Hoffman Challenge 2015

Just finished my Hoffman Challenge doll!

"Milena"

 

If anyone out there has a Hoffman doll, I'd love to add your photos to my Hoffman pages (even if you missed the deadline). The more the merrier!

Plea for Hoffman Challenge Dolls

Morning, everyone. I've been busy with life, work, grandkids, music, and making a few dolls to take to UFDC/ODACA Day in July. I've also been working on my Hoffman Challenge doll - a bit here and there as time allows. I think all I've got left is hair and costume details and accessories. That actually sounds like quite a bit left to do.

WIP

I've been working on getting my Hoffman pages set up as well. Now I just need photos of the dolls to make it worth looking at. So far, I've only received Patti LaValley's fantastic doll. I hope more of you are participating (or know of someone who is). Please consider sending me a photo or photos of your doll. Plain backgrounds are best, but I'll work with whatever you have. Send to blueheron61@charter.net and be sure to include the name of your doll, pattern you used, links to your sites, etc.

I'd be ever so appreciative. I know I'm not the only one who wants to see the dolls :)

 

Hoffman Progress (2)

I attached the arms and legs this morning. Now I can print this photo, and sketch costuming onto the paper to explore some ideas. I'm rather embarrassed at how I've abused my ironing board. Don't judge me ;)

Hoffman progress

Today I'm working on my Hoffman Challenge doll. So far the doll is sewn and stuffed, and I'm just starting the face. It sure looks plain and flat without shading and highlights!

 

You can see some of the fabrics in the background. The piece behind her head is the challenge fabric. I've been mulling costume ideas as I work, with no clear plan. Fingers crossed!

Two Projects in One Day!

I've finally finished my Hoffman Challenge doll, and well before the deadline. Will wonders never cease! This is Amandine. She's about 16 inches tall now that she's on her stand.

I used my Livia pattern that I've been developing to make her, so technically, Amandine is prototype #3. I made her torso, arms and legs just a little longer than prototype #2, and I like these proportions much better.

 

I had fun making her! Now to get her packaged and complete the entry forms. It feels really good to be able to complete her without the pressure of a looming deadline. Gotta do that more often!

 

Of course, now that the photo is taken and the stuff has been put away, I see I should have fiddled with her hair bows a little. Just gotta let that go, I guess.

 

Don't forget that I host pages dedicated to any/all Hoffman Challenge dolls, so send them my way:

blueheron61@charter.net or blueherondolls@hotmail.com.

Visit my Hoffman pages HERE.

 

You can refer to my mini-very-amateurish photo tutorial HERE.

 

Click on these links to see my Livia Prototypes:

http://blueherondolls.blogspot.com/2014/04/livia-prototype-2.html

http://blueherondolls.blogspot.com/2014/04/livia-prototype-1.html

Next...HAIR!

I've gotten a little more of the costuming done, felt shoes and a duster/vest. I think I'm at the hair stage now. I'm leaning towards Tibetan lamb, perhaps in a dark blond/light brown color. Or perhaps not. I'll have to dig through my big drawer of hair after work today.

 

I think this may be my next published pattern.

I had an armature epiphany last night...

Insomnia. Not a good thing, really, but it does provide time to ruminate about all sorts of things. Last night it was how to approach the armature for my Hoffman doll.

I turned to a method called the Seldinger Technique, used in the nursing/medical profession to insert central lines.

The problem with the armature I use is that the ends aren't smooth and pointy, and therefore get caught up in the polyfil - even if I've made a channel in the stuffing with a knitting needle. So I thought I might use a plastic drinking straw to make a temporary channel for the armature. I found a knitting need close to the size of the straw, so I could slide the straw over the needle and through the stuffing.

After the straw was inserted and the knitting needle removed, the armature slid really easily in the straw.

Then the straws were removed, and voila! Armature in place! 

 

I whip stitched the horizontal part of the wire to the doll to keep it from sliding around, and have covered the wire behind the legs with fabric tubes that match her stockings.

Plugging Along ~ Hoffman Challenge

I worked a little more on my Hoffman doll after work yesterday. Her costuming still has quite a ways to go, even though I'm not sure where I'm headed. She's about 15 inches tall, well within the size limitation (whew!). There's nothing like finishing your doll only to realize she's too big!

A little more Hoffman progress

I've made a little more progress today, adding ears, arms, and lower legs. I'm still pondering costuming options, having a very vague sense of a direction.

Hoffman Challenge doll ~ in progress

This year, I'm hoping to complete my Hoffman Challenge doll well before the deadline. Think it will happen? Last year, I chose an unfinished doll from my big basket-o-dolls - one that fit the size requirements. No such luck this year, so I'm adapting my most recent design (see Livia prototypes). I've lengthened her body a little, as well as her thighs, legs are lower legs.

Busy. Again. Still?

I'm getting ready to head to work in a bit, but wanted to get a post in since it's been awhile. Work and babysitting has kept me busy, and I've been stealing moments to work on some journal pages from Life Book 2013 (the last few lessons) and Life Book 2014. I've started working the first layers on three separate pages to make the best use of my time. By the way, you can still sign up for Life Book 2014 HERE. I've been having a blast, and recommend it to anyone.

I haven't done any sewing lately, but have been feeling the urges to make a doll. Actually, I NEED to make quite a few dolls to take to San Antonio this summer for ODACA Day and the UFDC Conference. The big obstacle to that is time, as per usual. I hope to make my reservations this weekend. I've never been to San Antonio, so I'm excited.

 

And there's the annual Hoffman Challenge doll to create as well, due about the time we'll be doing the San Antonio thing. I've got the fabric (big pattern, but pretty). I just need to come up with a design...

Hoffman Doll Finished!

And I will be paying for Express shipping. Again.

This is "Emmaline." She's made of original Doesuede fabric (some that I'd hoarded a number of years ago.)  She's 16 inches tall. I used Skor tape to make the fabric beads that embellish her bodice and skirt hem.

Hoffman Progress

Today's the absolute last day I can send my Hoffman Challenge doll Priority Mail and have her make the deadline. I still have so much to do on her. I'm pretty sure I'll be spending a small fortune to send her Express Mail...again. Thank goodness I pulled out the application form, or I wouldn't have known the deadline is much earlier this year!

 

In working on her costuming, I had absolutely no end goal in mind. I've just been adding pieces here and there and seeing where it goes. I'm quite happy with the fabric bead embellishment. I bought some Skor tape from Joggles, and thought using it to make beads would be far superior to using glue - what a mess that would have been! Before starting this doll, I'd been planning to have my grandson Ivan make a beaded necklace for his mommy, and had the epiphany about the tape while brainstorming this craft project. 

 

I'm not sure what I'll use for her hair yet, or what kind of shoes to give her. My next post should be the finished doll - check back again!

 

For any dollmakers with Hoffman dolls - please send photos to me at blueheron61@charter.net to have them featured on my dedicated Hoffman pages:

 http://www.blueherondolls.com/Hoffman%20Challenge.htm

Getting Started on my Hoffman Challenge Doll

My stay-at-home vacation starts today, and the next thing on today's to-do list is to get SOMETHING done on my Hoffman Challenge doll. So I've dug through my unfinished doll basket and pulled out one I think would work well and fit within the size limits.

I think this doll was started in 2008 (she never made it into the doll log/notebook I started when I first began my dollmaking adventure.)  She was intended to be a commission for someone, but the project fell through. You can see the Hoffman Challenge fabric on the left, and two coordinating fabrics as well.

Enough procrastinating!!!

A few 2012 Hoffman Challenge Dolls

Colleen Babcock has some Hoffman Challenge dolls posted on her blog HERE.  I've got the challenge fabric for 2013, but haven't given any thought to what my doll will be.

Don't forget to send me photos of your Hoffman dolls! I've begun setting up the Hoffman pages on my website, so as the dolls start coming in I'll be featuring them.

The Hoffman site has the 2013 fabric posted, as well as the rules for this challenge:
http://www.hoffmanchallenge.com/

Hoffman Winners!

I home from New Orleans, and boy, do I love being home. NO was wonderful, and I'm so glad I got to experience a little piece of it. Now we're back in the beautiful northwest, with its moderate weather - I sure don't miss the heat and humidity.

While we were out of town, the winners of the Hoffman Challenge were announced. I am pleased, but very surprised to have won the 3rd place award. Come HERE to see the doll winners, and click HERE to see the winners of all the categories.

I received photos of more Hoffman entries while I was gone, so now I'm off to update the website. Check back in a little while!

Hoffman Finished!

I finally finished my Hoffman Challenge doll this morning. Now I've just got to round up a box, complete all the paperwork, and head for the post office.

I'm happy to say I was able to observe my New Year's Resolution of completing an unfinished doll before starting a new one. I've got a big basket of UFOs (UnFinished Objects), and my half-done Viola Ruth fit the bill and size requirements.

This year's challenge fabric was a really big print, so I decided to break it up a bit and try a weaving technique, though it made her pinafore a bit stiff. What a pain that was!

Viola Ruth is made using one of my patterns and pressmolds. She's 18 inches tall. Her face and the back of her head are made from polymer clay, sandwiched around a rudimentary stuffed cloth head. The gaps are filled in with paperclay. Then the head and upper chest/back are covered in a knit fabric. Her ears are fabric.

I've still got about a half dozen unfinished dolls to complete. It sure felt good to   eliminate one from the basket.

I've been hosting webpages to share others' Hoffman dolls, and have received quite a few so far. If there are more out there, please send them to me at blueheron61@charter.net.

A Call for Hoffman Dolls

It's time again to start thinking about this year's Hoffman Challenge. I've had the challenge fabric for a couple months, but have hardly had a moment to think about it. The print this year is rather large, so I might experiment with some different fabric manipulation techniques.

For the past 10 years or so I've been hosting pages on my website dedicated to Hoffman doll entries - as many as I can get. Visit my webpage to see some of the past challenge fabrics. On that page are links to some of the challenge dolls - not all of them (there are many more), but just those sent to me by the dollmakers themselves. Not everyone gets to travel to the Hoffman exhibits, so this is my way to see as many of the dolls as possible.

I encourage participants in the doll category to send me photos of their dolls for inclusion. Remember, it's all about challenging yourself and not comparing yourself to others. Please consider entering this challenge (I'm not affiliated with Hoffman Fabrics). Take photos of your doll (ideally with an uncluttered background so we can better see your doll), and send them to me: blueheron61@charter.net. I include links to your blogs and websites if you have them. Please let me know the name of your doll and the source of your pattern (your original design, or patterns by other dollmakers) and inspiration.

Yahoo!

Just got an email from Julie Breidt, curator of the Hoffman Challenge. I was tickled to learn my doll "Eolande" won second place in the dolls category! I'm just thrilled to have finished my doll with all the drama that's been going on around here (not elaborating, but this, too, shall pass).

Congratulations to all the entrants. The dolls chosen to travel are now up on the Hoffman site. Links to the winning dolls' photos are a little messed up on the Hoffman site right now, but after a little tweaking of URLs, I found them (below). Clicking on the award will take you to the Hoffman site's photo of the doll. Clicking on the winners name will take you to their blogs, or other site.

The awards for Dolls are:
1st place: NANCY HALL, "Blossoms"
2nd Place: ME, "Eolande"
3rd Place: VICKI CROSSLAND, "Reluctant Princess"
Honorable Mention: KAREN MCGREGOR, "Oriental Blossoms"
Curators Choice: STEPHANIE NOVATSKI, "It's the Economy's Fault!"
Most Humorous: DALLAS SILLS, "Fern"
Best First Time Entry: TRUDY WATKINS, "Underwater Friends"
Best Incorporation of Theme: JOYCE JURCZAK, "Paradise"

Don't forget that you can see some of the dolls on my website: http://www.blueherondolls.com/2011%20Hoffman%20Challenge.htm so if you know of someone who made a Hoffman doll this year, point them in my direction if they haven't already contacted me. Thanks!!

Finished Hoffman

I finally finished my Hoffman doll this afternoon. All that's left is the labeling, completing the entry forms, and packaging. Oh, and I've named her "Eolande," which is Celtic for "wild flower."

I think this is the first time in a very long time that I haven't had to send my doll Express Mail to meet the deadline.

The costuming evolved as I worked. I saved her hair for last, and as I had no fringe or other fiber of appropriate color, I settled for Tibetan lamb. It may not travel well, but will be fixable when she gets home (hoping the rest of her survives - like the armature, which is wire).