Happy Holidays!

Home for the Holidays!

 

Sunflowerman

I’d like you all to meet a doll, inspired by the awesome... the incredible... the one and only, aesthetically brilliant genius of art and illustration: @sunflowerman!!! @sunflowerman is a painter, a menswear illustrator, a style icon, and a personal hero of mine!! If you are passionate about art, coffee, fashion, watches, or any combo of the above, I can’t recommend following his accounts enough!! And keep an eye out for the little Sunflowerman dragon! 😉🐉

Working on this project has been an incredible honor for me! It has taken me almost a year to complete, and is a project of many firsts; Including my first time rerooting a doll, my first time working with this type of curly hair, and my first time customizing a mini molded hat! I’ve carefully assembled a collection of accessories and pieces, for this tiny gentleman, inspired by Sunflowerman’s more casual styles. However, I will leave any face repainting to the talents of @sunflowerman himself. If you’ve seen his work, you’ll understand why! 😁
@sunflowerman @dresslikeanartist @sunflowerman.watch

Here's another view of the little @Sunflowerman inspired guy! This time he’s got some Texas vibes, and a cup of espresso to start the day. ☕️✨ last minute, he seemed a bit chilly in just shirtsleeves, so Gus gave him his leather jacket. 😄

An homage to @sunflowerman the globetrotter; the artist “born with a pencil in his hand;” the appreciator and creator of international treasures. ✏️✒️🎨🖌

Sandals

Wahooo!! Gus and bronc-buster Lucian, broke out the sandals today for the #monday4dolls theme: Shoes! 😎
A printable pattern for these little paper sandals is available in my Etsy shop (linked in the right hand bar).
🖨✂️🎨

Air Jordans

A while ago, a buddy of mine challenged me to try and make a pair of miniature 1985 Air Jordan 1 sneakers. I’d never made any kind of athletic shoe before, so I took my time, figuring out each step, building them over the summer, from a pair of Ken high tops, faux leather, thread, and paint. While they don’t have every component of the originals, I aimed to capture the classic design concept as best I could. They finally got their laces, last week, and now Gus gets to model them!! A big thank you for this idea and inspiration, that lead to me learning something new!

An Hermes Ensemble

Ever since I saw this look, sauntering down the Hermès runway, for their Summer of 2019 collection, I’ve wanted to recreate it for Gus!! I’ve got a soft spot for the @hermes company, because they began in the 19th century as award-winning horse harness makers, and eventually evolved into the stylish clothing brand we see today. This shirt, featuring a beautiful snaffle bit (a communication tool for relaying directions to your horse, when you’re riding, or driving carriages) stays true to their roots. I’m so excited to finally be able to photograph something like it in miniature!! I’ve made Gus’ version a French-link snaffle, with two joints in the middle, instead of one, because, in real life, that’s my favorite style of bit for driving. Thanks to all of you who voted, last week, and picked the sides of the bit, to help me make this bucket-list look!! 

 

Planning for the Awards Party!

Today’s look was easy to pick, but Gus can’t stop wondering what to wear to the virtual #dollslifemagazine Awards celebration this Saturday. It’s a black tie affair, so he’s got to keep it classic, but if you know Gus, Lucian, and their tailor, you know they all like a bit of over-the-top sparkle too.

Today, Gus is rocking some blue denim and a lightweight olive sweater, along with paper sandals. A printable pattern for them is available here. His outfit was inspired by The Instagram #monday4dolls photo theme, by @bella_belladoll: Blue and Green.

Bespoke Loafer Set

They’ve been a long time in the making, but I finally completed four more pairs of paper loafers! Two @coach inspired turnlock pairs, one pair with @saintcrispins inspired intertwining straps, and one glossy pair of #belgianloafers with bows. I hope they will bring lots of joy to the Ken dolls in their new homes!

 

 

Bespoke Loafers!

Yesterday, I completed two sets of bespoke paper shoes! The pair on the left are sized for MTM Barbie, and the ones on the right are Ken-sized @coach inspired turn lock loafers. A great big thank you to @carliekarl and @stovallthedoll , for requesting these shoes! You guys are awesome!!

Lucian’s First Editorial

Gus’ cousin, Lucian, is full of excitement this morning, and has been sending him a bunch of enthusiastic and slightly incoherent messages! After a little patient prying, Gus learns that Lucian has been signed on to model alongside him in the upcoming issue of #dollslifemagazine! His cousin has never done an editorial shoot before, and doesn’t know whether to be nervous or thrilled! “Congrats man! You’re gonna be great!” Gus reassures him. “The Dollslife Magazine photo shoots are always a lot of fun!”

Here are Gus and Lucian, headed off to work, on the day of the Dollslife Magazine photo shoot. Their looks are inspired by the comfy, casual, model street-style at fashion weeks.

Getting ready for their editorial photo shoot, Gus is being a big help, making sure Lucian won’t have a shiny nose in any of his pictures! To see there photos, check out the September issue here.

The 007 Romper

This weekend, I completed a very special project: My first ever miniature film costume! Now, Gus gets to model a little blue terry romper, like the iconic piece, worn by Sean Connery, when he played James Bond, in 1964. The original garment was a really unique and intriguing design, and I had a blast figuring out the construction. A great big Thank You to @dawsondigsdolls for requesting this amazing project!

 

While I was studying footage of James Bond's famous blue romper, I noticed that he was also strolling around in a pair of matching blue mules! The terry cloth that I was using happened to be smooth on one side, so I flipped it over, and made a little pair of mules to complete the look! They are a smooth knit on the outside, and fluffy terry on the inside! Today, I was posting photos of the romper on instagram, and @dawsondigsdolls informed me that it was Sean Connery's birthday! What a wild and fun coincidence! Perfect timing! I hope Mike Dawson's dolls have a oodles of fun with their fluffy new romper.

Shopping for Decor: Gus at the Gallery

Gus is in the artsy part of town, and he's on a mission! I'm overhauling the decor in my mini tailoring workshop, and Gus is on a quest to find some artwork that will compliment the space

He wanders the galleries, and a collection of abstract textile designs have caught his eye! They could be just the thing to brighten up the walls of the workshop. 

After browsing the galleries, Gus has dropped by an art studio for an on-location photo shoot. It's time for a quick change, but that's business as usual for Gus. When you're a model, the world is your dressing room!

To see what Gus will be wearing next, click here.

A Virtual Editorial

Miniature instagramer, @adrian.dollslife , recently made a pretend magazine cover, featuring Adrian as the cover boy. As a clever touch, he included a bunch of other Instagram accounts in the headlines on the cover, including mine. I was pleasantly surprised to find a headline teasing an article on menswear trends by "@tiny_apparel_and_gus", so I decided to deliver! Here is Gus' first bit of editorial work. It may be a pretend editorial for a pretend magazine, but it was a ton of fun to put together!  

"Gus shows us a few of the biggest trends from the runways for this spring/summer season! A popular look pairs shorts, ending anywhere above the knee, with relaxed oversized tops and rugged sandals. This season, menswear designers are crafting casual comfort with lux textiles and accessories; experimenting with satins, muted florals, and artisanal tie dye. Roomy cargo pockets are being added to a variety of garments, and the adorable bucket hat hasn't lost an ounce of its charm! Continued on page 25."

At Home With Gus

Recently, on instagram, @barbiestyle asked: What would Barbie be doing if she were at home in your dollhouse? I know Gus would offer her a comfortable chair to lounge in, and they could talk horses, cars, and fashion, over tall glasses of iced lemonade. Gus here, is making even more progress on his knitting project.

Bespoke Boat Shoes

I just created two pairs of tiny bespoke paper boat shoes, and shipped them off to two Ken dolls living in Milan, Italy! I feel so honored and excited! Milan has so many wonderful connotations when it comes to fashion and style! 

Here are the paper shoes, before and after painting. The gentleman who ordered them has also requested that I come up with a design for miniature chelsea boots. I have never made doll-sized chelsea boots before, but I am very excited to try!

Loafers

A long time ago, I made a few pairs of paper loafers for Gus to wear. Now, I finally got around to converting the templates from those loafers into a printable pattern, which can be downloaded from my etsy shop!

The pattern includes instructions for Belgian loafers, penny loafers, and loafers with entwining straps across the vamp plug.

 Here are the paper loafers before decoration.

I made a few extra pairs of shoes, including horse-bit loafers, and put them on etsy too.
















Here is Gus, trying on all the new styles.

 

Work in Progress

 Here is Gus' First fitting for a Burberry inspired duffle coat.  It's one of the most complicated garments I've tried to make at 1:6 scale and I can see that it needs a few adjustments here and there. As a whole, though, I think it is definitely starting to come together.

  

And just for fun, I found a petite Persian carpet for Gus to rest his little horse-bit loafers on. 

 

Fall Basics

The winter weather is on its way! Its the time of year for cozy sweaters and warm scarves. 

Swimsuit Sneak Preview

Summer Sandals

Today, Gus had a photo shoot at the waterfront in a new print cotton sports shirt, a pair of gray cotton shorts, a faux leather bag with brass hardware, a hand-stitched straw hat, and a pair of sandals.