Monday, March 3, 2014
Do I like My Rag Dolls
This post is a little different, as I am asking myself the question, why am I not satisfied with the three rag dolls I made? What is it about them that makes me feel they are not good enough, or not what I or other people would want? When I make a doll, I judge it by whether or not I like it enough to keep it myself, because if I don't, then there is no question, but that it isn't good enough, or I need to work on it some more to make it into a doll that I would hate to give up. Along the way, there are dolls we make, that no matter what we do, or how hard we try, the dolls never work out as we thought they would. Now, I say this, these dolls are nice. They are well made, and I have labored long and hard on them, time after time, with painting, antiquing, and repainting to try to get them to the old fine painted rag doll look that I do love. Sadly, I am still not satisfied. I would hate to try to sell, or give away any of these dolls as long as I have these feelings about them. When you get into this situation, seeing the work before you and not wanting to keep going, what do you do? I considered removing the body suit and putting on a new stockinet, because I know the root trouble I am having ) These dolls are made of muslin. Muslin is smooth and cannot take a antiquing so you don't have the ability to make it look old. You must have a stockinet with some ribbing to hold stain. My first mistake was not widening out the head, but even this is not the cause of my dissatisfaction, as pancake head and spoon head dolls have been around for ages. I can live with this. One of these dolls is for my sister, who is not a particular doll lover, so I am holding back on giving it to her until my problem is solved. I can, but would not expect the dolls clothes to turn the tide in their favor and make me see another side of them. Clothes make a big difference, but I don't think they can carry the day and turn my rag dolls into ( magically being what I wanted them to be. ) What to do? What to do? HaHa What to do is to send these girls to the back of the line, until lightning strikes, and I suddenly become enamored with them, or take the hard road and re- do the heads, but what if I do this and realize I was better off in the first place? Maybe the dolls were alright to begin with? I know you think I have gone crazy, but this is a realistic problem. Woe is me not to be able to figure this out.
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Martha, When I go to a post, the first thing I do is look at the pictures, I fell in love with these dolls right away, admiring the soft sweet faces, each girl different. The feet and hands so right for a primitive dolly. Old looking but with a cared for look. If only I could paint like that! I can well imagine them in a sweet simple dress and some muslin undies. Then I read your post. Sometimes I too am not satisfied with a doll and re-do things but, I think you are being over critical of your work. Your rag dollies have all the "right" things that give a rag doll charm!!!
ReplyDeleteMartha, I think all doll makers probably have some dollies that just don't measure up to what we envision them. We're always the most critical of our own work. However, others don't see what we think they should be, so they are able to see them for what they are. I agree with Sherri! These dolls have all the best qualities of a beloved old doll. I'd be thrilled to give any one of them a home! They're really wonderful!
ReplyDeleteKatherine
I am not sure the nature of your post. Are you looking for feedback from others or making a statement that you don't like these dolls? If I recall correctly, when you made these and posted them you received a lot of positive feedback. I agree with Sherri, with some simple dresses and undies you have some real nice "old " looking rag dolls. Sometimes it is best to leave things alone and move on,♥
ReplyDeleteI love each and every one of these dolls and would be thrilled with them! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think the muslin gets gummed up with paint in a way that isn't like the old dolls that have lost some of their paint on top of stockinet. One of the dolls I made with the BL Rag pattern was made with muslin that I painted and I felt the same way. So I glued a stockinet layer on top and then repainted it several times with different shade (one layer was Elmer's glue). It gave a very interesting surface.
Put these sweet dolls away in a corner. Maybe you've just looked at them too much. Take a break and give them a break, too! ;-)
Thanks everyone. I will take a break from them and then come back a little later and make one of them an outfit and see how she looks. Maybe this is all I will need to do. Better to move on and finish things I don't have any doubts about first. I really appreciate you all taking the time to help me see a way out with these dolls. Love, martha
ReplyDeleteNot sure I can add to what these folks have said...but I'd echo Dixie and say, "Let them rest awhile, and then go visit them again." As a doll collector and lover of all things old, I'd say they are wonderful just as they are. The painting is exquisite, and with some homely old calico dresses, they'd be at home in any primitive decor or collection of dolls. But I know what you mean--there are times when a doll falls short of what I envisioned, and it's hard to reconcile myself to it. I've only taken drastic (as in tear it up and use the stuffing) measures one time...the rest of the time, I was able to either dress the dolly and give it to someone who loved it a lot, or fix it and sell it at a doll show/online. Good luck, and hugs from your fellow dolliers. :~)
ReplyDeleteThese dolls have very sweet countenances and a lot of "presence". Just let them be who they are and don't stress about them falling a little short of your vision! I agree with what others have said - dress them simply and arrange them in a group so they can rest a while. Chances are, when you are passing them unexpectedly, they will begin to please you!
ReplyDelete