Now that baby Sena's bed was in the nursery, the other children could only go in there to play when she was awake....
Well, I think I have things under control somewhat, and still have to check six months of Blog posts, but I am ready to move on.
Now that baby Sena's bed was in the nursery, the other children could only go in there to play when she was awake.... I looked at a posting I did on DOA and was surprised that many of the photos had been replaced by other ones that did not belong there. I'm not sure when this happened, but I do know why it's happened. Any photos that I've posted recently that have the same numbers as images taken earlier in the year are being replaced by the more recent photos. So stories like Rex and Bianca in Newfoundland are interspaced with lots of photos of my Victorian family. Today is the first that I've noticed it, so it's clearly just happened. But what a disappointment!!
Last time this happened there were just a few photos to replace, but I fear that this time there are hundreds - maybe even everything since June. I'm going to have to go back and rename and replace every single photo that I've posted the last few months, both in the blog and in favourite Photos - and then to go look for where the proper photos should be, and fix that too. So bear with the mess as I try work my way through everything. And here I thought I was going to be able to get somewhere on my doll costuming this week!! Not!! And just as I was going to start on the leather tunics. Sigh. It's just been that kind of week. My radio started going scrambled every time I'm nearby, and a doll that was sent almost two weeks ago, and got stuck in 'processing', and was supposed to be delivered today, was sent to the wrong town by mistake. Crazy! Well, I better get looking at those photos....... Well, they were all finally ready to start on their walk.... Steve decided to push the carriage.... ...so Iris would be free to walk with Eric and Nyssa.... ..after all, they still needed plenty of her attention too.... *note - I'm so glad I had the foresight to shoot outdoor scenes with my Victorian family in the end of October, because you never know how long it will be before a killer frost and winter moves in. Good thing too, because we had a record-breaking snowfall yesterday and overnight, and this is what it looked like out there this morning.......the same table used for the scenes above.....
What a difference three weeks makes!! The work on Lawrence's tunic is going rather slow. I forgot just how long detailed handwork takes. I finished the details on one sleeve last night, and couldn't decide whether I liked it or not, whether it was too much, if I should do the other sleeve the same, or just rip it all off. But when I put Kyle's leather tunic on over top, and held the black chainmail over the protective beige under-sleeve, it looked just fine. So, decision made, I embellished the collar with the same tiny medallions.... I also made some slight changes to his faceup. He looks fine in real life, but his facial hair photographs way to orange. I had the same problem with one of my KID wigs, so ended up making a new one. But redoing his faceup again isn't an option. Then I remembered that the way to dull down a colour is to add some of the opposite colour. Blue is the opposite of orange, so I did some light blushing of his facial hair with navy blue. So now it photographs a darker brown and not so orange. Much better! I really like how his tunic looks under Kyle's leather tunic, but don't want to photograph Lawrence with it on, since so many people just assume it's his finished outfit. I'll get to it after I make the second, wine red tunic for Baron. I figure it's more motivating to work on the two outfits in tandem, as opposed to finishing them one at a time. I know there's a good chance that after finishing one, I won't want to start all over with a second. So this morning I reworked the tunic pattern to fit a smaller Model body, and cut it out... The fabric frays really badly, so I used Fray Check around all the edges. I haven't started sewing it yet, because I still have to finish Lawrence's second sleeve.....
Getting ready to go for a walk takes so much longer when there's a baby in the family.... Baby Sena was distracting her parents.... Nyssa was getting a bit impatient... "Are we ready yet???" "Almost...."
I'm working on Lawrence's Fantasy hero costume. I redrafted Kyle's Boromir patterns to fit Lawrence. His will be mostly black with gold accents. I have chainmail in silver and black, but will wait to see which looks best. It's coming along, although not as fast as I'd like, because I can't wait to see it done. Then Baron will get something similar in red and black.... So I currently have four guys standing in my work space. Kyle is there because I needed his clothes, and I found him a shirt to wear in the meantime - can't have dolls standing around topless when it's so cold outside. Same thing with Rex - I need his coat and vest to help me judge fit in order to draft patterns in FID size for the other two. And Baron is not so patiently waiting his turn. Lawrence's tunic is coming along nicely, so I thought I'd take a photo.... LOL But Rex and Baron look like they are critically checking out Lawrence's tunic.
Patience guys, it's just a preliminary fitting, and is nowhere near done yet.... It was a lovely autumn day, perfect for taking baby Sena outside for her first outing.... "Are you sure she's warm enough?" "I think she likes it out here.." *Note - Thankfully I had the foresight to take these photos back in late October - even before baby Sena officially made her entrance online - knowing the flowers were on borrowed time. It's hard to believe it was just three weeks ago. I look out there now, and all the flowers are gone, the garden is bare, and dusted with snow.
I finished the third Mini outfit, and am now waiting for Mini Hope to arrive. Which means I'm finally free to start on outfits for Baron and Lawrence. It's always easier if I can build on existing patterns, so I took Kyle's Boromir outfit.... ...and tried it on Baron.... The red tunic is a bit snug, and the collar and sleeves are way too short. The black leather tunic fits just fine. I think he'd look amazing in something similar. Unfortunately (or maybe it's a good thing) the metal filagree I used on Kyle's outfit is no longer available. So then it was Lawrence's turn. He has the FID Muscle body, so his arms are way too massive to fit into the red tunic. But he could wear the black leather tunic, and wrist guards. I pinned on the furry velour I bought earlier this week, and because he really needs a longer wig, let him borrow Baron's for a few photos. Lawrence definitely has the more rugged look. I like the longer hair, but it will need to be auburn to match his facial hair.... So I'm thinking, with Baron looking a bit more 'elegant', he should get a variation of the Boromir outfit, and Lawrence can get something more rugged like from Game of Thrones... And since I had three topless guys standing there, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take a comparison photo. Kyle is a JID with the original JID Muscle body. Baron is an FID with the FID Model body. And Lawrence is an FID with the original FID Muscle body. It's easy to see why Baron will fit into some of my JID outfits, but Lawrence won't. That guy is huge! So it's time to start gathering fabrics and trims....and get started. But 'slowly' since I can't overdo with my wrist in the condition it's in.
Iris was touched by her son's generous gesture..... ...and asked if he'd like to hold her.... "I think I'm going to like being a big brother."
We had our very first snowfall of the season last night! I love snow, and am always excited to go out and take some photos. The backyard had already been cleaned out of most of the summer flowers, but there were still a few hardier ones left. So, here's my garden this morning....
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AuthorMartha Boers is an award-winning Canadian doll maker and costumer specializing in fantasy and historical-style costumes. Archives
February 2025
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