The Patroness of TOTE - The Oamaru Textile exchange in the Victorian Precinct!

Remember this Mannequin?

The neck was too stiff and unsatisfactory, so............off with her head!  Abit of paint to the base - it's already looking more like it!

I decided to see if I could just make a cloth one that didn't have anything hard in it, so I tried this out - Just like any ordinary doll head, and needlesculped it with a BIG needle. She's a big gawky, but hey - she's eyecatching! 

 

 I changed her wig and made a false dress front that looks like a shirt dress with a high collar.  She's wearing the toile I've made for her coat, which I hope to get together shortly.  It's not the finished length, but you get the drift?

She's looking quite excited at having a makeover don't you think?  The coat will be interesting..............I hope.  Certainly a different colour - or two!  Had to work some magic with the neck to hold it all up, but Colleen Babcock gave me a great idea with her new mystery pattern that has worked a treat!

I bought a big picture hat and have tried to make it kind of victorian.  Eventually it will have colour on it to 'doll' it up a bit!

All I hope is that it will weather well enough this summer!  It will be outside most of the time as advertising.  I can just see tourists standing beside her for a photo opportunity!  LOL!  She's over six feet tall!  I'll keep you posted about the next step!

Check out these little treasures that Adrianne's been busy making fior her grandchildren's family heirlooms!  Aren't they just amazing!  She's not able to come each week and does night shift, so hand sewing works for her.  They are lined with good fabric too! I love the 3D effect!

Steam Punk Exhibition 2012

I've been working on my entry for this years Steam Punk Exhibition.  I'm putting in three pieces this year, because for various reason's my students are unable to and I wanted a representative from the textile group to have a part to play in this genre of artistry where it's mostly metal.

I will enter my Steam Punk Magpie which I made from
made from Susan Barmore - aka Frowning Frances, fantastic Steam Punk Crow pattern, and made from bits of my friend's old handbag!

Each piece has to have a story of it's history, so here's what I've put together.

“Quardle-oodle-ardle ”

An Alarmist, attached to the Hedgerows Emergency Team in the Magpie Territorial’s, Quardle-oodle-ardle is always on the alert for intruders!  He takes his job very seriously, ever ready to ward off low-flying, marurdering hawks or unsuspecting passersby, who hear his warning Quardle-oodle-ardle battle cry as they make a hasty retreat!

I think people will be amazed and delighted to see that Steam Punk has hit the doll world and what can be made.


Next I will have my version of a Steam Punk Vehicle - driven by MORTIMER CROSS-ETHERINGTON, Inventor of the NZR Aeronautalis     

The Aeronautilis was the prototype for the first Steam powered jet hover craft. Built by genius inventor, Mortimer Cross-Etherington, in whatever year was required.  This fine machine was fitted with the latest technology and therefore able to be used for purposes where stealth and deliverance was necessary, because no-one could guess where it would appear next!

 Last but not least is:

Veritas Seeker – In the second half of life, VERITAS seeks to discover what truth she can about gender, race, creed, sexuality, intelligence and all the restrictions of the time she is stepping away from. She walks through this long dark time with the dim lamp of the past and the Staff of Enlightenment that helps her stand firm in her quest for Accountability, Truth and Justice in an ever-changing world!

I had trouble getting this doll to come together for some reason that doesn;t happen very often. I used dark fabric for a change.  I've had it undone so many times, added and subtracted and I didn't know if I liked the face enough. Still not sure if it works.  I liked the idea of the coloured dreads and a helpful granddaughter who is into the Playstation3 game of The Final Fantasy, so got some ideas from that.  She's got a slightly Gurnge look and is definitely alternative!  Not as Steam Punk as last years I think.  Still, it's done and it's going in!

My last years efforts of three pieces have been invited back to the Art Gallery for the summer, so that's good - I don't have to store them at my place!  LOL!

These pieces will go in the Custom House Gallery here in Oamaru, where this years Exhibition is being held.

So what do you think? 

I've signed up for Colleen Babcocks Mystery Doll Pattern - which seems to have taken off into the worlds biggest cloth doll class!  I think she'll hardly have tiome to do anything for weeks while she answers all her emails!  And here's me thinking I might hold a mystery doll Online class...........I'll have to think about that one.  It's a pretty massive undertaking.

Anyway, here's my effort at making the delicious little head. Lovely skull shape and the neck looks promising, but not on yet. I think I'm way behind the others.

The fabric is Hoffman Watercolour Batik and lovely to work with and gives the skin an iteresting tone.

 I've never done the eyelids like this before either and what I found most interesting was following someone else's process after doing my own thing for so long!  Always something new to learn as a dollmaker and Colleen knows her craft so well!

Good Dog! Mutilated the head for I doll I'm making for an Auction!  Luckily (for her) I didn't really like that head and was in two minds about redoing it, so it was easy enough to rescue the ears off it (untouched) and make another head!  She ripped the eyelashes off too - pest! 

Here's the windswept culprit - talk about Hairy McClary! This is Pip the Pillager! It's the paint she's after - loves the smells! She can't resist anything that smells like glue, so sellotape, masking tape - you name it - she'll grab it if she can!

 

 

And here's the dear lady herself - restored and thankfully finished - looking for all the world like Barry Humphries dressed up as Dame Edna............ Darlings! 

What do you think Possums?  Where are those gorgous spectacles?  She's actually being auctioned as a fundraiser on Melbourne Cup day, so she's dressed for the races!  I modified a Jill Maas pattern to make her.