Many of you have written asking when you can sign up for the Soul Whisperer online class. Well, the time has arrived! Just click here to pop over to Doll Street for more information and to sign up: http://www.dollstreetdreamers.com/classes/colleen_whisperer.htm The class starts on July 15th.
If you sign up before June 15th, then you'll also receive the pattern and lesson for these cloth doll pencil toppers too. Bonus.
I can't wait!
Dear Mum,
Do you remember that time we got caught in the rain during a long walk? We were both wearing sandals and we had problems staying on our feet. We sang all the songs we could think of with rain in the title - loudly. Milli Vanilli couldn't have sung Blame it on the Rain better. In fact, they didn't.
Do you remember when you danced the tango with that guy in HMV?
Do you remember when I was a nun in the Sound of Music and the altos couldn't figure out their part and I was so frustrated? You sneaked us all out into a staircase and taught us the part. The director thought he'd really worked miracles with us. Little did he know.
Do you remember when you got invited to a Halloween party with my friends in high school? And you and Dad dressed up as Tim and Al from Home Improvement? I must say, a tool belt and tie really works on you.
Do you remember when you made me that cowgirl skirt for cowboy day at school and you took the fringe off a tablecloth to trim the bottom? That grade eight kid said to me 'Your skirt looks like a tablecloth!'. He meant it as an insult, but I told him 'That's because it is a tablecloth!' and swooshed on by. I loved that skirt.
Do you remember when you tried on that figure hugging slip in that lingerie store and when you tried to pull it over your head you got completely stuck? I came in to try and extricate you but we got giggling madly and couldn't stop. We never could show our faces in that store again.
Do you remember when you did my make-up to look like a zombie for my first high school Halloween dance? It was so good that I really looked dead. No one danced with me. Note to self: it you want boys to like you, don't get Mum to make you look gross. She's good at it.
Do you remember when I was sick how you would turn on the radio to classical music and sit up with me all night and rub my back round and round in circles? And you'd give me ginger ale out of that plastic cup that looked like an ice cream cone with a straw in it. I still listen to classical music when I don't feel well because it makes me feel like you are with me.
Do you remember? Thank you for everything you do for me Mum. Every word of support, every giggle. Everyday I think of you. I am so lucky I have you.
Ah, alliteration is so satisfying. Not only are these tutorials great for embellishing dolls or creating little settings for tiny fairies, but you could use them as brooches (the flowers anyway, fungi brooches would just be weird).
Here is a great little tutorial for needle-felting a flower.
I adore these dahlias made out of ric-rac. Usually, I see ric-rac and shudder to think of the dance skirts my mum used to make me with rac-rac edging. I don't know why I shudder, I just do. I have ric-rac issues.
Here is a super cute dandelion tutorial. Hey, don't knock dandelion's, one woman's weed is another woman's flower. Don't you love it when kids pick you a 'flower' and it's a dandelion.
Whip out your hook and whip up this chrysanthemum crochet pattern.
Here is a great tutorial on how to make prim sunflowers. Grungier than Kurt Cobain and twice as cute.
And on to fungi...doesn't this little mushroom beg to have some teeny fairy seated on it?
And this mushroom doubles up as a free pincushion pattern - sweet.
I feel that this Freebie Friday was florally fabulous. And free. This Freebie Friday was sponsored by the letter F.
I set myself a goal to get published this year and I'm at it again.
This time Water Lily is featured in Art Doll Quarterly. Oooh, shiny paper. It even smells good.
I've tried to think of a clever segue to tell you about what I found in my loaf tin in the pots and pans cupboard in my kitchen but my brain hurts too much to be clever right now, so I'll just hit you with it. I saw a recipe for a yummy looking marmalade and Muscovado sugar cake and fished out my loaf tin to see if it was the right size. Inside I found a single stray sock of my husband's. What was a stray sock doing in the loaf tin? I strongly suspect that a pixie spirited away that sock and has been using it as a duvet while sleeping in the loaf tin. Definitely pixie mischief!
I often hear people say that they would love to design their own cloth doll but have no idea where to start. If you've found yourself saying that very thing then you need to know that the one and only Judi Ward is coming to the UK especially to teach her design your own cloth doll class on Tuesday July 22nd from 10am-4pm. The class will take place just outside London. The class fee is £55 per person.
We will be designing and sewing a basic 6 part, jointed or un-jointed doll. We probably won't have time to do faces and hair, but faster students may want to bring some yarn, paints, brushes, coloured pencils etc. with which to finish their dolls face and hair. If we have time, Judi will show a quick hand design lesson, to make hands with fingers, and perfect every time. We will be using a vinyl doll as starting point for the design. This method is very versatile and can be made into anything one desires! From a sweet baby to an ethereal fairy. From a fashion doll to a country doll. From a male to a female doll. There is simply no end to the ways this type of design can be used.
Check out a few of the dolls that have been created using this method of design:
I think you'll agree that these designs are very diverse but all fabulous! Don't miss out on this chance to learn from Judi. Spaces are very limited and will be reserved on a first come first served basis. And spaces can only be booked through me. For more information or to sign up, please e-mail me. The best part about being the organiser of this course is that I'm definitely guaranteed a place! Ha, so everyone else in line behind me!
There are so many great ways to trim doll costuming. Here are just few free tutorials to inspire you to trim and embellish your dolls.
One of my favourite ways of adding sparkle to edges is with a bead picot, like I did with the Soul Whisperer's waistcoat below. Click here to see how to do it.
I'm dying to try this beaded scallop edge.
This tutorial on creating interlocking loops also looks promising.
Plus there is this vertical net trim tutorial.
My friend Romona gave a free tutorial on her blog on how to make your own beaded trim here. If you buy this type of trim pre-made it is really expensive, so this is a great way to do it yourself.
I love this tutorial on making your own ribbon trim from Fembellish.
Or how about a simpler look, click here to see how to stitch a blanket stitch which makes a nice edging.
There are so many other ways to trim, to embellish to jazz up those edges - we could be here for hours, but let's keep it short shall we? Have fun and remember to live on the edge.
This Freebie Friday, I've decided that rather than link to other people's free doll stuff on the net,I'd create a free pattern along with a free tutorial of my own to give away.
First of all, if you are my friend Kari, stop reading this right now! I mean it, stop reading. I'm not kidding. There will be serious consequences if you keep reading. Here's a link to the site for Michael Bolton. There. That got rid of her.
When I was in Rome in January I was sketching in our hotel room. When I'd finished playing with the drawing I realised that I'd sketched a very close friend of ours, Kari. It was Kari's hen weekend and we had already arranged a trip for my birthday at the same time,so she was on my mind. I liked the sketch and wanted to do something with it as a gift for Kari (hence, re-directing her to Michael Bolton, there's no accounting for taste). It was jut the right size for a bookmark, so here's a flat doll bookmark for you (and for Kari). There aren't many special materials involved and you can embellish the bookmark however you like.
First off you need to download the free pattern. Download karis_bookmark.pdf
You'll need:
1. Start off by tracing the pattern onto the right side of the flesh coloured fabric using a mechanical pencil. Use a lightbox if you have one, if not, you could tape it to a window to trace the drawing.
2. Iron the double-sided bonding sheet to the back of the flesh coloured fabric, peel off the paper backing and adhere to the Pelmet Vilene/Timtex.
3. Use a combination of watercolour pencils and regular pencil crayons to colour the face (click on the link if you need some help with colouring the face from Patti Culea). Use watercolour pencils to colour the hair and clothes. Run a damp brush over these areas you've coloured with watercolour pencil to give the effect of paint (just don't wet the face or her features will blur together). Be prepared that it may run as watercolours do. If it runs off the edge of the body, it doesn't matter as we will cut that fabric away. Dip the watercolour pencils in water for colouring the shoes or highlights in the hair - anywhere that you want a strong, bold line and intense colour. This also works well when highlighting the eyes with a small dot of white to make them look shiny.
4. Once you are happy with the colouring of your flat doll bookmark spray it with a spray fixative. Do this in a well ventilated area, preferably outside and on a flat surface so that the watercolour pencil doesn't run. Hold the spray can 10" or so away from the drawing and let the spray fall on the drawing. Spray the drawing 3-5 times.
5. When the spray fixative is dry use free motion machine embroidery to decorate the surface. I also outlined the whole shape and the main lines of the drawing with free motion stitching. I used variegated rayon thread for this stitching because, well, it's pretty.
6. When you've stitched the bookmark as much as you want, iron another double-sided bonding sheet to the pelmet Vilene side of the bookmark, then peel off the paper backing and iron on a piece of patterned fabric for the bookmark backing.
7. Cut out the shape, being extra careful not to cut your stitching. Then zig-zag stitch the edges of the bookmark around the whole shape.
8. Embellish as you wish. I didn't get carried away here as I want my piece to be as flat as possible so as not to ruin the bindings of books by the mere use of this bookmark, so I just applied hot-fix crystals as buttons. However, you could do some stamping or other fun stuff if you wished.
Done. I hope you enjoyed that free tutorial and pattern. And I hope Kari likes her bookmark. and forgives me for kicking her off my blog because generally I'm so welcoming, really I am.
I had a pretty ordinary day today and then I received this in the post:
All the way from Quebec, from Louise. If you regularly read my blog you'll remember Louise's doll from my Bea in her Bonnet class. The day I received those pictures from Louise I was really down, but her pictures and e-mail really cheered me up. Now for no reason at all, except that Louise is a sweetie, I received this magazine! And the best part is that I didn't have this one yet. I have a subscription to Cloth Paper Scissors but this is a special issue that doesn't come with the subscription. What did I do to deserve such great internet doll friends? Merci beaucoup Louise!
I have been dying to show you what I'm working on but I can't because it's a gift and the recipient reads this blog. Bum. Can't share. So I thought I'd share this instead, cause it made me so happy when I saw it:
Let your inner child rock out!
rI really can't claim to have a studio or sewing room. I have a table, but I'm not complaining because in a flat as tiny as mine even a table is a large percentage of the space I do have.
Anyway, I did some scouting around on the net and found some great projects, ideas and tips for how to organise your studio or sewing room. Most of these involve some recycling which gives you a warm fuzzy feeling. Mmmmm...feel the righteous goodness...
If you've got way too many issues of Soft Dolls and Animals, Quilting Arts and Art Doll Quarterly sitting around, while not try this magazine holder made out of a cereal box.
I always find that I have pieces of patterns and instructions sitting all over my sewing table, but this gorgeous organiser would really help to keep those in order.
I also end up with thread, pins, scissors sitting all over the place, here is away to decorate an egg carton to keep all that stuff neat.
Here is a great way to store ribbon or other bits and bobs using jars.
If you are sick of the all cords laying around, try this easy way to convert a shoebox into a cord tidy.
For some great organisation inspiration click through this slide show. There are some easy but fun storage ideas that are inexpensive.
I particularly like this conversion of a rolling metal shelf unit into a cutting table.
Here is a great little tutorial for a bag to sew up for storing all your sewing notions. This would be particularly great to take things on the go with you.
Martha does it again with this video on how to make yourself a peg board organiser and here she gives some tips on how to de-clutter your small stuff with some easy solutions.
This insanely perky lady gives you a You Tube tour of every minute detail of her sewing room, but I found it all a bit much. Bless. But I particularly liked her idea for covering a shelf with roman blinds. I'll let her tell you how:
See? Perky.
So now all you have to do is get yourself sorted.
I'm afraid that due to other commitments, Mavis and I are no longer able to participate in Rainbow Dolls. However, the club will be meeting at 1.30 pm on Tuesday 22nd April at Rainbow Silks in Great Missenden when the future of the Club and any suggestions for it will be discussed. Anyone who can get there will be very welcome. I am going to continue to run the Yahoo Group however, so anyone who wishes to talk dolls is welcome to join.
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