1 post tagged “art dolls”

Greetings miniature dolliers!  Bet all you *material girls* were eagerly awaiting the details of inspiration creating for your dollmaking muse!  (If you have absolutely NO idea what we are talking about .... start at Blog Entry #1 ... and work your way forward).

In my experience .... there are two kinds of motivation for creating a miniature doll!  The doll itself ... and a fantastic piece of material!  (Guess which category I fall into ).  Our blog went into the motivation for those that create seeing a doll first ...and now we will go into us *material girls*.

To create a passionate piece of work ... you have to find the little nudges that tickle your dollmaking muse.  Do bright colors spark your creativity?  Do subtle, elegant weaves send shivers of delight down your spine?  Whatever the form or fiber the material takes ... you know this is the creating form for you!

A personal guide might be in how you *STORE* those materials?  Are you an impulsive collector, with random bits of material that match in TO DO boxes for the next perfect doll?  Or is each piece neatly folded in a box or drawer?  Do you match things by color, texture, scale?  Each one of these habits, can point you in a direction to make the perfect doll!  AND it all starts with an idea book, research library, supplies and of course a spare doll or two.  With all that pysche behind us ... lets get creating!

Take that fabulous piece of material .... and picture in your mind's eye .. the perfect outfit made out of this fabric.  Next, take a sheet of paper, and write down quickly (without hesitation) WHAT you need in materials, accessories, doll painting to MATCH your material!  Say you could snap your fingers, and a magic dolly genie would instantly create one for you!  Don't think how hard it will be .... if you  have the materials ....  pattern etc.  Just put down everything you need and we'll work on the rest.

Ok - so you have the perfect outfit in your minds eye ... you have your main dress material ... now its time to hunt up the coordinating fabric.  (**HINT** do NOT do this after a few glasses of wine ... TRUST ME ).  Figure out what you have, what you need and doll you will be using.

For our example ... lets use the country girl moving to New York for a big job interview.  I've already selected her outfit from Blog Entry #2 .... a black pencil skirt, white tailored shirt with embroidered cuffs, fabulous colored shoes and purse.

Now the *material* I am basing all this on --- is a fantastic old handkie with tiny tiny embroidery on it.  Suitable for the cuffs and top of her attire, all in scale and nicely drapable.  So I have the hankie material for special top, I then need to find a med weight black material to create that pencil skirt from.  I also need a funky leather print or logo print purse.  Now where would I get that?

The skirt material is VERY important ... too light weight of cotton and it will drape TOOO much and not have enough body to hold the tight fit.  TOOO heavy weight and the skirt will look out of scale and hang funny.  My favorite is an inexpensive *Walmart* cotton.  Its falls into the cheap department ... but drapes very nicely!

The purse material is where I have a LOT of fun getting creative!  Now of course - I would NEVER really DO THIS!  I'm sure there are a lot of LOGO COPYRIGHT infringements!  BUT if I WOULD do it ....

Go to the Louis Vuitton website, download a photo of one of their signature purses and save it to your desktop.  Next in your favorite photo editing program, select one of the monogram LV sections, and then tile it on a 3x3" square.  Next print this out on a heavier weight cotton material.

(side note --- the easiest way I found to print material through MY printer - and I DO suggest you read your individual manufactoring instructions.... is to take a piece of cotton material, and a full size label sheet.  Pull off the label part, adhere it to the material, cut it to fit exactly and run through your printer like a regular piece of paper).

Next take your favorite envelope pattern (purse pattern/directions) and have a ball!

So ... you now have all the materials, and accessories needed to create that doll.  OOoopsss ... WHAT doll you ask?  Hopefully you have a few doll bodies reserved for just this special occasion!  Maybe two or three, so you can actually PICK one instead of having no choice!  Here are a few hints for tailoring your doll to fit the material!

If your doll is prepainted ... and she just doesn't quite go with what you are making .... perhaps you can change the painting a bit?  I use acrylic paints ... and if you don't like the colors etc ... simply take a Q-tip and fingernail polish ... remove painting and then you can go ahead and create her to your specifications~!  If you have a china painted doll, perhaps you can add a bit of metallic sheen to her lips for a more contemporary look.  Or powdered eye shadow for a more dramatic look?

At any rate ... position of the head, hands, length of legs (if you are doing a contemporary mini skirt ... the obvious legs cut off at the knee won't work) are also important!  Its great to have a selection of arms/legs on hand to make the choice of clothing easier!  AND of course there are ways to camoflage arms that end to soon (but that is in an upcoming blog).

Now you are set to create!  You have the correct doll, materials, accessories and want to start sewing!  ONE last word of advice before you begin .... get a VISUAL reference besides the pattern!   Take that idea book, and see if you can find your pattern in several different poses.  One perhaps from the side, front and back.  This way when you dress your doll ... you will remember to make her 3-D and not flat!

Those are the basics for the *material girl* creators!  (or guys ).... stay tuned for more fun, inspiration and
HAPPY CREATING!