Embroidered doll

This doll was built on the maga hoop of my Embroidery Machine. I got up early this morning and started creating. This doll is the resutls of that time well spent. I drew up the doll then illustrated it in the computer before bringing it into my Embroidery software. Then each section was designed as redwork sothat it could be stitched on the machine. I used dark thread to better photograph the steps then assembled the doll. She needs to be hand stitched but other than that she is a working pattern.

Concept of the Spirit Doll

When I was given the challenge of making something with a flat quarter of Christmas fabric I was stumped for two weeks. On Tuesday I just decided that something had to be done with the fabric. I pulled out a sheet of paper from my printer and started cutting a paper doll. This doll started to take form deep in my memory. Somehow I remember always being fascinated by Archeology and the discovery of old things. One of those things was a stone carving of a lady that was somewhat rounded and pretty much like the what I came up with. Then I needed to make it into a Christmas theme so I called it a Christmas Spirit Doll. This was two fold as my name is Christmas and the fabric was from the Christmas collection found at Jo Ann's Fabrics. As I worked on her I thought that the arms needed defining and so I placed an angel button in both sides of the doll and then the legs needed forming. I hand stitched this in and began putting beads on. The face was one that I made last week and was going to make a doll pin with. That changed when I put it on the fabric it sort of brought personality to the doll. I brought the doll to competition in one day. The people who know me know that I work in only one mode and that is non-stop when I get an idea. Before I went to bed I had created the doll and written a pattern for it.

Now I need to consider what to charge for the pattern and if I will put faces in the pattern packages. Then today I showed the doll along with the 4 others I built since Tuesday to a friend and she asked what I would ask for a doll that has so much bead work and time in it and I just did not have an answer. Before I left her home we had talked about creating the doll and putting it in a kit with various things to be added by the buyer. This would make the doll into the spirit of the buyer and not mine. As a crafter I feel that when someone invests time into something to make it their own it is better appreciated.

Today is Friday and now I have a Mother and baby made. The fabric is Batik but i used discharge paste to discolor parts of it. This was done by applying the paste to a rubber stamp and then applying it to the fabric. When the paste was dry I steam ironed it and it took the color away. The test piece was so good I used it to make the pouch for the baby to ride in. The stamp was of bamboo.

What are your opinions on these thoughts?

Spirit Doll

This Spirit Doll is made of a scrap of fabric from the thrift store.

Christmas in July Challenge by Judy Ward 2006

Judy challenged us to make a doll with some fabric she gave us and here is my doll. It took me most of the day to design and make this doll. I hope Judy likes it.

Topsy & Patsy 1890

I had an oppertunity to see a doll from the 1890's last year and photograph her. Then I re-created a doll like it. Here is the results.

Emma Elizabeth

Emma Elizabeth is my first Hard Surface Doll. She has a Kidd body and her dress was made from a pattern book on clothes from the 1890's. Assembling this doll was a challenge. I am so used to making the face and hands that I had to learn how to put her together.

Indian Doll

I used the pattern La Feme to creat this doll. She just screamed to be an indian and when I found the boots I had to make her some buckskins.

Aunti Faye's new kitchen

I have a new kitchen for Auntie Faye. After finding the Stove and Table I made the cookies, bread and Pie from polymer clay.

She was so happy to be cooking.

Geoffroy

My Grandson Geoff is helping make dolls for the children of Katrina last summer.

I created the dragons for my grandson Geoffroy to embroidery on his clothes. After I made a stuffed dragon he began sewing and re-designs the pattern, now he is making his own dragons and designing his costumes for school plays at age 15.

Second side of MB-RR

This side is done wwith one of the dragons I designed and created in machine embroidery. As an artist I explore all avenues of the field.

Meandering Book RR cover

I have made the cover for the meandering Book Round Robin. My theam will be "Expressions of Fantasy" This is my first cloth book RR.

Face is beaded on in brickwork and looping of the beads. the button I made in a calss last month.

This is side one.

Ocelot needlepoint

I made this in needlepoint from a black and white photo in 1975 by using verigated threads cut into sections to match the true color of an Ocelot.

My first quilt frame

I was desparate to frame a small quilt to work on so I created this one in 1999 to finish this quilt for my Son's first child.

Beaded Doll Pins

I went through a beaded pin phase and made 5 or 6 of them one week-end.

Auntie Faye

Auntie Faye is one of my favorite Dolls at this time. Each Doll has personality and this one is of my late Aunt Faye Reasoner. This is how I remember her from my childhood days. I located a cast-iron stove and country kitchen table to put with her and she will be on display at the Tillamooh County Quilt Guild Quilts By The Sea show August 19 and 20th 2006.

GingersDolls

I am new to this and wanted to see what it was all about. Please help me through the beginnings. I am a crafter and doll maker and want to correspond with other people like me from all around the world.