August clothing

I've been asked - more than once - for clothing to fit my dolls. This presents an interesting challenge for me. Typically, when I outfit a doll, I make their clothes to fit them perfectly. Making something 'stock' as it were - well, that's new for me.

So I spent some time thinking about new designs, cut out a few things, mulled it over again . . . and I went for it. Today I put the final touches on 9 outfits, and photographed them.

Modeled by Cerise, Grace and Sweet Pea's own princess. She burst into tears when the words 'for sale' crossed my lips. I had to assure her over and over that I meant the outfits, not the doll. I didn't realize she was so attached to her!

This is where I turn to you for help. I am willing to offer these outfits for sale provided the price is right. That said, I have no idea what a reasonable price would be. If you have input, visit the Facebook fan page and leave your comments on the album!

Introducing Jewel . . . or Rebecca . . . or something else.

The finished product of our 'process' series, this is Jewel AKA Rebecca, AKA whatever J decides to name her. I like Jewel - suits the hair, I feel. Jewel is a mixed rainbow 14" Waldorf doll. She has fair skin, and brown eyes. Her jeans are made from a pair of Sweet Pea's pants that developed a hole. They were one of my favourite pairs of her pants . . . I salvaged the buttons for later use, too.

I'm especially fond of her shirt, and the adorable shoes. I don't know why I don't do shoes more often.

Currently, I'm working on a big clothing upload. Stay tuned for lots of pretties! Here's a sneak preview:

The process continues

When we left J's new buddy, she was nothing but a set of arms and a head. She's come a long way since then.

After attaching the arms to the head, the whole thing is assembled in a marathon of hand-sewing. When it's done, it looks a lot like this:

There's more hand-stitching to do at the ankles and the hips. I like to add a belly button - an outie just like my little son.

Next up, one of my favourite parts -- the face! Features are first marked with pins

Then embroidered in place

Finally, the hair is added. This girl's hair is only half done - I'll be finishing it and adding the final touch (blush) in short order. Next time you see her, she'll be finished!

The process . . .

Currently, I'm neck-deep in a rush order custom doll. The good news is I'm pretty interested to see how she looks at the end, so it's a job I want to do quickly. So far, it's all going very well - bed time for the kids last night was pretty rough, so I'm not as far along as I had hoped this morning . . . I lost some precious hand-sewing hours last night. PLUS SYTYCD. That results show was a real nail biter for me. No working while being nervous for my favourite dancer (Tadd - yeah, I know he's unlikely to win, but I really like his style!)

As part of this order, I've been asked to take photos of the process. This is intended to give J (the giftee) a glimpse into the making of her one of a kind friend. I was going to make an album on Flickr -- but then I thought why not let everyone see?

It all starts with the head. Here's a head pre-skin.

I've heard it said that getting the shape of the head just right is the trickiest part of Waldorf doll making. I'll agree to that. That, and getting the stuffing to the right firmness without lumps, bumps or breaks. It's difficult, and it takes a lot of practice.

Once the head is tied and shaped, and you're happy with how it looks - it's time to put the skin on.

 

There is some detailing to do, to clean up your working surfaces - in this case, it's mostly done. 

Now to attach the arms!

I've got them pinned, and waiting for stitching in this photo. Thanks to a lengthy simul-nap, the arms are now stitched in place.

I'll continue to post process pics as I go along. Keep watching!