It's a...Boy?

I'm making some progress on my DIP, and at this point, I think It wants to be a Boy. Up to this point, I've done no sanding and all the sculpting has been done with my fingers. I'm still adding to and refining features. There's still some asymetry to the face, but that's fixable. When the sculpt is done, I'll add a cloth-over to make the doll a bit more durable. Besides, I like the texture of the cloth-over.

See how the torso seems a bit long? I placed the stuffed parts on top of the pattern pieces, and everything matched. It's just the nature of this particular pattern, I guess. The fact that this doll is barefoot also points me in the direction of a male doll. He'll get some ears eventually.

But I can always change my mind at make It a Girl in the end.

"Caressa, Maven of the Coffee House" (ODACA donation)

"Caressa, Maven of the Coffee House" is the doll I've chosen to donate to the ODACA Day Luncheon raffle. She's a one-of-a-kind doll - a prototype - made in 2008 when I was exploring designs for my ODACA Centerpiece doll. I ultimately went another direction for that project, but decided to make this one into a Beatnik-style figure.

She's made of camel-colored craft velour, and is in a permanently fixed position (seated). Her hair is Tibetan lamb. She's about 12 inches tall (seated). Here she is, just waiting for her moussed hair to dry.

Dipping into DIPs

For those who don't make dolls, a "DIP" is a doll-in-progress.  I posted a photo of a basket of DIPs quite some time ago, and sadly, the basket hasn't gotten any emptier (and in fact, there are about six DIPs who never made it into the basket).

Within the next couple days I need to send a doll for the ODACA Day Luncheon Raffle. The Luncheon is in Anaheim on July 24th, and as I won't be attending this year, I need to hurry.

I had the brilliant idea of making a new doll for the Luncheon, so I picked a doll out of the basket (the one marked with a red arrow) and have been working on it. She/he needed some significant work on the face, so I've been applying layer after layer of paperclay to build up the features and hide that horrible little puckered face.

Now I can see that there's no way I'll get the doll done in time to get it mailed, so I'll be sending an already-completed doll tomorrow. I haven't decided which one will go, but it must go.

I'll continue to work on this doll, though. The pattern I used is a very old one - Butterick No. 331, patented in 1898 (or 1899?). My stuffed doll seems disproportionately long in the torso, which may be due to the natural stretch of the cross grain of muslin I used, but other dolls of the same era seem to have that characteristic, too. I used this 16-inch doll pattern (my doll ended up being 18 inches tall after stuffing and assembly), but I've also got the pattern in the 24 inch size.

July 16 update: I just had a chance to check out Adele Sciortino's latest newsletter, and guess what? She's announced a "UFO Challenge" that I think will be a good incentive to get this DIP done (a UFO is an UnFinished Object, for those who've never experienced the concept). Just click on "Newletter" at the top of her home page to register for this free newletter that's just packed with great doll information! The deadline for this challenge is October 15, 2011. Submissions will be published in the Winter issue of Creative Costuming Newsletter.

A Little Organization...and a Book for Sale (SOLD)

I spent a whole day organizing my craft and art books (I've got way more than I'd care to admit), and in the process found I had a duplicate - I just didn't realize it because the covers were different.

So I'd like to sell one of them. This one is no longer in print, and has a copyright  of 2003. I went to Amazon to see how much this book was going for, and the current price is $32.90 for the used books:
http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Life-Like-Figures-Polymer-Step-/dp/0974153001/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310498690&sr=1-1

The newer version of the book (only the cover is different) is going for $12-14:
http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Lifelike-Figures-Polymer-Clay/dp/0823015033/ref=pd_sim_b_1

I'm asking $12 plus postage (which I'll figure out after I calculate for your shipping address) - to the first person that emails me. The book has minimal shelf wear. SOLD

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).

Independence Day!

Here's to a celebratory Fourth of July! It's a gorgeous day here in Astoria, and I hope all the campers, tourists and locals keep safety in mind while celebrating this nation's Independence Day. This year also happens to be Astoria's 200th birthday.

More Hoffman Progress

I worked on my Hoffman doll all day yesterday, and got quite a bit done. Much of the time was spent making little yo-yo flowers to put on her skirt.

Her sleeves were cut from a blouse made of that weird textured fabric. I don't know if it's silk or some synthetic, but the fabric was difficult to work with.

Today I'll be working on some sort of bodice. I haven't even begun to think about her hair yet.

More fabric arrived!

Bingo! This is the same fabric I bought at Fabric Depot several years ago ( "powder" color). Now I've got nearly 8 yards of beautiful skin tone fabric for dolls with the powder and cameo shades. Here's a photo of the two fabrics side-by-side. 

Maybe I should order one of the ethic shades, too. I've got quite a lot, but all are knits of various kinds - not woven.

New fabric came today

The "cameo" fabric I ordered has arrived, and I compared it to what I've been using. The cameo is just a little darker than what I've been using, and would also work very well for doll skin. After looking at the photos on the Hingeley website (link in previous post), the stuff I bought at the Fabric Depot may have been the "powder" color, as shown below.

Favorite Doll Fabric

A couple years ago I was at the Fabric Depot in Portland (Oregon) for a doll class. It's the largest fabric store I've ever seen. Really, it's amazing. While there, I picked up some fabric in a nice flesh tone that I thought would work for dolls. Turns out, it's one of the nicest woven fabrics I've used.

Now, I'm almost out of my stash. At least I had the foresight to cut a bit of the selvedge off with the name of the manufacturer on it. It didn't take long to track it down, and then to find an online store that carried it. Unfortunately, the selvedge didn't have the name of the color on it.

The fabric is by Timeless Treasures Fabrics, Inc., and is part of their "Complexion Collection." The pattern number is km-c7966, and the color I've been using is "Cameo" (I think), though I see it comes in several shades that would be nice for dolls. I just bought six yards from this store (no affiliation, just one of the first links on Google when I did a search): http://www.hingeleyroadquilting.com/search.aspx?find=complexion+collection

June 26: I just got an email from doll-friend Susan Saint-Leaves. She told me the above link no longer has the cameo colored fabric pictured here, which actually appears a little darker than my stuffed dolls. I think the dolls may appear lighter partially due to the white stuffing used, or maybe I bought a different color at the Fabric Depot. I'll compare when my new order arrives - I got their last 4 7/8 yards. I'd really like to get my hands on samples of all the colors.