This is a free Retro Dress Pattern I designed to fit 'Krista'. Please e-mail me for a PDF copy, if you have bought my 'Krista' pattern - or would like to!

  The dress has a basque waist with panels inset in the skirt to make it plain or coloured.  The dress can be any length and would look good with beading, buttons a shawl, or fine scarf. 

 It also comes with a half petticoat pattern.

Jodi arrived early tonight so we got stuck in so she could finish off two of her dolls.  To the right of her, you can see my latest creation in the making - no, not the frog - the one behind it!

Julie has a few dolls to attend to, with Eddie overlooking things!

Wow look at those brows!  This is Jodi's completed Troll!  she is very pleased with herself - considering she's a real newbie to dollmaking!  I think she's got the knack! 

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong." Joseph chilton Pearce

Thanks Colleen!  I like it!

This is to show how one-on-one instruction can work.  The one in the middle is the demonstration model I made for the workshop.  My student did the head on the right, with the curved smile and I did the one on the left.  Both dolls lack the white point in their eyes, but they were both done step by step together with very pleasing results!   Not even a clone!  My student was delighted to discover that anyone can make the same doll, but it will always look uniquely different!  She had never made a doll before!

Sustainable Oamaru Workshop 2012

I have just had a very satisfying weekend workshop - with one participant!  I am very happy because Helen completed her doll in exactly the right amount of time I had set out.


 It was an interesting experience for me watching someone following my pattern 'Krista', but also seeing how the sessions just flowed, in this one-on-one experience - although we did have some visitors and even had time to go for a quick walk!

 

Here the stuffing is all done and the shoes are drying from their undercoat of Gesso.  Preparations are underway for attaching the legs to the body.

At last  - attached after two attempts and getting the legs in the right position - just anything won't do, you know!  Long leggity lady is this doll!  We needle sculpted and coloured the body, arms & legs as we went, so it was all ready to go when it was time to attach.

Ahh!  She stands - well almost!

 

The head - we decided on a small modification.

Three heads are better than one!  We decided to do one together for some really good tuition.  Worked quite well wouldn't you say?  We were delighted with the results and had trouble deciding which was which!

At last the head is sewn on and she is all but finished!  We only had time then to play around with wigs and Helen decided which one she liked best.  She has promised to send me a picture of her doll dressed and finished, which I will post when I get it.

Helen was an excellent student and said she thoroughly enjoyed the experience and is seriously thinking of coming to our weekly OCDC next year! (She's doing embroidery this year)  She will be a welcome asset to our group!

Prince Ghastly was miserable. He wanted a  life of freedom - besides everybody thought he was ugly. 

He made a wish - "I wish I could be completely differnt from what I am now!"

 One day he was walking along

in his usual dopey way, not looking at anything in particular, when 'Whaow!'

He began to feel funny!  Actually he began to look funny too!  He opened his mouth and ............

GAHHH!  What's happening!

He turned into this particularly ugly Frog! 

 The moral of this story is: ALWAYS BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

HAH! So there you have it!  I know it's probably been done before somewhere, but in my research, I haven't found many.

This is my Frog Prince that I have been working on all week!  Finally finished and the pattern all but done! 

 I thought it was really different and interesting and sometimes I have to challenge myself because I'm not terribly good at this sort of thing and there was a few days there that I thought I wasn't going to work it out, but I persevered and here it is. 

 As you can see, the Frog and Prince are reversed through the mouth.  You could have a lot of fun with this doll - particularly good for story telling I would think.  Also a colourful and interesting novelty doll to add to anyone's collection, or for stalls! 

What do you think?  Comments always welcome!

New Pattern in the making!

The new pattern I’m working on is a real aberration for me!  It’s a variation of the Frog Prince that I saw, and was delighted with the concept!  I guess you could call it a puppet.  It would be great for storytelling!

 I haven’t seen much like it in my research, although I have seen a toymakers version - but not like this.  The original pattern was designed and made over 30 years ago, so I am reinventing it.  In any event, it is completely my own pattern, but the idea for it is not. 

This is such a classic I think we should all have access to how it’s made, so those of us who can, can replicate it for storytelling to our grandchildren.  So I have made a pattern. 

 The idea has all sorts of potential for many other things i.e. Red Riding Hood and the wolf, or grandma & the wolf – all those stories that turn into something else. 

Alternatively it could be an individual frog or a prince of the Muppet variety!  I’ve almost finished it, and the hardest part is putting on the mouth that joins them both together.  It’s all machine sewn but for a little sculpting on the princes nose, pop eyes on them both and partial hand sewing on the mouth.  It’s like putting a jigsaw puzzle together with all the different bits – quite quilt-like really!  The effect is rather stunning!  It could be made from scraps, or from good fabrics.  Intrigued?  I'll be posting a pic soon!

Joanne is putting together an elf.  Not bad considering she is new to dollmaking, and also that pattern had no instructions with it!  She is quite talented in the way of sewing!  I'm dying to know what it will look like in the end!

Well here's the heads!  Would you believe they are the same doll head?  It's all in the sculpting and colouring!

Julie has many dolls on the go.  Some are UFO's that she is wanting to tackle - as well as doing the monthly mini workshop we do!

Olive is enjoying Jean's antics of avoiding the camera!  She is making a baby Troll and getting her head around how it all goes together!  nhext week she's going to Lacemaking!  She's very talented too!

Jean has been recuperating from a motorbile accident, so coming to OCDC keeps her connected - and she's a tremendous help to me, which is most important!  Here's Raelene showing us the beautiful book she made at scrapbooking!  I love it!  Raelene is multitalented too!  I'm so grateful to be surrounded by these women who share their skills and talents with me! 

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!