Hello everyone! I hope you’re all well and happy this fabulous Friday. Isn’t it a glorious day? I may or may not have had a little too much sugar this morning. Combine that with GREAT! EXCITEMENT! as Bob & I are getting a night off parenting tonight and perhaps you could forgive the gratuitous use of exclamation marks. Bob’s wonderful parents have volunteered to take the three youngest tonight while Findlay goes to his Dad’s, so we’re actually going to spend some time together that doesn’t involve housework. What a novel idea! Have you got anything fun planned for the weekend?
So – the title of my blog post today is artistically challenged because I really am. It’s not even funny, I am the most cack-handed wannabe artist that I know. I wanted to do art for Standard Grade – which is the Scottish equivalent to GCSE – and the art teacher pretty much laughed me out of the room. I can’t draw to save myself, I don’t have the techniques for painting but I am so keen! I’ve been trying to create faces for the little dolls I’ve been making and I just can’t seem to do it.
These are the new dolls – four girls and a boy (I’m going to put together a tutorial for the boy doll at some point soon, promise!). They’ve been sewn up and finished for almost a week and are sitting on my sewing chair just waiting for their faces. As a reminder, this is the dolly I’d made for Elise:
And I wasn’t thrilled by the face. I ended up repainting the eyes more than once because I felt they just weren’t quite what I’d expected. It sounds like such a simple thing doesn’t it, to draw an eye? But I’m a big believer in the power and mystique of eyes, and I want these dollies to be loved and cherished so it’s important to me that the eyes are enchanting, beautiful and not at all frightening. So I shall plough on with drawing eyes until I think I’ve found an eye that works. Wish me luck!
Posted under for the kids, sewing
This post was written by Vonnie on January 22, 2010
Love the dolls but I would be so tempted to just embroider two half moon (sleepy) eyes and a small mouth so as to keep them simple. I do know what you mean by enchanting eyes but I am too inept and chicken!
Glad you are feeling better and hope you enjoy your night off (don’t entirely understand the concept and don’t expect it to happen round here for another 15 years but hey, am not too jealous)!
xxx
That picture of those dolls without faces is so, oh god, what was that series called, the alfred Hitchcock one? Well, I guess you know what i mean… anyway, I’d embroider them on too, or cut little felt circles, much easier!
p.s, no pressure, but remember you HAVE to make the most of tonight for all us sad parents stuck at home!!!!
i’d do button eyes but i guess that’s not suitable for little kids – if they weren’t already sewn up you can get plain black safety eyes which would be good and easy.
hope you and Bob enjoy your childfree time!
we are lucky that my daughter babysits her brother whenever we like {for a price!} but we still rarely go out!
Wow Von, lovely work.. really. Can I commission two from you for my kids? Seriously. Artistically challenged… not a chance! I love them!
Enjoy your night off!
I love the dolls. I really like the finished one – even though you say you didn’t love the face, I think it’s quite cute.
I really like the boy doll. Can’t comment on the eye thing because I don’t have an artistic bone in my body.
Hi Vonnie – you can use as many exclamation marks as you want!!! I use them all the time (probably other people would put in LOL) On the subject of the doll faces – you could claim that they are Amish dolls – their dolls don’t have features on their faces. Enjoy your night off!! Love, Anne
Glad you’re having a night off – enjoy it! I can’t draw either, so relate to that. I love the dolls – they’re stylish but cuddly at the same time iyswim!
In my head I am awesome, have no idea why it doesn’t translate
Those dolls are amazing, well done! I totally understand the ‘artistically challenged’ thing, I can assemble things in a pleasing fashion but can’t for the life of me paint / draw / anything freehand. I like the idea of closed half moon eyes. Or felt-pieced kawaii eyes? If that makes any sense
aww, I love the eyes on the completed one! I don’t know how you can say you’re artistically challenged, these are beautiful.
Oh they are Adorable! I have a free face painting tutorial on my blog if you’d like to see how I paint my dollies
….. and if you ever feel like making some for Dolly Donations, (for orphans in Haiti) I know they will be loved!
Thanks for sharing! Take care & Happy Sewing!