Studio Cleanout Sale

One of the advantages of being disorderly
is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.
- A.A. Milne

One of my favorite groups has this quote on the opening page. I've been cleaning out my studio, and as I've been gathering things to sell I've been making exciting discoveries! That was the point, actually ;-) I'm repeating myself, but in order to say YES to some things, you have to say NO to other things. So here are a few things I have for sale on Ebay right now.

Click the pictures to go to the specific auctions:

A lot of 10+ patterns from top designers
plus the book Two Hour Doll Clothes

I promise you that you will find something wonderful in this lot! I'm deliberately not naming the pattern designers but there is at least one wonderful humdinger in the lot.

Gail Wilson Folk Art Doll #7 KIT
I had a duplicate of this pattern/kit,for some reason.
Wonderful dolls, wonderful patterns. 'Nuf said.

If you love vintage cloth dolls
this will be an interesting book for you to read.
If you love and study Martha Chase dolls
then you must have this book for your collection!

Yes, folks, these are 19" long opera gloves. Why, you say, do I own opera gloves? Well, you know when you're cruisin' through the antique mall and you see something like this that is so wonderful? These size 6 1/2 kidskin leather gloves were made in Paris. Oooo la la!

Actually, I bought them to use in making leather arms for dolls, but I can't bear to cut them up. The guilt would overwhelm me. I only allow myself to use antique clothing items that have problems, so I feel no guilt at cutting them up. I'll make no judgements if you have the will and determination to use these to make arms for an antique doll. But if you're planning on wearing them, I hope you have a physique like Calista Flockhart.

Finally, let's talk about the sewing machine above. It's not for sale but should be. This singer 185J is a bit like a featherweight machine (but it's still very heavy!!!). It works and has the funkiest light on the back and the best vintage color. It's from the 60's. I bought this because my mom mentioned it. I thought my mom wanted it, so I bought it. Turns out she didn't want it, she thought I could sell it on Ebay. Well, selling machines on Ebay is dicey. The shipping is usually monstrous in order to get a machine safely from one corner of the country to another. Believe me, I know!

I have more items for sale under my other selling ID, Northdixie Smiles. So check those items out, too. :-) It's amazing what I've wedged into an 8 x 11 room.

Wooden Doll Update

A while ago I started a doll with a wooden head that is inspired by my banner above. I used some porch finials and furniture legs together to make the head and shoulders. Then I added paperclay and baked it all in the oven to harden it. I wasn't sure what to do with it after I painted it. A cloth body was very hard to figure out how to attach to the wooden shoulders. On Monday I was cruising through The Schoolhouse Antique Mall in Brewer, Maine. When I found a great antique rolling pin that had lost its handles I knew it would be a perfect base for Miss Wood.

I need to decide what direction to go in now. I could make her into a traditional doll - maybe an angel - or I could go an altered art route. Altered art is somewhat new for me.

Daguerrotypes

Here are some interesting daguerrotypes being auctioned on Ebay. Click the images to go to the auctions....there is a lot of history to this picture of four children. I like to look at old photos to study the clothing.

An Upcoming Couple?

How many moms have tried to keep a toddler still for a photo?



A fun one for dollmakers -
it looks like a Greiner doll the girl is holding.

Perfectionism is the Enemy of Progress

I guess I am a perfectionist. It doesn't really show in lots of areas of my life, though. Like I don't do laundry perfectly or housework. Perfectionism does slow progress down in terms of making something. But on the other hand, if there's something I would worry about in one of my creations on sending it out then I need to fix that now.

So I've glued some linen fabric over the front of the shoulderplate to stabilize the area that has cracks. I had already done that on the underside. This is what a couple of long-time collectors told me is the best way to stabilize a crack. Is it ever stable now! All of these stabilizing fabrics go under the dress, so they're not seen.


I took the neckline band off the dress and sewed a different one on. It looks better and I feel better about the dress now. I did a lot of hand stitching in the neckline area. I'm still deciding whether I should put a contrast band on the sleeve edge or whether to leave that plain. I think I'll leave it plain for now and give her an apron of the striped fabric.

Unbreakable Papier Mache

Here's what needs doing - hem the dress, make petticoat, make pantaloons, make pinner apron.

When I purchased the Unbreakable Papier Mache it had cracks in the shoulderplate which I stabilized with fabric underneath. It may be that I will put a fine layer of gauzy material on top, I'm not sure. These are covered with the dress and appear to be fine now.


If I were a perfectionist (and of course I'm not) I would fix the funny spot over on the right shoulder where the fabric moved while I was sewing it.


I did a lot of hand sewing on this dress and there is more to come! Next time I will backstitch by hand over the basting before I sew the edging piece on at the neckline by machine.

Actual Cell Phone Conversations

Today my husband's heart was fearful when he heard me say these words by cell phone, "Hey, I just passed a yard sale and I'm driving your truck! Yay!"

There was a moment of silence and I heard a groan. My husband says the world would be a better place if everyone kept their own junk. But he hasn't started doing altered art ;-)

Antique Cloth Doll Ending Price!

Wow - did you see what this doll's final auction price was?!?
$1,280.55

She is a very interesting doll.
I wonder where she'll end up?