While She Naps

patchwork giraffe #2 and my little witch

and some details

Here they are together

And here is my little witch with her cauldron, her broomstick, and her familiars - Big Fat Rat (seen nursing here) and one of his babies. I ended up making her dress in the same style as the dresses I make for the flapper dolls - a sack with a drawstring neck and arm holes.

Worked perfectly and it is easy to put on and take off - I have a feeling it will live in the dress up box and be put on frequently in the coming months. My other llittle girl is a pumpkin this year - pictures to come (I didn't make that costume, but it is adorable). Happy Halloween, everyone!

patchwork giraffe

I finished him this afternoon.

penguin

I am doing a craft fair one week from tonight and I think it is about time to take all the toys down out of the closet and label and price everything. I only can manage one craft fair a year, but it is fun to see people interact with my toys in real life (not just in blogging life, although that is always fun) and ask questions about them.

I made this penguin* just to get a dose of cute after that creepy fish. So creepy! I'm thinking maybe I should fiddle with the eye and the lips a bit and go for a sweeter look.

*He is posed next to a little sculpture made by Charlie's grammy. It is a bit broken, but I kind of like the way that bird on top is upside down.

jumping fish

There are two big display cases at the library leading into the children's section. Right next to them is one of the biggest excitements of any library visit - the aquarium. I'm thinking that in one of the cases I'll do all sea life - fish, coral, starfish, seahorses. I made this sketch for a fish in motion. I mentioned a little while ago that I've been thinking about doing more with motion and asymmetry.

And here he is.

I think he might be a bit horrible. Perhaps horrible in a good way, but horrible none the less.

The Three Little Pigs

and up close...

WIP - the three little pigs

Piggy #2 is finished and #3 is cut out. Here they are on my work table.

And yes, there will be a Big Bad Wolf. Since my exhibit in March is at the library I want to illlustrate some classic children's tales. The Three Little Pigs is perfect for me because I like to make small series of toys - I like to make three of something and then I need to move on to something else for a while. For the display I'm thinking one piggie will lean on a pile of straw, one will sit on a bundle of sticks, and the last will perch on a pile of bricks. The Big Bad Wolf will dangle above our new couldron (don't you just love Halloween? the props are terrific).

I am currently trying to acquire some rice and flour sacks - the kind that are made of linen-like cloth and have text printed on them. I found a few sources online, but was wondering if anyone out there has access to them? Just thought I'd put it out there in case.

pig #1

The first of The Three Little Pigs.

I was thinking something like this

He's made from felt, linen, hand-dyed wool, and printed muslin with some copper wire in his tail to make it curly.

Here are some side views. His limbs have super-strong button joints - a button between the limb and the body and a visible button on the outside.

and head on.

red head and temper tantrums

A red head. The last of the dolls for right now.

We are in temper tantrum hell around here. Seemingly prompted by absolutely nothing, just existing, Roxanne can launch herself into a heck of a tantrum. A tantrum that lasts a good 50 minutes in which she is out of control in every way. She will cry and cry and cry. Make absurd demands - like that she is hungry while sitting in front of a plate of food, or that she is tired after having just woken up in the morning from 11 hours of sleep, or asking for "new underwear" when the ones that she has on aren't wet or dirty in any way. I am a very patient person and it is starting to wear on me. She is two years and seven months. This must be why it's called the terrible twos, huh.

making progress

Fall in New England is just unbelievably beautiful. The colors are so saturated and the air is crisp. I love this time of year and I feel so fortunate to be able to enjoy it this year. Last year at this time I had debilitating morning sickness and could hardly go out at all. So this year we are doing all the great fall things. Yesterday we went to a nearby orchard/ farm stand to pick "great huge" pumpkins.

My inventory of soft toys is finally starting to really grow. I finished two more lambs and another bear before the weekend.

And yesterday and today I worked on these little girls.

I am really excited to be participating in Craftland in Providence this year. I'll be sending some toys to be sold in the month of December and maybe we'll even make a day trip over there and check out all the other vendors one day, too. My in-laws live in
New London which is not too far from Providence.

Next up: some mice.

what I'm working on

A giant tree doll for my show in March.

The display cases where my work will be shown are pretty large and intimidating so I need to get started now and I need to make some big pieces. This girl is about 2 feet and I think the pattern is scaling up pretty well. Lots and lots of little leaves to cut and sew and I think a plush bird for her hair, plus several more flying in the air nearby.

In addition to working on this tree doll I'm sewing and sewing and sewing to get ready for the Mother's Forum Marketplace which is the first Thursday in November. Lots of lambs and sweater bears and sock monkeys and the like - good baby gifts and holiday gifts for people.

So I'm alternating between working out these large super creative pieces and churning out smaller toys from already well-established patterns. It's a good balance, I think. Oh, and I somehow agreed to sew Roxanne's Halloween costume this year. I don't sew garments. Really. But she wants to be a witch and all the little girl-sized witch costumes seem a little sexy in a way that was making Charlie shudder so I bought some black fabric with spider webs and agreed to try. Tell me to make a witch doll, sure no problem, but sew a costume? Oh my gosh. I don't have any idea how to begin.