Finally...

I finally got back in the studio this weekend. It's been a kind of blue winter for me, not inspired enough to get in and do something.

When I got Adele's newsletter a while back I was flabbergated at Vickie Arentz' Swan Lake, well in fact with all her ballerinas and her tutu's were so gorgeous!!

Vickie shows us how to make her tutu's in Adele's newsletter and I've been so intrigued. I have never made a ballerina before and I wanted to try this! Since I haven't been inspired at all this year and my sculpts haven't worked for me either. I decided to try it on a cloth doll.
I found a pattern in Patti Medaris Culea's book, Creative Cloth Doll Couture that I had been wanting to try. More for the knee joints than anything. So I thought why not try it for this Ballerina I wanted to try out.

SO I started the doll. I'm not too fond of the head. For the ballerina I had in mind I wanted a more narrow face. I loved the fingers though, and once wired, found them to be very expressive. Just what you want in a ballerina. Her body is a little thicker than I'd want and her feet will need to be really squeezed into some point shoes but I'm going to go with it for now.

The next day I took on the costume. An body suit in black satin, and then onto lots and lots of pleating for the tutu. I only had enough for four layers of tutu in the teal blue... back to the stash box for more ideas.

Although I have started the rest of the costume, I'm going to go back to the sewing table for a new head and more pleating before I show you more.

Hope you're enjoying? Please visit the links above to download Adele's newsletter and see Vickie's wonderful Swan Lake art doll on etsy!!! Stunning! Really! It will take your breath!!