A Racoon, And A Mini Binky Boo

I finally got my Parkland Racoon finished!  The next one I make will probably be more colorful/fantasy, but I still like the natural/neutral tones on this first little guy.  Using the fusible fleece on the back of the fabric worked out well, but I'm going to watch and see how he stands up to a little wear and tear.  The black fabric was more polyester than cotton, so the next Racoon I make I will definitely be pickier going through my scrap fabrics for his body, inner ears, eye mask, soles, and tail rings.

I also sold one of the little Binky Boos I recently made, to a fantastic doll photographer (if you're on Facebook and are a fan of doll photography, you need to be following her!).  She asked a question about making them even smaller, and I figured, what the heck?  Let's start trying to miniaturize!

I was going to wait until the weekend to start trying, but the bug bit me yesterday evening as I looked at my smaller felt scraps.  Here is the first result, which turned out pretty cute.  I hand embroidered the eyes, but next version I think I will use seed beeds, or see if I can find even smaller safety eyes. The pic below shows the mini guy in orange next to a "regular" sized gray bear.  The mini isn't quite half the size.

The mini Binky Boo's little arms move, too.

Little guy next to a U.S. quarter for scale.

Closeup on the face. 

The next version I may try to make a little smaller, too.  Plus, I'm eyeing the pony pattern, and picturing it a bit smaller, too.  :D

Pocket Pixie Doll With Luxurious Hair I Envy

I stumbled across a plastic bag with a doll in progress.  This happens occasionally in my house.  The poor thing probably had been ignored for months.

So, I pulled her out and finished her up over the last few evenings.  Once again, it was a Ginger Melon pattern, a Pocket Pixie.

I decided to try something a little different with her hair.  Instead of using fingering weight wool, I used DMC floss.  Three full skeins of black went into covering her scalp, and I really like the results.  I hand sewed the strands on, using the same technique I learned when I used to make Raggedy Ann dolls by hand.  It's a nice, secure method.  With the lighter weight floss, it also lays nice, and I could make it pretty thick without getting a "pouf" effect.  I sewed the hair three strands of floss at a time, until I got to the forehead area, and then switched to two strands.

I went with little felt flowers for details on her dress and shoes, instead of my usual embroidery.  Her little hair decoration is felt flowers, too, tied in with white embroidery floss so I can switch it around if I feel like it.

This doll is up for auction on eBay now.  I'm curious to see how long it will take me to sell her.

I'm still working on my little racoon, but he's coming along well, and should be done by the weekend.  The little details on his tail took me a little longer than I expected, plus that darn paying day job getting in the way of my crafting.  :D

I'm also watching the front porch anxiously for a package from Tonner doll.  Once that package arrives, there's going to be lots of photo taking!

Another New Trio-Two Foxes And A Bunny

Sewing, knitting, or pretty much any handcraft really helps me relax, especially on a weekend after a longer, more hectic than normal, week.

This weekend garnered me three new dolls, again from Ginger Melon's patterns.  Her Binky Boo pattern is still as addictive as ever, and works up faster with each doll I make.  Her Pocket Fox pattern is just darn cute.

I really liked how the gold and green came together on the little fox.  And the coordinating shades of blue on the Binky Boos were unintentional, but pretty cool after the fact.

My current work in project is the Parkland Racoon.  I'm going for more realistic colors on my first attempt, with grey felt and black details.  I'm also trying it with fusible fleece on the cotton fabric, rather than using Fray Check.  It's a personal preference for me, and so far I think it is working pretty well.  I'm hopeful to have the little guy completed this evening or tomorrow so I can get pictures up.  If I can just keep from stabbing myself in the finger with my scissors from here on out, that would be great.  *nurses the puncture wound on her finger where she misjudged the amount of force needed to poke through several layers of fabric*  :D

Adding To The Herd-New Purple Pony

New pony from Ginger Melon's pattern

I told you I was addicted to making these little dolls!  The first pony sold quickly, so now I've got a new one made, and up for bid. 

 

Although Flora is not-so-secretly hoping no one bids on this one.  ;)

 

(Flora does have a little pony of her own, however, so she's not being deprived!  She has the first pony I made about a year ago.)

New Doll-"Binky Boo" Kitty

Of course it's clear by now that I love Ginger Melon's patterns.  They're fun, and fast to make, and pretty dang addictive.

This one is from her Binky Boo pattern. 

I just purchased a little racoon pattern from her, as well, and can't wait to give it a whirl!

So I'm not overrun with dolls, as well as hopefully earning a little extra cash to keep up with my dolly habit, this little one, and others I make, are up for auction on eBay.  :)