The two Kaye Wiggs outfits both have their bodice embroidery done now too. I really like these "Jennet" style outfits as they are so versatile. They work as plain fairy-tale characters, as simple pioneer folk, as Hobbits, even as little witches (good ones, of course) Now all three sets need a cloak and a leather bag, and then they'll be ready for some autumn photos. The hooded cloaks are cut out and my hope is that today I'll be able to finish all three.
I think I should stop giving my plans for the week ahead, since it's almost always guaranteed to change - which is why everything always takes longer than anticipated. One of the upcoming Special Days has grown into more of a little story, and I need to make some props. I also need props for two other Special days coming up next week. Here's a clue; I need to make a miniature jeweled leash, a fire extinguisher, an electric shaver, and a miniature extension cord. I'm not saying what for, just that they are for three separate sets of photos. I received the shipping notice for my tan Manuna Mice yesterday! It sure was about time too!! That was the longest wait for any BJD ever - they were paid for way back in February. Then a few hours later I received a second set of shipping notices, this time for the white Manuna Mouse! Now that was a total surprise! The pre-order for them was just back in July, so even though their estimated arrival was "October" I wasn't expecting them until maybe next spring. Who knows, maybe the factory finally has their act together, or they decided that after finishing all the tan mice, they might as well make the white ones as well. With two sets of shipping notices I half expected some this morning from Iplehouse as well. But no. Which is probably a good thing as it can be a bit overwhelming when they all come at once. I've finished embroidering the bodice and pockets of the JID Blue Jennet outfit. I also redid the way her sleeves hang. The larger Kaye Wiggs girls can have elastic in their gathered sleeves, but it would look totally out of scale on a smaller-scale JID, so her sleeves are gathered onto narrow white ribbon, and the layered puffs are held in position with white ribbon sewn inside the sleeve. I wasn't happy with how my first attempt looked, so redid it. Now it's much better. The green KW outfit is just as far, and now I have to embroider the brown velvet bodice. Then all three need 'purses' and cloaks, and they are done.
My goal for the week is to finish the three Jennet outfits, repot and bring in my plants for the winter, and see how far I can get on the last of my granddaughter's Hallowe'en costumes. And take photos for some of the upcoming Special Days. That would be so amazing! Last week at the pumpkin farm, I couldn't resist taking a photo of Nami posing in the bin with all the decorative gourds - the colours of her outfit matched the gourds so perfectly! Now that fall is here, it's time for nice warm sweaters and hats again. It's so nice to already have warm outfits for everyone - it means I can focus on my three Jennet outfits and Hallowe'en costume number three, and hopefully make a few tiny Hallowe'en costumes for the dolls, as well as get back to Asa's blue dress. At least that's the goal for this month.
I'm lucky that my two eldest sons and their families live very close by, so every Saturday morning my three granddaughters can come over to play. Today they wanted to rake leaves and jump in them, but Grandpa had other ideas - like making leaf sculptures out of them..... .......girl in a big leafy dress... Girl in a leafy gorilla suit.... ....a leafy fox....or is that a squirrel.....or raccoon? .....paddling down the street in a leafy kayak..... .....and finally.....jumping in the leaves....
This week's colour in the Iplekids Colour Game is Blue, so I took a photo of Erzulie in her nice light blue sweater, holding the porcelain doll in the pretty blue ballgown, and a bunch of blue balloons. The blue sweater was the second one I made back in May, but then I changed my mind about the colour for Elin and made her a turquoise one instead. So, Erzulie inherited the light blue one.
Today is National Golf Day, but because the forecast said it was supposed to rain all day, we went for a round of golf last night. Elin is all set to sink her ball at the tenth hole.... Well, it's supposed to rain for the next few days, so hopefully I'll get a lot of sewing done. I had to start the day by getting my iron cleaned - I melted all kinds of little green fibers onto it when I was ironing the putting green yesterday in preparation for last night's photo. I guess it was synthetic felt and couldn't take the heat. I've created a third Special Days album in Favourite Photos, which starts with special days in October. I don't know if it will be able to go all the way to where I began at the end of February, or just until the end of this year. We'll see.
Today I need to make a test bodice for my granddaughter to fit on tomorrow morning when she comes over. I'd also like to get all the eyelets set in the three bodices I'm working on. I had hoped to be finished those three outfits today, but like usual, I over-estimated what I could get done this week. But then, we took a day off to go for a drive up north, and I finished two Hallowe'en costumes, so it would have been a miracle if the doll clothes had been finished as well. I really need to repot my plants that moved outside for the summer. The weather has been unusually warm so far, but there has to be an end to it - it's October after all - so it really is high time to transplant and make cuttings for next year. And bring all those hibiscuses inside for the winter. Looks like next week won't be the most productive doll week either. Are they ever? Not feeling very well? Today is "Virus Appreciation Day". I really don't know what there could be to appreciate about catching a virus - unless you get it just mild enough to be able to stay home from work or school. I wasn't even going to try shoot a photo to commemorate today, but then there was my Kayla standing right in front of me with her red nose. Aha! She might be sick! So I made a bed for her on the sofa so she can watch me sew, and won't be lonely.
I'm sure the worst will be over once the school bus has gone by. All the girls went down to the farm the other day, in order to pick apples and choose a pumpkin, or two, or six - one for each of them. Today I plan on finishing Hallowe'en costume number two, then checking to see if I have a suitable bodice pattern for costume number three. I also need to take any upcoming Special Days photos that need to be taken outdoors, since we are expecting a week of rain after today. If there's any time left over, I should insert the eyelets into the three Jennet vests, and sew snaps and bows onto the dresses. I don't know - I never get everything on my to-do list done.
Today is Pumpkin Day, so on our way up north to look at the fall colours, we stopped in at Stroud's Market to pick up some tiny pumpkins. Elin and Lonnie had their's chosen in no time.... ...but Nami insisted on checking out almost every one in the pile.... We chose six, to carve into Jack-O-lanterns later this month.
I'm continuing with the three 'Jennet" outfits - one for a JID, and two for Kaye Wiggs girls. It's interesting in that I use the exact same patterns for both, but it's the fabric and trim choices that will make the outfits look the proper scale for the particular dolls. My Soa is a much older, smaller scale doll, whereas Hope and Kayla are just little girls, so Soa's outfit is being made from finer fabrics with finer details. Another interesting thing I noticed in the photo is how very yellow the sun-kissed KW girls look in comparison to the Iplehouse real skin. I find in real life, the IH real skin tends to look 'olive' on it's own, but compared to the KW sun-kissed resin Soa looks downright 'pink'. The main dresses for each outfit is sewn, but they just need snaps, and bows on the sleeves. The vests are all sewn too, and after I embroider the edges of the last one, they will be ready to have eyelets inserted.
Today it's the first of October, and I'm getting really antsy about getting my granddaughter's Hallowe'en costumes done. I don't do well with looming deadlines, so as soon as the three doll dresses are done and on the girls, I'll put them aside to focus on the costumes. Things tend to go much slower than I want, and the doll costumes can wait - there's no deadline for those. Hallowe'en is an entirely other matter. |
AuthorMartha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes. Archives
May 2024
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