Linda June 30th, 2009
Here is how my froggy prince looks now. It took a couple of tries on the kimono to get it right (he has a funny pudgy belly that throws the usual pattern off) and also to get the nerve to cut into the fabric. It is gorgeous stuff but kinda scary to cut. He now need a belt and I will make him a hat–again, it took me 3 mock-ups before I got a template that I was happy with. He will have a fu-Manchus mustache as well as a “que” in the back. I have some green mohair curls that I am playing with right now. I am thinking that because the green has so much yellow in it that is does not come off appearing christmas-ie. Any opinion?
Linda February 27th, 2009
After much consideration I have decided that Scott and I will make an anthropomorphic frog doll for the “Art of the Doll” portion of the Gypsy/Quilt show. I was considering using a batik for the the body but decided to dye some raw silk that I have had for a long time. It turned out a bright green.
I had also wanted to used a sleeve of a Kimono that I was given by my mom (she bought it at a garage sale–WHO would cut up such a thing???) But the greens didn’t work out–it is on the right. Scott had a friend from school who went to china for a missions trip and bought back the red brocade on the left. We decided that the red did not make it look like Xmas colors so we will use that for the costume.
The doll is a frog after all so I tweaked the hands from a normal doll. I elongated his fingers and made webs between them..the fingers have pipe cleaners to help them “hold things”. I am thinking about a golden ball for him (think “Frog Prince” fairy tale).
He did not start out with “hardly” a chin, that was added to make him appear more frog like.
He has a very plump body–I put plastic pellets in his butt so he would have weight and would not fall over easily and would sit more stable. His arms and legs are done from a modified Patty Culea pattern. I had the darndest time getting his face color right. It was just working out to be too dark (see the question was–do I paint the head and then try to dye the fabric to match–Nay, too hard–or dye the fabric and try to paint the head to match?!) After alot of coats of paint and lots of frustration (I was afraid that his head would be round from all the coats of paint!!!!), I am pretty well satisfied. He will have a kimono, a coolie braid, a hat and some kind of pants–I researching that right now. He does not need to be done for a long time yet but once I get started on a project I want to continue so I don’t lose momentum.
Linda July 17th, 2008
Yes, I know, these are not the best pictures–it is sooooo hard to take a photo of something that is “white”. No matter what I do there is no contrast. Anyway, I wanted to post pictures of what I have been working on. These are the hands for my “gypsy challenge” doll that is due in Oct. Below in my blog, are pictures of two heads that I have made for it. Scott decided on which head to use (he is doing the challenge with me–well actually he talked me into it). The other head is going to me a frog prince ala oriental style. Sadly enough I want to be done with the gypsy doll and move onto the frog doll because I have some great costuming ideas that I want to use. Sigh….I am pleased with the hands. I did them ala Dutch Touch Class, it is Marliene’s technique. And I used an air drying stone clay to give them extra strength versus using an inner armature and using a reg paper clay. I think hands are my weakest spots in doll making and now that I am working on the feet/shoes I think they are too….ARGH!!!!!
