Doll #13 Stitched

Comfort Doll #13 is stitched, ready for beading on 8 March. There is no sense to the order in which I am working - I just pick up 11, 12 or 13 as the moment finds me.

I now have the afternoon filled for 8 March - I will be out in the coffee shop at Old Gippstown, raising a coffee cup to Sarah Carter. The dolls will be travelling with me.

NB this is a digitally altered (ie cropped) image. All the backing cloth is still there in real life to keep it in the hoop.

More progress

Remember these "blanks"?

They are starting to grow some personality!

Suffragette Doll progress

Doll #12 is in progress.

And arrangements are made for 10am to 12 midday on International Women's Day, 8 March. I will be sitting at Jessiez Jewelz, stitching away happily. Midday I will be off down the arcade to The Butchers Dog to lunch and stitch. After that - still up in the air, but I have one option still being pursued.

Here be Dolls

Okey Dokey - I am up and at it. The target is to have three dolls ready to stitch on International Women's Day on 8 March. Be a soda! Might make more yet.

Step 1

This is a bit more complicated than necessary, as I have settled on an exact size for the dolls that fits between two hoops.

Step 1 - find something like the 6 inch plate of craftwood I had made when I was doing stumpwork. This picture shows it in a 6 inch hoop, flush with the top, to give you an idea of size. If you were making a six inch doll, it would be perfect.

Trouble is, I am making one just a little bit bigger.

Step 2 - put fabric in 8 inch hoop, and round plate below. You need to draw on this side first, and then take it to a window to use as a light box, and duplicate the design on the other side.

You could do this without hooping, just I like the tension on the fabric when I am drawing. And all I use is a biro.

With the six inch plate I have to move it around a bit. Might get an 8 inch plate made.

Step 3 - take the fabric out of the hoop and piece across it, using a flip and sew action. I only used four pieces of fabric per doll. I am piecing in purple and green, then adding white lace, which will give me the Suffragette colours.

And here be dolls:

I know they don't look much yet, so I am off to stitch around the line on the back, and then trim.

Counting Down to 8 March

Hmmm, warming up the iron. Ready to put together a couple of Suffragette Comfort Dolls for 8 March. Have just been to my current favourite cafe and triple checked the coffee is what I want to be drinking that day (it is).

Watch this space. Time to do some sewing.