Frustrations of a new doll maker...

Well I started the new doll and was really happy with the legs, and I could see Myrtle in my mind. I knew she was called Myrtle, even though all I had were a pair of cream spotty legs. She was going to be a little old lady - a feisty little old lady.

I had the materials and thought I was away. Then it all went down hill - as often the best laid plans often do!! So I went ahead and made a body for her. I used jersey doll skin fabric this time. Last time I used flesh coloured cotton. Anyway I was fairly happy with the body, and carried on with the arms. The first arm almost complete I realised that the body and arms didn't match in any way. The body is too big and totally the wrong colour for a little old lady. A rethink was called for and I decided that I would remake the body - still not quite there with that yet. While I had been stuffing the arm I had completed I had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right somehow. See the photo below and tell me what went wrong - what's my deliberate mistake??

Yep, you guessed it. The hands on upside down!! Now I need to take the whole thing to pieces, turn the hand round, remake the body slightly smaller with different material and I'll be back to where I was a week ago!! With Christmas only a week away and presents to make I think this may have to take a back seat til the festivities are over!!

The joys of management...

No sewing today as I am reeling from a challenging day at work. I manage a small team and today we did team building stuff. On the whole it was a success, and some big steps forward were made. But following the session I took a little time to reflect on what we had done, what was said and how we could "move things forward". I found myself using management buzzwords like "thinking outside the box" and "this isn't a blame culture". I thought afterwards, what did I wish to achieve out of today - all I wanted was for the whole team to get on, to work together and for us all to do what we do best - care for people. We are nurses after all, so that's what we should do. Lots of questions came out of that thought - do we care for our clients (used to call them patients but oh how time changes), do we care for our immediate colleagues, do we care for the company we work for(NHS) or the company that we provide the service for( prison service) or for the people around us who aren't our immediate colleagues. On the whole I'm pleased to say the answer is yes, at least most of the time, although now and again I wonder if we are helping the "clients" by, for example, providing them with easy access to opiate based pain relief for "back pain" - difficult to prove, easy to fake. My nurses work hard to provide equivalent care and the best service available to what can be the most difficult to please group of "clients" I have had the pleasure of caring for in over 30 yrs of nursing service. I have 4 separate solicitors letters on my desk awaiting reply, all complaining because they did not get what they wanted - please note however that is not that they are complaining because they did not get the right treatment, good service, polite, knowledgeable and timely care, but because they did not get what they wanted. Drugs to feed their habit, a letter to get them out of work, evidence that there is a reason they can't produce a urine sample for drug testing cause by some never heard of illness or a side effect of their medication. It's a tricky job mine, but always a challenge.... Oh and by the way, mostly they get free access to solicitors. I expect if they had to pay for solicitor's time I would waste a lot less time replying to just such letters...

Winter...

It's cold, very cold but as yet we've been lucky to not have any snow. I say lucky but in some ways I envy those who, like my brother is surrounded by 6 ft snow drifts and at least 18 ins of snow everywhere. Altho I don't envy him having to park a mile away from home and walk back to his country cottage!! We saw a few flakes of snow and that's been all so far. The cold however does make you want to curl up in the warm. My sewing room isn't the warmest room in the house so it needs a heater on for at least 20 mins before I can venture in there. Mind you it is small so once it's warm it tends to stay warm. I spent yesterday evening sorting through my ever increasing stack of fabrics and had a thoroughly enjoyable and creative juice making evening. Must have been good as I woke up in the middle of the night dreaming about my latest creation!! Maybe I need to get out more, although I do work full time and have two very manic spaniels so it's not like I never get out!!!

Speaking of the spaniels the latest little incident we've had to deal with is that Rocks, the youngster has discovered how to get onto the dining room table. He's obviously gone up market as he started by sleeping on the coffee table. Anyway the problem with all this table climbing is that it means he has an extended reach to things that he shouldn't be getting hold off such as the TV freeview box buttons, now in tiny little pieces. Husband currently surfing the net for a replacement...

Enough musings, the sewing room calls... And we can't watch tv so I might as well use the time usefully...

More fabric and more fun....

I've started work on my next doll. I bought some cream material with cream spots quite a long time ago and it was calling out to be used. I now have a stack of pieces of material on my worktable which all go together. Cream legs, greeny gold silk remnant pieces, a small piece of variegated orange soft material that just flows, and some green ribbon and pink roses. Not sure about the pink and orange yet - will have to see how it develops. I'm having to be self taught about doll making but it is so addictive!! The other thing that's addictive is finding material that will "come in handy at some point". Charity shops, ebay, material shop sales, upholstery fabric remnants - amazing what you can find for minimal costs. And a lot of the stuff I use is being recycled which is also good for the environment. I'm still trying to find the best stuffing as Miranda's arms haven't stuffed smoothly. More practice will help but any suggestions about the best stuffing to use would be great. Must be available in the UK though.

The next project...

Well, having slept on ideas overnight I now need to decide what to do next. Particularly as I have said I will make a doll for the next air ambulance charity raffle. I was thinking of making a doll in ambulance outfit but think that may be a bit difficult this early in my learning curve. Anyway I have decided to try another girl doll - possibly in gypsy outfit. I have also decided to make a gothic chick and her man as a wedding present for my son and his fiancee as they are both Goth's. I'd like to say it's a phase but he's been Goth for over 10 years now so I'm guessing probably not!! Fortunately the wedding's not til next year so that gives me a little time.


I'm also still waiting for suggestions for the green material - I thought maybe cushion covers or perhaps even a designer bag of some sort. Think I'll just have to play with it and see what happens!! Husband's out all day today (we've both been on leave all week) and I'm really enjoying having the house to myself. Hopefully it also means that the fabric I bought on ebay will arrive today while he's out so that I don't have to explain why I bought more material when I have lots in the cupboard. Aah he just doesn't understand the way a sewer's mind works. Or a woman's to be honest....

Marina - the almost finished doll

I say almost finished because I can't decide about the shawl around her shoulders - and should she have a necklace on, and maybe a second net petticoat.... Is doll making always like this I ask? I suppose to some degree it mirrors real life - when we think we've finished something and then we decide to change it, or add something or take it away. Anyway I'm kinda pleased with her as my first ever attempt. I learnt a lot of things on the way and there will be things in the next one that I do differently. In the meantime I need to stop debating the alterations for Marina and decide what to do next. I've thoroughly enjoyed buying fabric for this project - and the next 25 I think it the amount of fabric in my cupboard is anything to go by!!! Forgive the awful picture taking - need camera practice too I think!!

When things don't go quite the way you expect... And the joy of charity shops

Things on the doll front had a slight hiccup today when one of my manic springer spaniels decided to run away with one of the legs!! I had to chase him round the house to retrieve it, but fortunately he doesn't seem to have done any damage to anything except my nerves and my temper!!! As I had then to go into town to the opticians for new glasses I decided to have a walk around the charity shops - ideal for fabric and odd balls of wool I've discovered. I try to support our local air ambulance shop as it was they who picked me up after my riding accident and took me to hospital, and am on first name terms with the lady that runs it so when I went in and was met with "Ah I've got something you might be interested in" it rather piqued my interest. if anyone has any ideas on how to use about 30 metres of beautiful green/silver slightly shaggy material (see photo above) please send them urgently as I haven't yet had the courage to tell the husband!!! I also have about 2 metres of the same in a darker blue - equally nice but rather more than I really needed. Still looking on the bright side it was a bargain as I only paid £20 for it.

As for charity shops, although I am very happy to support them on the one hand, my sense of morals and ethics suggest that certainly some charities shouldn't need to exist if the government managed services such as the NHS for example in a much more efficient manner so that charities would not need to "bail out" the local hospitals, hospices or cancer related needs. Oh well, soapbox rant over for today - back to the material quandary...

That funny flu feeling...

Well I haven't managed to do much in the sewing room over the last week as I've been struck down by a nasty bug of some sort that is either flu or something very like flu!! All I've wanted to do is stay in bed - or maybe it's just a serious case of work related stress, difficult to say for sure! There are times in my life when I really like the idea of being self employed, and right now is one of those times. Then the reality of having a regular wage wins out and I keep going to work. I guess there's a lot of people in that boat, and with the current financial climate people aren't brave enough to set up business on their own. Shame really - if it weren't for the mortgage and the roof over my head I might seriously consider giving it a go... Oh well, maybe next year....

Starting to take shape...

Well I've managed to spend some time this week on my first ever attempt at making a cloth doll, and, even though I say it myself, for a first attempt it's not bad at all, - so far...

Legs, a head and a body - but don't be fooled, the hair's not actually attached yet, and the legs and body need finishing off. But I have found the material for the skirt...

What to do next?

For years my life revolved around horses, working in the NHS to pay for them, looking after them and most of all riding them. Then the unthinkable happened, a loose dog, a scared horse with me on top, and a very fast ride to hospital. I don't remember it at all, sadly not even the helicopter ride!!! Lots of broken bones and pain killers later the doctors announced "No more riding". Depression set in. What was I going to do? I needed to find something that would keep my interest, keep me busy, and not put my broken bones at risk of getting any worse. I tried lots of things, but in the end reverted to sewing, something that had been part of my life on and off since I was a small child. I was lucky that I was taught to sew by my Mum, and then as I was only 4ft 11ins, continued to sew out of necessity, if only to shorten clothes! Then I discovered the world of textile art. The colours and textures fascinated me and I wanted to know more. I spent hours on line, reading books ( a very old fashioned idea I realise), and looking at possible courses I could do, when I came across art cloth dolls. No, not toys at all, and so many possible variations. I couldn't wait. My creative side has found an outlet. This blog is to be the story of how this develops. So far all I have is a semi completed head with no hair (pictures to follow). Follow my blog to see where it takes me....