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Lesson 5 … She’s done!

March 12, 2012 By 9 Comments

Well well well – who’d have thought hey?

My First ever Cloth Doll journey  is finished.

Today is the day – today you will finally get to see how Jolie look in all her glory – face, hair and make-up …

Let’s start as we always do!

Lesson 1 – click here

Lesson 2 – click here

Lesson 3 - click here 

Lesson 4 – click here

and as a refresher – this is what Jolie looked like when we left her last week

Now – I don’t think it is a secret to anyone that I left the head for as absolute long as I could.

I was scared!

Faces are scary!

Especially when you haven’t done them before!

Also, I loved Jolie the way she was looking so I was worried I might mess her up entirely.

But when this idea of doing a cloth doll started out I committed to doing a pattern start to finish so there was no way I was going to stop and not do it.

So here we go!

Cut two of the “back head” pieces – one for the front but make sure your pattern is on the fold so that when you cut and then unfold, you will have one big piece for the front of the face.

Stitch where you’re told to do so – make sure to curve the chin so as to make a gentle chin rather than a straight hard chin.

Pin the front and back pieces together –  on the wrong side.

And stitch all the way around

Now … here’s another whoopsie … which I would never have told anyone about if I hadn’t promised to share my entire journey …

Let’s look at this picture again shall we …

See there … on the back head-piece … do you see that fat bold line that says “Slash”?

Well, I just thought “slash” – I kind of didn’t think it mattered … or shall we say “I kind of didn’t think”!

…because I just slashed a line – not in any particular spot – “thinking” that all that it was needed for was to turn the head and stuff the head!

At least I was thinking enough so as not to slash across the stitching (well done me!) but I didn’t follow the pattern!

So I turned the head and I stuffed the head real full – and then there was nowhere to go but start drawing her features!

Tools … and a head full of lines and the beginning of eyes …

See … those lines there on the face them are real smart!

I used that purple pen that I thought was going to erase after a little bit of time. Because that is what Barbara Willis says in her book about that purple pen – it will go away after a bit of time. Well, that is not entirely true as it were. After two days of the lines not disappearing at all I was getting pretty desperately worried that maybe the lines were never going away?

I went back and read on the packet of the pen and it actually said on it that I had to use a bit of water to get rid of the lines. So I did – and I’m very happy to say that the packet was right.

So basically you “grid” the face and then you “just” draw in the eyes, brows, nose and mouth and then give her some colorful make-up!

And do you know what … I did pretty good!

Barbara suggest you do a few faces so you have something to practise on.

Well, I’m pretty darn proud to say I didn’t do more than one face and it is the face that is on my dear doll today!

Check it out!

well after those eyes I got lost in the moment and did the rest of the face without stopping to take more photos as I went along … I am so sorry!

And let’s put it on the doll shall we?

This however, included that I had to hand stitch that “slash” I had made because the “slash” is made as well for turning the head, stuffing the head AND putting the head on the doll itself – so you HAVE to follow the pattern – slash as you’re told and then pop it on the body.

Follow the pattern – follow the pattern – follow the pattern!

Must remember that one!

She does look a bit like she has a tooth abscess there on the right (as you’re looking at her!) … I am not entirely sure why because I did “slash” at the right spot I’m sure second time round – I’m sure I did!

But I fiddled and fiddled and decided in the end that the hair would take care of the abscess-looking face!

And shoot – I totally forgot to take pictures of giving her hair too – I really was too excited and I don’t know how to apologize for this other than to tell you that when you see the next photo maybe you’ll understand why I was so excited and totally in the moment because lookie lookie here – Jolie in all her glory – finished!

I want to tell you that really all that I did with the hair was to glue it on in little strands of yarn – one piece at a time, starting at the bottom working my way to the top – it is easy peasy and fun to do because this bit really really “makes” your doll.

Once the hair was on Jolie I knew …

She is no longer a Jolie …

She is now Clara!

Barbara Willis put a hat on her Jolie – I chose not to put a hat on my Clara!

Basically – Barbara did A LOT more with her doll than I did with mine but I had to stay true to me in the process too. I wanted to be able to keep loving her – stripey tights, funky shoes, simple (-ish) skirt and a full head of red hair.

I love Clara.

- just the way I made her!

I sure hope you enjoyed my journey into the Cloth Doll world.

When I started out doing Clara I had no idea what to expect.

Whether I’d be any good at it, whether I’d cry many tears, huff and puff a maybe groan a little too.

Instead I found that working with the fabric, watching Clara unfold for every little bit I did – legs, fingers, skirt not to forget the shoes and then in the end, the face – I felt enormous joy, happiness, fun, elation and I had quite a few bouts of the giggles and was often seen doing a little bobble-happy-dance on my office chair ball-thingy.

If you have ever wanted to do a doll – all I can say is do it – please please do it.

Because it brings only good feelings!

Enjoy a close up of my Clara :)

Thank you for coming along – I had fun :)

Filed Under: Chit Chat

Cloth Doll Jolie – Lesson 4

March 5, 2012 By 8 Comments

Well here we are again … and I promise you that this is the last lesson you’ll see Jolie without a face … because by the time we leave the “class room” today she will be all done save for her beautiful face and full head of red hair! (oops … did I say too much :) )

As always – for those of you who are late to the party click here for lesson 1, here for lesson 2 and click here for last weeks lesson 3.

And as a reminder … this is where we left Miss Jolie last week

Today we are going to finish dressing her – shoes and all.

But let’s start with her top – because as such I could just leave her like this right – but that is not really how to learn is it?

Also it is a bit bare – much as I like simplicity, these cloth dolls, well at least if you follow a Barbara Willis pattern – they are full to the brim with lace, silk, buttons and embellishments and I have already reined it in a fair bit as I’m just not keen on too busy.

I love her tights and could easily have left her sitting in her tights – and she’d have made me smile every time I looked at her – but again – that is not going to teach me (or you!) anything is it now?

So today I started by sewing some lace around her waist. Some lace that I got that day where I started hyperventilating in the fabric store … remember this?

and then I stitched some trim around her wrists and the collar of her top

Because remember … I had to cover up this

At least you cannot see it now – so please don’t tell anyone!

Next – what to do for her top – it is still too “simple” and I am doing this to learn you know …

Once again I went with “Danielle’s” clothes, from the same book, just because I like it slightly better than the lace overlay on “Jolie”.

First I had to make some sleeves

I decided on a light pistachio green and the red I also used for her arms – again not using my smarts, because any other color would have shown up more, I must remember to think ahead – not just spur of the moment thoughts!

I stitched, I cut (as previously explained – that is the way Barbara prefers it – oh and it is so easy this way!) and then I turned.

I sort of “ironed” the sleeves with my fingers as the silk will simply not be as “alive” if you use a hot iron – it will be flat and not show off its gorgeous colors.

I then decided to put little beads on the sleeves – to look a bit like buttons. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this but “Danielle” has them and I thought I could always take them off again – but they stayed because they were cute once on “Jolie”.

and on the sleeves went – to be stitches almost at the top of her arms. You’ll see in a little tiny bit why not all the way at the top!

Nice … right?

But now the top bit there is missing something to “cover it up” – and puff sleeves is what is called for.

Jolie’s puff sleeves are quite a bit bigger (10.2 x 25.4 cm) than Danielle’s ( 7.6 x 20.3 cm) and I chose to go with Danielle’s puffy sleeves.

Cut, stitch, turn and hand-sew a running stitch top and bottom.

Pop them on Jolie, pull the threads, tie a knot  and “voila” … her “top” is now finished.

I think she is looking rather nice now!

But look at her feet – she needs some shoes because cold feet – there is nothing worse!

I was at the store and got these hoping they would work. I’m sure that if I had spent a little more time rummaging around on the internet or in other stores I could have found something cheaper but this is what I got and it worked out just fine!

I traced the shoe pattern on the fold – changed the needle in my sewing machine to one that could cope with the leather and then I stitched the top of the shoe and the back of the shoe, leaving open the toe and the top of the shoe so she could get it on!

Once that was done I was told to flatten the shoe if you will, and then stitch an angle on the heal and shorten the toe … like this

Cut around the toe – and pop the shoes on her lovely foot …

… bit of a Cinderella moment here – was it going to fit?

it did!!!!

I’m not going to tell you I just popped them on and moved on to embellished – I literally squealed and giggled like a 13-year-old girl seeing Justin Bieber in concert – I felt enormous joy and happiness and a ton of love!

I did sew on a little pearly embellishment – just because I had it and because it looked incredibly cute – non?

(is it silly how much I think of camels when I look at that shoe? … it is like a camel face … and I’m not going to make any jokes about that!)

This, my friends, is where we leave Jolie today – next week she will be finished and I promise you … it is well worth coming back for!

Filed Under: Chit Chat

Cloth doll – Lesson 3

February 27, 2012 By 6 Comments

This is where we start today.

She definitely needs some clothes now doesn’t she?  She is like … cold, don’t you think?

Ok – for all my new readers – here is lesson 1

… and this was last weeks lesson 2.

I really thought we’d get round to dressing her last week but nope – that will have to be today!

So let’s hop to is shall we?

Lesson 3 … here we go!

 let’s start with some nice “underwear” – pantalets I believe Barbara calls them – whatever the name I think they are fab – and I’d be quite happy to have a pair myself!

 see how it says there on the paper cut-out … “position on fold” – so I folded the fabric and placed it right there on the fold, drew around it with my magic purple pen and cut out two legs. Once cut, I “unfolded” and “voila” … there is one leg – not that it makes any sense when you look at it like this, right?

I always get so confused when I see it like this – because how is that ever going to make trousers??

Well, with two of them cut and ready for sewing – THIS is how they make trousers!

 First, lay the two pieces you just cut out on top of each other, wrong sides together – then stitch on the curve … one side … then the other …

… starting to look like trousers already right?

-  and then you just sew them on the “inside” leg.

That really is it – but remember to turn them inside out!

Once you have done that you need to stitch them at the top of the trousers and the bottom of each leg – for you to have something to pull on and tie together!

(Mr. Hubby thought he’d take a photo while I was stitching … he needs to learn about zooming :) )

after stitching top and bottom …

- this is what you end up with!

Yipee – finally time to get some clothes on my lovely Jolie!

Please take a moment here with me – I mean … how cute is she right now … there is a big part of me that just want to stop right here!

I want to pick her up and do a bit of “Rock-a-bye Baby” … ok – that might be going to far – but still, between the tights and these pantalettes … I’m squealing!!

Ok … breathe in … breathe out …

… and on to the skirt!

Now, Barbara – her pattern tells you to cut a big strip of fabric and stitch it together.

This is probably where I should let you know … I kind of thought I could do my own bit, but of course still leaning on Barbara’s pattern and ideas.

I went quite a lot shorter than the pattern asked for.

which was REALLY silly – and probably the reason why Barbara is the author and I’m the one supposed to follow the pattern – funny how she knows best!!

(It was just that I really liked those pantalets and wanted to be able to see them – didn’t work though!)

… so once I sort of tried the shorter skirt on Jolie – it was waaaay too short!

and then I had a “what to do – what to do”-moment

so I found some lace – and sewed it onto the skirt …

but that didn’t really do anything to the length of the skirt (I knew that … just in case you didn’t :) )

and then I added some black silk … mm … I just love this silk!

Let’s see what that looks like …

and then … some trim …

and NOW it is long enough!

All I had to do then was to stitch it at the top so I could pull it in …

Obviously I needed to call in my helpers here!

That is one BIG skirt for one tiny waist!

Let’s try it on Jolie shall we?

Wait … let’s just have a look under that skirt first – before I show you Jolie sitting pretty …

- because I put a few different kind of ribbons at the end of the pantalets – sort of in her knee creases

see

Ok … ready to see the fancy – longer – skirt on Miss Jolie?

Here we go!

Looking good isn’t she!

… and that is as far as we’ll get today …

(notice how Miss Kitchy just doesn’t get anything done to her … oh well … some day … )

I still want to hold her close and do some “Rock-a-bye Baby” … I really REALLY like how Jolie is coming along!

You?

Filed Under: Chit Chat

Jolie – lesson 1

February 13, 2012 By 9 Comments

Here we go …

My very first ever Cloth Doll – and I tell you … this is fun.

She is already such a part of the family and being loved by all of us – and she doesn’t even have a head yet – how crazy is that!

Let me set the scene for you – you kind of need to know where she’s being created

I promise you I emptied the bin before I started – oh and also picked up the piece of paper on the floor … tsk tsk

- also notice how little “Miss Kitchy” is sitting perched on her broom able to check out everything that is about to happen!

Okay, let me remind you what we are aiming for

Jolie

Trust me – my doll won’t look anything like this – and I do not say that because I don’t like the look of Jolie – I say that because my fabrics are very different and also, I think mine will end up looking a little less “Historical” and a bit more … oh well, I don’t know – let’s see where it ends shall we?

So now you know where I work – let’s get started!

I started by actually running off to get the pattern copied onto cardboard at the copy shop and then cut out all the bits and bobs – not too many actually but nevertheless it had to be done. I kind of enjoyed that – I like cutting paper and shapes.

Here are some of the cutouts on my black silk – ooh nice silk!

So me being me … well, when I looked at Jolie I was a bit unhappy with the way she has this doily thingy on her neck – I would prefer to keep her neck free of “stuff” so I decided that instead of making the torso all black I made it skin tone and black

Barbara (Willis) tells you to trace the pattern cutouts straight onto the fabric and then sew on the traced line – and when you then cut it after, you must add the seam allowance – and working with silk you must add quite a bit … now I know that I should be measuring this properly but this is where I’m a lazy artist and I just do … and so far it’s worked so “touch wood” it will continue to do so!

Barbara says “no curves” when you do the cutout … as you can tell I was a little unsure on this one so I did one of each …

… and once I turned it I couldn’t really tell the diff – I’m thinking it has to do with the silk fraying like mad!

Looks pretty good though … right?

Okay, onto the legs … I tell you – I fell head over heals in love with these legs – just divine they are!

again … sew ON the lines

Oh well … you can’t tell once it is turned – I dare you :)

and then the turning – with my new turning tools – ooh la la … had Miss Daughter hold so you can get an idea

and then guess what … I forgot to take a photo once it was finally turned but you sort of push the wooden dowel into the blue plastic piece and then you can pull it through with no problem … must remember to take a proper picture of this procedure … sorry!

Now for the fun part – filling those legs!

that skinny leg takes a LOT of stuffing!

Once stuffed Barbara then told me to tie off on the knee – to sew from back to front of knee and then tie the thread around the knee two to three times

And then it was all about stuffing the top bit of the legs.

Once stuffed, you then attach them to the back of the torso by machine – talk about looking like a frog!

and then you stitch by hand one side first so that you can fill the torso entirely and then you do the other side and “voila” her legs are now attached!

Fill her to the rim before you finish the other side

and this is where I’d had enough for the day – or to put it differently … this is when Mr. Hubby brought in the wine – and one should never drink and sew  - look at the mess of the table now (maybe Miss Kitchy had a sip of the wine because she looks like she’s had more than enough!) … oh well …

but see – wine is good for so many things – and will you LOOK at those legs … I love love love her already …

 

Filed Under: Chit Chat

I Simply Must …

February 7, 2012 By 2 Comments

So … what is this news that I have for you?

What is it that will make me swear, shed tears and (hopefully!)  by the end of it fill me with joy and laughter?

Well, I have made a decision – I am going to embrace this newfound love of Art Dolls.

And I thought I should throw myself into it – just like that … no more reading, no more researching, no more looking.

I must simply DO!

I must make a Doll!

Start to Finish!

Beginning to End!

Tears to Joy!

…  I’m not at all sure how it will go?

- What I am sure of though is that I will scream, swear, cry and hate myself at times

 - but  I also know that I will laugh, giggle, tilt my head in amazement, cry with joy and feel immense pride.

I am going to make my first ever Doll!

And I’m taking you with me on this journey … I am going to take pictures and blog my adventure into the land of Art Dolls

I have been looking and thinking for a week now about which doll to pick – and it is a little silly because I am sure I could pick just any of them and it would be the fun and great learning experience – but of course I want to pick one that I like the look of – and one that I think I can manage without too much swearing!

And I have picked “Jolie”.

Jolie comes to life in this book

She is the lady in the front … I much prefer “Danielle” who is sitting to the right – what with her polka-dotted tights and all, but she is slightly more advanced and I think I shouldn’t throw myself in at the deep end – so I’m going to start with Jolie and then who knows – maybe I feel up for trying out making Danielle after.

The clothing will be different – you can play around with colors, the hair and the clothes – but the basic doll pattern seems a bit easier for Jolie.

This makes me less intimidated!

As I said, I have been reading many books and Patti Medaris Culea has made some seriously helpful and interesting books on how to start your Doll adventure.

I will be using her latest book a lot – “Creative Cloth Doll Collection” but even better is that she has recently released a DVD with more than 5 hours of “How To” and that is in the mail as I write …

Hopefully that won’t take too long!

I think I will need it

… a lot!

There is nothing like actually watching other people do – not just reading out of a book!

So there …

This is what I wanted to let you in on.

I am making a Doll.

My first blog about her will be on Monday.

Living in Canada is not always easy when you want to find new tools and materials – America is a lot better that way.

If I order something online it can get stuck at the border and often takes longer than a week.

I need a few things to get started – most have already been ordered – the others I hope to be able to find here in Ottawa.

One thing is for sure – I will be starting one way or another this coming Monday.

Because I simply cannot wait any longer!

… At all!

Filed Under: Chit Chat