Here's my last dolly sewing picture. This was last Thursday. It's made entirely out of fabric and trims that I bought from Moofers on BK. The fabric is really cute birdie fabric and I was inspired to try making a headband from this plum colored ric-rac style elastic trim. I made a bow from the bird fabric and put a little of this woodsy embroidered ribbon around the center instead of another fabric piece. I really like the way that it turned out and look forward to making some more headbands... especially with Lizzie Jane's fringe, I think it looks really cute.
Lately, I've actually been spending most of my creative energy on the non-dolly project that I agreed to do as a trade for Lizzie Jane and Cherry Kim. I have to be sure to complete that before I go on another dolly sewing extravaganza. Also, once I complete that project, I have to finish up my BK Swap for June... I have some awesome fabrics and got a couple cute things from etsy too... my swap partner has very cool descriptions in her "likes/dislikes" that gave me some great ideas - next weekend I will try to execute some of them... but no pics until July!
I did make a little black smock for Annie Mesmer on Monday evening... mostly because I wanted to use up this black bobbin so I could put white thread on it. I really need to get more Janome bobbins for my hand-me-down machine. She didn't come with all her goodies!
As for the dress, I still need to sew a snap on and take some photos. I got the internet smock pattern that I couldn't get to print to scale pared down almost to fit... except the sleeves are weird. It gives kind of a 60's boxy look to the whole thing... Annie can rock it, but it's not quite what I was going for... back to the cutting board.
When I was trying the smock on, I did a bad, bad thing. I nicked Annie's blush with a pin. She had another nick on her other cheek and I couldn't figure out how I'd done it before, but now I am suspecting it was in a try on like this. she now has teensy nicks out of her blush on both cheeks. I was sick to my stomach when it happened - I had a pin in my hand and I was trying the dress on her, turned her around to lin it so I could figure out where to sew the snaps and in one moment gone wrong, I did it.
But I'm actually glad it happened now.
It's liberating. Like the time that I got my first B my freshman year of high school in my math class and realized that I wasn't going to have a 4 point so I could relax. I only got 2 more Bs the rest of high school and that was cool... but I knew other people who stressed to protect their 4 point and lost it junior of senior year... that was a lot more heart-breaking for them.
Weird analogy, but I just feel like the stress of trying to protect her is relaxed. I am not 100% happy with her as a stock doll the way I am with Lizzie Jane. She begs to be a little different than she was created as... but I was too scared before.
Now that she is "imperfect", I am starting to daydream about some light customizing that might bring her personality out. I think she would look beautiful with some really dark brown/black hand-painted chips and some spooky milky ones too. She is also really shiny. I sanded Char-Char to really great effect, but I was scared to sand her, even though I wasn't sure about her shine.
Right after it happened, I hugged her and gave her a kiss on her super-shiny stock forehead and I felt like she was saying... it's okay. I am free now to become who I am meant to be. Lizzie Jane is perfect out of the box. I wouldn't change a hair on her head... but Annie is waiting to become something more.
It's been so fun to start looking at Peppermint customs & day dream about what I want for Annie. There is one adorable Frankie Darling custom Peppermint on BK named Harlow who I adore! She has a bob with fringe & I don't think that suits Annie at all... but she shows the potential of the Peppermint to be customized. There are some others that amaze me too...
Trixie - she's a dream. Not what Annie will be at all... but so shows the amazing potential for Peppermints to reveal their inner personality. I am amazed at the little things you learn in this hobby...
I love all the Peppermint girls with pale green and blue lids... it looks beautiful when they are the same color as their hair, but also when they are a bit different - either a bit more green, yellow, or blue... or darker. I wish I could post a bunch of flickr pics from other girls, but I am not sure if that is considered bad etiquette - that is why I just put links to Harlow and Trixie.
Then again, I really like the beautiful simplicity of this girl's face-up too.
And warmer, peachier blush too.
So many possibilities!
I am in no rush... I plan to play with her for a good long time and enjoy not having to feel so terrified of her getting scruffed or scratched. I will let her speak to me slowly to know exactly how she wants to be made over...
I think I will start with the eye chips that I've gotten the strong impression on and then wait for the next gut feeling to decide what's next after that. I think she will be dazzling with some moody and spooky eyes... she's such a sweet little spook.
No comments:
Post a Comment