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Posts: 8,574
This is scary-but I finally did my first real doll.....no not a gollydolly, but a doll. At first I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Then Rick said "She needs eyebrows"Hmmmm
Then Renae said, "She needs eyebrows...."
Oh great, she needs eyebrows. How am I gonna do that....
So here she is, in all her unpolished glory, but she has eyebrows, and she isn't a golly. I don't know what she is.
Hope she doesn't scare the children.....
dilu
A friend gave me a yard of suede....what do you do with a yard of suede? A doll dress made sense to me. She has suede mocassins as well...
I should have thought about the weight before i got to messing with her hair.
sigh
her hair is black merino wool rovings that is needlefelted in place.
Lovely! 
The eyes are fab!
I love cloth dolls - there is something very charming about their simplicity. 
MerBear OriginalsFunny...I just ordered one of the baby cloth doll patterns from Stephanie at Sassy as well as some fabric for one. I was so taken with the baby doll she posted.
Your doll is very elegant.
Marion
TinyBearGreat doll - I like her
Kassie Bears TM/Creations of MysticismDilu 
Now that is cool!! Make more of these , she is wonderful. I love the look of your style on this doll. Her outfit is also amazing. She even has a waistline. 
Can't wait to see more of these beauitful dolls. 
I think ? I know were you got those wonderful beads. 
*wink*
hugs :hug:
kassie
Posts: 8,574Marion, I totally understand. Steph really got into that baby thing. I am still struglling with my pattern. I loved hers....but since we are doing a swap I can't use her pattern and send it back to her....I have to do mine. The alms and legs all seem to thin.
I have reworked the pattern probably 15 times....sigh.....so i am working on what I hope will be the final incarnation of the baby pattern.
Her little Marci is so cute, I love her. but this whole doll experiement has caused me to think differnetly and that has to be good.
Thank you you guys for being so nice about her....She actually has a nice waste, but the suede doesn't pull in enough to show so well.
now to work on the hands.
no one said it would be easy did they?
gollyhugs
dilu
Bears by Jodi Busy making a doll !! I have missed you . Nice doll by the way 
Chaska, MinnesotaDuli: so creative...I think she is fabulous.
Michelle
Kiprie BearsYou did a great job Dilu !!!
She has exotic eyes～ and I love her dress. 
hugs
Marie
Like Jodi said we missed you and now we know why you were so quite! That doll is really fantastic Dilu! I was a doll maker before I fell in love with bears and Gollies. I have to take some picures to show you in here. My favorite of the tons i made is an old lady. Talking about hands Dilu. I put a wire armature inside the fingers that way she can hold the needles...I know..I know :photo:
Bear hugs and Golly smiles .
Gladys
Posts: 8,574Gladys, I did one of my baby tries with wire armatures.....but she was too big to be a baby, 6", so I am trying to get it down to 3"....the armatures were to help her crawl and sit....which she can do but looks silly as she is obviously too old to be crawling. sigh.
I'll keep trying as I can't let something this silly get the best of me.
But our Miss Steph surely is doing a bang up job on her babies.
gollyhugs
thank you guys....but I need to keep working on the concept....
not ready for prime time dilu
BrisbaneI use pipe cleaners or chenille sticks for the fingers Dilu...nice and easy and you don't have to stuff the fingers!!!
Great doll by the way...I love her outfit.
Dilu I was just going to write about using pipe cleaners ( for the little ones ) and I can see that Sarahjane told you about it. I twist them together as many as I will need to do the work for the particular doll, Golly or bear I am working on. I do warp them ( pipe c. ) with some fiber fill to hide it.
You are so talented my friend everything that comes from your hands is great!
Bear hugs and Golly smiles.
Gladys
Your cloth doll is wonderful, Dilu -great job. What is her name?
Her outfit is lovely also.
Hugs
Carolyn
Posts: 8,574 Like just about everything....but that's half the fun right?!
Hi here are some pictures of the dolls I made. The old lady and old man are bigger ( like about 27 " ) the old lady I made remembering my great aunt that always came to visit us ( you can see her purse by her yarn bag ) and she would be talking to my mom and making something for my dolls. She was sooo fast that , whatever she was making was done by the time she went home. The old man ?.. I just did not wanted her to be alone Their hands have wire inside. All the others are miniatures, They fit in the palm of my hand and with them are some of my firsts bears. The little boy on the high chair it did happen one Thanksgiving day, long time ago, ( he is 16 now! They grow so fast!! ) my nephew and his family came for dinner and his little boy fell sleep eating! I makes smile every time I look at it! and last but not least, Ragedy Ann and Andy. I am not ( you know that by now!! ) too good at taking pictures. hope you can see them ok.
Bear hugs and Golly smiles .
Gladys 
I forgot this one!. Senior Moments! :lol:They are coming fast!! 
Posts: 8,574
I am lucky Stephanie is patient. I don't want to send her something not nice....so I keep working on it.!
Here is the ballerina with 2 left feet....I made her to hang on the wall or in the air turning by the window. The pictures are too washed out so I shall try again tomarrow....but this will give you an idea.
The fabric is from Sassy's and I love it. By rearranging how I placed the pattern pieces with the stretch of the fabric I was able to have really long skinny legs. This is the exact same pattern I used with Princess Kirah Feather up above....I love doing goofy things with my playtime.
Gladys, I notice most doll makers don't joint their dolls. I just assumed we did when I started and so I did. How come they don't?golly hugs The ballerina obviously has a disc in her shoulders but it doesn't detract....She has so much skin showing its a good thing the fabric is forgiving.
golly hugs
dilu
Bears by Jodi
Nova Scotia,CanadaI love your dolls Dilu 
The ballerina is my favorite. I would love to know how you made the TUTU.
Love all your dolls too Gladys. I can't see yours yet Jodi.I'll have to refresh but your work is always great.
Dilu I love your ballerina, her hair, her outfit, how well can she "pose" all of her! You are good! I do not know why most people do not used joints on the soft dolls? I do on almost all of mine, only on very few I had not. They look, to me, more realistic, better to pose too. I love babies, I collect realistic looking and feeling babies too... That is another story Well...like my husband says..Name it..She collect it! It is true my poor and understanding husband!! I am sure that your babies will come out how you want them my friend. You are not only good but, do not give up easily . I want :photo: LOTS of them! Thanks for your kind words about my work my friend
Thanks for yours too Shari.
Jodi your dolls are great! Love how you did embellish them:thumbsup:
Bear hugs and Golly smiles.
Posts: 8,574Here is the rule of thumb for ballerinas, and you adapt it however you want for your doll.
cut your organza, or tule, 10 times your dolls waiste measurement.....then you will have several layers
the first layer on this doll was 2"
The next 2.5
the next 3"
I was prepared to give her 10 layers-because thats what the dressers would do for a real ballerina.....
but she is so small and such a skinny little thing that 10 layers were 7 too many.
Next you gather your organza up to waste size tie off your gathering stitches and I had already overcast, the edge because organza sheds threads so badly.
then the shortest 2" one went on first, at the point of her would be pubic bone, the next layer slightly highers and the last layer on her hips.
I hand sewed each layer on individually.
Now thats the basics...after I cut the strips I did the rolled hem on the machine and then gathered the strips up.
You have to have something to sew the poufs to...I used satin and made a tight fitting basic leotard/panty thing....this is what I sewed each of the layers too.
because shes a doll and doesn't really ever have to go to the bathroom or anything mundane like that, i sewed it right on her....the poufs make it so fun.
The websites that I went to to see how things are done in ballerina world said that the cost could run 3-5 thousand dollars and would pass down through generations of ballerinas 40 years and took a month with one person working to make.
They bead them and add lots of sequins and sparkles so that the light flashes as the dancer is moving.
so I had little tiny crystals from the ATC stash...and glued them on her skirt.
The shoes were the hardest- sheesh! such feet to fit! But she has suede on the bottom and on the toe and the other part is the same satin as her dress.
hope this made sense....its easy and fun and I think I will have to do another one.....I'm thinking with a little golly who has a weight challenge....
hugs
dilu
Dilu, your dolls are so sweet. I love the ballerina especially. They've got CAKEWALK CREATIONS written all over them.
Nasseh-Yalove the fingers and your ballerina's dress is beautiful
Dilu she is beautiful!!!! :clap:
