November Newsletter

Upcoming Meetings

November 21, 2015

Our 13th Annual Show and Sale

December 19, 2015

Christmas party

Member Birthdays

 Happy Birthday to Maggie and Edie, we hope you both have a wonderful day!

Emerald King

October Meeting Minutes

Members present:  Virginia, Suellen, Janet, Kathryn, Ron, Julie G, Jude, Katie, Julie W, Ann C, Erin and Leslie.

Troll Queen

Show and Tell

The 2015 Leather and Lace Challenge Entrants

Janet used a Jan Horrox pattern to make Kaylee from Firefly.  Kaylee Frye is a mechanic on a space ship, but once in awhile she gets to dress in a pretty dress and go out.  She has picked some flowers along the way, and kicked off her shoes.

Sue made the Troll Queen with a beautiful lace dress and crown.  The Queen even has her own fairy tale!  Pattern by Arlee Berryhill.

Virginia also used an Arlee Berryhill pattern to make her Emerald King.  This beaded beauty is making her way down the red carpet.  She will be the best dressed at this event!

Josette

Erin finished her doll from the Angela Jarecki workshop and named the dolls Ima and Gigil.  Momma has a leather vest and vintage lace kerchief.  They are off on an adventure!

Jude's fancy lioness is wearing a leather hat and beautiful lace skirt and gloves.  She even has a boutique purse to match her hat. Jude took the Bastet class with Leta Benedict at AFICC.

Ima & Gigil

Julie G's Mademoiselle Meme ran away with the circus at a young age.  She looks like she is part of the Night Circus.  Her lace tutu and metal accents are stunning.  

Katie recreated an outfit she wore in the 80s for Rhapsody on the Runway.  Rhapsody wanted so badly to be a model, and finally her dream came true.  The leather and lace used here are from Katie's actual outfit.  She's got beautiful beading, as well as a touch of purple in her hair.

Julie W's entry has been on a shopping spree.  Carrie has a vintage leather skirt and jacket trimmed with lace.  Even her magnificent boots are lacy.  Pattern by Laura Lundsberg.

Mademoiselle Meme

And we had a couple of show and tell items that were non-challenge related.  Sue and Virginia went to the Ghoultide Gathering in Michigan, and it sounded like a great field trip opportunity for next year.  It had a lot of Halloween themed dolls and other handmade items.  Next year's event will be September 24th, 2016.

Leslie brought some examples of round head dolls she has made, and one that has a muslin button jointed body.

Janet has been making Christmas birds for the show and sale, and brought a few to share with us.

Rhapsody on the Runway

Business Meeting

Flyers and posters for the Show and Sale were passed out to publicize the event.

If you have a table or dolls to display at the Show and Sale, please come to the church on Friday between 3-5, or Saturday at 9am.

Irvington United Methodist Church

30 N. Audubon Rd.

Indianapolis, IN 46219

Sue will be our teacher for the first workshop in 2016.  We discussed the 2nd weekend in April (the 9th and 10th) as a good date.  Teachers for the fall workshop were Ute Vasina , Charlie Patricolo, and Stephanie Novatski.  Charlie has expressed interest, but would prefer a 3 day class.  Maybe we could do that over Labor Day weekend?

Kaylee from Firefly

Our slate of officers for 2016 is ever changing.  We need a Vice President to help organize the upcoming workshops.  

President: Andrea

Vice President - ?

Secretary - Julie W

Treasurer - Jude

Publicity - Katie

Show and Sale Committee 

If you are interested in Vice President of Secretary, please let us know.

Carrie

We also discussed the programs for the meetings in 2016.  At the Anya and Baba workshop, we discussed using Collette Wolfe's Fabric Manipulation books as topics.  We could pick several techniques and have a member teach 1 technique a meeting.  Then we could use those fabric pieces in one doll.

Janet's Christmas Birds

Next Meeting

There will not be a formal meeting on Nov. 14th.  Come join us at the Show and Sale to see a year's worth of amazing dolls, vote for People's Choice, and see who the Challenge winners are.

Upcoming Challenges

Fantasy Face Pin Doll - Make a pin doll of a Face that tells a story.  Due at the May, 2016 joint meeting with the Rivercity Figurative Artist's Guild. 

November Checklist

• Nametag
• Challenge Doll and Display Dolls with nametags
• Items for Sale
• Money for making change

People's Choice Award, Fairy Habitat Challenge

We had a wonderful Show and Sale yesterday... our 12th Annual!  Thank you to everyone who attended, and to all 120 people who voted in our People's Choice Award.  Our challenge this year was officially called 'Fae Folk and their Habitat', to leave room for a variety of creatures.  As it turns out, all the challenge entries were fairies, with wings and all, so I'll just call these fairy habitats.

Here's a view of the display, with all of this year's challenge entries.

The winner of the People's Choice Award was La Belle Faerie Boutique, by Katie Jones.

Katie re-purposed a doll wardrobe and other furniture, and installed her original doll as the seamstress of this exclusive shoppe, filled with fancy accessories.  The doll is cloth, with a needle-sculpted face that has been gessoed and painted.

The second place in the People's Choice, and the winner of the judge's critique, is Leslie's doll, Scarlet.  Scarlet is dressed in hand-colored muslin leaves, and lives in a comfortable home under the shelter of a large broken garden urn.  Her house is complete with a bed, table and chairs, and a fireplace, and a walnut-shell wall to keep it cozy.

Next was Virginia's doll Frost Bite (is in love with Legolas).  Frost Bite (from a pattern by
Barbara Schoenoff) hangs out in a cozy tissue-mache pumpkin, lined with photos of her true love Legolas the Elf.  Her icicles and fairy lights add to the frosty ambience.

Andrea submitted Adelidae the moth-girl librarian, in her traveling bookmobile.  Andrea converted drawings and measurements of old gypsy wagons into a dollhouse-scale pattern made of fabric-covered plastic canvas, and designed a 4" fairy to live inside and lend books throughout Fairyland.

Maggie's entry is Fern, the Fairy Godmother of Pumpkin Seeds.  Her house is made of fabric and beads, and is - no surprise - filled with the wonderful stringy seeds you'd expect to find inside.  She is responsible for the abundance of pumpkin patches all over the world.

Julie W.'s doll is named Bonnie, and she is a baby flower fairy who lives in a flowerpot with her friend Roger the Friendly Frog.  Roger's eyes are beautiful vintage buttons, and there are living plants in the pot beside the doll.  Both patterns are by designer Arlene Cano.

Jude used an Allison Marano pattern to make Azura, and she has just flown in with a new delivery of books for her reading nook. The Hoffman Hut (from a McCall's pattern) is named for the beautiful Hoffman challenge fabrics it is created from, and inside is a snug but well-lit reading room.

The last entry is this year's challenge was also our judge's favorite of the bunch -- Midnight in the Garden by Julie G.  Both fairy and house are made from patterns by Julie McCullough, from batik fabrics and fancy yarns.

Congratulations to all our dollmakers who finished this year's challenge!

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.

Challenge Winners and the 1st half of the doll show

Here are the first pictures from our 10th Doll Show :-)  This was the view as you entered the room.  Our Leslie Molen class dolls served as a friendly welcoming committee.

And above them was a varied and interesting cast of characters, including last year's Judge's Choice Winner, a furry monster, a Greek myth, and a literary villain. There's also an extra-small doll in the lower left corner.

Counter-clockwise from the bottom:
Poppie by Martha J., Tucker Beano by Erin F.,
Aquarius the Water-Bearer by Katie J., and Lucius Malfoy by Mary M.

If you turned left, you found our Gift Giver Challenge table.  We collected a total of 116 votes for the People's Choice Award, which definitely set a new record for us.  Here's the table during the show, with the ballots being collected, and story signs posted for each of the dolls.

Here's a tidied-up version, after the winners were announced.

People' Choice Award Winner: The Princess and the Frog by Katie Jones.
Second Place went to The BFG by Erin, and
Third Place in the popular vote went to Fine Lady Elinore by Shelby.

Before the show we also had our dolls judged by a fiber artist, and we gave awards for those results, too.
First Place and Judge's Choice went to The Princess by Katie Jones.
Second Place went to La Befana by Mary McNeely.
Third Place went to Mother Nature by Jude.
Congratulations to everyone who finished this year's Challenge!  And special kudos to Katie, who swept the awards with her excellent workmanship.

Let's go back to the display, and see what else was on the table.  This is the view from the east side of the room. 

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More soon...

'Gift Giver' Challenge Dolls and an online poll

Our cloth doll challenge theme this year was 'Gift Giver'.  Please vote for your favorite doll in the poll on the right sidebar!  At our 10th Annual Show and Sale next month, we will announce the winner as part of our People's Choice Award.

We had six finished dolls at our October meeting.  Our first, very colorful doll is made from the Cindee Moyer pattern 'Weighing the Possibilities'.  You may notice that her name spells Mother Nature backwards. Her gifts include sunshine, rainbows, and clear stargazing nights as well as wind, rain, and storms.

Erutan Rehtom

Our next fellow is made from Ute Vasina's 'Norman' pattern.  He is the main character in the Roald Dahl story, The BFG.  Instead of eating children like the other giants, he gives them the good dreams he has collected.

The BFG (Big Friendly Giant)

The third doll is from a Patti Culea pattern, 'Very Merry Santa Claus'.  He is a portrayal of the Russian Father Frost.  He delivers presents in person every New Year.

Deduska Moroz

Next is a lovely version of Stephanie Novatski's pattern, 'One Kiss is Not Enough', with original costume designs.  Our princess has learned to overcome selfishness by giving love to others.

Princess and the Frog

Ute is a favorite designer, so it's no surprise to find two of her designs in our challenge.  This one started as her 'Kitchen Witch' pattern, found in the July 2003 issue of Soft Dolls and Animals.  Befana is the old Italian woman who delivers presents for children on Epiphany Eve, as she flies over rooftops searching for the Christ Child.

La Befana

Lastly, we have an original design.  This kind lady gives smiles to passers-by, and if you're lucky, a piece of candy from her beaded handbag.  Please check out the fancy Victorian parasol!

Fine Lady Elinore

Please cast your vote for your favorites in our Viewer's Choice Award poll!

Challenge dolls!

As promised...
Here all all nine entries in this year's Fassett Fabric Challenge, so named for the Kaffe Fassett 'Radiation' fabric that was chosen for the dolls to use.  We're not putting the dollmakers' names on them at this point, since we want them to remain anonymous until the People's Choice judging during our show and sale on November 19th.

Poppie

Fidel (rhymes with idle)

The Frustration of Challenge

Rosie the Raggedy

Greater-Crested Ruby-Throated Dream Chaser

Dream Chaser, close-up of her face

Ayanna

Gilda Gardenia

Radiate

Abigail Bubbles

Look for a poll at the top of the right sidebar.  We'll try an online People's Choice this year, too, in addition to the voting at the doll show.  This is the best turnout of challenge dolls we've ever had, and we are very proud of all our members who created something with this very challenging fabric!