My way of making dolls
Maybe it is just me, but I’m always working on a thousand things simultanously. Most of the times I do not just create one doll, but rather am working on several dolls at the same time, as well as in various “stages of production”. This may not be the most effective way to get things done, but that’s my little creative chaos that I seem to got used to and by now need. In addition, I like all the steps involved in doll making … But some of them I just like better than others, and vice versa. But even that will change from time to time.
Currently I am working on needle felting doll heads and on various doll patterns I designed. Some of latter do not ever make it to the sewing machine (but dont’t they say the way is the goal).
A constant work in progress
And do not get me started on the hair. Oh this hair – the hair and the various colors, styles and options seemingly let me spending hours pondering on the possibilites and trying out new doll hair techniques only to toss all the ideas in the end. Naturally other dollmaking areas lack my attention therefor. For exmple there is nothing less interesting to me at the moment like doll ears. No, my dolls currently have no ears – they never listen to me anyway.
No, seriously – actually I like ears on dolls, it is only for the lack of time because I am busy doing other things why my dolls lack ears right now. But I plan on adding them to every doll soon. Well, maybe.
Oh and the clothes… ohmy. The dolls clothes are currently in short supply because I am to busy fiddeling with doll patterns. So instead of neatly and properly dressed dolls, my studio is populated by a bunch of buttnaked dolls. Although they are kindly allowed to dress themselves with some of the scattered cloth peaces lying around here everywhere …at least until I someday find the motivation to whip something up on the dewing machine to wear for them.
Oh but instead of sewing the dolls a wardrobe I rather worked on different neck and feet variations for my dolls.
Currently I tie the neck right under the head, and then “hide” this thread as I sew around with a mattress stitch. So my doll actually has a little neck. Although this is only really necessary for larger dolls, which should have a visible neck. Small ones can easily get a little neck by simply felting one and adjusting the pattern of the body to let it show.
The legs, however are a whole other story for themselves. On one hand, I have tried to substitute having to sew the feet by hand and instead using a machine stitch. In addition I worked on the legs shape being thicker at the thighs and then again narrower to the calf to the ankle.
Larger dolls need rather bigger feet for my taste, so the shoes will not fall off them constantly. Hm … but as I said , that’s a whole different story.
Before I forget, let me introduce you to Masha (btw the older head of the two in this post). She finally has hair now. I thought she would habe brown hair… but no, instead she insisted on being a blonde. So I followed along and combined different shades of blond mohair wool. I think it turned out quite well.
Now Masha is patiently waiting for some clothes. But as I said, some areas currently just have to stand back while I rather work on other doll details. Thankfully due to the current warm weather Masha does not seem to mind having to wait for her wardrobe maybe just a little bit longer…
