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Maya and Narae decided to carve the pumpkins into Jack-O-lanterns. Maya set about opening the pumpkins and pulling out all the innards, but Narae was a bit squeamish about the slime-covered seeds. Once they were done they took the pumpkins outside and set them on the wall to welcome the Trick-or-Treaters. To see more pictures go to my Favourite Photos page.   Today is Hallowe'en, so Asa went into the garden to gather some pumpkins.  The four under-skirts are all done but the under-sleeves are taking way longer than expected. It's just so easy to get distracted! I had really wanted all four under-dresses finished this week so I can tackle the over-dresses next week. After the four sets of under-sleeves are done, then I have to make the four bodices and sew in the sleeves. All the necklines get beaded, and the bodice inside is completely lined. We'll see how far I get. These gowns will get different headdresses than the first set of Renaissance gowns. I'm thinking a crocheted gold caul with pearls. I have no idea how to crochet a net with beads incorporated into the design, but when I get that far I'll have to experiment.
My new Narae is hopefully going to Charie's this evening. I can't wait to see her redone. She's such a beautiful resin colour. When she gets back she'll be the model for a new fairy commission. Narae has never been a fairy before, so I'm looking forward to it. Took Ryung out for some fall photos. It's been a long time since she's had any attention, so I dressed her in the bright orange "Saffron" outfit, and we went looking for some woods where there were still some leaves on the trees. Ended up in the woods near Lakeridge and Skyloft ski areas. It was a challenge since all the little twigs and young trees kept creating tension points. I didn't take many photos, but I only needed one or two - so here are my favourite two . . . .   I really like how this outfit looks on Ryung, and it's been up for sale all year, so I've decided to keep it for myself. I'm thinking of making an outfit for Nelly out of the last fabric, once she arrives. Maybe that size will go better.
My workspace is just my family room, and I have to clean everything up once a week when my grandchildren come over, so I decided I needed to get a wee bit more organized with all my under-construction stuff. We went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of nice white bins - now each outfit I'm working on can have all the fabrics, trims, and pieces for that particular outfit stored neatly together in one place. No more feeling overwhelmed with piles of stuff everywhere! Makes for much faster clean-up too!
It's sunny and reasonably warm (15 C) so we are hauling all my plants outside for a "last spray before winter". Then it's off to the countryside to try find some doll photo settings with the last of the autumn foliage. Well, no sooner had I given up hope, but the doorbell rang and it was the mailman with Narae! She's a gorgeous light tan colour, not yellowed at all, but she's definitely in need of a major work-up at the spa. Her faceup is a mess, especially her eyes, but she won't stay that way for long. I took some arrival photos for posterity. 
Now to decide what I'm going to call her. I'd thought maybe I'd reverse her name and call her "Aeran", but I don't know. I've never been any good at naming things, and considering all my dolls are costume models it just seems best to use their real names so as not to confuse customers. I'll just have two Naraes. I have two Asas as well, but they are different sizes.
The two new Favourite Photo pages with photos from Narae & Maya's trip to New England, and their adventure in the fall leaves are both up now. 
I'm continuing with the four gowns I started before our trip. These gowns will have different dagged sleeves, with points instead of scallops, as I'm planning on making each set of gowns a little different from the one before. The last three days I've managed to finish 3 of the underskirts. I get asked why I bother beading all the way around the underskirt when so little of it will show, but that's just the way I do it - no half measures for me. Today I'm working on finishing the gold/cream underskirt. The wide lace needed 6 rows of hand-stitching to hold it securely in place so it wouldn't sag or bulge - I'm on the last row. Then I think I'll do a bit of embellishing with gold glitter. I'm hoping I'll be able to do the preliminary sewing of the underskirt for the fourth gown today too - it's a red and black combination. Next week I can start putting under-dresses together. 
I'm still anxiously waiting for my new Narae to arrive. She was shipped last Saturday, arrived in Canada Monday, but spent the next two whole days in Customs, then slowly made her way across Toronto. I had really hoped she would arrive today, but most Postal deliveries come in the mornings and it's just about noon, so it's looking unlikely. Monday then?
On our way home through Vermont in the pouring rain, I spotted a Jo-Ann's Fabrics store, and just had to go check it out. What a wealth of fabrics and trims! I'm primarily interested in specialty fabrics I can't find at home, so am always on the lookout for nice soft brocades. Well, Jo-Ann's had a small selection - on sale no less - and I chose eight. Just bought a yard and a half of each, to keep the number of gowns made from them down to just one or two, and to not break the budget. It will be awhile before any of these show up on my dolls, but at least I have them. 
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AuthorMartha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes. Archives
May 2025
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