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!!

Costuming Red Riding Hood

After my bad morning on Friday I left the doll alone in case I damaged her in the costuming process. Yesterday I started up again. I began with her bloomers. They're not very full, I didn't have much fabric, but with a little silk ribbon they do the trick. You can just see some white ribbon that I used to cover the join between sculpted leg and stuffing. 

 

Then I started her underskirt and over skirt. Both are done the same way just thin chiffon fabric. I also noticed I broke a finger somewhere along the way. (dang!!!) I found it so I'll be able to correct the problem, but I'll wait until I'm just about done with her.

I remembered I has some wonderful silk in a light grey blue that I thought would make a wonderful bodice to the dress. Testing the fit and pinning in place. With a little lace underneath for some trim to the edge. I like it.

  I needed to make release cuts under the arms so the bodice would fit properly. It was a tight fit under the arms. That's something that can happen with a bust and shoulder sculpt though. I need to watch for ways to correct this in the future. The arms less close to body perhaps.

. Next the sleeves. I made them rather full, intending to add lace and gather them up in a couple places.

This morning I attached them to the bodice and they cover some of the awardness at the underarm.

The bodice needs a little extra stuffing to fill it out better. I think.

Now onto shoes!! I draw a pattern of the sole of her foot, upper and sides. Don't forget I need a hole for the brass rod when I mark them left and right. Contact cement, while extremely stinky, is my best friend for this job.

 

A test fit on her stand and I can trim the excess sole away and press the sole firmly in place.

Not sure that I'll get more done on her today though. I'm puppy sitting and Daisy needs a walk and I could use some lunch.