Noira--Now she is done

I can say she is now officially done. I gave her claws and also changed her base--the 5 x 7" was too small to place the parasol where I wanted so now she is on a 7 x 9" base and I like it much better. She is more open and not so squished.

Well, off to clean up my work table until something I find there distracts me!

Noira is finished-I think!

Well, here she is in all her glory with a new hat--which I like much better. It allows her ears to show and I found those doves in my stash and just had to use them. I may just add earrings. I may also add claws. The mice are from the pet store. I really wanted black and white, but they only had black grey and brown. I bought a package of 6 white and grey. So here is Noira walking her pet mice Rhett and Scarlet.

Noira Dressed!

I have made progress on Noira. She is now dressed, has her tail and her jewelry. Just have to give her claws, whiskers, parasol, pet mice and a base. Her hat is a straw hat cut and covered with fabric, lace, trim feathers and of course a bird. The trim on her skirt is cut from a piece of silver lace I made with my embroidery machine from a free design from the internet embellished with beads and flower sequins (love these!).

Black Cat Doll Progress

This was a busy weeked with the weather (snow and sleet!) and a bead show to go to yesterday. My stepson and his wife were in Mexico and were supposed to come home Saturday but their flight was canceled. I spent most of Saturday night on the web and phone with him trying to find flights so they could get home. They got home late last night and are exhausted but are off to work today.

I did get some time to work on Noira (noir is french for black). I have finished her head and dressed her in her chemise. Her face was a challenge. I shaded it with Pearlex powders, and used Portfolio Water soluable oil pastels. (Love these as the colors are rich and do not change the hand of the fabric. You can still write over them with fine tip markers and colored pencils). The whisps around her face are curly dark purple and blue rovings (bought at the bead show!) and black flash angelina fibers needle felted in place. The rest of her hair is a crocheted piece made from glitter black fur yarn. She has eyelids and real eyelashes. You really can't see all the highlights in her face in the pic. She just needs whiskers which will be added last. I also coated her eyes, nose and mouth with Crystal lacquer.

Her chemise is made from black and silver lace with a gold lame lining. I hope to get her overskirt done today. I must say though--the black suede cloth collects all sorts of lint but I am pleased with the way she is turning out so far.

Fabrics for Kitty

I have been mulling over the choices of fabrics for her clothes. I have this wonderful black and white flocked scroll fabric I would like to use along with black and silver or black and gold lace for the underdress. I also found in my stash some lovely brocades that will work well too. If I use the black silk for the bottom overskirt, I may foil a scroll design and add beads and flower sequins. Decisions decisions!

"Pussy Cat" Doll

A few years ago I made this doll for as a gift for a dear friend on her 50th birthday. She was a cat breeder, Siberians from Russia, so I made her a cat doll I called Czarina Kitty Katrina. It was pictured in SD & A Last Peek Sept 2006. I wanted to make a Black Cat doll and thought I would give it a go. I did take pics while I was making Kitty, and kept a folder with notes and pattern pieces, but I used the pieces for a head and body and they looked NOTHING like Kitty, so I started from scratch so to speak. Here she is below so far--with her head pinned on and a little thinner in the body than the original. I need to make her "feet" a little larger and sculpt her "hands" but I like the head shape. I am using knitted suede. I may make another one with the stretch of the fabric running sideways on the body. This one is longways so she is very thin--maybe too much so! She has a complete armature and her legs have "backward" knees. She has an interesting back view too though this will be hidden by her clothes. Can't wait to do her face!

Princess and the Frog Commercial

Have you seen the Capitol One commercial with the princess and the frog? I LOVE that commercial! I love the last comment when she walks away from the old man centaur "You're one kiss away!" So in tune with my One Kiss doll! Just had to comment.

Diamond's Status And Tie Quilt Project

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions and good wishes for my sweetie pie. She is much better and we found out she likes turkey hot dogs but only once with the medicine inside. We also found out she likes cream cheese when we tried it again--and she ate it crushed pill and all! Hooray!

I have been working on articles for CQmagonline.com one of which is a no sew CQ doll. Issue will be released next month so stay tuned.

I have also been working on the tie Memory Crazy quilt I am making for a friend. I am using ties from her late husband. Here is a pic of it pieced. I have 3 blocks embellished with all but beads. Only 13 more to go! It is only pinned together in the pic. I should have started with the center 4 blocks, so they will be next. This is also the subject of ongoing articles each issue.

Life Intervenes

Haven't posted because my little Diamond has been sick since Thursday night. She had Kennel Cough and being a new dog owner, I of course thought she was in grave danger. She would cough for over an hour at a time. The vet gave her meds which were almost impossible to get her to take. I tried crushing them up in a little of her food but she could tell they were there and refused to eat. Really had to hide them. Since she doesn't eat most treats, like cheese, bologna, banana, etc, this was the only way. I didn't want to use a "pill shooter" because I thought it may traumatize her. I also tried to put a pill down her throat, hold her mouth shut and rub her throat to make her swallow but she still spit it out! Yesterday she wouldn't eat anything and had a slight case of diahrea. I am happy to report she is doing better today--ate all her breakfast sans pills though.

I did get to the quilt show and saw my poor doll. Oh my! I can't believe how mis-shappen she was considering she has a full armature of double 16g wire! I did get a chance to straighten her out a bit--one leg was bent at a right angle at the ankle, her head was facing up, her arms and frog was against her chest. I think next year's doll will be Paverpoled! There were challenge dolls that were just spectacular! Makes me wonder how I got second place!

Hope to get some stitching in today. Have to finish my articles for the upcoming issue of CQMagonline. One of them is a no-sew CQ Doll.

Pattern is Done!

This pattern is finally done. It has been in the works since last year when I made the original for the Hoffman Challenge. Here are pics of that doll and the cover shot for the pattern, Hoffman Challenge doll on the left. I like to make more than one doll for the cover so people can see the possibilities. Don't you love the frog sitting between them? Orange hair is holding a frog made to sit on the rim of a flower pot! Blond OKINE is holding a fabric frog (directions are included). Hoffman Challenge is holding a purchased frog too. It felt I had worked on that doll for so long I just couldn't bring myself to make the frog too. I am off the to quilt show in Somerset, NJ where she is supposed to be visiting. It will be fun to see her in the display with other challenge dolls.