Weekend is for play

 

I'm making cloth dolls for my own collection.  On my work table at te moment are designs by Susie McMahon, Marla Niederer, and Karen Musson.  Three artists with completely divergent approaches to doll making.  I'm learning a lot as I progress, and loving it.

I'm working in my hide-away spot under the trees.  In this terrible heat and drought it's difficult to find a spot to get comfortable.  The dogs are lying in the dust where lawn used to be... a summer storm with lots of rain would be so welcome!

Strawberries, anyone?

I am trying my hand at making a cloth ball jointed doll.  Feeling pleased with the way it is coming together so far. 
Summer is a good time for eating healthy, I'm nibbling on fruit as I work.  At one point my doll turned into a handy strawberry holder!

I have also been making a little bit of progress with the ceramic mould project that I'm working on.  Soon I will be able to show you what that is all about.

Wishing you a good week!

Good Morning Friends!

Good Monday Morning Friends

This weekend I experimented with needle sculpted doll heads.  Here's a quick peek.

A basic round head is made from calico.  It is stuffed firmly and mounted on a dowel.  A second layer of stretch fabric is pulled over the head.  Stitches are applied in some areas such as the eyes, hair line and bridge of the nose.  Stuffing is then inserted between the two cloth layers and sculpting stitches used to further shape the head.
Although I've done needle sculpting, I've never tried this technique before.  Having a firm core to anchor stitches into, and the dowel to hold on to while working makes all the difference.  I'm amazed at how easy it is, and how satisfying the result.

Unfortunately today is Monday.  It's back to work, and I have a lot to do this week with a commercial design that I'm working on.  No playing with these girls anymore till next weekend.

But hey, in this studio work is play!  Wishing you a fulfilling week.

Show and tell - Marjorie's cloth dolls

A few months ago I sent doll patterns by mail to Marjorie in Australia.  This week I received an email with photos of two dolls that she made using Nerina's patterns.  I love the way that internet has opened the world to crafters.  For me it's inspiring to see where the patterns went, and what was made from them. 

 This is Pockets. 

And this sweet girl is Meggie.

Marjorie is making and donating dolls dolls to a children's hospital.  Well done, Marjorie!  Your dolls are beautiful. 

17 December

Here are a few photos of yesterday's Annie doll making workshop.  How lovely to end the year on a high note!

Oh, and another box arrived today.  This one holds the key to Saturday's box... wonder how long I will last before I start ripping paper?

Modern Annie - Cloth Doll Workshop

Please note that Tin Soldiers Studio will be closed between 17 December and 25 January. 

I'm working on a series of posts that are scheduled to post automatically while I am away.  Starting 1 December, 24 Days of vintage Christmas images and festive ideas.  I've been collecting them all year, and look forward to sharing them with you.

Over the past two weekends we had our first ever all-doll-making workshops at Tin Soldiers.  I'm wildly impressed by everyone's dolls.  Here are Dawn and Ina's nearly complete Modern Annie dolls.

I have workshop pics too, will see if I have a minute to post them this week.

Frightday the 13th

Today is one of those black cat days on the calendar… I’m not superstitious so I suppose it’s OK to wish you a happy Friday the 13th!  I do have a few silly beliefs though.  One of them is that if you want it to rain, just wash the windows.  Well, I washed the studio windows on Wednesday and have been hopefully watching the skies ever since.  Not a cloud in sight.  Henning says I should try painting the roof.  That always works for him.

Still on the subject of black cats; here in South Africa we don’t really celebrate Halloween.  In other countries they make more of a fuss over it.  Maybe we are too strait laced here, or maybe we just don’t scare easily :-)  We do have a colloquial saying that we can’t be frightened by cold pumpkin, so some Halloween stories must have crossed the equator with our ancestors.  I think it’s more than a month to Halloween but I see lots of spooky offerings on craft blogs and websites, and I have succumbed to the charms of a few of these spooky cats over the years.  One of my favourite designers is Susan Barmore from Frowning Francis Designs.  Another is Ginny Simpson from The Cat and the Fiddle. If you are thinking of doing something similar in time for Halloween, it’s probably time to start.

Tomorrow we have a workshop here in the studio to make Roz, the needle felt bear.  As soon as I finish writing this post, I’m going to start wiping tables and putting out the supplies that we need in class tomorrow.  I’m looking forward very much to the workshop, this is such a fun project, and it is very satisfying to see everyone’s bears taking shape.  I will put photos on the blog after the weekend.

And just to satisfy your sweet tooth, why not make this yummy looking (cold) pumpkin from paint and floral foam?  It would be a great prop with a teddy bear or doll.

Annie's Hair

This week has left me nearly empty handed as far as creative endeavours go.  I have been tinkering with code for the website shopping cart, writing an article, and stocking shelves in the studio after a rather large shipment of supplies arrived.  Oh, and of course the most loathly task of all, dusting shelves and cleaning.

  

As a reward for cleaning, I did finish making hair for my Annie style doll.  

This was fun.  First I crocheted a skull cap, then I added the individual strands of hair the way that one would make a knotted rug.  Then came the trimming.  This was scary.  That’s my mother’s fault.  I distinctly remember a good hiding I got after trimming my own fringe when I was about three years old.  I think I never held scissors for a long time after that.  Trimming Annie’s hair was fraught with anxiety.  I kept checking to see if someone was going to catch me at it.  But I was brave and I did it.

Tomorrow is my sister’s birthday.  She has such a busy social life that I had to phone her today already to wish her a blessed year.  To celebrate she is going hot air ballooning and dining with friends.  I got her a snazzy handbag in the shape of an owl, but don’t go blabbing, she hasn’t seen it yet!

 Also tomorrow, I’m getting together with a group of doll crafters to work on our projects.  I haven’t decided yet what I’m doing.  Fortunately I have no end of UFO’s lying around, I will just grab a likely candidate and give it a go.  If I feel like being different, I might even work on a bear!

Wishing you a creative weekend.

Cloth over clay doll - progress

Over the weekend I spent a bit of time with Viola Ruth.

The next stage with this doll is to get the clay face covered with cloth. Needed: one doll, white glue, stretch fabric, and a stiff dry brush.  The instructions said nothing about ten sticky fingers and hours of patience...

Ah, gooey facial. 

After liberally applying glue, I used a wet finger to smooth the glue evenly over the face before applying the fabric.

This should be called the Pharaoh stage.  It took a lot of patience to smooth the fabric over the face without getting any bubbles or wrinkles. 

In the final stages of covering the head, the excess fabric needs to be cut off and seams hidden in the hairline.  I'm very proud of my efforts here!

Viola Ruth is drying in the weak winter afternoon sun.  She and Colani would both like to know what I am doing inside all on my own...

Finished it on Friday

This week I spent a lot of time at the clay table.  The doll with the eyes that have been bugging me so, got eyelids, ears and a neck a with flange so that it can be attached to a cloth body.  Once the paper clay has completely dried, I will be able to cover the head with fabric and start painting the facial features. 

I have never painted a cloth doll face before.  This is an adventure I am looking forward to!

Viola Ruth got arms this week.  Making hands with fingers are also a first for me, I love the way that they turned out.  If you look closely you will see a little heart on her chest.  It is not a heart at all... it's her ears, ready to put on her head later!  She is ready to have her head covered in cloth now, and then will follow several layers of gesso and lots of sanding.

Isn't the bird feeder just the sweetest thing?  Henning brought it home from the greengrocer.  I think it is too lovely to put in the garden, I will play with it here in the studio for a while first.

I have a new photo editing program.  Am still finding my way around in it and learning lots. All this doing things for the first time is quite exhausting, I feel as though I am spraining muscles in my brain.  What a privilege to have the time to experiment and learn though!

Doll Sculpting

I have been working on this doll face since December.  The eyes keep getting the better of me, don't know how many times I've taken them off and done it over.  When I had a look at it this morning I discovered the head is covered in mould.  I need to work a little faster... or get back to teddy bears, they don't go mouldy... another reason why I love them so much!

Cloth Dolls - Easier than you think

Here at Tin Soldiers we stock patterns for a variety of cloth doll styles.  Most of the patterns are designed by Nerina Roberts from Cloth Characters.  You can see the full range of patterns at http://tinsoldiers.co.za/Kits-and-Patterns/DollsAZIndex.html

Evette started making Wendy in a workshop.

Here Wendy (red dress) sits with her cousins made from the same pattern.  Well done, Evette!

This is Isabel, made by Mrs Pekelharing, who ordered the pattern by mail, found all the supplies to make her doll unique, and then completed it all by herself.  A very creative effort, and well done too!