Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Making a French Fashion doll

A very sweet girl I know loves black dolls. She loves all dolls, but has a huge collection of black dolls of all kinds and sizes. she mentioned to me that I might try to make her a black French fashion doll. Well...I began to try to search out pictures of the black french fashions, and through all my looking I found only about 3. Pictures abound of the white fashion dolls, but not so the black ones. I never saw one that I could really use, so I began to sculpt a beauty of my own, based on a white fashion. This doll is made of cloth. The head is another molded cloth head that I used to make this girl, or should I say Lady, so, this is the only one I have of her and no mold to make any others. I have bought her a black human hair wig that has long curls. I debated about a platinum colored skin wig, but decided it might be to modern, and we don't want modern, we want antique with all the frills. If you have looked at many fashion dolls, you probably have seen them with an empress wig, it is a wig that has curls piled on top of the head and long curls down the back, that is what I wanted, so we will have to try to style her hair that way. The hair is very silky and smooth, so I don't know how that will work out. For the moment I put cut off safety pins in her ears to keep my holes open for her real earrings she will have. Road block after road block has appeared before me on this doll, mainly, the leather arms. the body suit, the clothes and hat, and the French fashion shoes she will need. She needs all sorts of extras like a corset, a bustle, stockings and her jewelry. I am leaning toward Pink silk stripe fabric, as I think that would be very French. I just decided to put up her picture and one more of another doll I will talk about in a moment. This has and will continue to be a long undertaking. I stepped way out of my comfort zone on this doll. HaHa, but I am determined she will be the toast of Paris.   The other doll shown here is Henry. Henry is not finished yet, he still needs his lambskin wig, and a few other things. He is a sweet boy that the same girl wanted to go with her Izannah family she already has. Henry has been good and caused me absolutely no trouble and I will reward him with a set of clothes that includes a pretty white  shirt of vintage dotted swiss fabric that has big tuffs of cotton all over. I just love that stuff. If anyone has any suggestions about clothes, please tell  me, I am not very knowledgeable about lots of clothes, and I need to get the best dress I can for my fashion doll.



4 comments:

  1. They are wonderful, Martha. You have captured the "Lady Doll" face on that one, and have managed to have a clearly identifiable Martha Doll but yet a clear difference from your other ones. I can't wait to see her dressed. I'll email you with an idea for the clothes...

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  2. She is a very pretty lady Martha, and Henry is going to look very handsome with his lambskin hair. I don't know much about the French fashion dolls, but I am sure you will come up with a perfect wardrobe. Can't wait to see them finished. Be sure to post photos for us!

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  3. Hi Martha, Your Lady doll is lovely. You may try a book by Venus Dodge: The Dolls' Dressmaker: The Complete Pattern Book. It has many lovely dresses, hats, boots, socks, handbags....just about everything. The book has patterns plus each doll has given measurements to compare with.

    If you don't want to purchase the book, check your local library.
    bethann

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  4. Hi Martha ! This doll will be a masterpiece - just like all of your paintings ! I love her eyes...they are so beautiful and expressive. I am sure you will find the perfect dress fabric for her...I also love the pinkeep doll.
    Have you sold her yet ? I might be able to talk the boss man into getting her for me... :>)

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