Welcome back to our virtual tour of our November doll show.  We're continuing to walk around the table...

Two new dolls, both in yellow.  Julie G. made 'Suffragette Sally' from Deanna Hogan's pattern, and Nita named her Jill Maas angel Maggie.

The view from the corner, showcasing a little of everything!

Nita's been busy; she also made this not-too-scary Halloween themed doll by Cindee Moyer, called 'Here, Kitty Kitty'.

More display. with dolls both old and new.

Martha made this delightful adaptation of Barbara Schoenoff's Queen Anne pattern.

And Katie brought another elegant original, with a sculpted face and recycled jewelry.
For the grand finale, let's go visit the People's Choice Award.

Our challenge theme for 2013 was to create a Mythological Being.  After all the ballots were counted, we had a clear favorite.

Katie's Hamadryad won nearly half of the votes, and is this year's People's Choice  Award winner!

2013 Show and Sale - a success!

This was our show -- maybe not quite as many new dolls as we would like, but we'll keep working at it, and encourage our new members to share their work with us next year.  Our Goddess workshop dolls certainly made a grand impression, and were the first things our visitors saw as they entered the auditorium.
Here's the room right before we opened to the public:

And here is it just a few minutes later.  We were most gratified by the number of people who came to see us!

It's always wonderful to see someone truly entranced by our dolls.

We also love the chance to display and describe our work to our friends.

Let's get a good look at our goddesses, made in our workshop with Barbara this summer.

And a closeup of the tiny ones in the center, depicting the Greek legend of the Fates.

Now we can take a virtual tour by walking around the display tables.

Here's a collection of various dolls made by club members over the last few years.

Katie's elegant creation in her velvet, beaded finery debuted at AFICC this year.

Next, a few original progressive dolls, as well as some by our favorite designers.

Check back soon for the rest of the show...

Mythical Being Challenge Dolls

Introducing our 2013 Challenge Dolls!

Y Ddraig Goch: A Welsh Dragon

Erin created her dragon using the intricate Kells Dragon pattern from Smallworks.

Mer: A Princess of the Bountiful Sea

Ann C. used a Leslie Molen pattern to create her pregnant mermaid.

Francine: A Centauress

Julie W. used a Pam Grose pattern to create her lady centaur.

MacMillan of the West Wind: A Banshee

Julie G. created her Banshee from a Susan Barmore pattern.

Willow: A Hamadryad

Katie's Willow doll is entirely original.

Merseea: A Princess Mermaid

Nita used a pattern by Arley Berryhill to create her mermaid.

Violet: A Jewelry Fairy

Jude created her tiny fairy using an Allison Marano pattern.

Brigid: A Sun Goddess

Vicki created an original design for her very first doll.

Dame Maggie

Introducing Dame Maggie Smith, as created by Katie Jones, in Lillian Alberti's "Heiress" workshop at Artistic Figures in Cloth and Clay 2013, and finished for September doll club show and tell.

Please see Katie's own post about creating this marvelous doll.

A collection of embellishment ideas

Our September program idea was a great success, as several club members brought in embellishment ideas to share:

Jude brought her Perfect Pleater (seen below), which she is using to make a skirt for the robes of her Goddess doll, in progress (seen above).

Katie shared a highly textured scrap of fabric, shirred in lines sewn with steam-sensitive Chizimi Shrink-It Thread.

Julie W. brought some of her machine embroidery, stitched on layers of sheer fabrics and tulle.  This piece is part of an angel wing from her White-on-White challenge doll

Julie G. also layered fabric and machine embroidery, but used just a little more color.  Circles of satin and velvet are stitched to an organza base, and yarn is couched around them.  Julie first learned this technique from Pearl Red Moon at an MM&M class.

Martha continued the circular theme with her hand-sewn bead-embellished fabric on Isadora, a doll she made years ago, when we first realized her beading addiction :).

Andrea put together a resource picture page on soutache braid work, showing some of the stunning jewelry designs being made now.

There's one very special show-and-tell doll left, but she will get her own post.  Next meeting: our Mythological Being Challenge Dolls are due!

Goddesses, done and in progress

We had three amazing finished dolls, by Nita, Katie, and Martha at our September 2013 meeting.  Nita's fabric choices are perfect, as always, with hand-dyed velvet, cheesecloth, shibori silk and ribbon yarn draped in the costume.

Maiden, Mother, and Crone by Nita

Katie's doll is more fully costumed, again in wonderful colors and trims, with lovely hair-dos.

Exuberance, Joy, and Wisdom by Katie

Martha could not bear to cut into the fabulous spangly blue scarf she used, so the goddesses will keep it safe for her.

A Woman's Journey by Martha

So far we have many more dolls in-progress than finished.  Mary's doll showcases fabrics she hand-dyed herself, combined with purchased batiks.

by Mary

Andrea pieced the body strips to vary the value in her monochrome scheme.

by Andrea

She also worked out the scale needed to stand her goddesses on a found stone base. Here's a perspective shot:

four-fifths and one-third scale

Back up to full-size... Jude made delightful hair for her maiden from narrow pinked strips of fabric, and added sleeves and metal bracelets to her costumes.

by Jude

Next post, we'll show the back of this doll, as Jude kicks off our 'embellishment' program.

Just us, sewing and having a good time

At our weekend workshop this August, sewing along and having a good time.

Watched over by Barbara's dolls...

As well as Barbara herself.

We worked in groups...

And in twos...

(stuffing, stuffing, stuffing...)

And threes...

Sharing ideas...

And making goddesses.

Thank you, Barbara!