Return to Blogging... Maybe...

I've noticed that most of my Facebook posts lately seem to be about my doll costuming, so I'm thinking abut moving back to blogging. I hate to bore people on Facebook. Even the doll artists I know on Facebook don't really talk a lot about their craft over there. I think it's time to move.

Maybe I should return by saying I've given up, for lack of a more sympathetic verb, on making dolls. I've gone back to doll costuming, but this time it doesn't seem like second best. I am finally finding my heart in these details. I love the Kish dolls, and I'm approaching them like a collector instead of a means to a paycheck.

Also, I'm collecting again, and I'm obsessive about it. I get $150 a month from the paycheck, and I'm already spending next month's money in my head. Will it be Wren or Lark or Olivia? I'm leaning towards Wren today because she is rare and I've found her at an online shop where I can do a layaway.

I'm working on an outfit with some heavy embroidery. It is very satisfying, but slow, work. I am ready to stitch the next color, since i am doing all of the work in each color at a time. This is the second in a set of three dresses I've promised for a doll trade. The first dress was lovely and used some lace that I made. I think the third dress will be something simple. The value of what I've produced so more exceeds the value of the doll, but I heart this collector and enjoy doing the work for her.

Anyway, a photo of what I'm currently working on, and some photos of the last dress I finished, which I named Caitlyn, going with the alphabetic naming of the series.

Beatrice

I finished this a couple weeks ago and just forgot to post! I'm sorry! I call it Beatrice with a B, since it is the second one. The next will be Caitlin.

Right now I'm working on Wedgwood blue blue fabric, which, of course, I dyed myself. I'm using some lace that I also dyed, to an ivory, with another piece of fabric. I am working on embroidery in a color that matches the lace. I'm using the hexagonal piece as a collar and the straight piece at the hem. I'll post it when I finish. I think it's going to be awesome.

I'm working on a long piece of lace right now. I want 36" and have about 28" now, so there's not too much to go. I found that all of a sudden, I can work faster and with less effort.

And I've got some new dolls!

The dark haired girl is Raven and the little one is Bethany. Yesterday, there was a half price sale at one of the doll merchants, and Charles bought me a Shea! I'm so excited! She is done up as the older sister of this Bethany I have: her hair and eyes will be the same color. I'll be able to make sister outfits!

I'm also trading some outfits for a doll set, Olivia and Effie. Olivia is the same size as Bethany but with a much prettier face. Effie is a little doll. I'm trading the Wedgwood outfit and a sister set of white dresses smocked in variegated blue.

I feel so much peace lately about what I'm doing. Well, aside from the horrible constant wanting for new dolls. There is one more 14" doll that I really want (Lark) and a 14" doll that I sorta want (Wren). Then I also want another 12" set, Suchin and Sasha--Sasha being Suchin's doll. Then I want to find a doll for Bethany. Since I'm trading the next three outfits, I won't have money to buy those dolls, but I'll be getting a great one in exchange.

So far, Raven is my favorite. I think she is so beautiful!

Abigail

Here is my Abigail outfit:

So I finally finished something! The shoes and hat are something new to me with this outfit. This was sold before it was finished. My customer saw an in-progress pic and contacted me about it. She offered a good price, too!

I have been knitting obsessively for about a week. I tried out a pattern in a yarn I can't use. I ordered some yarn I could use. I altered the pattern. It took several tries to get it right. I'm still knitting, but the urgency has gone out of it.

I am working on a green outfit now. The cuffs were too small to go over the hands and the bodice didn't look right. I cut off the whole bodice and started over. It's much better this time, but I have all this embroidery to do over. I'm feeling a bit flat about it all.

I'm obsessing about dolls right now, too. I have one on layaway and I've picked out the next 2 dolls I'm going to buy. Well, and the two after that, too. And maybe two more after that. Plus there are these gorgeous porcelain dolls... But I won't get them. Too expensive and no market for the clothes. If I still had a doll cabinet... But no. No to the porcelain dolls.

I've had a day. We'll go out for nachos and margaritas at Taco Cabana. $6.23 for both of us because it's Happy Hour. Can't beat that!

sloooooooow...

I have finished NOTHING since I last posted here, which is why I haven't posted. I work VERY slowly, which is a little discouraging, but I'm very happy with everything I make. And I sold something before I finished it. If I just finish it, I can buy a doll I really want.

I'm working on two doll outfits, and of course, when I finish, I'll post photos. I need to make two dolls, two head ornaments, and two pair of white stockings. Everything else, including some awesome shoes, is finished. Nice to write it down to realize how close I am.

I'm working on a piece of lace. I have 14" and need 36". I'll post a photo of that when I finish, but maybe before that. It's a pretty pattern.

And I'm working on a knitting project. It's a sweater for a doll. I'm just working the pattern now as practice for the real thing when the real yarn gets here.

I got a new doll, the smaller Chrysalis doll, Bethany. My third outfit will be for the new doll, and it's all I can think about now.

Oh Louise, I'm thinking about skipping the dolls and the hats. I could list them today if I just stopped. But I won't. Maybe I'll finish the dolls today.

Lace is Finished!

I finished 22" of lace this morning! I spent 74 hours on it. Also, the smocking I made for the next outfit. I should have smocked in a different color because the light green is too light to show the white contrast. Live and learn. I'm going to make the smocking into a pinafore and use the darker green as the dress. I'm going to make a little hat and shoes out of the darker green, too. I'll do a feather stitch in white on the dress, hat, and shoes (maybe). I have ideas for three more outfits, too, and I'm hoping to get them done next week, but it will probably take at least two weeks. I can't wait to get that money and buy lace books!!

Dyeing

I'm dyeing fabric today. I've done two shades of periwinkle and two shades of chartreuse. I get so inspired watching the fabric change in the dye bath. When I start, I don't know what I'll make with them, but then as I watch over them, the inspiration floods in. Each batch takes 50 minutes, and I do two batches at a time. Next is coral pink. Hopefully I can do sky blue today as well. Ill post a photo in this post tonight And I finished my smocking. I need one of those wash out blue pens!

Update: The pink SO did not work out. I stopped for the day. I like these colors. I'll do four batches tomorrow and four batches on Friday. Then I'll have a collection of all my colors. And there are three new dyes I need, too. At least three. Maybe four. First I need money!

Update 2: I was up in the middle of the night and dyed four more batches. Six more batches to do, after I get some more salt. Probably not today. These are sage green and sky blue.

Outfits of Days Gone By...