New Underwear

I just put together this set of combinations for my next outfit. I haven't made these before but always wanted to. I think they came out really cute!

I will have to hand-sew the shoulders because I didn't use side seams, but I think it's worth it!

I'm working on the dress today. I had to draft a new pattern. The first try came out pretty close, I was lucky. I hope to have them finished by tomorrow so I can go to the doll show on Saturday without any work hanging over my head.

What next?

Well, I'm back at it! I will try a second time to make my dolls. My mistake last time was choosing the wrong medium for me. I have always worked in cloth, but thought I could just as easily work in resin. Not so! The last attempt just led to misery and lack of fulfillment.

This time I will use my true medium--cloth. I am sculpting heads in oil clay. When they are ready, I will make a plaster mold of the face and use that to make a paperclay mask. I will sculpt a full body in Apoxie Sculpt and use that to make my cloth body pattern. I will hand dye my Kona Cotton in skin shades. The mask will be covered in fabric and then colored with paints and pastels. I will buy ready-made wigs for now. I am still contemplating painted vs glass eyes, but I'm leaning towards painted eyes. My favorite dolls have painted eyes.

I am very excited about this new venture! I hope I can find fans and buyers, lol, but I have faith that if I follow my heart, the rest will come.

I will be making four more outfits for sale, maybe a few more. I want to pay down my credit card before beginning full-time on the dolls.

Dropped Waist Dress

This is the result of a challenge to myself to make a short dress. I had planned to use a slip that I made too short, but since the slip is not dropped waist, I can't use it with this dress anyway! I will sell the slips as is, and for this dress, I will make a checked dimity overdress. It will take shorter than normal pantaloons and a short, dropped waist slip. I don't think I'll finish the new outfit this week, but I'll be able to post the slips on Sunday.

Almost there!

Well, it's been a little while since I updated. Somehow I get behind with my sewing and an outfit drags on for weeks and weeks. Sometimes I get caught up in little details and just fall in love and lose myself. This week I've been dog/house sitting, and I've treated it like an artist's retreat! I've accomplished a lot, and I'll be able to post the new outfit Sunday, tomorrow! Here is a sneak peak:

Little Red?

I'm so happy with the outfit I'm working on now. It's a peasant style costume, and the chemise and turned out so nice! I'm leaning towards making this a Little Red Riding Hood outfit. I would have to change two of my fabric choices and buy more fabric, but it may be worth it. I'm putting so much work into this so far. I can't wait to see the end product, but I'm wondering how long it will take to finish.

So Busy!

It's a good thing to be busy, but I've gotten behind on my internet presence! I need to update my webpage, but it's much easier to update here first.

I've finished my blue dresses and I'm very happy with them! I'm at work on my next project: a peasant outfit with many layers! I've found homespun fabrics in a deep green, maroon, and a maroon check. I'm going to make a sweet cap in white and put long pleats in the underskirt. I'm so excited about this one--that's why I haven't been keeping up with my online duties!

Here are pictures of my dress with the embroidered collar and a long shot of the dress with a plain collar:

Finished Collar

I finished the embroidery on one collar and decided to leave the other three plain with an option to add embroidery for $20. The work took two days and a little more. Anyway, I'm finished with the embroidery on this project and can move on to the machine work. Three slips to finish, three pinafore bodices to finish, four pinafore skirts to design and finish, sashes and headbands. And I'm probably going to sell these for $25 just so that I can make some money more quickly on them without having to ebay them.

In other news, I've decided I cannot continue without adding some dollmaking into the mix. My dream is to be a dollmaker. I'm going to make one more try at it. I've ordered some of the clay I like to work in, and if I can get a face I'm happy with, I'll continue with making the body. I have to try.