Skin wigs -- as promised

So, after getting over the sqeamishness of the last round.  I did go on to some other wigs.

Initially, I thought: it screams "mad hatter" -- perhaps its the color.  At first, I didn't like the color on Agnes, but now it has grown on me.  Maybe like Aphrodite.

So, I thought, I would never shrink another wig.  But, never say never.  The first one shrunk so quickly, I wasn't expecting that.  For this one, I prepared the kitchen counter, used cooler water, and perhaps it was the type of skin.  It did shrink, but it was nothing like the first one.

Because of the counter color, the wig is not very visible.  It is at the bottom, in the center of the photo.  It's a carrot red color.  There's Agnes, looking beautiful (even bagged).  The bowl is for dipping the wig.

Here's Agnes in the wig, shrunk, but still unstyled:

Here she is from the back.  Yes, she's behind all that hair.  Looks like just a wig, no doll. (trust me, she's under it!)

The Flash washed out this photo, but you can see how snug the wig is on her head after the shrinking:

Then there was the white wig:

It was doomed from the start:

Yikes!  Cruella DeVille meets a bad fashion show!

Agnes tried to look dignified, but couldn't.  You can see the gapping on the side before the shrinking.

(somehow I thought I was going to love this wig and the color.  (I don't) -- I'm thinking koolaid!  I've read that white mohair wigs can be dyed using koolaid and hot water.  (the kind without the sugar in it).  I think a pastel pink or a pastel blue would be nice.  Perhaps I'll dip the ends.  Lot's of young people are doing that now.  Dying just the ends.


This wig was a disaster from the get go.

Then there was the dying.  I've wanted to try this so...

 The cap seemed to take more of the dye than the hair did.  The cap is such an awesome blue.  I realized I will have to line it with white muslin to prevent any staining.

Agnes looks downright frightened and I don't blame her.  I find this wig hideous.

From the side, it's actually worse!  Looks like it swallowed her

Here's the interior:

This wig just will not grow on me!

looking at the progression of photos, the "blue" wig has calmed down a lot since it's inception, but I still think it looks too wild!  I'll keep working with it.  (at least it is snug -- no gaps-- to Agnes' head)

I guess it's ok.  I'm going to relegate it to the fantasy series (not to be seen often)

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Shorts! This Week's Ad Hoc

So, this is a "quick and dirty" little number.  I wanted to make denim cut offs for Agnes.  I used (yes, you guessed it -- Ragdoll's DOA tutorial) and here's another lovely result.  Agnes has (how could we say -- a lot of Ballast).  Junk in the trunk.... you get my meaning (a lovely voluptuous rump).

I made these from the legs of my daughter's cut offs!

What's that I see?  Is that a new wig.  Tomorrow! (I'll show it and how I made it).

I always wondered why people "abandon" their blogs.  Especially those that write the content and take their own pictures.  I'm beginning to see why.  I haven't run out of things to say (not by a long shot), but I do find that blogging takes up a lot of my time.  Time I'd like to be doing (rather than talking about what I'm doing or have done).

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Shirt Dress!

Although this isn't a shirt dress in the true sense of the term.  It is dress and it was made from a man's shirt, so I call it Agnes' shirt dress.

Just a "low fashion" comfy dress (we all need those in our closets).

Despite belting it, the gathers are a little too poofy and I'm not loving the lines of this dress.

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Beaded slides -- take 2

Here are some beaded slides I've been working on.  Photos don't do justice to these beads.  They remind me of vaseline glass.

Here are the leather bottoms:

(The light blue are the fabric marker markings -- which will fade over time)

Here are the "bags" to store them in.

I hope I can find some more of these tiny shoe appliques.  I really like these for shoe bags.

While I was in the slide mood, I knocked out a quick pair in black leather.

Leather uppers, cloth inner soles, leather outer soles.

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Thoughts for this day.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who lost relatives, loved ones, and friends on that fateful day ten years ago.  One can only imagine their grief and the sadness.  I feared waking up this morning to yet another disaster.

My daughter is in New York and as a mother, I worry for her safety.

I'll be on edge all day.   But I do feel we should live life, lest "they" have won.

My other daughter has a planner with the slogan "keep calm, carry on" -- It turns out it was a slogan used by the British during WWII.  I think it fitting on this day.

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Spent a few hours at the Museum

Last week, I went to the museum.  Our "local" Museum had a display of costumes from the Paul Allen collection (co-founder of Microsoft).  There was Batman and Darthvader, Luke Skywalker, the Riddler and many more.  I felt so inspired to see these.  I remember seeing a most amazing display at the Met in NY.  It was entitled something like fashion through the years.  Amazing.  There's also a small museum, I think it may be at FIT in NY.  seeing the fabrics/ designs.  Wow, I want another life as a costume designer. :)

Which reminded me of a project I'm working on now.  It's a beaded silk gown in purple dupoini.  I went last Friday to a local bead store (nothing like the ones in New York, but they have a good selection) -- I settled on three types of beads for the gown.  I'm going to bead the skirt portion of it, then add the top.  I think I should finish the gown, then bead.... but I want to obscure the beading stitching and I've already started with the lining of the gown.... hmmmm.

here's a quick snap of the interior of the gown.  It is the shiny acetate lining.

Here is the exterior (marked up).  I measured, divided and then marked x's.  I then made a small template out of cardboard and "drew" the scallops between each of the x's.  I'm happy with the result.

I'm going the "fill in" the bottom and have a line of beads above the point of each scallop.  I'll show it as I'm working.

I'm going to call this gown part of my "Museum collection".  It'll probably take a long time....  Agnes is worth it!  She is my muse :)

What I've learned:  It takes a whole heck a lot of beads to fill in what looks like a small space.  Random patterns are actually harder than a set pattern.  Tiny little beads (size 15) can drive you nuts.  It's a drag stitching with nylon thread.

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A Sneak Peek!

If you were a fairy princess....  with hair of blue, what would your crown look like?


This is a look ahead into what I'm working on for Agnes.  This is part of a "fantasy series" that I eventually want to develop.  Things that are maybe not possible in the world that is, but would be possible in the world that's doll....

In keeping with Agnes' backstory, Agnes will be taking a drama class at a local theatre group, this will be one of the costumes.

The crown will require many hours of beading.  I started this crown about two years ago.  I only got as far as the shape.  Without a real doll to use it on,  it was left open ended (literally) on the back side.  Now, I've fitted it to Agnes' head.  I estimated originally -- luckily it was on the big side so I was able to cut it down a tad.  The blue pen marks are the patterns I want beaded onto it.  I will rifle through my beads and make some decisions as to size, shape and color.   (I've got a lot of beads to go through).  More about the wig next week.

Agnes looks none too thrilled!

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