I just have to post this close-up shot of Arley Berryhill's Harem doll. Aren't her eyes amazing?! This exotic beauty has painted buttons for eyes with fabric eyelid and false eyelashes. It definitely defines her face and gives the entire doll attitude. (She's also sporting real earrings! Arley said to always be on the look-out for jewelry bargains. You never know when it'll come in handy for your next creation.)
Today we fit our bodices and made pattern corrections. We learned how to manipulate the patterns for a variety of sleeves and skirts. The highlight of the day was watching Arley demonstrate how he decides where to place his fabrics on a doll. He pulled out a pile of gorgeous silks, shot velvet, print cotton, metallic sheers, and brocades and started draping them on the doll. He said that the key to making a doll interesting was to use as many fabrics as possible. Don't repeat a fabric. So if you used the velvet for the skirt, use the brocade for the apron, a print for the sleeve with a metallic sheer puff .. you get the idea. Overloading the textures vs. the colors will give you a luscious result. Of course you must maintain some type of color scheme so that the entire effect is smooth, not jarring.
Look at what Bonnie did with her doll! I think that this sums up best what this class was for everyone ... lots of information but most of all, fun!
