Another UFO Finished

I love to take fabric motifs such as butterflies and bead them. Sometimes I use already printed fabric and sometimes I draw my own motifs. A few years ago I started beading this fish. For some reason, I fused it to felt - I usually use stabelizer used for machine embroidery - so I know why I didn't finish it! But I love the fish so while cleaning off my work space I found it burried and decided to finish it. Here are pics of the fish where I left off and one of it completed. It's about 4" long so it is a little large for a pin. I may use it on a purse.

How Diamond Spent her Snow Days

Need I say more????

Snow Days Project

At the beginning of 2010, there was a mannequin challenge on a group I am a member of, Cloth Doll Making. The pattern we were to use was designed by Phyllis Robinson (you can see more of her fabulous designs here ) Here is a pic of the naked mannequin. I have to add this is a fabulous pattern. It went together so well and I just LOVE the shape. Used scraps for her dress and leftovers from the Bride's house and one of the Art Bras. Too late for the competition, but at least it is done!

Hair Again

Another Santa is almost done. This fellow has a chubbier body and will be dressed in Red like a classic Santa. I also changed the eye technique to using flatback acryllic eyes and eyelashes made from black organza. Amazing what a difference hair and a beard makes! Too bad it doesn't hide his crooked nose! The naked head is on a piece of the wool I felted however, it wasn't red enough for his coat which I discovered after the coat was almost done. But I had a lovely red damask sample that worked perfectly. He needs his shoes and his pose and then I think I will fit a different doll in for a change of pace.

Santa Progress

I finished prototype 1 of the Santa.I want to make his body plumper. I also made two heads - the first one was too big for the body but I think it would make a great King Neptune (even though he has brown eyes). His pants are from a silk blouse, his coat was made with scraps of panne velvet. I like a heavier fabric, so I fused a light weight crepe from another blouse (only 50c at the thrift shop and lots of large pieces!)to add body, keep the velvet from stretching, and make the inside pretty. Next version hopefully will be the last. I'm going to use purchased acryllic flat eyes this time so the pattern will have two versions of the cloth over with different ways to do the eyes. I may do a third head with painted eyes so there is no fussing with set-ins. This next one will use the fabric I felted. Here is a comparison of the two heads, the doll without his big coat and accessories (made from a xmas pics I deconstructed from an old wreath, his watch is a button and the watch chain is from a broken necklace, suspenders are ribbon), and finished. He is going to be a Hostess gift for a friend who has issues with getting a tree and decorations up for the holidays - LONG story! LOL
OOPs! forgot to give him eyebrows!

Hats

Something else I have completed in the past week are two hats for me of course! It has been so cold here and my daily coat doesn't have a hood so I decided I needed a cloche with a flower on the side. I was going to knit it, but decided crochet would be quicker and probably warmer. So, I used yarn I had on hand and improvised. Made the white one first, then the black since my coat is black. And boy are they warm! Te black one is a fuzzy yarn and a metallic yarn. The woven ribbons are crocheted with metallic yarn as is the flower. The white one is a fuzzy yarn and the flower and ribbon are ribbon yarn. I guess I should have written down the directions as I did them but each yarn worked up differently. They are both double crochet throughout.

Recycled Santa

Recently I took part in a Santa challenge on one of the yahoo lists I belong to. We could use any pattern we wanted and one by Runo, Skinny Santa, was the challenge choice. I decided a day before to enter-I was cleaning and found a head that I could use - so I used the pattern and made the doll. Here is a pic of him. Once he was done, I liked the face, but it didn't suit the body and I wasn't happy with my choice of fabrics. And the head just didn't fit the body-too big and chubby cheeked! So, I decided to make a Santa body to match the head which was a practice head I made for "Grandma's Flying Lesson" by Marilyn Halcomb using the cloth over cloth technique. The head looked nothing like it does not - I resculpted it to make it more masculine and gave it more wrinkles and chubbier cheeks. Here is the remade doll with his new body, gloved hands and lace up boots. The remade Santa uses almost all recyled or reclaimed materials. The fur and doe suede boot fabric was from a vest I got at a thrift store. His Coat and pants were samples of upholstery fabrics from Crate and Barrel (gifts from my Step-son!) His body fabrics which can't be seen are drapery lining scraps. I had such fun making him, I thought of making him a pattern. I have designed a new head - still cloth over cloth but with eyes made from wooden beads and set in the head. Here is a preliminary pic of his beardless face and his gloved hand - though the newest Santa has black gloves (fabric left from Noira) but you can't see the details so this pic of from the Revamped Santa above. He will be wearing boots made from old black leather pants, suspenders, pants from a thrift store silk blouse and fur from a childs coat also from a thrift store. I must admit, I feel bad cutting these items up, but the coat was very stained and the blouse had holes in it. He stands alone and has a full armature made from 2 wire hangers. So far, so good, but still needs a little tweaking before he is ready for publication, so that means one more to make and I already know who it will be for. He will be dressed in felted wool fabric from an old jacket of mine.

Diamond

Here are some pics of my little couch potato, Diamond in my studio. See how she hogs the couch????

She loves this little bed I made for her from a basket and velvet liner. She fits perfectly. Like her little sweater? It has a skull and crossbones with a purple bow.

Another Hostess Gift for a canceled party

I have a very dear friend who is VERY into bears. Her and her hubbie usually give a party after Christmas but this year it was canceled due to the snow. I made her a little hostess gift that I am going to give her anyway. The case started out as muslin I rusted and stained with alcohol inks. the pics were printed on muslin and aged with inks. The laces and other fabrics were also stained with ink and watercolors.

The case contains a set of 8 note cards all done in a similar format but with different colorways and trims. Hope she likes them.