Spring came?
Eeeee, no chyba jeszcze nie...
Well, no, no really, not yet...
Sometimes dreams come true, you only have to wait a bit. My dollfie dreams for example.You can buy dolls from different sources - from the companies directly in their shops or online, second hand from the collectors, on auctions, ect. Volks sells some of their dolls in FCS - Full Choice System - you go to Kyoto to their shop, sit with a salesperson and choose everything from a catalogue - the head, the body type, the colour, hands and feet, make-up, eyes, hair, clothes. Then after a month you get a brand new doll according to your specifications. It's the most exclusive type of a purchase because you have to take part in it in person and it's not that easy to travel to Kyoto... Of course, you can buy there some exclusive models only, not available in the normal sale online.
Of course the most beautiful dolls are the limited ones sold during the doll festivals in Japan a few times a year and some of the FCS types. I once wanted an FCS F-05 dollhead and I found it in the second hand dollshop in Nakano Broadway in Tokio five years ago!... *^V^* Somebody ordered this doll in Volks's headquarters and then sold the head alone. You know this doll as Kokardka.
It was similar with this doll, I dreamt about this model almost from the time I started collecting dollfies. It's a FCS F-43, the doll totally undervalued in my opinion. There is one more doll like this in Poland (as far as I know), and I found one Japanese girl who owns it and shows her pictures on Instagram, and then nothing more. I managed to find it on the international doll forum from the Canadian owner.
The transaction went smoothly but then I was supposed to wait at least two weeks for the delivery... But this morning just after six days the head arrived! *^V^* And I didn't have to pay the customs fees, I'm so happy about that! The seller put some low value on the parcel and it went through unnoticed. *^O^*Okay, so here is the first photo after I took her our of the box - when I say "doll" I mean just the head for now, I'll have to get her a body some time in the future. It's nameless yet, I just put some eyes and a wig on her and borrowed Kokardka's body (these are the only two white dolls I have). I want to have her make-up changed in the near future and decide on her image. At the moment, the first photo for reference:
Of course I thought I still had at least a week to make her the outfit so everything is in pieces at the moment. So, the proper introduction will follow soon. I haven't bought a doll in a while, I forgot how exciting it may be!
Daily journal pages.
I wanted to take photos outside, but it's been raining and it's so windy today, and the forecast shows little changes for the next few days so I made a quick photoshoot at home. If you are a kimono expert please refrain from the severe critique beacause it's not a kimono reenactment but just a doll's costume. *^v^*I intentionally put it on in a way that it's long on the floor, not clinging to the body. The doll is Sinclair (Volks Emma LE, SD13). Please enjoy. *^-^*
Bonus - the backstage photo. *^v^* Dolls wearing underwear (hadajuban, susuyoke), next Sinclair wearing the underkimono (nagajuban). As you can see, the second kimono will be for Rori.
When I saw this fabric in the on line shop I just couldn't help it! You know that, right? That fabric, that yarn, that lipstick, that pair of shoes.... *^-^* We have to get them!!! And what's more and not really usual for me, I already knew what I'd use it for. I was so impatient waiting for the delivery!
There is this British blogger who keeps sewing only one dress. Not that she cannot finish it or something... ^^*~~ She made about 140 copies of one pattern - Emery by Christine Haynes, using different fabrics. Odd as it seems, I somehow can understand her reasons.
Sarah found her perfect pattern and she adjusted it to her measurements and liking. I like bigger variety - if I were to use only one pattern for the rest of my life, I'd play with necklines, length of sleeves, shapes of skirt. But I totally understand her attachment to one pattern because every time it gives and will give her the perfectly fitted dress (unless she looses or gains weight dramatically ^^).
The more I sew the more I catch myself returning towards my favourite patterns that I know are fitted and will give me best results. I'll trace the shapes onto the fabric, cut them, sew together and wear. No muslins to see what's wrong with the Burda's pattern this time...
I have three such favourites - first, dress 128 from Burda 08/2009 (I turned it into Pani Paseczkowa, Chinese Rose, Rada Puchaczy and Pyza Mazowiecka); second, dress 124 from Burda 01/2014 (I used it for Sensu, Black and White and I'll make the third one soon); and third, the pattern I used for the recent Chłodnica dress and today's dress.
Top is from Burda's #112 from 11/2008 issue - pleats around the neckline because I didn't want to male any folds at the front. The bottom was inspired by the print on the fabric - the only choice was a long gathered rectangle.
Just when I had only two seams to finish, my sewing machine stopped working... I cleaned the mechanisms, gave it a good drench of oil but it still didn't want to cooperate. On Thursday night I finished the bottom hem by hand and hoped for my old Brother machine to work next day to finish the dress. After all I had short simple seams to be done on easy to work with cotton. On Friday Robert tried to make my machine work but he couldn't and I took it to the Maintenance, and then finished the dress on my first Brother sewing machine. It didn't work properly, groaning and wining, but it worked somehow! And then I realized I could give it a cleanup and some oil here and there to improve its performance. So I did. After I removed a pillow of fulled dust from under the transport parts and oiled the mechanics it suddenly went very quiet and sewing like a brand new machine! ^^*~~ Who knows, I may even sew another dress on this machine while waiting for my Łucznik to come back from the Machine Doctor!
That's probably the happiest dress I've made up till now, the kokeshi dolls pattern make me smile every time I see myself in the mirror and I hope to make everyone smile in the streets when I'll be wearing this dress. *^O^*
One more thing - I cannot lie anymore, I'm hopeless when it comes to keeping deadlines and resolutions... As you can see my One by One project is a failure, I just cannot make myself sew something I don't feel like doing, I want to sew what I like at the moment. I cannot help it! So I'll just stick to making dresses. *^o^*
On the top of my blog just under the main banner you'll find the page called I sew, with all my sewing projects.
Mina is not a typical pretty doll, you have to get used to her beauty and get to love her unusual face. She's not easy to take photos of, from some angles she looks adorable whereas from other angles quite bizarre. A demanding doll.
I remember when she arrived and I took her out of the box for the first time, my first thought was "Oh, boy!... She's ugly!... Why on earth did I buy her?....". The original makeup was really horrid and messy, but after some face modifications (I removed the square jaw she had...) and with a new makeup she changed. Recently Mina got new wig - I removed the long hair wig for the time of sewing and trying on the dress, and this short bob suddenly turned out so fetching for her! *^v^*
She is always a bit surprised with the world outside and living in her own doll thoughts.
I really wanted to take her to some park or garden for the shoot but it's been really windy and cold this week so you'd only see falling doll, shattered hair and me manoeuvring with the tissues in the photos (I got a cold from yesterday's walking in the rain and wind...). So, his time Mina stayed on the balcony and let's hope for the better weather soon for the next doll's photo shoot.See you soon! *^o^*
I decided to dress my dolls in cardigans. I know it's Spring already... but I really must plan my work thoroughly, do test knitting and make plans for the patterns, so I'll be ready with the items for Autumn. *^v^*
For now I did a testknit with Aliza Lanagold 800 and 2,25 mm needles, taking notes along the way. I know the modifications I need to introduce in the next models but this one is all right and can be worn, so I quickly pleated some plaid fabric and made a skirt to accompany it for the photos.
The doll is Lollipop (Dollzone Wilka head on old female body)- my first and most loved one! If you don't know my dolls - this is the ball jointed doll and is 60 cm tall, my other dolls can be met here.
I won't mention how much yarn I used because, as you can imagine, almost nothing disappeared from the skein. ^^*~~
So, with this project I'm crossing out point 10 from the Craft Challenge 15 Projects in 2015, that is "create on needles/crochet hook something really small". But, I don't feel that I made sth really small and I'm going to repeat this challenge with even smaller objects, I have a smaller doll anyway. *^-^*
This cardigan is part of the Share in Style - Yellow at Rosy's blog.
It's Wednesday so it's Knitting and Reading at Makneta's.
Since last week I finished a thick retro-fantasy book - "The Diviners" by Libba Bray. 1920's America, prohibition, jazz and demons, very well written and when you start reading you just cannot put it away!
Now I am in the middle of the book by another Russian woman detective stories author Wiktoria Płatowa "Last Night's Ritual". Main character is a prostitute involved in two murders that she didn't commit. She decides to find the real killer because nobody looks for him! I was a bit annoyed by the way of writing at the begining but then I got used to it and now I want to quickly know who did that!
There are four detective stories by Doncowa on my to-read-pile. *^v^*
On my needles - as you can see I just finished a Teeny Tiny Cardigan for a doll and I'm also at the top part of the sleeves of Settler's, then I only need to make the button bands, the pockets and the collar (Robert doesn't want the hood). I really want to finish this by the end of March do keep your fingers crossed! *^o^*
There's been a preview of the April's Burda's on the Russian Burda's webpage and as usual that month there are dresses. I like three models based on the same idea - a slightly gathered skirt, cache couer top, two different sleeves versions and one sleeveless one.
There is also a cocktail dress with an interesting back that could be worn to a Spring wedding. (We are going to a wedding in April and I still haven't decided what to wear! ^^*~~)
Today the postman brought me the body for Kokardka! *^o^*~~~Although the post people tried really hard to destroy the parcel (one box corner was squashed and pushed inside...), the girl who sent me the body packed it really well in bubble wrap so it came intact. I didn't prepare the classic "arrival" with box opening, ect, because it's not the whole doll I received, just the body for the head I already owned. I even managed to squeeze her into a dress I made for the previous body, but just barely, this body is slighly wider.Just a quick snapshot on the balcony that I sent to the seller to show her the body arrived successfully.
As far as resin match, in theory both the head and the body are "white" but the body is from 2010 and the head from 2005, and it's much more yellowed. Luckily, as I already mentioned, in October Yarn Ferret takes Kokardka for a repainting and will take care of those differences. *^o^* Volks body is much more "doll-like" then Marti Presents body which is more "grown up/feminine" but it's not a problem with Kokardka because her face is girly and doll-like rather then "real". I'm happy my F-05 has her own body that I won't be forced to change soon. ^^*~~
Now, sewing time. Or rather planning time, because with that tropical heat I wasn't able to work with fabric or sit at the sewing machine... Fortunately it's getting cooler today so I'll just put down what I would like to sew this Autumn so I could cross it out later one by one. *^v^*
Unfortunately, because I had no earlier experience with jersey, it turned out that I bought a too thick fabric for the top I wanted to make for the Summer Sewing School... The colour is a great deep blue but I can only sew a sweatshirt or a skirt out of it, not the flowing top with water-like neckline.So, I'll get another thin jersey for that top and now I'm going to turn this jersey, accompanied by the light grey chiffon, into that dress:
That kind of a dress (different colours and types of fabric connected) was on my mind for some time now and this pattern suits me best, I think.
For the early Autumn I want to make a dress based on the 1956 pattern. It's not the pregnancy dress although it looks like it in the photo... (maybe Burda wanted it to be a pregnancy dress and then they resigned from that idea but the photo remained?...). Anyway, I want to use blue lacosta jersey, never worked with it before, we'll see.
Next dress is interesting because of the shawl-like collar and the pepita patterned fabric. I couldn't find the huge one so I got a smaller pepita in combination . *^v^* Anyway, I'm tall and not so tiny so the huge pattern might not look good on me. My version will be shorter because the length presented here cuts my legs in the least preferable place. I'm not really sure how to classify this dress - made of wool but with non-existent sleeves, well... When to wear it? In Autumn with a blouse underneath, I guess. I don't know whether to add a lining, I always wear a slip with all my wool dresses.
This dress started as a fabric - a cotton striped jersey, and I wanted something simple and comfortable to wear around the house. This pattern has some extremely long kimono sleeve openings but I know what to do to make it look better. I may start with that dress because it's very easy - just the front, the back and some bias tape for the facings. *^o^*
And this is the dress from the 1940's style - shirt-like top and feminine floating skirt (I have other similar dresses in my queue). I chose a raspberry satin Azja for it since it's supposedly thin and floating but like a silk to the touch. I have so many patterned clothes that I decided to play with straight colours a bit. *^v^*
So that's all my plans at the moment (I'll add the project using the cotton fabric I won recently when it gets to me by post and the retro kimono sleeve dress I'm making from the striped silk), of course I have a big pile of other Burdas with dress patterns and I want to sew them all. *^-^*~~~
When I start making dollfie's clothes, I cannot stop because I always think I can add even more laces and beads here and there. *^v^* When I was finishing those two jackets I forbid myself even think about the Toho 15/o tiny beads, because I might spend another two weeks attaching them EVERYWHERE!... ^^*~~ You will see them on my next doll's dresses (the next in the queue are Lollipop and Sinclair), today enjoy the jaquard fabric and beads in bigger sizes.
I had a small piece of that fabric's, around 90 cm per 45 cm, and I squeezed what I could out of it - a MSD size coat and a SD size jacket plus two headbands, and I also made two satin dresses more moderate in embelishments. Sewing on the beads took me quite a long time but it's a calming meditative job, just like hand patchworking ot knitting. *^-^* Some "artistic" photos for now, because I have to buy a piece of white cotton for the clear background. These sets (and my other doll's clothes) will be for sale in my Etsy shop later.
Mireille was a star today, but Henrietta is a very difficult doll to set a pose (and she has a very old makeup to be changed in October). Besides, I had to recall how to take doll's photos. Please have a look at 姉妹 that is Sisters. Some photos can be enlarged.