Works in Progress

I've been working on several projects at the same time. Crazy? Maybe, but that's how things are going right now. I'm working on samples to two doll making classes coming up. Behind. Yup, but still doing it. I seem to get a block and have to stop and think things through. One of my patterns wasn't working out, so that had to be redone. And it got redone again. Just love the creative process. You keep hammering at it until you get it to look the way you want. Emily is a pattern I used for a doll in the Delta Arts Center Exhibit. I like her a lot, so I'm going to offer her as a class.

Here's a brown Emily. The ones in the exhibit were tea dyed. The students will have a choice of putting a stuffing pellet sack in her bottom so she can sit better or not.

Two Emily dolls, Garnet and Garner twin dolls.

Fabric chosen for the Emily dolls.

Fabric for the twins, Garnet and Garner.

Zombie Blanks

I'm calling my dolls that are put together but not actually done, blanks. I think I may have to have a finishing marathon soon. Here are my regular and bunny zombie dolls. I can't wait to get started on them.

I'm working on being more consistent with my blog postings. I'd like to post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Here we go!

Pillow Doll Blanks

I was driving myself crazy with all the things I have to do. I stopped and picked one thing that was jamming my creative frequencies and that was the upcoming workshop with kids. I had started making the blanks and I knew I had many more to go. I spent all day yesterday making them.

My trusty machine for heavy duty sewing. I've had it since high school.

Here's a stack waiting to be sewn.

I was going to sew half yesterday and the other half today but wanted them done. I got 20 made and did a count. Along with the four already done, things were good. The bodies are done out of upholstery samples. Up cycling at its best.

I ended up doing another four, so my total is 28. Twenty five kids have signed up, so I'm good to go.

Catch Up! Catch Up! Catch Up!

Three months into the year. Where is the time going? It's not  just marching on, it's speeding ahead like a bullet train. It feels like I'm being buried by my work. I'm not complaining, I'd rather be busy creating than not but something has been bothering me.

I have so many projects in different stages of being complete. I have a doll commission to do, a doll for a themed show, two doll workshops with kids looming, and two adult doll classes scheduled. That's just doll related things. I won't go into quilting, applique, and sewing for myself. More on that later. I'm still working on me and I am a work in progress. What I do like is how I'm responding to ... well, everything from things that go well, to things that don't, and things that get canceled. I'm not to the point of freaking out but I'm a bit perplexed. Maybe. I don't even know if that's the word I want to use. I do have to still work on patience. Good things come to those who wait. I think that could be changed a bit to 'Good things come to those who plan and take action because great things don't happen overnight.'

I guess what's really bothering me are the many projects that aren't completed. Just when I think I can get to them, something else comes up. My apartment is a mess and my studio, it's also a mess. I've got bodies and parts all over the place. I tried to do one project at a time, finish it before I go to the next project. That was like watching paint peel. Drove me nuts. There was a time, not too far back, when I was finishing things like crazy. What happened? I don't know. Maybe it's because I have so many ideas, that that's why I just keep starting them and not finishing old ones. But those that are languishing are not happy either. They want their whole body together and others have voiced their opinions on wanting to be fully dressed. Maybe I just need to straighten my apartment.

I read a friend's post yesterday and she mentioned how we get stuck because we're always thinking about what might happen in the future instead of living in the moment, now. Then things made sense. Instead of focusing on my projects today, I'm worried about how I'm going to sell them for the rest of the year? Will I make more money this year? Will I get better this year? Will I have the courage to more forward this year and make my life my own? When I should be enjoying the moment at hand and be grateful. I enjoy creating dolls, appliqueing, and writing. Worry gets you nowhere, except to procrastinate more. I'm feeling better now. I even worked on an old project and my applique last night before bed. That felt great. See, I am a work in progress. Learning something new every single day.

Be true to yourself_ "go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." -Henry Thoreau

Thank You Card

I received a thank you card from the kids at Brunson Elementary School for when I presented my dolls to them.

Cute huh? It's on my board over my sewing machine in my studio.

Sample Doll

I have doll workshops to go along with the exhibit at Delta Arts Center. Two to be exact and right now I have 24 kids signed up. Here is my sample doll. Made of upholstery fabric. A good friend gave me a lot of her stash of samples and they are the right size for the dolls.

Adair and McKinnon were kind enough to be my test subjects. The perfect ones because they didn't know how to sew. I taught them a whip stitch and a running stitch. This worked out quite well. I timed how long it took them to stuff the doll and do the sewing. I will tweak the process for the upcoming workshops.

Busy at work.

Once the dolls were stuffed, they chose the buttons for eyes. Worked well seeing that they had watched Coraline again the night before. And the fun part was embellishing their dollies. I want the kids to spend more time on decorating their dolls than just stuffing.

Adair and Lulu.

McKinnon did add a mouth to hers. They both had a blast and so did I. I believe the workshops in two weeks will work and the other kids will have fun too.

Projects

Here's my latest pincushion from my applique class. I may give it to the mom unit for her birthday or Christmas. You just can't have enough pincushions. She'll love it. I'm still working on my Hop To It blocks. I don't have many more to go and the class will be starting a new design this month. Yikes!

This piece is going onto a wall hanging. I made the wall hanging years ago and the owner wanted parts of it changed. The home for it is a cabin so I drew a bear, fir tree, and moose and appliqued them onto the red fabric. The piece will be stitched onto the proper spot on the wall hanging. I'll take a pic of that when it's done, which should be today. Stay tuned.

What Month Is It?

Jeepers! It's finally here. Another month has gone the way of the Dodo. Part of me wants to say it sucked, February that is, because I didn't get done what I wanted to get done.  Then I smack myself once I realized that February was a rocking month.

Accomplishments- I got all of my dolls made for the Loved Through the Years: Three Centuries of Black Dolls exhibit. They look great, the show has been well received, I was interviewed on the radio, and got into the paper again. How often does that happen? I talked about dolls and my creative process to a group of 5th graders, I got invited to  my first art show (where I'll be in a booth selling my work) of the year, I've scheduled several doll classes and a doll camp and I managed to finish reading one book. I wanted to read two for the month but I'm happy with finally reading and finishing one. I even heard my name mentioned again on the radio, advertising the exhibit at Delta Arts Center again.

I know, I know, I'm so hard on myself. Did I not get a lot done this month? I'm surprised my head hasn't exploded. Yet, I want to beat myself up because I didn't get more done. What a silly. I only got nine dolls finished last month. I was working towards thirteen but there's always this month. I like the number 13. One and three. I really like it when Friday falls on the 13th. I tease my mom a lot when her birthday falls on a Friday. Yes, I am like that. She gets a serious card and a hilarious one. Got to keep her guessing.

Back to February. It was creative, fruitful, and challenging. I have to remember to cut myself some slack. Have a cup of tea and be nice to me. I worked it last month. Now for March. I tell you, time waits for no one and I really want to start enjoying my time more. Being with friends, going on hikes, weekend traveling... me time. I have started to schedule some doll making classes and doll camps for the summer for kids. That should be fun. More shows too. There are also the shops I have to restock. So a lot more planning is in order and I will remember to have fun. Because life is too short not to stop and smell something sweet.