I recently completed this doll, which I called "Cynthia" as I was inspired by the corset tutorial on Cynthia Howe's website. It was very quick and easy to make and great fun to decorate. Look at the "Cynthia" page for more photos
2 Comments
Please look at the Guest Album - My friends and I have dressed a range of dolls using patterns from the 1896 era. We just fell in love with the tightly fitted bodices, huge sleeves and boater hats from this period. I think they have come out quite well! Now that the Christmas and New Year distractions are over, we are planning several new projects to occupy ourselves with. I started this doll in August, and for some reason, just couldn't make progress on her. After a severe talk to myself, I sat down this weekend and completed her. Her page (1896 Watering Place Toilette) will be available shortly. The Little Mermaid has also been completed, just in time for submission to the Mini Dolllist Story Book page - coming soon! Finally, I completed the stitching on the "Louis Box" carpet and prepared it for blocking. As soon as it is perfectly dry, I will be able to neaten the edges and finish the matching cushion. WHEW! Just a quick progress update on my "Louis Box" carpet. Just the cream background to complete the outer border, then it is ready for blocking and finishing off. While I'm busy with all the coloured threads for the roses on my needle, I have also started working on a few cushions to carry the rose theme through. Just wait until I have finished dressing the bed - its way out! I have also had time to continue playing with Fimo this weekend while the weather was more co-operative. No photo's of my efforts in miniature baking as yet though. Progress on my petite point has been slow! Because of some of the changes to the colour scheme, I ran out of some of the embroidery threads needed. But clever me - I managed to persuade my daughter to get them for me on her next visit to the dreaded Pavilion!
While I was waiting, I thought it was the ideal time to play with Fimo. (Of course, just because I want to play with Fimo, the weather changes from cool, drizzly days to a sweltering, humid heat wave and the Fimo gets really sticky!) Anyway, out came my favorite books for this type of work: Angie Scarr's "Miniature Food Masterclass" and "Making Miniature Food and Market Stalls" as well as Sue Heaser's "Making Dollhouse Miniatures with Polymer Clay" and "Dollhouse DIY Food Displays". I spent a lovely relaxing day paging through these books and practicing the techniques on a variety of dainties, scones with jam & cream, macaroons and cupcakes. Photo's of my attempts to follow - the ones I took were horribly blurred - its not easy to take photo's of items smaller than your little fingernail! I have recently discovered Pininterest and have discovered people who share my obsession, I mean....... interests. I have been constructing my own "boards" with a collection of links to sites with the most amazing miniatures. Pininterest is a great way of collecting "bookmarks", but unlike bookmarks, they are not limited to a single computer, but can be accessed anywhere. Other people can "follow" your board and in turn you can see their boards, which often leads you to sites you may not have discovered yet. Click here to link to my boards and see what I have discovered!
I put aside the petite point for 1 day and joined Diane Yunnie who was hosting a workshop at her house on Saturday. We dressed a Father Christmas and intended to make his pixie as well, which was a bit over ambitious! We had a lovely day - just wish we could get Di to have workshops more often! Father Christmas is pictured here with a few toys from my stash .. I mean.. COLLECTION! He is standing in front of a Christmas shop front I made several years ago. I usually work on my petite point while sitting on my bed propped up by a mountain of pillows. There is a down light directly above my head, so I can see properly. Daisy is so determined to be part of the action, that she crawls onto my lap, under the embroidery frame and goes to sleep. This is what I see when I put the frame aside and look down! Grr.... the frustration! I had to unpick the border of roses as well as the 3 border rows on the right hand side, because I was 1 stitch out! It took me 3 hours because I had to be very careful not to snip the canvas. Thank goodness for the James Bond movie festival on TV! It gives me something to glace at while occupied with such a mind-blowing, boring and frustrating task. To save my sanity, I also worked on the chaise lounge kit Jeanene of Everything Laser has cut for the DAME club in Durban. Here it is in Milady's bedroom bay window; upholstered in silk dupion fabric to match the curtains and quilt. There is also a matching bolster cushion as well as the cushions I embroidered to match the rug and carpet. A vintage lace collar in a triangular shape (which I didn't want to cut up) makes a lovely lace shawl to drape over the back of the chaise, which also adds interest when viewed from the outside in. Milady's glasses are lying next to a photo album I purchased at the Kensington Miniature Festival in 2009. Now I want to make a spectacle case for the glasses! "Louis" room box carpet - progress photo After the completion of the the Teddy Bear series, I leaped straight into making this carpet, while I still on a roll! This pattern is the same as the turquoise blue one I made originally for Milady's bedroom, but this one is intended for a stand-alone room box I started some time ago. The plain roombox was given to me by friends, Louis & Priscilla Kleintjens as a Christmas present some years ago and which I never completed - because it needed a carpet and I wasn't in the mood to make one! Once complete, the roombox will be Narcissa Vane's boudoir, which is a reflection of her love of luxury and narcissistic personality. More photo's soon.... Last night I completed the blocking and "finishing off" of some accessories for the Day Nursery. There is a small rug and a trio of cushions all with a Teddy Bear theme done in pastel colours. I know that "Teddy Bears" only came into fashion after 1902, but I liked the pattern.... and it's MY house, so I can do as I please! LOL. There are also some more photos on the "Embroidery" page. For fun, I also made this little "Welcome" door mat on Sunday. It's so simple, it only took about 2 hours to complete. Its now in place by the front door, but I think to really look finished, it needs a boot scraper as well.
|
Archives
March 2013
Categories
All
|
|