It's May!

April was okay. I guess pretty good. My first doll show went well and I sold several pieces, including some new pieces. After the show, the adrenaline rush crashed in a pretty bad way and I got a little depressed. Again, it was, now what? I did take a bit of time off to regroup and then life got in the way again. More hours at the job, taxes done, a good friend passed away, and I just continued to work on the new creative habits I started. I finally got my mini witches done three have already sold.

Now it's May and into the second quarter of the year. And got notice of another previous co-worker passed unexpectedly. Married for only about three years and had a six month old son. That kind of throws a whammy on you. Two sweet people have left this world way too soon. And I'm still struggling to get... something... together.

I have two new habits that are still going. After reading 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear, I liked how he said that it's not so much as how many days it takes to create a new habit but being consistent. And if you miss a day, get back to it as quickly as possible. Even if it's just for a short period of time. That way, does take the pressure off of working on something new. So I've been sketching more (it's been on the calendar on the refrigerator) and practicing hand sewing because I would like to make a Regency costume sewn by hand. I'm working out getting more consistent with my writing and I've started making hexies for some upcoming Halloween wall hangings. For my Regency wardrobe, I did find my chemise I made and my short stays that still fit. I will probably make another chemise with a lower cut neckline.

Hexies are a type of English Paper Piecing used to make quilts or appliques. I'm nuts and am doing very small ones. You get all of them made up and then sew them together.

I've also pre-washed fabric for a summer top I'm going to make. That way, I know things will fit.

And I'm ready to make more church lady aprons.

That's my update. I don't know if things will get to normal, whatever that is. I know what I like to do and what I want to do and what I get to do. Because we never know when our number is up. I found this quote from Roald Dahl (read a lot of his work):

"I began to realize how important it was

to be enthusiastic in life.

If you are interested in something, no matter what it is.

Go at it Full Speed.

Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all
Become Passionate about it.
Lukewarm is no good."

Restart

Yes, I had to restart my year to this past Monday. Last week pretty much sucked. People, the other job... I had no idea what was going on. Then  co-worker mentioned some crazy meteor shower going on. So, I'm going to blame some of the craziness on that celestial event. My story and I'm sticking to it.

It did put a damper on my mental well being. I was so ready to start this New Year and I had come into contact with so many Debbie Downers. Did not see that coming. So now I'm back to insulating myself and get my 'super hero warrior goddess' gear back on. I either go with the flow or rock the boat. I can swim. I finally got the last of new material for this new technique and I'm already thinking ahead of what to do with it. Bad idea. Let's just do the first project. But, I have retooled an old doll pattern to make a new cloth doll. Because I've booked a doll show that is happening in April. And I need new dolls for that. I've also planned to send work to a shop in North Carolina in time for the Black Theater Festival. So traditional work for both of those art events. I'm good with that. Here's a pic of the old pattern and the new.

This morning I pulled some fabric to make the first model to see if things work out or if I have to tweak or change the pattern in any way. The new doll is a little bit bigger and her legs are shaped a bit more. She has more of a shoulder to accommodate a particular style of dress. Maybe even a cloak or cape. Until next time.

Bloomers, Bloomers

Who has bloomers? Why my latest batch of dollies have them. Finally getting somewhere. I knew I should have made a mockup of the long leg doll bloomers but I didn't after I made the first pattern. I just wanted them to have some pants on. If I make these dolls again, I will alter the pattern so that the bloomers bloom a little bit more. For now, they will do. The prim dollies have their bloomers too and I will look one more time for the bodice pattern I had made the first time I made a batch of these. If not, I will have to make a new pattern so I can get their dresses made this week. I have to go into the other job today so I won't have time to paint any faces until tomorrow.

More micro wins. Yay me!

A New Doll

I'm working on a doll for a children's theater. I have size specifications to work with and they wanted fingers too. I will cut it out after lunch and sew it together, then turn it to be stuffed after the job today. Hopefully me getting out of my creative way will work this time around. At least for awhile. I'd truly forgotten how much I liked designing, pulling fabric, making a pattern, and then sewing the doll together. Stuffing... not so much but then there's the painting of the face.

The doll will be 24 inches tall and be flexible enough to go into a backpack. Don't ask, I guess it's part of the story.

Day 4 - Creative Challenge

I'm sticking to the schedule that I've started. So this is day 4. I did make a pattern for Raggedy Ann's dress last night but didn't get it posted. Here is the pattern and I did sew a mockup of the dress after work today. I don't have the original pattern but remembered how the pattern went and made up my own. The dress is cut in one piece. I remember when I did the first pattern in grade school, that gave me the blues. But I figured it out. The two long pieces are the front which is on the fold and the back which is cut in about 1/8" in from the fold. The sleeves look long but they will get a hem and elastic around the wrists and the length of the dress looks good. I will cut out the pattern in the nice fabric tomorrow.

I got the first Boudior doll cut out, sewn, and turned. She may be a bit too skinny but I won't know until I stuff her tomorrow.

And I finally turned my Cauldron Critter ornaments. After having searched for months for fabric similar to the original I'd bought years ago. They are also ready to be stuffed. Lots of stuffing tomorrow.

I still have time to edit part of a short story before bed. And I've got some reading to do. I'm trying to see how much I can get done when I work a good part of the day at the regular job. Right now I'm pooped but will keep going and get a few more things off my list. I have tomorrow off and the thing is that I hope I don't just take it off and actually stuff things. And get Raggedy Ann done. That's all for today.

Day 3 - Creative Challenge

I know it's Day 4 but yesterday was kind of weird. First, I had to do the work thing and then some errands (grocery store, pick up driving glasses), helped my friend set up for her party for her group. No, I didn't go to the party because I was kind of done being peopley by the end of the day. So I went to the library and did some writing and sketching and I even got a quick nap. No, as my granny used to say, "I'm not sleeping, I'm resting my eyes." It was very soothing there, being surrounded by a bunch of books. Everything was great until some teenager came into the room where I was and decided not to pick up his feet when he walked, and sighed as if he had subbed for Atlas for fifteen minutes. Good grief. Anyway, I got some sketching done. I redid the new doll pattern and sketched some clothes. Either for this doll or the ornament which is also on the docket. I may have to go back to the library in the evening.

I will post Day 4 later on. Have a great day.

December: First Drawing

I got a new book for my Bullet Journal and here is my December page. I was thinking about starting a new one in January but no, I decided that December needs a month. I'm working on this to be a production month. We'll see how that goes, especially if I get a spot in a doll show this coming spring in 2018. So here is my first drawing for December.

I'm also continuing the straightening of my work area. As you can see, I've had my patterns in two cardboard boxes and I could never flip through them to see what I wanted to use. So I went through them and about five are going to the thrift store for someone else to use. The rest will go into the clear container in order of whether they are doll patterns, regular clothes patterns, or costumes.

The cutting table has been cleared off, I put away some quilting things that I won't be working on for a bit (I'll go through that box later), and cleared off the daybed that had fabric, drawings, and other stuff on it. I'm getting there. Ready to start something new. I also printed off my NaNo writings and they are ready for reworking and/or editing in January.

Doll Clothes and Stuff

I didn't know what to call this post seeing that I've been doing a couple of different things lately. I can't explain it but I've been feeling fairly positive this past week and I'm going to ride this creative wave for as long as I can. I got my daily sketches in and I worked on a doll dress pattern for my Goodfellas doll. I've had a main list of three items and that I should attempt at least one thing on the list. Three would be great but other things pop up and I'm supposed to be cutting myself some slack. I did enjoy the process of creating a dress pattern for this little doll. I don't know why I was shocked that I was having fun. Silly me, it's something I like to do. Before bed I will work a bit on my next Redwork project and get at least 100 new words on a short story done. I hope to turn the wave into a tsunami.

I forgot to take pics of the first pattern draft but here is the second draft made up into a bodice. I adjusted the neckline and shoulder. She's a bit chunky so I had to adjust for that.

I took the bodice apart, adding notes of what to do to the next pattern. I had to remind myself to throw away the old pattern and not the new adjusted ones. And I have to do that right away because they start to look the same.

Finally got a decent bodice pattern and made a sleeve. This is the third try and it works. I will make a better pattern and add a quarter inch for the sleeve hem and add elastic.

Here is the mockup of the dress. I will adjust the neckline again, I like the sleeve, I like how full her skirt is and I will have to cut off half an inch at the hem because it was too long. I've pulled fabric for the dresses and will start them tomorrow.  Yay me!

And here are my sketches. I love, love, love mini campers, vintage campers, campers period. One day I will travel around in one and see some National Parks. I'm thinking Halloween campers.

#wendyluane #goodfellasdoll #goodfellascharity #doll clothes #dollclothespattern #minicampers

New Sketches

I've been doing some more sketches. Getting a new project started. I'm to a point where I need to look for some fabric and then make more detailed renderings.

I have a small design commission and will be working on that this week. And I've started thinking about Halloween again. For me. I've been invited to a Halloween party and want to go dressed up. It was between Elizabethan or Medieval and I think I'll do the Medieval because there's not as much fabric.

Make myself and Elf Queen. That's the ticket. Unless I come up with something else.
#sketches #elfclothes #elfdollclothes #patterns #halloweencostume

Yay!

Today was a good day and I'm still going. Even though I'm slowing losing steam. Got up early and did my language lessons, sketched a new doll, designed a pattern, straightened the books on a bookshelf, posted on Instagram, took a walk with my roomie before it rained, and now I'm posting here.

The first new doll of the year. I didn't think I wanted to make anymore cloth dolls but it's what I know. I still will get back to the paper clay figures real soon. This little miss just got to me this morning and I was bound and determined to at least get her together to see if it would work or not. From the first sketch, I made the first pattern. I found some fabric I thought would work but it didn't. And I didn't like the pattern either. So I reworked the pattern (liking it better), cut it out of a better grade of fabric, did the embroidery, then sewed and stuffed it. I did sew her legs on backwards and had to fix that. I like her a lot but will adjust the patter tomorrow to make her head a bit bigger. I like the embroidery but couldn't do any more because her head was too small. But I like her! I like her a lot and have some really cool ideas for clothes. There's a pic of the initial sketch in the next picture. Here I figured out how big I wanted her and just drew her.

In this next pic, you can see the initial sketch in the center. I'll take better pics tomorrow when I re-do the pattern. I'm a bit tired right now and I still have writing to do. But I'm working on posting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I used a mix of Valdani and DMC pearl cotton. I like her crazy legs and didn't have a problem stuffing her. I did have that problem attaching her legs and had to take them off and stitch them back on again. Such is life. Happens to the best of us. Oh, I also discovered I need another pincushion. It's a pain having to look for one when you change places to work.

#dayofthedeaddoll #clothdoll #pearl cotton #originalclothdoll

Woo hoo!

What do you do when you wake up early on a Saturday morning and can't go back to sleep? Get your day going of course. Since today is supposed to be a scorcher in these parts, I thought I'd get started so I can be home when then sun really decides to make its presence. Along with his pal, humidity. We have slid past spring and landed right into summer. Even though I was born in the summer, I am not a summer person. I don't mind 80 degrees, even 90 as long as there is no humidity. Ha! Not happening. And, it's hurricane season. So, there ya go.

Got a few groceries. Wanted pasta with pesto, mushrooms, and sliced tomatoes. Then I headed to JoAnn Fabrics to get backing fabric for one of my mom's scrappy quilts, bias tape for the latest batch of mug rugs, and some patterns. My mom has been clearing out her fabric stash and sends it to me. I have fabric to make two pairs of Capri type pants and two tank tops. Because it's hot, humid, and icky, you go through more clothes. She even washed the fabric for me. Gotta love that. Then it was on to The Vitamin Shoppe to pick up some things for the body, The Dollar Tree (didn't have all that I needed, that's okay), and finally AC Moore. They were giving me bonus points in their program. I tell you, a ten dollar coupon at the beginning of each year is really nice to get in the mail. All before 11:00 AM.

The patterns were on sale 3 for $5. I picked up the hat pattern just because. Hey, Halloween is coming up. Be back later!

30 Day Challenge

I've started going to a Life Transformation group to make my life amazing. So far so good. It's led by life transformation coach Megan North Shuford. We did exercises, writing on index cards what we want, what we want to be, do and all thinking about how it will make us feel once we get those things. She challenged us to do one thing for 30 days that will lead to the big goal. No matter how big or small that thing is, do something each day. It doesn't matter if you get the goal at the end of the 30 days, it may come in 30 months but the thing is to get moving towards a goal. I've taken on that challenge.

I've wanted to make doll clothes. I've always loved dolls and having a background in costuming, why not? So my goal is to attend Blythe Con in Tokyo and sell out of my doll clothes. The fun and excitement is getting there. Day 1: I wrote down things I would need to do. That was Saturday. Day 2: I sketched some heads and hats for one dress I've already made. I'm not going to take into account the clothes I already started. I will show them when they are done. Or maybe I'll just show what I've done. I'm not very good on challenges but I will give this my all.

The two outfits below are made out of muslin. To see if the pattern works, how it fits. I did make adjustments to the hat. It took me almost two days to get a pattern that worked for this little outfit which is based on an early 1900s bathing suit.

It took a whole day to get the dress pattern to work. I can lengthen or shorten or keep it this length.

Patterns

Oh my gosh! I got these patterns that were on sale. I love Downton Abby, the Regency Era, and costumes, period clothing in general. On my list for the year is to start making me some items to wear. I didn't really play dress up when I was a kid but I want to do it now.