Dress, Bonnet and Apron

Seems like Spring has been flying by, without a lot of time for sewing and dollmaking.  This week, I finally finished dressing my Gail Wilson Izannah Walker kit doll!  I am planning a winter outfit for her with the long sleeved dress, another apron and cape.  Maybe a hard bonnet - we'll see.  But I'm going to work on some clothes for some other dolls first!

Gail Wilson Izannah Walker Inspired Doll

I haven't completely disappeared!  I've been working on this little 10" Izannah Walker inspired kit by Gail Wilson.  She has been a very slow project for me this winter.  Projects around the house with my husband have taken a lot of our "spare time."  When I opened the kit, which I purchased a good while ago, I discovered that the paint containers for the skin had opened and dried out (a miracle that it wasn't all over the other paint pots!).  Luckly, I had some GW flesh colored paint already on hand!   Then, while getting ready to begin painting her face, her paper mache head feel off the pencil/rag "holder" onto the floor, breaking the back part of her shoulder plate!  I was devastated.  I couldn't believe how much crying I did over that silly little doll project - she was more important to me than I realized.  My wonderful husband came up with an idea on how to fix her using some 2 part epoxy stuff from the hardware store.  We molded it as best we could to her, waited a day or two, then sanded it as best we could and painted it.  The repair is obvious when she has no clothes on, but I decided it would be good enough to continue and press on.  Painting her face was a challenge - the experience reminded me that I'm overdue for an appointment with the optometrist, and that I should probably invest in some mag-eyes for this type of project!  But I persevered and did the best I could.

The camisole was made, but my kit didn't have a ribbon for the front, so it took me a while to decide what to use.  I found a light blue silk ribbon in my embroidery things, and over dyed it to soften the color.  Her camisole, pantalettes and slip are finally done!

Yesterday, I picked out the fabrics for her summer dress, bonnet, winter dress and apron and bonnet.  I already had fabric for her cape.  I hope I can make quicker progress on her clothes, because my Gail Wilson order from her March sale arrived on Friday!  I have so many projects to finish this summer - because in the Fall, I will be taking Gail's on-line class to make 9", 7" and 4 1/2" Milliners Model dolls.

Meet Christine

The dress for the last of the three Izannah Walker dolls is finished, and so is Christine!  It seemed fitting that she'd have a nice, bright, festive dress for the Christmas season!

Meet Betsy

I'm please to share Betsy with you.  She is my second Izannah Walker doll made during the Dixie Redmond on-line workshop.  The dress pattern is Dixie's, but I made the pattern for the pinner apron myself.  Betsy's chemise, pantelettes and petticoat are made from a linen like fabric - left over from my kitchen curtains!  I suppose that Betsy will be a thrify one!

Meet Ailene

I have finally dressed my very first Izannah Walker inspired doll, using the pattern as given in the Dixie Redmond workshop.  I trimmed the neckline using some very old off white rick-rack that was in my grandmother's things.  I've named her Ailene.  It means "Little Eve,"  which I think is a very good name for the first Izannah Walker inspired doll I've made.  I may make her a necklace, or maybe a kitty - I still feel like she needs a little something.

Almost There

My 3 Izannah Walker web-workshop dolls are nearing completion - they now have pantelettes, chemises and slips.  I've signed and numbered each doll, along with the year, on the bottom of their "chest plate" on their backs.  They are getting a bit tired of being called #1, #2, #3 - they are a bit too old-fashioned to find any similarities with Star Trek amusing!    I think the first (far left) looks a bit pensive, maybe a touch sad.  The second looks like she is thinking some happy thoughts and the third looks like she is thinking of some very grand, intellectual thoughts.  It is fun to see how these all emerged so differently.  When I do this project again, I think I will focus on only ine.  While doing three has been a great learning experience, I do think I would have taken more time to get her just right.  Three was more tiring.  Somehow, not one of these dolls ended up looking straight ahead.  I guess they are mirroring my busy, distracted mind, finding it hard to just concentrate on what is right in front of me!
So, they would like names...what do you think, should I name them alphabetically?  Agatha, Betsy, Clara...?
Know any other good, old fashioned names to suit these young ladies?

Onto dress making!

Update on My Izannah Walkter Workshop Dolls

Least any followers think that my Izannah Walker dolls are languishing somewhere half made, never to see the light of day, rest assured, slow and steady progress is being made.  I was about to antique them one evening this week, only to read the directions on my antiquing to learn that they should be sealed with a matte sealer first, so I did that instead.

Here are my girls before antiquing.



What do you think?

Their arms and legs are all ready to be antiqued as well.  Maybe on Sunday.  Then the fun of attaching legs, making and attaching the body covering and sewing on arms!  I love to see a doll come together - and once they are together, the delight of making their clothing can begin!  I do hope to complete it all before August is out.  Time is flying by, I best get busy!

Izannah Walkter progress

On Friday night, the stockinette was applied to the heads. It is a stange, but wonderful feeling, to watch these little people become who they are are.  Personalities are emerging, friendships are forming, and bonds are being made.  They are no longer wads of clay, fighting change.  Now they are growing, like buds forming on flowers, trying to become something larger than the sum of their parts.

Tonight, they are a group of aliens, with antennae sticking out of their heads.  Actually, their ears have been made and glued on, and stick pins are holding them in place.  For some reason, that just didn't seem like a very dignified way to have one's photo taken!

Head Work!

I've been slowly scuplting my Izannah Walker heads with paperclay over my softbodies/heads.  This is the first time I've worked with this material, and it has been a good learning experience.  The next step is to cover these with a knit fabric - if I decide that these are done!