godfrey (#22)

godfrey says "thank you charlotte for your old face"

whoa, i just had very strong deja vu. 
i'll explain about the faces: godfrey's face was originally on charlotte, whom i was creating as a commission, but the colors weren't right, so i took the face/body off of charlotte, added a moustache and ears and turned it into godfrey's new face and created a new face for the charlotte doll.

charlotte (#21)

introducing charlotte.... first known as sally, but then her face was changed and integrated into another doll......here was her first face....

now after a little nip tuck....

ps

what's the difference between dark forest green and dill pickle green?

updated photos

i want to start with a picture of leila in her gift box, all wrapped up and ready to go. it reminds me of a coffin.

for doll number 19, i found the pieces to a doll i had started months ago and then forgotten about. i finished him (aka "bill") while watching the movie "frozen", which is not a very accurate title. it should really be called (spoiler alert!!): "eaten alive by a pack of wolves". 

yum. 

he kind of looks like a washed out clown, but i still love him. 

and doll number 20. this doll is "the love monster", i was inspired by a critter thing that my friend becca made and by a book from the library called "stuffed creatures for immature adults", side note: why is it "immature" adults? why can't you just enjoy weird looking creatures. is it the stuffing? what about all those adults who collect rooms full of porcelain dolls? urgg, creepy. oh, pardon me, it's called "curious creatures for immature adults". mmmmmm, moving on. 

i'm giving the love monster to a friend whose having a rough go at it right now and needs love. i tried to think loving thoughts the whole time i was making him, which resulted in me getting the song "the lovebug" stuck in my head. here's a link so you can get it stuck in your head as well. enjoy!: 

http://www.myspace.com/mariaintheshower 

okay, now i must must work on a doll i was meant to start on tuesday. good thing it's raining.

i'm still alive....

hey there, i haven't fallen off the planet, or gotten lost in a cave, or lost part of my mind and forgotten how to type or sew.... i have sewn two dolls recently and at a current count of 20 i am only slightly off schedule. it's raining here and i have a head cold so pictures will be uploaded shortly. thank you for your patience.

a new dress, a wedding & doll number 18

i'm happy to say that the last of the first dolls has found a home and is venturing out into the world. and thanks to mitsy's brave new stage in life, i was able to purchase a super fun polka dot dress that i wore to my friend's wedding. 

being silly at the wedding

 mitsy = dress

since being back i've created doll number 18, a doll for my friend's 1 year old niece. i've tried to tone down the weirdness of the doll.... well, i think it's normal looking. 

leila

the mr & mrs

another two dolls done. it's so nice to be able to finish a doll in one day, let alone two! i would like to introduce mr & mrs:

laid out before any sewing

making mr a mister

mr & mrs like to hang out on the step...

 

.... and take bike rides around the seawall. 

these two are a gift to two of my friends who are getting married this saturday. congratulations!

finished charlie!

charlie has been delivered to his family.

whoa, 33 hours later.... and i'm ready to do only small dolls for awhile.
here are pictures of the finished charlie.

my next dolls will be a matching set. i have till friday to complete them because the wedding that they're a gift for is on saturday. rest easy dear back, here we go......

almost done!!

i'm so close to finishing this crazy doll.
his name is charlie .... chuckles? chew? chesterfield? change?...... i haven't settled yet on one.

he's composed of 16 different kinds of fabrics, 4 different laces, 10 different colored threads, 2 embroidery threads, 8 different styled buttons, 3 lbs of stuffing, some blood, lots of swearing, tons of laughs, a removable top hat, a removable skirt, some love and a vagina!
he's as tall as i am, with meter long arms and legs and a tail that is also my height.

i have a couple last minute touch-ups to do and then i just need the rain to stop so i can take some full body shots, then he's off to be delivered to his owners!

here are more process pictures and i'll upload detailed finished shots by the end of the day.

removable skirt, can be worn as costume with top hat (below)

top hat

all the parts in a pile

my current project is a commissioned piece for my good friend and her partner. the doll is tim burton meets monkey meets "i have no idea where that came from". the doll is for their 3 month old daughter and i feel guilty because i know this thing will probably give her nightmares at some point. maybe if its always been around it will seem normal and not scary and she won't fully appreciate the weirdness of it until she's an adult.

here are pictures of the process thus far:

the planning- there is a system here

i'm figuring out how to stuff the meter long arm

the dolls so far

boo

molly

mavis, george, masta

rolling pin pillow family 2

rolling pin pillow family 1

mitsy

henry

sir wilfred

first doll

first post

hello. i created my first doll almost exactly 2 years ago. it was a sad looking one armed creature that i gave to my partner and that he lovingly kept. 

and then i stopped for a year and a half. 

i began again when almost all of my close girlfriends got pregnant in the course of one year. i created new stuffed creatures for their new little ones.  and then i kept making them. now i'm addicted and decided i needed a goal to work towards....

so, i will create 100 dolls in 1 year. 

i'm cheating a little and counting the dolls i've made so far. just to have a number to jump off of.

enjoy!