10 posts tagged “sewing”
My daughter came to visit for a week and it was great! One of the first things she told me was that she had a sewing machine but wasn't familiar with how to work it. I was thrilled that she wanted me to help her through the basics of using a sewing machine and came up with a project that would give her a chance to complete while she was visiting.
I've been noticing how popular aprons are becoming again, vintage patterns are finding a new audience but getting a new look with current fabric designs and colors. Even though many a time I found myself wishing I had an apron to use but I just never did anything to make it happen since I've never been an apron user. Since starting up with making dolls and their clothes again, I find I am creating the ever present sewers stash and apron thoughts were nibbling at my mind because that would be a way to reduce the stash and make something useful at the same time still being a small project.
Enter the daughter/novice and the gears were in motion! We picked out the main apron fabric from my stash, then went looking for a pattern. We found an easy one at the fabric store that had two styles, one a half apron and one a bib apron. The pattern called for one color for the main part, waistband and ties with different colored biased tape trim but I took the opportunity to show that one apron pattern can have many variations. My daughter picked out a great contrasting color for the waistband and ties with the trim matching those.
Once the material was washed and ironed, I guided her through the process of pinning the pattern to the fabric, cutting the pieces out for each fabric. I only started her, she took the ball and ran with it through every step. Then the markings were transferred to the fabric and the acutal sewing could begin. She paid very close attention to the various things I did and asked good questions along the way so that she really understood what was going on as each piece was sewed together. After the waistband was put on, she totally did the rest herself and did a really great job on the little hems for the ties and firmly sewing the ties into the waistband. The she hand stitched the waistband on the inside and I could hardly see where she'd placed the stitches.
There are 1/4 inch white double faced satin shoulder straps and an opening in the back so the whole thing is removeable.
I haven't decided if I want to stitch "Hitty" in red cross stitching on the upper area yet. I sort of like it the way it is now, truth be told.
I am having a hard time deciding what to do next. I'm happy making the EFA dolls but, at the same time, I don't want to stop making other types of dolls either.
I've discovered a vintage book on making what would be termed in modern times as ethnic dolls. They are cloth dolls about fourteen inches tall. The torso/head/neck are one piece and the arms and legs are sewed on separately. Hair is made of yarn and can be done in a few styles and the facial features are embroidered. There are simple patterns for the costumes, mostly it's the embellishments and such that make the difference in how they look. In a case or two, though, there are even knitting instructions for making the outfits. I love that! All the colorful outfits and different ways that the various cultures of each doll is depicted, once a doll is finished, are wonderful to me.
Interestingly enough, there are also patterns for making six and eight inch dolls for some of the dolls. They are strikingly similar to the EFA patterns.
So now I waffle back and forth about which doll I want to do and which size, ad infinitum.
Dollie in Waiting, waits no more and she has a name, Beth!! She's all done and we are both relieved that there weren't any more mishaps in the making of Beth. She is tall for her age, I must say. But I think that has to do with the fabric I used for her body. Her clothes are sewed to her body so they can't be removed.
Truthfully, I can't say that I like that in the long run. If she should last any length of time, and needed sprucing up just how would a person do that? I dunno.
She also has a cape and bonnet and as soon as I get the chance I'll photograph her in those too.
It seems to me like I take a long time in making them, and quite a few, oh what's the phrase...oh yeah, man hours. :)
The time put into them almost makes me want to shut them away where the sunlight won't damage or fade the fabric and such. But then, if I did that I couldn't enjoy them. And I get much enjoyment from these little dolls being all around.
And just think, there can never be another made exactly like it. They can look similar but there can only be one because each face is sewn individually and can't be replicated again so there are no manufactured carbon copy any where else in existance. I think that's sort of awsome!
Here's a close look at her.
I didn't sew them they way the way described but the way I did it, I only had to sew through one layer of leather at a time which was much easier on my hands and fingers.
They are tied with some black DMC Baroque Crochet Cotton which is a heavier colorfast cotton thread.
I remember once that my two older daughters had each gotten a marionette from my cousin while he was on a visit during one of his trips. My kids had just watched the movie, "Sound of Music" and thought the marionette puppet play was funny and fun to actually do so the girls decided to use the marionetts they had gotten to put on a small play for us. I thought it was so cool and really enjoyed watching them use their imagination like that. And, talk about eye/hand control. I think instead of playing quite as many video games kids should learn to work a marionette, that would give them some fine eye/hand control and they'd learn a whole lot more along the way!
Oh, the struggle little Dollie In Waiting has gone through. She's been man-handled and suffered two wig applications. The first one was half way done and I didn't like the way it looked so off it came and then re-done from scratch. The second is on her now and it's better but I'm still not happy. I'm not putting her through another hair transplant.
Then her expressionless face started to reveal itself. She lifted her eybrows, and with her wide-open eyes seemed to tell me how dumbfounded she was at finding out she actually has a big mouth. All I can say, is that somewhere along the line she must be related to Julia Roberts. Not so bad considering the kind of bucks Miss Julia brings home.
Truthfully, my eyesight isn't what it once was and I can't embroider those small details like I could when I was in my 20's. From a distance she doesn't look bad at all but really close up, well, that's a different matter. I hate to keep fussing with her or she might end up flat as a pancake or get soiled in the process. So, I have to ask myself should I leave Dollie in Waiting as she is or is it worth it take her features off and try again.
I'm attempting a blog once again. Not sure if I'll keep it up any better than any of the others but I'm bored and it's dark and it's late so I can't use my machine to sew.
Anyway...
My latest doll, named Juda, after a distant relative that lived during the years that Izannah Walker was making her dolls in the 1800's.
Her body is made from muslin fabric. I gessoed the body areas such as her head and shoulders as well as the lower portions of her arms and legs. Then painted over the gesso with acrylic paint. Finally, I freehanded and painted her hair and sausage curls, her facial features, and laced boots with acrylic paint.
She has a lace trimmed and pintucked petticoat. Her dress was made with no pattern, just rectangles of different sizes.
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