Patter from Patti

The last cloth doll making cruise

What a wonderful time we had on our last doll making cruise.  And, our pre-cruise shopping day in New York City was really special.

We started at Mood.  We were really excited to see one of the Project Runway stars from last season.  Naturally, we all had to have our picture taken with him.  This is Liz, who is almost as avid a viewer as I am.

Yes.  We all shopped here at Mood.  This photo is of the ones who lastest the longest.  I was taking the photo and Dorice, on the far right, was holding my bag. We also said "Thank you, Mood" as we left.

We walked down 37th street, shopped at MJ Trimmings, City Beads, Toho Beads, Tinsel Trading and ended up at The City Quilter.  I had taught at The City Quilter several years ago and was thrilled to see that have expanded.  A wonderful shop right in the heart of the city.  After this last stop we climbed onto our coach, tired and happy.

The next day, February 24, we boarded RCI's Explorer of the Seas at Port Liberty, New Jersey and sailed off into the Atlantic.  We had 2 1/2 days at sea so were able to get started on our two projects.  Anne Hesse and I were the teachers and this photo shows half the group busily working away on Laurelin, my doll.  We had one of the conference rooms and were able to spread out and keep our stuff here for all 9 days of the cruise.  We were given a key so everything was secure and we could work as often as we wanted.  RCI treated us royally.

Our first stop was San Juan, Puerto Rico.  We had a special event here.  My friend, Celeste Solis has a wonderful studio and opened it up for us.  She had an amazing array of food and drinks for us, plus a fun project for us to work on.   In her studio she had the supplies in darling containers with her signature "inspiration" doll sitting on top.  Inside were the supplies we needed for finish the project, which is a fun pin cushion/scissor pull.

Celeste's studio is a reflection of her.  Bright, sunny, fun.  We have all decided that we need to come to Puerto Rico to do a weeks worth of classes in her studio.  We had as much fun shopping as we did making our project. 

Her daughter has a catering business next door to Celeste's studio and that is where we ate, and ate, and ate.  The food was incredible.  I forgot to take photo's there.    Silly me.

We also got to meet several doll makers from Puerto Rico while at Celeste's.  We had the best time seeing what they create.  It was a truly fun evening of sharing and getting to know doll makers in this beautiful island.

Before I forget, if you want to see larger images, click on the photo's and it will enlarge them for you.

We hated to leave Celeste's, but at 9pm we had to head back to the ship.  Our next stop was St. Thomas, then Samana, Dominican Republic and finally Haiti.  One evening our travel agent, Barbara Roby, had arranged a Champagne Party. This was held in "The Chamber", which used to be a strange medieval club for teenagers.  It is now a nice club used for private parties, and dancing later at night.  Our party was before dinner.

During one of the more formal nights we arranged to have a group photo taken on the stairs in our dining room.  It is hard getting 21 ladies in line, but nearly all of us made it onto the stairs on Saturday night.

After dinner we all rushed to our cabins to change for our Elf Hat Night.  What fun hats were made.  Some had sewn hats before the cruise, but many made them during the cruise. 

Why elf hats?  The theme of the cruise this year was based on The Hobbit.  One night we had Bilbo's Bazaar where anyone who wanted brought things to sell.  We also had a challenge that was Hobbit related, but more on that another time.

Our final night was the Challenge judging, and a group photo with the dolls made on the cruise.  We all hated to part the next day so we had a wonderful evening of talking, sharing and promising to keep in touch. The next morning we arrived back at Port Liberty, New Jersey.  It was thrilling to see the Statue of Liberty as we came into the harbor.  You had a bit of a feel of what many of our families felt when they immigrated to America. 

It is fun going places and being with friends, but always exciting coming home. 

Changes at PMC Designs

In a few days my website will be here.  What does that mean?  Instead of selling my patterns on my website those who want to buy my patterns, DVD's, tools, rubber stamps will go to someone else.  Why am I doing this?  To allow more time for new designs.  Also, to spend more time with my family and friends.

I am not going away as a doll designer.  Far from it.  Just changing my focus.  I have so many new designs running around in my head and am eager to get them from my head, to paper, to fabric.

These dolls are the projects in my newest DVD -  Cloth Doll Inspirations.  The DVD can be purchased from www.dollmakersjourney.com, www.joggles.com,  www.dharmatrading.com, www.amazon.com, www.rainbowsilks.co.uk.

This DVD goes into more accessorizing the doll, more beadwork, and fun embellishments.  I also show how to find clothing in your grandmother's attic, or your own closets to create beautiful clothing for a doll.

Will there be another DVD?  Yes, but we are taking a year to work on new designs, and I  need to come up with a few new patterns.  Soon.

I'll also be updating my blog to include more information as to where I'll be teaching and hot links to sites that carry my newest designs.

In the meantime, keep checking here for updates.

Below is a fun blog to check out.  My friend, Colleen Babcock has great ideas and free projects.  Do check it out.

 

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Freebie Friday - Art Doll Tutorials for the Doll Making Enthusiast

My answer to the Hussif

Today I finished my Stargaze Dolling Sew Along.  It was basically finsihed before, but I wanted the end caps to have something fun.

This end has a fun pin cushion.  Under the face and her flower is the pin cushion.  I filled it with crushed walnut shells, which are suppose to keep needles and pins sharp and clean.

The face is done on fabric then placed onto a covered button.  And, she has to have another larger flower under the pin cushion to fill up the cap.  It is easy to pull the cap off so you can get to the little doll hussif inside.

The other end cap has organza flowers and leaves that are sewn onto a felted piece.  Both are easy to make and are done by hand, which makes it a fun project to sit and watch footy on TV with your husband.  John has a fantasy league, and is working with ESPN and has a blog.  Chelsea is his team, but in Fantasy Football (soccer for those of us in the America's) you have players from many teams. 

Anyway, the floral end cap is mostly hand sewn.

This has been a truly fun project and I'll be teaching it at Fobbles in the UK at the end of this month.  Wow!  It is September 4 already.

Below is the completed Sew Along.  The little doll is also a roll-up and is my answer to the Hussif.  Inside her little body resides small scissors, ribbons, threads, beads, trims.  She's lined with wool felt which holds needles and pins.  But, as you work on a project that is protected in the large roll-up you can use the pin cushion to hold the pins and needles until you are ready to pack things up.  They then go onto the little doll.

To check out Fobbles go to:

http://www.fobbles.co.uk

Dyeing and sewing

Today I finished my Stargaze Dolling Sew Along.  I wanted the inside to be a family album.  First, I needed a special fabric for the inside and didn't have one handy. I read an article in Quilting Arts magazine on ice dyeing.  I tried it and that became the fabric I needed.

This technique is really fun.  This photo shows the piece I dyed using Kemtex Dyes that I had purchased from CraftyNotions.com.  Sarah told me I'd love them, and I do.  How I miss not being able to share this photo with Sarah.  Sarah passed away in December and I shall miss her terribly.

The other piece I used Procion MX dyes and used a bit more ice.  As you can see in the photo with the pictures, it turned out more on the pale side.  Which is really good since I wanted the photo's to show.  If I'd used the brighter piece I'd be looking at it instead of my grandchildren.

This is the inside of my Stargaze Dolling Sew Along.  I decided that when I'm working on a piece that I have placed inside it would be lovely to be able to sit and look at my grandchildren from time to time.  As you can see, the fabric is not as bright which does not distract from the photos.

What is a Stargaze Dolling Sew Along you ask?  And, did I originate the idea?  No, it is not original.  I was given a roll up by a friend in Australia.  She and her guild had made several and sold them as a fund raiser for their charity.  Gwen had an extra one and when I admired it she gave me one.  I have used it many, many times.  But, I decided I wanted to embellish one. 

What it is is a mailing tube covered with fabric that can be opened.  You then place your needle work inside to keep it from creasing.  I'm taking classes from Gloria McKinnon on crazy patch, so my blocks fit nicely inside the roll up.

Inside the tube I have made a wee doll that also opens up.  In her "tummy" is a compartment that will hold small scissors, threads, ribbons, etc.  It is lined with wool felt so that needles can be placed there and kept clean and sharp.

This is a project I'll be teaching at Fobbles in Cumbria, UK.  You can see my wee doll, which is my answer to the Hussif.  She fits nicely inside the roll up.  She still needs her skirt and I've decided to add a tie at her shoulders which will stick out of the top of the roll up so that she doesn't fall to the bottom and get all crunched up.

By the way, her hair is upholstery trim.  Great stuff for hair.

Catching up

It's been way too long since posting here.  My website has a blog, which I like, but I am missing Typepad.  Thus posting here.

Much has happened.  We moved my dad from Illinois to California and he's doing pretty well.  I love that I can now see him nearly every day, rather than every other month.  Dad misses his brother.  He was able to see him a couple times before he moved.  

Today, June 22, Galli Films finished shooting my next DVD series.  We've titled it Cloth Doll Inspirations. 

My first DVD - Cloth Doll Making, showed the nitty gritty of creating a doll.  I showed how to sew a body; fill it with stuffing;  create a wire armature;  draw, sculpt and color a face; applying hair, etc.  In this DVD we go into clothing.  How to create your own pattern for clothing; creating hats & purses; changing a shoe from a flat shoe to a healed shoe, etc.

The DVD will be released in September.

The small image to the left is Laurelin.  A doll I'll be teaching on the February cruise.  Go to:

http://www.clothdollcruises

for details.

In the meantime, happy doll making!

 

New Kitchen

My wonderful husband has given me a dream kitchen.  I loved the old one, but the new one is far more user friendly.  I now have double ovens, a 5-burner gas stove-top, an instant hot-water unit for tea whenever I want and instantly, and pull-out drawers for the pantry, pots & pans, spices, and lazy susans for those dark, hidden corners.

The photo at the top is the new kitchen, photo below old kitchen.  You can see how much more space I have now.  Our contractor, Danni, is a gourmet cook so understands what we need.  And, Danni did most of the work herself.  She's amazing.

For Thanksgiving dinner I had no problems shuffling dishes around in a single oven.  It was fabulous!

Upcoming Interview

My publisher has been wonderful in helping promote my books.  They've arranged for me to be interviewed live on a couple shows.  This next Sunday, I'll be interviewed on Artistically Speaking Talk Show.  The date is Sunday, Nov. 27 at 6:30pm ET, 5:30pm CT, 4:30pmMT or 3:30pmPT.  Here's the link so you can check it out:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artisticallyspeaking

Hope you log on and listen.  Should be a lot of fun.

I've been awful at updating my blog.  I've been having fun traveling to teach and visiting grandchildren.  Here's a couple photo's of two of our granddaughters in Florida:

Kaylahna is now 2 mos. old.  She's the chubbiest, cutest baby girl.  Always happy, too.

Below is a photo of Kayleigh (now 5 years old) and Kaylahna.  I bought the outfit Kaylahna is wearing at a fabulous boutique in Monticello, Illinois.  Our daughter found the dress Kayleigh is wearing, which is made from the same fabrics.  So adorable.

Next week I'll be in Belgium and will get new photo's of our grandson's there. 

John and I now have 6 grandchildren.  We are so blessed.

The simple life

Today was a day of relaxation after several stressful days dealing with doctors, financial institutions, insurance companies, etc.  My dad, uncle and I drove to our 2nd favorite place on earth - Arthur, Illinois.  This is Amish country and the Illinois Amish are a strict order Amish.  Absolutely no electricity or motor driven vehicles.

The Amish use Belgian horses as their work horses.  We drove by one farm and noticed 4 ponies.  I stopped, got out of the car and walked to the fence with my camera.  The ponies were over by the barn but when they saw me by the fence they came over to greet me.

Their owner also came out of the barn and I asked him if it was okay to take photo's of these beauties.  He then commenced to tell me a bit about them.  They had just been weened and are 5 months old.  There are four of them, but one was quite shy and hung back behind his brother.  You can see a bit of him between the middle pony and the one on the right.

Afraid I was completely smitten by these four.  Makes me homesick for farm life when I'm here.  Especially amongst the Amish.  And, yes, this is an Amish farm, but I didn't want to show much of the farm for their privacy.

After the countryside we drove to our favorite restaurant - Candy Kitchen in Tuscola.   Afraid I was bad and had a chocolate malt.  But, I'm a Medaris.  We love chocolate malts!

More in the next couple days.

Ms. Maddie Hatter

My new Ms. Maddie Hatter is about finished.  She needs her wrist cuffs and her spools of thread.  All of which are in San Diego and I'm in Monticello, Illinois.    The original Maddie decided to live with a friend in Prague, Czech Republic.  Thus, a new one had to be made.  The new version is the one with the green hat. 

Both of the dolls are from the same pattern.  As you can see, Maddie in the green hat has a smaller head.  By mistake I grabbed the wrong head while shooting the DVD and used hers.  And, that was the last of the fabric.  Ms. Maddie's head is made from a different fabric, but similar color.  The newer fabric didn't have the stretch that the other had.  Never mind.  She still looks pretty cute.

Both of these dolls are workshop dolls.  I'll be teaching them in two places in England at the end of this month, and in Moscow, Russia at the end of October. 

Before flying to Illinois we had guests from Australia.  Phil and Sue flew to Detroit, Michigan from Cairns, Queensland and bought a 1973 Lincoln.  They then drove on as much of old Route 66 as you can and ended up with us for 8 days. 

The day they left signs had been placed along our sidewalks warning us to not park.  I had to take a photo of them next to their car and the sign.

This was also the day I left to drive to The Quilters' Studio in Newbury Park, California.  What a fabulous quilt shop.  I taught a two-day workshop and met wonderful doll makers and caught up with Linda Fisher, who had been on the cruise with us in February.  She'll send me photo's as I forgot to take some.

Come back soon to see those photos.

DVD Update

This week Galli Studios will start editing all the footage that was shot.  It's a lot, believe me.  It will be quite a challenge getting it edited down to 6 hours, but I know Andrew will do it beautifully.

This is one of the dolls I worked on while we were taping.  The DVD will show how to do several faces, along with some of the techniques I use to create fabrics, dye laces and trims, apply hair, wire fingers, lots of sculpting, etc.

Most of the techniques are in my books.  But, it is often nice to be able to actually see the artist working to see how they do things.  Especially the sculpting parts.

Keep checking back often for the announcement of the release of the DVD.  It should be the middle part of October.

While we are on the topic of dolls, I might as well show a photo of our newest grandchild.  Our oldest daughter had her 3rd little girl Sunday, Sep. 4.  Little Kaylahna was in a real hurry and came a couple weeks early.  She weighed a hefty 8lbs. 1oz. and was 21 inches long.  Good thing JB didn't go full term.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's her newborn photo:

Isn't she the cutest little baby?  Can't wait to see her, but I'll have to wait until November.  Off to Newbury Park, California this weekend to teach, then John and I head out to England and Belgium.  Our daughter in Belgium is also due to have her 2nd baby at the end of September.  More grandchildren.  Yeah!