Finished Project!

So, I probably haven't told you about the art doll workshop I went to early this month. I belong to a local club of the most fun ladies (& one retired engineer. go figure.) I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. They are so talented and so generous with their knowledge, materials, and time. And so full of joy in the art of art doll creation! (check out our blog here)
This was my second workshop - as fun and informative as the first. The doll is supposed to be a high-fashion lady of the art deco style. I started off with a black evening outfit, but after sewing it, realized it was all wrong with the accessories we were making. This is when having a fabric stash pays off!

We learned how to make tiny, delicate hands & paint them to look like she was wearing leather gloves.

OK, so now for the mess-ups confessional: She's wearing leather, high heeled shoes (cut from an old glove) and "gaters". Oh, I should have added the words "supposed to be" to that sentence. No way was I going to sew the teeny, tiny beads on her calf that would give the button-up gater effect. Uh uh. Then I messed up the heels. Then I didn't care for the placement of the holes in the base, so I drilled another one. Hmm, how to cover up these mistakes? Ah ha! She's wearing gloves, fur, & carrying a muff - it must be winter. Make it look like she's walking in snow. Unfortunately, it looks like she's walking in a bubble bath. Or maybe she's walking on Cloud 9! She should be - her ankles were fat & she had big feet; she's so happy I covered them, right?!

Oh, the learning curve of new hobbies! I didn't finish the doll in class and I was pre-occupied with sewing the body when everyone else was making the hat & hair. (yeah, I'm always behind in any new class I take.) But it didn't look hard. Until I tried to do it at home. I realized I didn't have the faintest idea how to do hair and the hat pattern wasn't working out for me either. Time to improvise - glue a wad of packaged doll curls on her head & cover them up with a modified hat.

One thing I am happy with is her eyes. I love sculpting the faces and shading the eyes. I had difficulty making the mouth. The instructor worked on that for me. An interesting observation: I notice that many dolls somehow resemble their makers. I've always paid more attention to my eye makeup than anything else; and I hate lipstick. I never wear it. I'm not surprised I have trouble with doll mouths.

There are so many mistakes and some really bad workmanship on this doll. As with anything I make, that's what I tend to focus on. I'm so glad our Maker doesn't focus on our flaws. We are created in His image, and therefore we're beautiful and complete in Christ Jesus. If we would choose to see ourselves and each other with the eye of faith and the grace and mercy of our Lord, we might be a bit happier, don't you think?