to see if there's anything they can use....

I better make sure to check later, that they didn't run off with anything.

the King's Musketeer

9/11/2014

And we finally have.....Tedros as the King's Musketeer.....

I decided I didn't like how the hatband looked in yesterday's photos, so I moved the buckle and reduced the width of the blue hatband. I like it better now. This morning I decided to make him a belt for his imaginary rapier. I'm not into making weapons, but felt the costume needed the belt to make it look more 'military'. But I did borrow Rosy's Celtic Maiden sword just so the belt would hang correctly for the photos. I also borrowed Carina's mohair wig this time. It has a centre part and the length is more appropriate than the wig I used yesterday.

The photos were taken on the floor at the base of my dining room china cabinet - which is where Tedros usually spends his time, inside behind the curtains with his lady friends. The dark carved wood cabinet doors seemed like the only place that looked like a suitably elegant and palatial background. Unfortunately, his stand shows, but I wasn't going to risk him standing on his own.

I love how he turned out, and think I really need to make him an outfit like this for himself. Maybe in browns, as the blue fabrics were all used up. Maybe next year.

Almost Done

9/10/2014

Yesterday I painted the fleur-de-lis motifs on Tedros' doublet, and after they dried I started over-embroidering them. I find for very intricate designs on costumes, first painting the detailed design, then doing a bit of embroidery over top, makes it look like the entire thing was embroidered.

The sleeves were sewn into the doublet, and I had Tedros almost ready to go take some photos, when I noticed there was a large stain on one of his white sleeve cuffs. Well, that wasn't going to do! So everything had to come off and I went to work to remove the stain. Replacing the cuff was not an option as I don't have any more of that fine white cotton left, and I can only get it in downtown Toronto in one of the little shops on Queen Street. So I tried Tide, bleach, and finally some dish detergent, which seems to have taken most of it out. The shirt is now hanging up to dry.

But I did promise photos, and the sky is getting dark with impending storms, so I thought I'd just photograph Tedros in his doublet and hat......

The blues are not really that bright in real life.....and I borrowed a mohair wig from Rosy, as his regular wig was just not period appropriate. Hopefully tomorrow he'll get his shirt back.

A New Dress

9/9/2014

A new little dress arrived in the mail yesterday. It was my prize for contributing
photos to the Iplekids Yahoo group Homepage in July, and it came all the way
from Spain. Elin immediately wanted to try it on.....

We found the little white cabinet at Value Village in Windsor on the weekend,
and Elin has already filled it with all her favourite toys.

Yesterday I worked on Tedros' hat. I was making good progress, but when I tried it on him, it was too small. The paper pattern had seemed big enough, but I guess all the layers of fabric and interfacing made the crown too small. It would have fit his bare head, but somehow I can't imagine a bald Musketeer. So I had to start all over again. This morning I finished the new hat. I've also painted the fleur-de-lis motifs on his doublet, and when they dry, I will embroider over them with silver and gold thread. Hopefully I'll have photos tomorrow.

I'm Back!

9/9/2014

We went away for several days to visit my daughter and her family. Little Elliot isn't so little anymore. Today he's 7 months old, and he's ever so cute. Like usual, I took lots of photos....

It was also a nice break from doll-work, although I did bring some handwork along. I've been wanting to make a fairy mobile and had painted all the lace for five fairy dresses last week. The fairies are small cloth dolls, and there will be five of them. The turquoise one is my original....

I managed to get three dresses completely done, and the fourth has almost all the lace on it....

Sleeves and Hat

9/5/2014

I spent the last two days working, and reworking, the Musketeer sleeves until they were just right. They are now ready to sew onto the doublet, but I think I will wait until after I've embroidered the fleur-de-lis and other design on the doublet. I don't need more things in my way catching the thread at every stitch. I had really hoped to have finished the Musketeer by this time, but I'm nowhere near where I wanted to be....

Oh well, it's just going to have to stay this way for the next couple of days, as I'm going away again and I'm not taking it with me. I've also cut out the pieces for the hat - black outside, navy blue inside - and sewn the first seams. Next step is basting everything together. There's far less need to pick things apart and redo them if I take the time to baste the seams first, but it will just have to wait until next week.

Crochet Hat Patterns

9/4/2014

Last week 'Lynn' asked if I had instructions for making my little crochet hats, and I responded that I didn't, because I don't know how to write proper crochet instructions. I've made lots of the hats to go with many of my summer outfits, and did make notes on what I was doing, but no one else would ever understand them. Then Donna Leggee, who actually owns two outfits with one of my crocheted hats, offered to write up the instructions into a proper pattern. Yesterday she sent me the instructions (which looked ever so professional), so this morning I'm happy to announce we have a pattern! Just click on either of the two photos below to go to the instruction page.....

The hats are made mainly using size 10 crochet thread, but I also used Michaels craft crochet thread (in the embroidery thread department) which comes in multi-packages with 3 skeins each of 12 different colours. I purchased the bright colours, and the pastels (using my weekly coupons, of course). With such a wide selection of colours it was possible to make hats to colour-coordinate with any outfit. I especially like the ones made with a third colour brim.

With many thanks to Donna, now everyone can make their own cute little hats!!

<<Previous

Forward>>

Author

Archives