CQ Doll Class

The second weekend in July I taught a CQ Wall Doll Class. We had lots of fun and the ladies made the most beautiful creations. Here are some pics of the process and a few of the finished dolls. I was hoping the dolls would be finished, but I didn't realize EGA classes only run 5 hours per day and I had planned on a 7 hour day so I lost 4 hours of class time. They weren't dissapointed--most were up to the stuffing stage so they got close. At our regular meeting the following week, 4 had brought in completed dolls though I only got a pic of three.


Here is a pic of Kathy's Mermaid. Love these colors. She embellished it with shells, sequinse, beads and embroidery.

Here is Pat contemplating her body mask placement.

And Janet doing the same.

Ellen, Janice and BJ and their pieced fabric plotting out thier body placement. If the bodies look familiar, they sort of "shared Janice's. Ellen and Janice used the same focus fabric but their Dolls turned out sooooo Different!

What I did in the Hospital

While I was sitting watching my Mother sleep and heal, I worked on a new pattern and doll. I started this pattern a few years ago when I made the original Dances With Butterflies but when my computer crashed, I lost all my pics. I then did a smaller version for the Sept, 2007 issue of Doll Crafter and Costuming. So, coming soon, a 24" version of Dances With Butterflies. The pattern includes a tutorial on painting lace and also the complete pattern for the 18" version. So here she is in all her glory, pretty in pink. There also was a discussion about armatures to hold up a larger doll on one toe. She has a very stable stance made possible by 2 pieces of 16g florist wire and a 12" piece of a wooden skewer taped together. No sway here!

Life Intervenes

My 87 yr old mother went in for a serious but fairly routine surgery on June 26th. She has been in the hospital (except for a day and a half) eversince. She required another Major surgery on July 7th and spent 2 weeks in ICU on a vent. She is doing much better now and should be heading for a rehab center today or tomorrow. They call her a miracle because she had a heart attack and by all accounts should have died. Thank goodness for the Cardiac Drs and Surgeons at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The nurses have been wonderful too. Here is a warning ladies: She had NO symptoms of a heart attack. She was tired and had trouble moving but felt NO pain or shortness of breath. Good thing my father and I got her to the dr. She had an appointment follow up for the first surgery but we ended up in Emergency. I have been at the hospital every day and caring for my Dad (88) who is pretty much lost without my Mother.

During this time, I had NO land line phone service on my 2 lines for over a week thanks to Verizon and their horrendous repair response. I was even told by a Repair Service CLERK that he showed my line working and he wasn't going to dispatch. After being on hold for over 9 minutes, I had to hang up because my cell battery died. I wrote 3 letters to the Board of Public Utilities--who NEVER responded either though I did get a call from Verizon President's office from a Mrs. White regarding the complaint. I even told them I was the sole emergency contact for my Mother and I also cared for my MIL, 91 with dimentia who had no way to get in touch with me since I had to leave her home alone for hours at a time. I also received NO follow-up from Mrs. White and the number she called from had no voice mail. I retired from Verizon. I did the calls as a response to BPU complaints. I would NEVER have been so callous and un-responsive. So much for customer care.

Ok. I am off my soap box now. I just need to fight them for a credit on my bill. Sad I see this as a battle and they don't see it as their responsibility.

Possible Class????

Not sure if anyone out there would be interested in a class on making a doll from a tree branch. The top part including the arms is collage fabric. The leaves are free-motion stitched (but can also be done with dimensional paint) then cut from sheer fabrics using a heat tool, applied to branches made from silver wire and embellished with a variety of beads--on this doll I used pale blue quartz, labradorite, crystals, fire polished beads and beautiful hand made glass icicles from http://www.myglassgarden.com/.

The face was done with fabric over paperclay over fabric.

Would anyone be interested in a class? It would be more of technique than actually following a distinct pattern since it all starts with the tree branch and no two of them are alike. Of course there are guidelines for choosing your branch, but making it into a doll and creating the head are the same.

Here's Looking at Ya!

I have been busy preparing for my class this week for the CQ Wall Doll for EGA. Here are the heads. I printed them on fabric then added highlights and color blending. I think they came out pretty good and I think the ladies in the class will like them too. I originally sketched 3 different faces then scanned them and manipulated them so each side was a mirror image of the other. Amazing how different the faces are from each side of the drawing!

Here too is another sample doll. This one is "Body by Margaret". I think Margaret did a great job on drawing her goddess. I hope the ladies in the class will enjoy this too! I'll post pics after the class.

I did finish my Hoffman Challenge doll. I'm mulling over her right now to see if there is something that needs attention. I just have to pack her up and ship her out.

Just to prove I haven't been a slacker I have also completed 2 new dolls for possible classes and one for the November issue of Doll Crafter and Costuming. Here is a sketch of one of the class dolls though the completed doll turned out a bit different. If you watch, her head and part of her shoulders is in my slide show. She is blond wearing a hat. The other possible class I will try to post tomorrow.