Wednesday, July 13, 2016

It seems I simply cannot retrain myself to do this blog in the morning. I am so eager to get to the studio to work on dolls (or something!) that I cannot keep myself in the computer chair another minute.  I have tried to slow down my production of dolls until I get another couple of big orders to use up the backlog of babies I have created. I thought that crocheting a dragon might be distraction enough to stop me from ordering more doll kits. Here is the result of this endeavor.


I had to use the colors of yarn I had on hand which resulted in this nursery version, Finally yesterday I got a shipment of better colors so there is hope on the horizon for my dragon production. His nose job needs a trim to get those flames under control.
Here, below,  you can see the studio where I am waiting on the shipment of yarn - meaning Werner had the car out  on his trip to the post office. I do have two babies getting their strings tied off and you can see the spaces on the shelves waiting to be filled with finalized babies. On the floor to the left of Ohmy's leg is the basket of parts for the next dragon already done and waiting on more yarn.


In catch-up I can report that C. in Illinois did get Candy and loves her already. The big question is whether her Mom already in a nursing home can bond with her. C. is very helpful since seeing a grand-baby got a positive response from her. I still carry thoughts and good wishes for Candy in her new home.
In another realm of my life the exciting news is that Rick Paulus, a former calligrapher for President Clinton, commissioned a local artist, Gretchen Butler of Cazadero, to paint an illustration of one of my haiku from A Dictionary of Haiku. Then Rick lettered the haiku on the painting, This is the result.


It is proving to be the most popular of his works in the show, "From the White House to the Sea" as well as his biggest one with a price-tag of $1,325.  It has created some buzz in the community which has pulled me out of the doll world for a few days.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

The eye balls did arrive on Thursday so there was a flurry of finishing up blind babies instead of writing in the blog. It seems hard to me to take the time to write in here in the morning because then I am gun-ho to be making babies not typing on a computer. We are going to try to eat earlier so the evening is longer and I hope that in a few days I will have new pain meds to make my life easier.
Because kept making babies even though I did not have eyes to fit them, I ended up with a backlog of babies. Over the weekend I got all of them to the photograph stage and now there is no sun light to help me finish that phase.

 Here all 6 of them are waiting on sunshine. I got an order for Candy to go to Springfield, IL, but put her in a box without a photo. Now I do not know when I can get her shipped or the photos taken. The world seems to be on hold at the moment.


Wednesday, June 29, 2016

SUNDAY June 26 - in catch-up

I made a holiday of Sunday thinking that a day without a "should" on my shoulder" should please me. A little it did, but by afternoon I was entertaining the idea of working on babies who needed larger eyes (of which I had enough). By late afternoon I knew I would never sleep if I had babies out on my table so I put off the job of picking them until Monday.

MONDAY June 27

In my morning exuberance, I took out every doll kit in my stash looking for large faces. I was surprised how many were small. Good thing the eye order I sent to Sandie was so large. I happily started doing the finger- and toe-nails as I always do. It was only when I turned to inserting eyes I saw how wrong it was follow old customs.
One baby, Lilly, fit her eyes perfectly. Kendal's 22 mm eyes rolled around as if they wanted out of his head. I was very glad to use one pair of the 24 mm for him. However, even the 22 eyes were too big for the next doll so I put her back before I even got her name into my mind. The rest of the day was given to stuffing limbs and the two heads. I was excited about making bodies the next day. I could not figure out why my fibro was acting up so much. I was in such pain I could hardly get in and out of the shower.


TUESDAY June 28

I awoke to the terrible pain in my hand and wrist. I was sure I had been struck with carpal tunnel SINdrome for something I had thought or done. I slathered Voltaren creme on my hand, naturally the right one, and slugged down three aspirin. I could not even hold on to my clothes enough to dress with my hand. I had to use my left hand and a lot of slithering and wiggling. After breakfast I had already used up all my defenses against pain so laid down to sleep.
When I woke for lunch all the pains in my hand and wrist were gone! Hallelujah!  Was it the creme or the aspirin? Only as I used my hand and found not the tiniest twinge of pain or soreness did the light go on in my head! I did not have carpal tunnel, but the circus was from fibromyalgia. The Savella, I take every day almost with out thinking about it, that had stopped it!
I ran to the sewing machine after lunch but my day was out of whack. After lunch is my time to rest by crocheting and not the time to sit at the sewing machine. Soon the bobbin ran out and when I tried to use the machine again it made a horrible noise and quit. So did I.

WEDNESDAY June 29

With my best and freshest energy I found the problem with the machine (the thread was catching in the slit in the plastic end to hold the spool from unwinding) fixed it, and the machine ran perfectly. Kendal and Lilly got their new bodies and are sitting  on the photo table waiting on the good light in the morning which Google is promising us.

The eye balls did not arrive from Sandie even though I have her letter she mailed them out express on Monday. Tomorrow is Mary's day to clean so we shall us the sunshine to find the dirt. Maybe the eyes will come tomorrow. In the meantime I have these two babies to fill my heart. I am finding my happiness in their dear faces.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Have made some changes in my work schedule. It used to be that when I had photographed the individual  babies I thought of myself as 'done' with that crew and joyfully picked a new one. Now I am training myself to put the photographed babies on the boxes by my 'desk' to remember to weigh and measure them before I put them on the shelf. There have been weeks I have forgotten or overlooked this step in the past few months. I used to feel something was missing in my relationship with the babies when I would photograph them and quickly plunk them on the shelves. Yesterday, before I would let myself have the joy of finding a new crew, I made myself sit down to finalize the strings.  I found myself being very happy to be with the baby again, seeing the strings pulled up even tighter and gluing down the ends. It was so good to have these extra minutes cuddling the babies. I found myself talking to them, apologizing for turning them upside down to reach a knot. etc. All this fun meant that I was spending over 1/2 a day on the crew so it was afternoon before I picked out a new one.


Then I discovered I had forgotten to order more small eyes! I was able to get the slightly too-big ones into Sweet and Sassy on the left and one of the unnamed one babies on the right, but I got too tired to finish the the other unnamed one at the back of the tray.
One of the reasons I ran out eye-installing energy was I spent too long trying to get eyes in this Bereanger kit from Spain you can see below. The vinyl was so much harder on this baby. While cutting the eye sockets I actually cut my own finger and bled like a pig over myself until I got a bandage on it. This was the first time I had a mishap with a knife while cutting at least 200 eye sockets. That made me give up on this doll so he/she ended up in a tray.

As you can see (maybe) the eyes are much smaller. I have an order in to Dolls by Sandie who has already written that she will ship them out express on Monday. This baby will sit on the waiting-for-parts shelf along with the Sweet and Sassy with 2 left arms. It was after this that I added the other new crew member who is waiting on his eyes this morning. It is a beautiful summer day and he should have his eyes in so he can see what feels so good.

Friday, June 24, 2016

I was so eager this beautiful morning to get to the studio to begin photographing this week's crew of babies that I forgot to do my blog from yesterday. From that statement alone you can know that all three did get a body and by the end of the day everyone was happy. That was not the case around noon when I discovered that in spite of  my best intentions, 2 bodies had too small leg caps for the fat-thighed little babies they are. Without losing my temper I simply sewed new caps. While doing this, as I sometimes do when making bodies, I began to feel rather God-like and relate to Him in that way. I wondered if God was sitting on the ridge with His feet cooling off in the ocean. I wondered what He felt when He made a mistake while creating a baby. Did he snap His fingers (thunderclap) and vow to pay more attention or use a yardstick? Did He resolve to make those parts more generous? Or try a new design? If that failed how did He handle the situation with the crippled baby? Did He plan other new, and more generous blessings for the baby and the parents?
All my random thoughts kind of came together while watching Google news (when I had waded through all the opinions on the Brits leaving the Union  of  Europa) about a couple in Sugar Creek, Ohio whose baby was born with part of the brain in a thin-skinned lump on top of his head. A surgeon in Boston, with access to new facilities and a 3-D printer was able to open the child's skull and re-insert the brain mass. The child lives and his parents have been to hell and back. I wondered how much of the bad stuff God took credit for, how much of the new ideas and abilities were His gifts, and how much he guided the surgeon and staff in the process. Now you know why I should stick to making dollies.
Only when I downloaded the photos did I remember that I had intended to share the good news of my newly created worktable. When I got my new machine one of the instructions was to not store it in sunlight. My desk is right there in the afternoon glare so after using a cardboard box for some weeks I hit on the idea of using an overturned basket. So far so good. I also learned to slide the acrylic desk protector to the far side but when the sun is so far north the light still pours in.


While I sewed I set the basket on the floor. Always needing more room to lay together the 9 parts of body, yesterday I did this. I need all the help I can get organizing the bodies for the babes. It seems half the things I need to do anything will spend some time on the floor. With the basket the pieces are within reach. You can see in the photo I had laid out the leg cap with the idea of making it slightly wider.


Moving right along,here are photos of the kids in ther birthday suits .


Here we have Juney and Rina on the bench and then there is Tobias trying to distance himself from the girls while he balances on the jar of headbands.

Thursday, June 23, 2016


Meet the new crew for the week. On the left is Rina from Bountiful Babies. I am amazed what a squint she has but at least her mouth is not grumpy. Next is from the Chinese Moma doll collection made from molds so old the hair is incised. On the right is Tobias from Tina Kewey. All three babies are from one auction on eBay by someone who was very much into saving COAs so all three have their papers.
Yesterday was a very ordinary day in the studio, I was feeling good as it gets now, and the sun finally came through the sea fog so I had enough light to get everyone stuffed. Tobias was a bit of a hassle as his little eye sockets are so wonky that nothing kept his eyes straight. I had even tried gluing them the the night before but by the time the glue dried (thanks warm weather!) the eyes were no longer straight. Then last night I was watching "The Quad Squad"  a series of vlogs about a couple who, thanks to IV, had 4 girls at once. Naturally they were removed 8 weeks too early but I saw in their story how wonky real babies eyes can be especially if they are preemies. Todias fits right in with their reality. When I stuffed his head I got them as straight as I could.
Today is body-making day. I feel the kids are ready to jump out of their trays into bodies I have not yet made so I had better get out of the comfort of the computer chair and get to work.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

The sun did shine yesterday but still the photos needed their light adjusted. I must have punched the wrong button on the camera. At least I was happy with the sunshine and thought I was doing a good job of getting the photos taken.


First on the table was Gracie modeling the new crocheted snowsuits for babies. She seems very aware of her honor and was trying very hard to hold still and to make the cocoon look as good as possible. A few weeks ago I was very unhappy with the looks of the fur piece as part of the set-up but with this suit for winter it looks just right. 


Jason Ching seems a bit shocked to be able to see so well. I put different sleeper on him to disconnect him from his time when his eyes were bad. You can see in the shape of his fingers that his body is from the Ching family.  I took off all the sleepers from the babies I fixed to give them a wash. It was really weird to find all those baby clothes in the laundry load. Took me back to when my kids were tiny like nothing else has been able to do.

This is little Dumplin. She makes me laugh at her determination to be as good as the bigger babies. She already seems to want to be older, more responsible, the baby of babies. She is so small her jammies look a little too big for her and that only adds to her determination. Her little back is already so straight but she cuddles beautifully. I usually don't enjoy cuddling the tiny babies but she was such a delight that I sat with her for a long time.

Okay, now I admit my passion for this new baby. My first reborn, I now find out, was an Ashton-Drake baby sculpted by Linda Murry. I had purchased her from a seller on eBay.  Ever since I got her and fell head over heels in love, I have searched for another one. I felt that I could reborn her into a more cuddly baby if I had the courage to take her apart. I knew I could buy another from A-D for $139, but I wanted to see if anyone had used her mold to make a kit. No such luck. However about a week ago, while scanning eBay, as I do evening to relax, I saw a used Giggles doll. To my even greater surprise I won the auction for a very low price because she came with no clothes and a very honest description. Then I see that this was the first sale by this seller and all my scam alarm bells went off.  Still I felt the doll was meant to be mine so Paypal and I paid. To my delight the seller immediately sent her off. She arrived Monday afternoon. Naked, with a few loose threads and someone had cut her hair but she had no bad smell and was very clean with no dirt or questionable stains. While I was turning her over in my hands she began to giggle! Someone had but batteries in her and turned on the device and left it on. I found that she would giggle no matter where I touched her. My Giggles had the same device but after a few giggles I had turned it off because it was set so loud and sounded too tinny and just awful. This new doll had a lower voice and I loved it. I should have photographed her in her nakedness but I forgot to do it in my delight that I still my Giggles original clothes. I did wipe her down and found only a bit of dust on her face that when was removed made her eyes sparkle even more. In yesterday's good light I was able to get this shot of Giggles 2 wearing Giggle's sandals which Giggles 1 refused to wear in the winter.


The day before I had introduced her to my Giggle twin and the joy I felt having her doubled. I could never really understand people who got their thrills from buying things but suddenly I too, felt that deep feeling of absolute joy of having been able to buy these two.


I have left them on the photo table just so I can look at them whenever I lift my head. I am searching for the best possible place for the pair so I can see them all day long. They look like twins but are not exactly the same. I can easily see the differences. My plan had been to take Giggles 2 apart and reborn her in my fashion, but just now I am so happy with her that making her more cuddle-some is the last of my thoughts. 
The sun did shine yesterday but still the photos needed their light adjusted. I must have punched the wrong button on the camera. At least I was happy with the sunshine and thought I was doing a good job of getting the photos taken.


First on the table was Gracie modeling the new crocheted snowsuits for babies. She seems very aware of her honor and was trying very hard to hold still and to make the cocoon look as good as possible. A few weeks ago I was very unhappy with the looks of the fur piece as part of the set-up but with this suit for winter it looks just right. 


Jason Ching seems a bit shocked to be able to see so well. I put different sleeper on him to disconnect him from his time when his eyes were bad. You can see in the shape of his fingers that his body is from the Ching family.  I took off all the sleepers from the babies I fixed to give them a wash. It was really weird to find all those baby clothes in the laundry load. Took me back to when my kids were tiny like nothing else has been able to do.

This is little Dumplin. She makes me laugh at her determination to be as good as the bigger babies. She already seems to want to be older, more responsible, the baby of babies. She is so small her jammies look a little too big for her and that only adds to her determination. Her little back is already so straight but she cuddles beautifully. I usually don't enjoy cuddling the tiny babies but she was such a delight that I sat with her for a long time.

Okay, now I admit my passion for this new baby. My first reborn, I now find out, was an Ashton-Drake baby sculpted by Linda Murry. I had purchased her from a seller on eBay.  Ever since I got her and fell head over heels in love, I have searched for another one. I felt that I could reborn her into a more cuddly baby if I had the courage to take her apart. I knew I could buy another from A-D for $139, but I wanted to see if anyone had used her mold to make a kit. No such luck. However about a week ago, while scanning eBay, as I do evening to relax, I saw a used Giggles doll. To my even greater surprise I won the auction for a very low price because she came with no clothes and a very honest description. Then I see that this was the first sale by this seller and all my scam alarm bells went off.  Still I felt the doll was meant to be mine so Paypal and I paid. To my delight the seller immediately sent her off. She arrived Monday afternoon. Naked, with a few loose threads and someone had cut her hair but she had no bad smell and was very clean with no dirt or questionable stains. While I was turning her over in my hands she began to giggle! Someone had but batteries in her and turned on the device and left it on. I found that she would giggle no matter where I touched her. My Giggles had the same device but after a few giggles I had turned it off because it was set so loud and sounded too tinny and just awful. This new doll had a lower voice and I loved it. I should have photographed her in her nakedness but I forgot to do it in my delight that I still my Giggles original clothes. I did wipe her down and found only a bit of dust on her face that when was removed made her eyes sparkle even more. In yesterday's good light I was able to get this shot of Giggles 2 wearing Giggle's sandals which Giggles 1 refused to wear in the winter.


The day before I had introduced her to my Giggle twin and the joy I felt having her doubled. I could never really understand people who got their thrills from buying things but suddenly I too, felt that deep feeling of absolute joy of having been able to buy these two.


I have left them on the photo table just so I can look at them whenever I lift my head. I am searching for the best possible place for the pair so I can see them all day long. They look like twins but are not exactly the same. I can easily see the differences. My plan had been to take Giggles 2 apart and reborn her in my fashion, but just now I am so happy with her that making her more cuddle-some is the last of my thoughts. 

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

The baby in the blue body on the bench is Dumplin in his new body which was Gracie's old too tight one. Being slimmer, Dumplin fits perfectly. Gracie gets a never tried-on body with new bigger leg caps.That blue body on the floor, with stuffing coming out the neck hole, comes into the story later so don't forget that you have already seen the headless wonder.
Here is Gracie in a body that fits her. You probably cannot see any difference but I feel a lot better with her in this body with the proper sized caps.


Then I moved on to checking (I am learning) Sweet and Sassy's limbs to make sure they would fit into the caps I had made for her before assembling her body. To my great surprised I find this!


She had two left arms! I scrounged among all my doll kits hoping I had second kit I could borrow an arm from but she was my only one. No one else had an arm as long as hers. However, the search turned up an extra head that would fit on to Jason, the headless wonder on the floor, you already saw in photo one today.

Here is Jason with his new head and perfectly installed eyes. I was amazed how good having three babies in a crew works out for me. Even though Sweet and Sassy was put on the shelf to await a right arm, finding the head for Jason still allowed me to get three babies done today.
Then I was further blessed. In the mail was another Sweet & Sassy baby, with the right number of arms, but also with the address of the sender which I had thrown away last week. It is Tina in China with whom I have written before so I know her English is perfect and I am hoping she can send me one right arm. I did take a better photo to show her my (Sassy's) problem.

I was also blessed in that T., who had introduced the babies to the UCLA unit, paid for their postage since UCLA's accountants could not figure out why they had to pay to the postage but not for the 10 dolls sent to them. I had given up getting paid anything on those babies but here comes T. with a check so I can go shopping for new babies. Thanks T. - you know who you are!

Monday, June 20, 2016

In planning my work for yesterday I forgot that it was also Father's Day. Thus it was almost 3:00 before I got a couple of bodies sewn together. Out of habit I started to assemble the biggest of the three babies and to my discomfort I found Gracie's thighs so big I had to huff and puff and use pliers to get the caps on them. I did get them on and here she is with thanks to the auto-correct feature that makes up for late afternoon light on her.


I sat and looked at her a long time debating if I should let her use these too-tight leg caps. There was also a funny wrinkle in her upper chest that I wondered if I should accept or not. Not able to make up my tired 5:00 mind I enjoyed the scene around her so snapped this also.


It was only after my shower and while watching the Golden State Warriors get beat by the Cleveland basketball team did I realize I should first check the other baby's thigh sizes to see if any are smaller than Gracie's. If so that baby could have her body and I will make new wider leg caps for her to put on a body already sewn. So often body-getting day turns my studio into a used car lot with bodies getting passed from baby to baby until the right fit is found. This is not rocket science.

Sunday, June 19, 2016


Meet this week's crew. On the left is Dumplin, a very old (2009) Bountiful Baby kit that I have never used because I thought his mouth looked too grumpy in the proto-type photo. However recently he was put on sale with a new photo where I could see his lips better and decided he had an acceptable neutral expression. In the middle is Sweet and Sassy which I was able to get at a low price for a change. Otherwise his kit sells for $60 or more but some Chinese new-comer to e-bay put him in an auction with a not-very-good photograph so no one wanted him. I love his immediacy and his big smile. On the right is Gracie. Shortly after BB introduced her this year they ran out of kits. Something happened behind the scenes. When the new shipment came in they announced her return with a 1/2 off sale and there I was. In this photo, that is Kameko who was trying on the new caps I was making with the Pipsqueak yarn. I think she thinks she is above this group as she already has her body!


They do have their limbs, they are just on the tray for the nail-jobs. I  was so organized  this day that I already put the name bands on the left ankle. To the left here is Gretchen Butler's Down-Home Tablet that I am currently using to keep my list of things for which I am thankful. One of them is for the charming illustrations Gretchen has on every page. I love her drawing and the paper is so smooth - all make a joy to write down my blessings.
In looking for something for lunch I found an opened tube of Pringles which had gone too stale for even me, so I tossed them out my studio door and was repaid with an afternoon of visitations from the resident Scrub Jay families.


I am now out of the Pipsqueak yarn so I used the leftovers to make a cap with a bobble for my Ching Baby model. I so enjoyed looking across the room and seeing him sitting patiently on the photo-table,


I finally used the zoom feature on the new camera to get this shot from across the room. He looks like he is trying to lick the tutu fabric of the bow from this angle. Even his eyes are nearly crossed in concentration. I love it when I find the babies having a live if their own.

Saturday, June 18, 2016


One left-over idea from yesterday. When I finally got to the cold and rained-on studio in the afternoon I found the wet support attempt had dried so I cut it down and tried it. Not bad I am thinking. If I put a bit more energy in making it, I could find this idea useful.


As I looked at the photos when they downloaded I wondered what this one was doing in the line up. Now I can see I was checking to see how the silver support worked from the front. Today I am thinking of using duct tape on the corners. . .


I did get the next cocoon made and I liked the idea of leaving the front open down to the bellybutton so it is easier to get the baby down into it. I like the tiny bit of edging that appears in the middle of the cocoon. Otherwise that area was too long and boring.


With the left-overs I made a new matching cap for this cocoon outfit and am pleased with how it it looks. Enough! The sun is shining today, and I get to assemble a new crew for the week so I am eager to be off to the studio! Thanks for looking in on us.

Friday, June 17, 2016

My great plan to do my blog in the morning took a hit behind the knees today when we lost power at 9:30 so the computer became a dust collector and nothing more. A guy from Croatia had asked me to write the introduction to his haiku book which I had been putting off all week so I took the power outage as a sign I should work on his book, so I did.
Now it is afternoon, the power is back on, and even the rain has stopped so I can bend my mind back to yesterday in the studio. The best part of the day went to finalizing the last three unfinished babies. The weird idea I had the day before, on how to make little stands so the babies would sit upright without falling over was still with me so I cut up the yardage into  blankets so I could have a chunk to use in the photographs. I was shocked how much energy it took from me to stand at the kitchen counter to measure and cut out the blankets. By the time I recovered enough to clear the photo table and arrange to make photos today's storm was already hanging around the open studio door keeping the light away.

Morgan and Mollie are my models. It is hard to realize that these two are made from the same kit but seem like such opposite individuals.  Here below is a side view. Now I can see how distracting the sitz-device is when it is hidden by a blanket. I think that if I cut the cardboard off at shoulder level it would be adequate.
Even a shot from the side is not as much of a disturbance as the blanket.


Then I got a shot of the back and saw how terrible this was.


So I grabbed up a can of spray paint to try to cover the printing. While I was crocheting, and waiting on the paint to dry I smelled rain. Too late.  That idea folded up into wet cardboard and silver paint which I refuse to show you.


So that is how Morgan and Mollie spent the night chatting away. I hope they had a good time even though they were in their birthday suits. Seeing this I think Mollie is going to need one of the new wigs I have been buying on eBay to cover up that slope in her head shape.

Good news! C. called from PA saying both boxes of babies arrived and she was delighted with her new family. I am always so relieved to know the kids are no longer playing in the post office.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

I got the pink cocoon made yesterday. Finally I let myself  plan to use the whole ball of yarn so I was able to see how much yarn it takes for the biggest version. I  used all of the ball and still have some left over. Now if I make a white cocoon I have enough pink for the 'fringe' at the top. I like making these since there is no way to count stitches with such fuzzy stuff. I just keep an eye on how big the cocoon is making itself to see if I agree. Once I had to take out a couple of rows because the width was spreading out too much.
In the morning, I had finished up two more babies' strings and then I made the mistake of taking one of the Chinese kits apart with the intent of redoing the wonky eyes.

In the end I gave up trying to rescue the baby, so I was not proud of myself. I may just try inserting the eyes into a new head to see if I  can do a better job of it.
I did go through the boxes of small babies and found these three needed help getting themselves finished.
Here we have Kameko (to the left) and the siblings Morgan and Mollie- who are having a spat and refusing to look at each other. Kids! Also you can see the results of a lunchtime brainstorm. I got the idea of cutting out the corners of a box, setting the doll into the corner and using the former sides of the box to support the doll upright. I am still thinking of this idea, seeing if it really works as slick as it does in my imagination, and how to hide the cardboard aspect of it.
These three babies are the last of the lot that need finishing so I look forward to working on them this morning. I think I forgot to say yesterday that one of things that pays me back for all the work is my time with the baby before I start to work. I pick up the baby, rock and hold her close while I explain to her what I am going to do and ask her cooperation. I also ask if anything feels wrong to her and request that she show me what needs fixing. I know this all sounds silly, but even when I have the baby back together, I will cuddle her, thank her, and bless her for the lovely time we have had together, This way I can hold the baby in cuddle and think I am still working with no guilt. I guess I have the idea that if I can give a doll all the love possible, it can, when in the arms of a new person, radiate some of my love into their life. If the doll is used to getting love from me, she will, in the new situation teach that person to love her (the doll) and in that way learn how love feels and call forth those feelings in order to pass them on to those around her. Welcome to my world.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Grace was graceful enough to let me take photos to show you what I am talking about when I say I am finishing up babies. When I take their portraits you cannot see that the strings holding them together are left as I first tied them. What happens is I can pull the strings through the casings tight enough with the first couple attempts. As I work up the body, my hands are giving out by the time I get to the arms and especially the neck. If I know where the baby is going I can decide if she is stuffed properly, if she is tied together securely enough and then to make a final decision on the sleeper to send with her. To finish her I need to make these decisions and then test the neck knot.


The first test is to see if the head is one securely enough. I do this by putting on the two strings so  see how much baby neck is exposed. Here, as you can see, this is too much. With pointed scissors I work loose the knot and prepare to retie it. Part of that process is to check to see I want to make any changes in the placement of the eyes or the stuffing in the head.

I pull on the strings to see if it is tight enough or if I must open it and redo the knot. If the first knot shows signs of relaxing or slipping, I will put a dab of UHU solid glue on the strings so when I pull the knot up the sticky stuff on the strings stop them from slipping. Then I tie the knot again. Those long strings are there for a reason. I then wrap them around the neck making sure they are slipped in tightly against the neck groove. First I wrap one string, knot it off and then going in the opposite direction, repeat the process with the other string. Here you can see the string lying in the groove. Then I clip off the extra and work my way around the neck with clumps of glue on a toothpick and force the glue between the vinyl and the fabric. The string tails are then smoothed into this glue mass so there are no fuzzy ends sticking up. Then with a damp tissue I wipe up any extra glue and make sure the dolly is clean again,

With the neck secure I move down to the strings on the arms. Here you can see how I use the pointed scissors to open the knot. The photo is slightly out of focus because I clicking on the close up lens which I thought would allow me to do that. Obviously there is something new to learn about this camera.  What is in better focus is the way I glue down the string ends - here on the neck.

I test every knot and redo the ones that do not pass inspection. Usually I can get the first leg knots done tightly enough but then my hands give out or my energy wains and I can no longer tie the knots as tightly as I think they should be. Yesterday I had a great day and was able to get these four babies finalized and back to the table to dry the new glue. Thank goodness 98% of it is in the body part-grooves so I do not have to worry about them sticking to the quilt.


Tuesday, June 14, 2016

I am hoping that by using my morning energy to report on the previous day's happening in my baby world  I can be more present and enjoy the experience more. So to report first on yesterday's happenings. It was weird to go to the studio with no hard and fast "to do" jobs or babies to pack up. My first inclination was to start new babies (my greatest joy) and then I remembered I had promised myself to finish up all the babies with the checking to make sure their strings are tight enough and all glued in place. The idea that I might die with unfinished babies lying around and no one would understand what needed to be done to them before they were given away, caused me to take up that job instead. I do worry about such things.

I got these three happy souls done by lunch time. I am thinking that instead of storing the babies wearing sleepers I will leave them in their bodies so I can start my inspections from the skin out when they are being prepared to go out into the world.
In the box from Amazon were three balls of the fuzzy yarn for making cocoons so I started with the blue one. I am trying to make myself rest after lunch by crocheting. By suppertime I had the cocoon this far along.


In the basket on the floor you can see the pink and white balls for the next ones. I see, now with this photo, that you can see my feet, too! I obviously was thinking whether the blue bag was as big as it should be, and not what the camera saw when I clicked the shutter. I have no pattern for these bags so just began crocheting to see how it comes out. I am using a smaller hook this time as I felt the holes got too big the last time. See?


You can see how the jammy color shows through. I have improved that this time around. Also this time I know how much yarn a cocoon takes  (a whole ball) so I am not constantly trying to stretch the yarn to make a whole cocoon. Live and learn is my motto for the day