As I've been stuck on my sofa under a blanket cuddling my cat cutie Meanna I've got quite a lot of sewing done. It's saved me from going nuts with nothing but crap day time tv for company. Here you can see my Jane Eyre in her corded petticoat, and behind her is the start of her blue ruffled petticoat.
I find it easier to set ruffles on the rug so I can pin things down and pull at the threads.
She's come along so fast that I can hardly understand how I got it all done. But sewing silk has been so nice, and I taught myself how to sew perfect handsewn french seams too. I call that a productive week, even though I was slow and vauge headed.
Now Jane is sitting on my table in her silk gown trimmed with fine lace. Her dark red hair just dried and she's ready for her bonnet and veil. I've got some really pretty paper flowers for her hat and as soon as I'm done typing I'm going to start refining the shape of her bonnet to get it just right.
I made her gown skirts with two layers of silk, the over-layer being a deep haboiti silk ruffle trimmed at the top and bottom with more lace. Her bodice is gathered at the top with a tight fitted section across her torso. Her sleeves are long and fitted with large puff tops, and she has little lace mittens peeking out from the ends of her sleeves, which sit quite long over the hands as they would have been during the 1820's when the book was set.
I've had to be quite carful with Jane in her ivory silk. I'd hate to get her dirty now I've worked so hard on her, but with two cats in the house I've been worried about a stray dirty paw print (from Darcy of course!!!). To try and keep her perfect I've been making sure I've only worked on Jane when the kitties are either out or sleeping as when Darcy starts going nuts he doesn't care what's in his way - He's coming through whether you like it or not!
This blue eyed little cutie is going to be another Cinderella doll I've been making when I can't work on Jane. Alongside working on my Beatrix Potter doll of course. I don't normally work like this and it's been a bit strange. I'm looking forward to just having one project on the go instead of three or four. And I'm still working on my Elizabethan doll Beth whenever I get a chance. But I got to say it's all gone alright so far. While one thing is drying or I'm waiting for a bit of fabric to be delivered I've had something else to do to keep me busy. It's always at this time of year that I really have a need to sew and create, and I can never decide if it's the cold outside or the aproaching Christmas holidays that make me so focused. But it's good to get things done with the big Birmingham Doll and Teddy Fair coming up at the end of the month.
Beatrix is waiting for her bunny to come sit on her lap, and he's currently drying between layers of paint to build up his copper brown fur coat. I'm really happy with how her deer stalker came out, and she's looking really cute sitting on my bookshelf as she waits for her things to be finished.
I still have to work out how to make her some tiny paint brushed...
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