Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Red Dress for Dolly

I have a new red dress says dolly. It is very pretty with a matching bonnet and I am told it is made out of  antique turkey red cotton fabric. Yes, dolly, as she has no name yet, the dress I made for you is very fine, I think , with a lined bodice, a nice sash, and the cap like bonnet with the frills on top. Making a red dress is not any trouble if it is, say,  a Calico with some designs or contracting colors in it, but I found making the solid red dress very difficult because there was nothing to save it from being too plain,  nothing to give it a wow factor, other than the style of it in the end. A simple change in the sleeves, or even the length of the hem affected whether it would be pretty or not. I did find, after trying out several things, such as a contrasting sash, or collar that nothing worked. I finally settled on unrelieved red,  a very full skirt, dainty sleeves and the frilly cap  was what I needed to set the dress off.  I have looked at dresses made by famous designers and when they make a solid color dress, the shape and some special detail to the dress is just the touch needed to make the dress work and be spectacular. My dress is not spectacular, but I think it suits this doll just right, and it is really,  really red. Trying to finish several dolls, this doll is a little different as she has a childish look, not like the Izannah's, but rather a little girls's doll. After the last auction  of the antique Izannah doll on ebay, I went back to the sculpting table and have made two more heads, this time concentrating on the distinct shape and features and body of that doll. I came up with a new mold that I am making a cloth head right now. In this mold, the doll has the bulging forehead, and the really fat rounded cheeks with the flat nose that I think everyone loved about that doll. I will post the head to see if I have a likeness. Wish me luck on this. I hope every one will have a good memorial holiday, and maybe have some time for doll making. Oh, I almost forgot, I have added a new feature to the clothes, a label, this is a fun new touch, and I think it adds to the over all doll.