Thanks to everyone who gave feedback on the last post, I'm glad you liked it! I will be posting more in the future, I'm just super busy at the moment.
The Melbourne Doll Market is less than two weeks away, and as usual I've planned far more than I can actually make, so it's a non stop sewing fest here. XD
I'll be back soon with some proper posts at the end of the month. :)
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Essential Doll Sewing Tips
Okay, so people said they wanted my rambles about sewing, so here goes. This is just a bunch of things that I feel are worth knowing. I'm sure there's more that I've forgotten, but this will do for now. Of course this is all just my opinion - different people have different techqniques and different things they consider more important.
With that said, enjoy! I hope this is of some use.
Sewing Basics
• Get your machine’s manual and learn how it works. Learn especially how to take it apart, clean it and oil it. Ideally you want to clean your machine after every job, and oil it about every 6 months. I clean mine about twice a week, and oil it every second week because I use it so much. If you have an old machine, there are plenty of pdf versions of their manuals online.
• Even when you’ve been sewing for years (over 20 years in my case), a good reference book can be a godsend. I use Vogue/Butterick’s “Step by Step Sewing Techniques”, because it has nice clear pictures and instructions, and is well laid out.
• Use the right needles for the job. Regular point/universal needles are for cottons and medium weight fabrics. Ball point needles are for fine fabrics such as silks and satins (they push through the fibres instead of cutting through them, so they don’t leave large holes), and for knit fabrics. Denim and leather point needles are for heavy weight fabrics (they have a blade on the edge to cut through the fabric). If your needles are breaking, you probably have the wrong type in.
Also, change your needles regularly, after every big job, or every couple of small jobs. They do get blunt.
• Scale is the key between something looking like human clothes, or like doll clothes. Always go for a lighter weight fabric than what you would use for human clothes. Bulkier fabrics only tend to work with coats and oversized sweaters. Smaller prints are generally better (unless you’re going for a period look where large prints were in, like the 1850s), in knits a finer gauge stitch is what you’re looking for. Small buttons (though some of the smaller ones can look too plastic and doll like) and eyelets, fine trims, all these things make a difference. Note: if you want to use ribbon for lacing or bows, try to stay under 3mm. Anything larger tends to look out of place.
• Quality of fabrics also makes a difference. Use soft cotton laces, embroidered tulle and delicate venice lace for trims instead of nylon raschel lace. Ebay and Etsy are great sources to find these kinds of trims at a reasonable price. Using cotton instead of polycotton, and silk instead of satin will give a nicer finish.
• Your iron is your friend. A lot of handmade doll clothing I see photos of could look a lot better, and sit on the doll better, if they had pressed the garment as they went along. Press your seams, your hems, everything you can. (this of course doesn’t apply to knits) A lot of the time people topstitch something which would have stayed in place had they given it a good pressing.
• Study human clothes, see how they are constructed and finished. For example, Jeans actually have the contrast stitching on the inside leg, not on the outside as is commonly seen in doll clothes (the seam is flat felled to increase it’s strength, as it is most likely to wear out); collars on shirts are topstitched, a detail sometimes missed. Hems on coats and jackets are often hand stitched to the lining so that there is no visible stitching, not top stitched.
• My beloved tailoring teacher Bill used to say “a good sewer is a good unpicker”. Used to drive me insane, but he was right. You learn from your mistakes, and if you are careful in your unpicking, you can fix things without people knowing you made the mistake. Pro tip – once you have unpicked something, lightly pull the fabric back and forth where the stitches were. This should move the threads back into place, so the holes aren’t visible.
Btw, for those in Melbourne, Australia, Bill Woodhouse does two courses at CAE – Tailoring and Couture techniques. He is a great teacher and full of wisdom (and wonderful life stories). If you’re looking to learn these techniques, I strongly recommend learning under him.
Pattern Making
• There are many threads on DoA’s sewing forum discussing how to drape patterns on to your doll, using paper towel or fabric to create the pattern. Pattern making uses a lot of maths, and is essentially geometry. If getting your head around numbers is daunting, this might be the best method for you.
• If you really want to get into making your own pattens for dolls, I suggest taking a short pattern making course, or studying patternmaking books (Winifred Aldrich makes a great series called “Metric Pattern Cutting”). Working on humans first is a good way to understand proportions, and then you can transfer those methods and formulas into dolls.
• If that all seems a bit much, get a hold of some good basic patterns to use a base for all your designs, and alter them. A good basic dress pattern can work well as a block/sloper. Once again, Winifred Aldrich’s books are great for explaining how to use your blocks to create a range of garments. Etsy has a good range of bjd pattern makers, otherwise the DOA sewing forum is full of people willing to give advice and reviews on patterns they’ve used (the “what are you currently sewing” thread is very active, helpful and encouraging)
Measuring
• This is my golden rule of measuring bjds – never trust a bjd company’s measurements. They are often wrong, or focusing on measurements you don’t need for sewing. It is always best to measure yourself.
• Take as many measurements as you can. The more you have, the better fit your pattern will be, and there will be less tweaking when fitting it on your doll. The measurements I always take are:
Bust
Waist
Hips (the fullest part of the body, usually around the buttocks)
High Hips (across the tummy, where pants usually sit when people say “on the hips”)
Nape to Waist (nape is the base of the back of your neck)
Waist to Hip (all measurements from the waist downwards are taking on the side, going over the curves of the hip)
Waist to Knee
Waist to Ankle
Waist to Floor
Thigh
Knee
Ankle
Bodyrise (from front waist, down through the legs and up to the back waist)
Bust separation (ie: across the bust from nipple to nipple)
Underbust
Shoulder to bust
Shoulder to underbust
Waist to underbust
Neck
Shoulder (work out where you want your shoulder seam to sit. Measure from the neck to that point on the shoulder)
Across shoulders
Across front (above the bust, from start of the armpit to the other armpit)
Across back (same method as above, but for the back of course)
Arm (always bend your doll’s arm when measuring, going around the bend at the elbow. This ensures that your sleeves will not be too short when you bend their arms)
Shoulder to elbow
Bicep
Wrist
Handspan (measure around the widest part of the hand. This is good for knowing how wide to make your sleeves)
I can make a more detailed post with photos if people are interested, but in the meantime this site might be helpful with images of where to measure: http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/4610/how-to-measure-up
And most importantly…
• Keep trying. You will get better. It can be hard to look at your own work and compare it to the work of others. But use them as inspiration. If they sell clothes that you like, buy them so you can look at them closer, see how they’ve achieved a certain look. Over time you will look back at things you thought were your best work and think “Why did I think that was good? I could do that so much better now.” Keep sewing and you will perfect your techniques. I think it took me about 2-3 years to get my t-shirts to look the way I wished they would, and I’m sure the same thing can be said about clothes I’m learning to make now.
And I think that’s all I wanted to say about that. If there is something I’m not clear about, or something you want to know, by all means ask and I’ll try my best to answer. :)
With that said, enjoy! I hope this is of some use.
Sewing Basics
• Get your machine’s manual and learn how it works. Learn especially how to take it apart, clean it and oil it. Ideally you want to clean your machine after every job, and oil it about every 6 months. I clean mine about twice a week, and oil it every second week because I use it so much. If you have an old machine, there are plenty of pdf versions of their manuals online.
• Even when you’ve been sewing for years (over 20 years in my case), a good reference book can be a godsend. I use Vogue/Butterick’s “Step by Step Sewing Techniques”, because it has nice clear pictures and instructions, and is well laid out.
• Use the right needles for the job. Regular point/universal needles are for cottons and medium weight fabrics. Ball point needles are for fine fabrics such as silks and satins (they push through the fibres instead of cutting through them, so they don’t leave large holes), and for knit fabrics. Denim and leather point needles are for heavy weight fabrics (they have a blade on the edge to cut through the fabric). If your needles are breaking, you probably have the wrong type in.
Also, change your needles regularly, after every big job, or every couple of small jobs. They do get blunt.
• Scale is the key between something looking like human clothes, or like doll clothes. Always go for a lighter weight fabric than what you would use for human clothes. Bulkier fabrics only tend to work with coats and oversized sweaters. Smaller prints are generally better (unless you’re going for a period look where large prints were in, like the 1850s), in knits a finer gauge stitch is what you’re looking for. Small buttons (though some of the smaller ones can look too plastic and doll like) and eyelets, fine trims, all these things make a difference. Note: if you want to use ribbon for lacing or bows, try to stay under 3mm. Anything larger tends to look out of place.
• Quality of fabrics also makes a difference. Use soft cotton laces, embroidered tulle and delicate venice lace for trims instead of nylon raschel lace. Ebay and Etsy are great sources to find these kinds of trims at a reasonable price. Using cotton instead of polycotton, and silk instead of satin will give a nicer finish.
• Your iron is your friend. A lot of handmade doll clothing I see photos of could look a lot better, and sit on the doll better, if they had pressed the garment as they went along. Press your seams, your hems, everything you can. (this of course doesn’t apply to knits) A lot of the time people topstitch something which would have stayed in place had they given it a good pressing.
• Study human clothes, see how they are constructed and finished. For example, Jeans actually have the contrast stitching on the inside leg, not on the outside as is commonly seen in doll clothes (the seam is flat felled to increase it’s strength, as it is most likely to wear out); collars on shirts are topstitched, a detail sometimes missed. Hems on coats and jackets are often hand stitched to the lining so that there is no visible stitching, not top stitched.
• My beloved tailoring teacher Bill used to say “a good sewer is a good unpicker”. Used to drive me insane, but he was right. You learn from your mistakes, and if you are careful in your unpicking, you can fix things without people knowing you made the mistake. Pro tip – once you have unpicked something, lightly pull the fabric back and forth where the stitches were. This should move the threads back into place, so the holes aren’t visible.
Btw, for those in Melbourne, Australia, Bill Woodhouse does two courses at CAE – Tailoring and Couture techniques. He is a great teacher and full of wisdom (and wonderful life stories). If you’re looking to learn these techniques, I strongly recommend learning under him.
Pattern Making
• There are many threads on DoA’s sewing forum discussing how to drape patterns on to your doll, using paper towel or fabric to create the pattern. Pattern making uses a lot of maths, and is essentially geometry. If getting your head around numbers is daunting, this might be the best method for you.
• If you really want to get into making your own pattens for dolls, I suggest taking a short pattern making course, or studying patternmaking books (Winifred Aldrich makes a great series called “Metric Pattern Cutting”). Working on humans first is a good way to understand proportions, and then you can transfer those methods and formulas into dolls.
• If that all seems a bit much, get a hold of some good basic patterns to use a base for all your designs, and alter them. A good basic dress pattern can work well as a block/sloper. Once again, Winifred Aldrich’s books are great for explaining how to use your blocks to create a range of garments. Etsy has a good range of bjd pattern makers, otherwise the DOA sewing forum is full of people willing to give advice and reviews on patterns they’ve used (the “what are you currently sewing” thread is very active, helpful and encouraging)
Measuring
• This is my golden rule of measuring bjds – never trust a bjd company’s measurements. They are often wrong, or focusing on measurements you don’t need for sewing. It is always best to measure yourself.
• Take as many measurements as you can. The more you have, the better fit your pattern will be, and there will be less tweaking when fitting it on your doll. The measurements I always take are:
Bust
Waist
Hips (the fullest part of the body, usually around the buttocks)
High Hips (across the tummy, where pants usually sit when people say “on the hips”)
Nape to Waist (nape is the base of the back of your neck)
Waist to Hip (all measurements from the waist downwards are taking on the side, going over the curves of the hip)
Waist to Knee
Waist to Ankle
Waist to Floor
Thigh
Knee
Ankle
Bodyrise (from front waist, down through the legs and up to the back waist)
Bust separation (ie: across the bust from nipple to nipple)
Underbust
Shoulder to bust
Shoulder to underbust
Waist to underbust
Neck
Shoulder (work out where you want your shoulder seam to sit. Measure from the neck to that point on the shoulder)
Across shoulders
Across front (above the bust, from start of the armpit to the other armpit)
Across back (same method as above, but for the back of course)
Arm (always bend your doll’s arm when measuring, going around the bend at the elbow. This ensures that your sleeves will not be too short when you bend their arms)
Shoulder to elbow
Bicep
Wrist
Handspan (measure around the widest part of the hand. This is good for knowing how wide to make your sleeves)
I can make a more detailed post with photos if people are interested, but in the meantime this site might be helpful with images of where to measure: http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/4610/how-to-measure-up
And most importantly…
• Keep trying. You will get better. It can be hard to look at your own work and compare it to the work of others. But use them as inspiration. If they sell clothes that you like, buy them so you can look at them closer, see how they’ve achieved a certain look. Over time you will look back at things you thought were your best work and think “Why did I think that was good? I could do that so much better now.” Keep sewing and you will perfect your techniques. I think it took me about 2-3 years to get my t-shirts to look the way I wished they would, and I’m sure the same thing can be said about clothes I’m learning to make now.
And I think that’s all I wanted to say about that. If there is something I’m not clear about, or something you want to know, by all means ask and I’ll try my best to answer. :)
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Too Many Plans, Not Enough Time
It's been ages since I've posted here! Things got busy the past couple of months, which is great, but I don't have much else time for anything but work. There's a month left until the Melbourne Doll Market so I'm contantly sewing, thinking about sewing, or making lists. If all goes well I should have plenty of stock for the day.
Over the past few months I've been thinking about doing a couple of things - patterns and tutorials. Patterns take a lot of time to make and perfect, so they're awhile off. I need to scan them into my computer and clean them up, photograph the steps and write out clear instructions, and then pass this all on to a few friends to see if what I've done actually works and makes sense! So as you can see, lots of work and time has to be invested into them.
But tutorials don't take as much time. I wouldn't be doing so much pattern based ones, as technique ones - explaining finishing techniques, how to work with certain fabrics, ect. I'm going to write a basic tips one up soon, as it doesn't require photographs, but in the future I'm also planning a tutorial on gathering, how to work with knit fabrics (including a separate tutorial on collars on knit tops), lining a jacket/coat, and how to make a tiered skirt. If anyone has any other things they'd like to learn, let me know and I'll see what I can do. :)
Over the past few months I've been thinking about doing a couple of things - patterns and tutorials. Patterns take a lot of time to make and perfect, so they're awhile off. I need to scan them into my computer and clean them up, photograph the steps and write out clear instructions, and then pass this all on to a few friends to see if what I've done actually works and makes sense! So as you can see, lots of work and time has to be invested into them.
But tutorials don't take as much time. I wouldn't be doing so much pattern based ones, as technique ones - explaining finishing techniques, how to work with certain fabrics, ect. I'm going to write a basic tips one up soon, as it doesn't require photographs, but in the future I'm also planning a tutorial on gathering, how to work with knit fabrics (including a separate tutorial on collars on knit tops), lining a jacket/coat, and how to make a tiered skirt. If anyone has any other things they'd like to learn, let me know and I'll see what I can do. :)
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Unintended Acquisitions
Sorry its been so long since my last post! Xmas and new year's just made Dec fly by - lots of family events the whole month! But now things have slowed down again in that department, whilst work is starting to get busy. I have a wedding dress to finish this month, and preparations for my stall at the Melbourne Doll Market in March have already begun.
Do you ever have a doll that just seems to look good in everything you put on them? I do, and it means her wardrobe just keeps expanding! I guess you could consider this the next part in meeting my dolls. Meet Liulfir, my Elfdoll Vivien on a Dollmore Model Doll body. She is Ophelia's bodyguard, and quite literally towers over most of my crew.
They don't call it a Model doll body for nothing, she looks amazing in everything!
I made this top to sell on Etsy, and once I put it on her, I had to go and make one for her as well. XD
Oh well, I guess I can't complain she doesn't have much to wear!
Do you ever have a doll that just seems to look good in everything you put on them? I do, and it means her wardrobe just keeps expanding! I guess you could consider this the next part in meeting my dolls. Meet Liulfir, my Elfdoll Vivien on a Dollmore Model Doll body. She is Ophelia's bodyguard, and quite literally towers over most of my crew.
They don't call it a Model doll body for nothing, she looks amazing in everything!
I made this top to sell on Etsy, and once I put it on her, I had to go and make one for her as well. XD
Oh well, I guess I can't complain she doesn't have much to wear!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Black Friday/Cyber Monday Free Shipping Event
I've been so busy the past couple of days that I forgot to post this here!
That's right, free worldwide shipping for the next four days!
In the 4 1/2 years I've been running this business I've never done a deal like this before, so I suggest you take advantage of it while you can.
That's right, free worldwide shipping for the next four days!
In the 4 1/2 years I've been running this business I've never done a deal like this before, so I suggest you take advantage of it while you can.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Meet The Dolls, Part 4
I'm busy this week getting ready for a free shipping event I'll be holding this weekend in my store (Nov 25-28), but I thought I'd take a moment out to write up another post introducing more of my dolls!
First up is Jesus, affectionately known around here as Zeus. He is Ophelia's oldest son:
(Wearing Dorset's olive green t-shirt)
His girlfriend, Maggie:
(Wearing my green and white striped cardigan)
Her's was the first faceup I'd attempted in about a year! I do about one a year and usually hate them, wiping them off to give to someone far more skilled. Hers is actually growing on me for once.
And their son, Harry:
(Wearing my grey and black striped t-shirt)
So that was a quick little post, got many more to introduce over time!
First up is Jesus, affectionately known around here as Zeus. He is Ophelia's oldest son:
(Wearing Dorset's olive green t-shirt)
His girlfriend, Maggie:
(Wearing my green and white striped cardigan)
Her's was the first faceup I'd attempted in about a year! I do about one a year and usually hate them, wiping them off to give to someone far more skilled. Hers is actually growing on me for once.
And their son, Harry:
(Wearing my grey and black striped t-shirt)
So that was a quick little post, got many more to introduce over time!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Confessions of a fabric-a-holic
Yesterday on my tumblr I was asked to take photos of my fabric collection. I am rather well known amongst those that know me for being a fabric addict.
Besides the obvious motivation of being a seamstress, having worked in a fabric store for 9 odd years means you spend a lot of your pay on fabric! Once I stopped working in the store, it didn't seem to stop me from buying more fabric. T_T
My old house used to have no kind of order to my sewing room. It was more known as my fabric room because it was to messy to actually sew in there. When we moved house I knew I had to sort everything before I moved in (because we all know that once you're there, it's all too hard!). So with the help of my friend, we spent a day sorting all my fabric by type. I donated about a third of it to charity, and this is the rest!
Organising by type was really one of the best things I did. It makes searching for things so much easier.
These spacebags are sorted by type too, but are the stuff I don't need constant access too. When I can afford it I want to get boxes for all of this as well.
My childhood chest of drawers is an excellent holder of fabric. I have a whole drawer of just brocade there!
Under my work bench. These boxes hold fabric I want to work with in the near future. Fabric gets cycled through here, often when I search through other boxes and drawers and get excited and inspired!
So there you have it. They say the one who dies with the biggest collection wins, and I think I'm well on my way! I have to force myself into having fabric free months to stop adding to the collection, but it is very hard for me to go to a store to get thread and not come out with something else. ;)
Besides the obvious motivation of being a seamstress, having worked in a fabric store for 9 odd years means you spend a lot of your pay on fabric! Once I stopped working in the store, it didn't seem to stop me from buying more fabric. T_T
My old house used to have no kind of order to my sewing room. It was more known as my fabric room because it was to messy to actually sew in there. When we moved house I knew I had to sort everything before I moved in (because we all know that once you're there, it's all too hard!). So with the help of my friend, we spent a day sorting all my fabric by type. I donated about a third of it to charity, and this is the rest!
Organising by type was really one of the best things I did. It makes searching for things so much easier.
These spacebags are sorted by type too, but are the stuff I don't need constant access too. When I can afford it I want to get boxes for all of this as well.
My childhood chest of drawers is an excellent holder of fabric. I have a whole drawer of just brocade there!
Under my work bench. These boxes hold fabric I want to work with in the near future. Fabric gets cycled through here, often when I search through other boxes and drawers and get excited and inspired!
So there you have it. They say the one who dies with the biggest collection wins, and I think I'm well on my way! I have to force myself into having fabric free months to stop adding to the collection, but it is very hard for me to go to a store to get thread and not come out with something else. ;)
Friday, November 11, 2011
Lest We Forget
Sometimes working from home means that I live in a bubble.
I've been having a bad week. Nothing seems to be getting me out of this rut, no matter how hard I try I feel like I'm making any progress in my goals. It's certainly hard to keep motivated.
But then I was reminded that day is Rememberence Day, and I felt more than a bit humbled.
I live in a peaceful country, that is home to over 180 nationalities. I have a roof over my head, food on my table, an amazingly supportive husband, and loving family and friends. Times get hard, but I still consider myself lucky.
The last time I was reminded of this was when my husband and I went to Russia earlier this year. We went to Volgograd, better known by it's old name of Stalingrad. The whole town was destroyed by the Germans in WWII, and those that survived lived in holes in the ground during the battle, as all buildings were bombed.
Coming from a country that, whilst having gone to war, has never really experienced it on it's own turf, this was incredibly confronting. My grandfather fought in WWII and survived to tell the tale. My ex boyfriend's grandfather also fought in the war and spent a substantial time in a Japanese POW camp. His stories seemed amazing and yet at the same time hard to truly relate to.
When we visited Mamayev Kurgan, a field in Volgograd which has now been turned into a sculpture park and war memorial, it finally started to sink in, and made my heart ache.
Every Russian town has an Eternal Flame, ever burning for those who lost their lives in the war. It's a beautiful thing to me, and this one in particular made me cry, when lined up with the statue I posted at the top, of a mother holding her dead soldier son.
I am no advocate of war, as I'm sure most of us are. But I have nothing but respect and sadness for those who have fought before us. Sadness that they had to fight at all.
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them
Lest We Forget
Monday, October 24, 2011
Meet the Dolls, Pt 3
Taking this shot yesterday of these sweaters I've put up for sale, I realised I was taking a pic of all my vampire girls. So allow me to introduce them!
Mariella - Angel Toast Elf Raven girl
Wearing the Rose Stripe Set.
Ex-burlesque dancer come performance artiste (though I'm sure she'd include burlesque in performance art).
Cherie - Elfdoll Barbara
Wearing the Grey Cowl Neck Sweater
1940s Hollywood actress, ex 90s model, now club manager and roller derby extrordiare (under the alias "Cherry Bomb").
Anastazja - Iplehouse Silvia
Wearing Raspberry Swirl Lingerie.
Quiet little bookworm with a dark side.
Svetlana - Iplehouse Dreaming Silvia
Wearing the Lavender Cowl Neck Sweater
Twin sister to Ana. Never lucky in love. All round tart.
We're getting close to the half way mark for introducing my dolls, I think!
Mariella - Angel Toast Elf Raven girl
Ex-burlesque dancer come performance artiste (though I'm sure she'd include burlesque in performance art).
Cherie - Elfdoll Barbara
1940s Hollywood actress, ex 90s model, now club manager and roller derby extrordiare (under the alias "Cherry Bomb").
Anastazja - Iplehouse Silvia
Quiet little bookworm with a dark side.
Svetlana - Iplehouse Dreaming Silvia
Twin sister to Ana. Never lucky in love. All round tart.
We're getting close to the half way mark for introducing my dolls, I think!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Mastering the batching process
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Meet the Dolls, Pt 2
A quick post today, introducing the first of Ophelia's five children - Charlie and Lucy.
Charlie (child version) - Bambicrony Elf Gun
Charlie (whose real name is Charlotte) is the oldest of the two twins. I have them in both child and adult forms, as all of the rest of Ophelia's kids I only have in adult form, so they needed to grow up! XD
And all grown up:
Charlie (adult version) - Unidoll Dahlia mod
(Wearing Dorset's Olive Singlet)
Lucy (child version) - Bambicrony Elf Gun
Lucy (adult version) - Unidoll Lily mod
(Wearing my new Teal Cowl Sweater)
And then there's Lucy's daughter, Cordelia:
Cordelia - Bambicrony Tan Emily
(Wearing Dorset's Pink Butterfly Garden Maxi Dress)
If you're wondering about her sudden tan skin against her mother's pale skin, that would be because of her father Nako (who belongs to Aeryn):
So now we're just under a third of the way through my dolls! XD
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Meet the dolls, Pt1
It seems odd for me to introduce my dolls this way, as I'm used to just posting pictures of them and nattering on as if people know what I'm on about But seeing as I assume most people reading this don't know my dolls, I thought I'd introduce them in batches.
I think I mentioned this before, but my dolls each have a character, and are part of story worlds I have created. This is both part writing inspiration (though I hardly ever write anymore), and part sewing inspiration. Coming from a costume background, I find it fun to create a look for each character, and bring that to life through my dolls.
I guess the easiest way to do this is start from the start and branch out according to how they're interlinked.
Ophelia - Dollmore Black LilithI think I mentioned this before, but my dolls each have a character, and are part of story worlds I have created. This is both part writing inspiration (though I hardly ever write anymore), and part sewing inspiration. Coming from a costume background, I find it fun to create a look for each character, and bring that to life through my dolls.
I guess the easiest way to do this is start from the start and branch out according to how they're interlinked.
Ophelia was my first doll, and is the Queen of my world, quite literally!
Phoenix - Cerberus Project Elf Vampire Chiwoo mod
Phoenix is her younger brother, and one of the many vampire dolls I have.
Eiji - Cerberus Project Nanuri 07
Eiji is Phoenix's boyfriend, and another vampire.
Alice - Serendipity Boding Boding Alice
Alice is Phoenix's childhood friend, and tiny robot making demon extrodinare.
Aleana - Dolkot Kiss girl
Aleana is an ex lover and close friend of Phoenix, and aspiring DJ.
Cutting my characters down to one sentence is hard. It's that or ramble on forever!
So I'll try to remember to make a few more posts introducing my dolls in the future. :)
Monday, October 03, 2011
The Delicate Balance
I remember when I was 16 and naive to the perfect words to say at a job interview, that when asked "How do you work best?" I said "When it's busy enough to always have something to do, not when it's quiet." Of course I'm sure I could find some dazzling way of going on about how I always work great under any circumstance now, but really I was telling the truth. I work best when it's consistently busy, but not necessarily chaotic. When I don't have a clear goal or path I flounder and procrastinate. If I have too much on my plate I can become overwhelmed. In times of urgency and crisis I am able to just buckle down and get things done without freaking out, but I'd rather not be in that situation.
I have a problem of thinking I can do much more than I can. I know I can do more than I usually do, but my brain likes to kick it up a notch and say "You totally have the speed and skills of a sweatshop worker, you can make 8 pairs of pants in a day, no problem!" Then I make four and get annoyed at myself for not meeting my goal. Conversely, if I am too cautious and only consider making 2 pairs of pants a day, then I feel I can procrastinate a bit more in the day, cause it won't take me so long. Which ends up being a whole day of procrastination and nothing is done. I'm always trying to give myself goals which are a bit more than what I can normally do, but I can get them done if I put my energy into it. It is a delicate balance.
At the moment I am a day behind in plans. I had hoped to get things done yesterday, but after going out I came home and decided I wasn't in the mood. Today Brendon is home and seeing I haven't seen him for a few days I want to spend his day off with him. Next week we go away for our anniversary, so that's three days of work lost. I'm trying to plan this week to make it as productive and efficient as possible, with achieveable goals which are still pushing me just a bit. With any luck I'll get all 6 colourways and 4 sizes of these pants made up and listed by the end of the week.
Accomplishments make me more motivated, so let's see just how much I can accomplish.
I have a problem of thinking I can do much more than I can. I know I can do more than I usually do, but my brain likes to kick it up a notch and say "You totally have the speed and skills of a sweatshop worker, you can make 8 pairs of pants in a day, no problem!" Then I make four and get annoyed at myself for not meeting my goal. Conversely, if I am too cautious and only consider making 2 pairs of pants a day, then I feel I can procrastinate a bit more in the day, cause it won't take me so long. Which ends up being a whole day of procrastination and nothing is done. I'm always trying to give myself goals which are a bit more than what I can normally do, but I can get them done if I put my energy into it. It is a delicate balance.
At the moment I am a day behind in plans. I had hoped to get things done yesterday, but after going out I came home and decided I wasn't in the mood. Today Brendon is home and seeing I haven't seen him for a few days I want to spend his day off with him. Next week we go away for our anniversary, so that's three days of work lost. I'm trying to plan this week to make it as productive and efficient as possible, with achieveable goals which are still pushing me just a bit. With any luck I'll get all 6 colourways and 4 sizes of these pants made up and listed by the end of the week.
Accomplishments make me more motivated, so let's see just how much I can accomplish.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Starting Anew
So I feel like I should reintroduce myself on this blog, seeing that I haven't written anything proper in many years, and who I was 6 years ago isn't exactly who I am now, so you'd have all sorts of odd concepts about me if you started off by reading those old entries!
I go, pretty much everywhere off and online, by Mon. Mainly because my albeit simple name is too hard for so many to pronounce correctly, even when I say it to them. So the nickname my parents gave me suits me fine.
I live in Melbourne, Australia, with my husband and our many ball jointed dolls. It was a hobby I never really expected to get into, but it has brought together so many creative aspects of my life, and I have made so many wonderful friends (like the lovely Aeryn) that I cannot possibly complain about all the money I have spent on them.
My years of sewing, and my study of costume design led me down the path of sewing for them. It's like being their personal costume designer - each doll has a specific character, which inspires me to create a look around that. Because I have such a wide range of tastes, I have ended up with a wide range of dolls to cover those looks!
I have a business, Dorset, which has become almost exclusively about making doll clothes, though I do make the odd wedding dress and cosplay for friends from time to time. I started the business 4 years ago, and after one year of running it from home, wedding costs forced me to find another job, and I worked them both part time for 3 years. After a wedding, a few trips overseas, and some focused debt repaying, I am back to working from home, running my business full time. I've learnt a lot over those 4 years, and am always still learning (aren't we all?), and I'm sure I'll be sharing many of my observations with you.
I've been trying to work out where this blog will fit in my many online presences. My livejournal tends to be more personal, my deviantart is naturally art focused, and my tumblr is really just a visual record of my tastes, inspirations and creations. I think this will be where I most likely write essays on things I don't feel fit anywhere else - about my business, things I like, you name it. No one is really reading it right now, so I don't have to worry about what people think.. yet.
Well, lunch is over, and it doesn't feel like 1pm. The greyness of outside makes it hard to judge the time of day just by looking out the window. Off to get some work done, and maybe I might actually write something more interesting tonight.
I go, pretty much everywhere off and online, by Mon. Mainly because my albeit simple name is too hard for so many to pronounce correctly, even when I say it to them. So the nickname my parents gave me suits me fine.
I live in Melbourne, Australia, with my husband and our many ball jointed dolls. It was a hobby I never really expected to get into, but it has brought together so many creative aspects of my life, and I have made so many wonderful friends (like the lovely Aeryn) that I cannot possibly complain about all the money I have spent on them.
My years of sewing, and my study of costume design led me down the path of sewing for them. It's like being their personal costume designer - each doll has a specific character, which inspires me to create a look around that. Because I have such a wide range of tastes, I have ended up with a wide range of dolls to cover those looks!
I have a business, Dorset, which has become almost exclusively about making doll clothes, though I do make the odd wedding dress and cosplay for friends from time to time. I started the business 4 years ago, and after one year of running it from home, wedding costs forced me to find another job, and I worked them both part time for 3 years. After a wedding, a few trips overseas, and some focused debt repaying, I am back to working from home, running my business full time. I've learnt a lot over those 4 years, and am always still learning (aren't we all?), and I'm sure I'll be sharing many of my observations with you.
I've been trying to work out where this blog will fit in my many online presences. My livejournal tends to be more personal, my deviantart is naturally art focused, and my tumblr is really just a visual record of my tastes, inspirations and creations. I think this will be where I most likely write essays on things I don't feel fit anywhere else - about my business, things I like, you name it. No one is really reading it right now, so I don't have to worry about what people think.. yet.
Well, lunch is over, and it doesn't feel like 1pm. The greyness of outside makes it hard to judge the time of day just by looking out the window. Off to get some work done, and maybe I might actually write something more interesting tonight.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Wow, found this old thing!
So it's been 6 years since I posted here, wow.
I'm thinking I'll try and post here again, but I'm not sure what about. Stay tuned for more posts in the future!
I'm thinking I'll try and post here again, but I'm not sure what about. Stay tuned for more posts in the future!
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