working hard

well i have been working hard with personal matter and quilting at the same time.  working on several things,  but today i am going to talk about doll making.  oh before i get started, let me say this, no i do not dye my own fabric.  that is something that i am very afraid to do.  i do use dye fabric or batik fabric to make my portrait quilts. someone asked this in one of my comments. and i did save your site, for just the day when i decide to dye fabric.  now back to talking about doll making.  someone likes my dolls so well that they want me to teach a class.  i told them that i am just learning this myself and she still wants me to teach a class. the doll on the right is what i am going to teach how to make.  she gave me a time frame for the class and i really don't think that was enough time.  so what i always do is teach  a class for the first time is, i teach it at the quilting bee that i am in first.  i wouldn't be able teach the class at the bee until maybe in a couple of months and she needs to know now how long it would take to teach this class. so today linda  from EATSLEEPQUILT BLOG and my quilting friend jackie came over and they were my student for the day. by doing this it helps me to see what i need to do different and how to write my lesson plan and handout paper.  the first thing is that on my supply list, i need to put a picture of what a open toe applique presser foot looks like.  the attachment foot that i feel is best to use.  this is not a good picture of the foot.  you must be able to see the sewing line that you are sewing on.   

they both realize that doll making is very time consuming.  we started about 1:15 and was still at it at 5:00 and was not nearly finish.  i could not truly give a time frame, base on how i work when i sew. when i work on a something, i will sew for a while take a break, do something else and come back  and start where i left off.  and there are someday i just sew nostop.  by me sewing all day and night and taking breaks would not give a true timing for a workshop.  they only took a very short break and that really wasn't a break because they were drink and eating while they were sewing. 

jackie and linda working hardlinda sewing between water breaks.  .  the hardest part for them was the stuffing.  they have to pack the stuffing very tight into the body parts.  here is a picture of my hands showing them how to start stuffing the dolls.   the lady's did very well.   

day two they realize the hard part is really working with the hands.  turning those tiny fingers is very hard.  but they worked at it. jackie sitting comfortable working and turning those tiny finger inside out.

here is a closer look at linda also working hard at pushing those tiny fingers inside out.

jackie is holding the dolls so you can see them before the legs are attached.  next they are going to add the legs to the body.  now if any body can tell me if there are any strong doll needles that will sew straight through the hips and body with out the needle moving to the side, please let me know.  it hate it when it curves to the side and point somewhere other than where you want it to come out.

here is a picture with the legs attached.

here is a picture of linda's and jackie's dolls.  my doll is the one in the middle.  the lady's are going to take home  their dolls and put the arms on and add clothes to the dolls. let's see who is going to be finish first.  also check out their cute little head wraps. that is real hair.  the person who maintain my locs give me locs that people don't want when she cut their locs. 


well for the last two days we have been work hard making dolls and i still have to write down how i am going to teach this class.  they both agree that i should not teach how to put the pipe cleaner into the hands.  it takes long and is very hard to do.   the hands and face should be a separte class.


stitches for now.

yetunde