Photo a Week

Finally..... here she is.  I originally was hoping to have her done for Valentine's Day... to post her on the Cloth and Clay doll site.... but... she missed her date.  So...I did away with any idea of making her too, too Valentine-y.  Then, she was also late for her date on Monday as Photo of the Week.... a gal with a mind of her own I guess.

I think I will name her Tina... short for Valentina ....

Her face is paperclay over cloth.... painted with acrylics.   Her "ruffle" was the excess I cut off after attaching the waist band to her skirt.  Not that I am short of a stash of fabric to use...but, it just popped into my head to use it as soon as it dropped to the floor after cutting it off.   I added a bit of trim to cover the white stitching line.  I always find it strange how ideas just happen....  .. 

Paperclay on bodice painted... arms are just fabric gessoed and painted...  the trim is some selvedge from a lovely piece of burgundy velvet.   I didn't have any ribbon or trim that I liked and then I spied this bit of lovely...it's perfect to my eye.... love the three little copper threads running through it....

Here....a little experiment in how the search for a background fabric is so important to the photo..  ...

The fabric for her skirt was so snowy white that I dipped it in weak tea to tone it down ever so slightly....

These dollies are such fun to do ... it could be addictive, because unlike most of my other projects... they really could be done in a week... and just to have fun playing with colours and making up little costumes is great.

Here they are ... the two little friends....

still putzing on her....

....at my usual slow and deliberate pace...
she is proud of her legs and takes any opportunity to show them off.

I made her top from strips of a beatuful ribbon that has water coloured flowers on it...lots of fiddling... but, I love that ribbon and this was a perfect chance to use some of it. I've had it years....

Then, found some pretty fabric that went so well with the ribbon...but, it is ...well, let me just say I was describing it to my sister and called it ...creepy.... hahhaha.... when I had meant to say crepe-y....but, then I laughed and said it must be a Freudian slip...or skirt...ahahha...and we were off on a laughing tangent....we're a couple of nuts, but happy in the knowledge. Our Mom used to say all the time...if you aren't worth a laugh, you aren't worth much at all. So, some days we feel pretty darn rich...... lol....

So, for the hem of a skirt that is slippery, slide-y ... and frays like nobody's business.... what to do. I keep mentioning that I don't really know much about sewing...and I don't...but, every so often, I do something that is kinda cool and actually took a while on the machine.... long enough to put me in spasm today... my back hurts! Of course, I really put everything into it when I sew... I have to.

I cut some long, half inch wide slivers of sparkly tulle. Laid them over the bottom of her circle skirt so that 1/4 of an inch was visible on either side.... pinned them carefully so they didn't pucker or bunch... then stitched a nice line of straight stitching all around the skirt. Then,... laid a piece of blue nubbly yarn over the line of stitching...and carefully stitched it on....it gave the bottom of the skirt a bit of visual interest and turned out much better than if I had attempted to hem that stuff. She keeps showing me both sides of the skirt...pretending she is Marilyn in a breeze.... I think she likes it too....














My flowers are still perfect after almost two full weeks... who knew that type of flower lasted so long when the petals look so dainty and fragile... Alstromeria ..I think...

the bag on her head is to help keep her hair out of the way of glue and stitching...

Onward to sleeves and shoe trim.... but, for now... bread to bake. I ran out... ackkk! And, I refuse to eat store bought anymore...now that I know how to bake my own. I love my own bread!

It's a beautiful sunny, bright, blue sky day... even if they are calling for more snow flakes later. Who cares...it is mild; the windows are open...the birdies are singing at the top of their little lungs...a perfect day in my mind.