Merman Swimwear

Miniature photographer, @adrian.dollslife, requested a pair of merman swim trunks, and luckily I had just enough material left from my quarter yard of sea-creature fabric, to make them. Since Adrian has more muscular proportions than Gus, Lucian gets to be the swimsuit model here, for these fun shorts!

Driving!

Good gloves, the right blue jeans, and the smell of fresh-cut hay in the air; Gus is all set to enjoy a quiet country drive with Barry the Hackney pony. 

Here they are, trotting around the ring! Many thanks to @stovallthedoll for Gus and Barry's very sweet set of wheels!

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.

Tissue Paper Dior

I'm asking Gus to model something very avant-garde for a doll clothes making challenge put on by instagram doll enthusiast: @fantasticlifeinplastic. The #crafting4dolls 
virtual event, challenges crafters and collectors to make a complete outfit for a fashion doll using 100% unconventional materials. Right away, the beautiful paper dresses by @jianyang1979, and the transparent fabrics from this season's runway shows came to mind, and I was inspired. I had some white tissue paper on hand, and decided to try and recreate a translucent appliqué look from the Dior Spring/Summer 2020 menswear collection, creating a collage of watercolored tissue paper across the chest, to simulate the stitched layers of dyed chiffon on the original. 

Here is Gus, strutting boldly in his tissue paper Dior jumpsuit! His paper pants were surprisingly durable and flexible, and held up to quite  bit of posing without ripping once!

Merman Fins

For the whole month of May, instagram has an ongoing mermaid theme. The concept was started, a couple of years ago, by a group of cartoonists and illustrators. Now #mermay has taken off, and artists and craftspeople of all kinds are participating in the sub-aquatic theme.  

I kicked off my #mermay themed posts, with a photo of Lucian in his merman swimming trunks. Right away, several requests cam in for merman trunks. I only had enough fabric for a couple pairs, so they are very limited editions. I will have to keep my eyes open for more merman fabric - or maybe custom print some of my own for next year. 

A friend on wanted to make a custom merman doll for #mermay, and asked for tips for making a tail. There aren't many 1:6 scale merman tail sewing patterns out there, so I got inspired, and decided to make a pattern for the etsy shop. 

The finished tail, before decoration, and my color reference betta fish. 

Looking through my scrap box, I found a piece of translucent crinkled synthetic gauze material, and thought it would be perfect for some betta-type fins. With blue spandex for the tail, and a little glitter and paint to decorate the fins, I got to work designing a pattern.

Below, is the finished tail, It is probably one of the most whimsical things I have designed yet, and Gus, here, is modeling it with maximum drama!

Here is another view of Gus, chilling in his merman tail and a 2020 @casablancabrand menswear inspired look; complete with a bucket hat and pearls.

New Coffee Table

Gus has been busy in the workshop, doing a little sawing and sanding. He certainly looks pleased with the result!

Gus' birdhouse wasn't the only thing under construction in the shop yesterday. I built a rustic coffee table out of popsicle sticks, to go with Gus' gray armchair. For Gus, it also doubles as a great spot for glamorous lounging.

BBQ and Bocce! A Memorial Day Doll Party

Getting ready for the Memorial Day Grill n' Chill instagram doll party, hosted by @thelifeofstovall and 

 @dawsondigsdolls! Gus and Lucian are bringing their family's favorite mascarpone cheese tart with fresh berries and mint sprigs!

Bocce, anyone?  Gus and Lucian are having a fantastic time at the BBQ! After digging into some delicious burgers, they created an impromptu Bocce court in one corner of the yard! Many thanks to both the hosts, for planning such a wonderful party!

"Hey, save a little of that for me, Cuz!" Lucian and Gus heard there might be an opportunity to swim at the party, so they came prepared! Gus is starting to wonder, though, if they brought enough sunscreen for both of them. Their Memorial Day swimwear has a touch of red, white, and blue, to honor those who have been lost in service; the people, the dogs, the pigeons, and the horses.

Armchair Traveler

Light casual layers are perfect for travel, and Gus is all ready to explore the world - from the comfort of his armchair. With the help of the internet, and the tap of a finger, Gus can tour gardens, admire brilliant architecture, and catch a horserace or two, around the globe!

Gus' button-up, crew neck, and jacket are all made using patterns in the shop. 

Black and White

Just a boy, and his dog, and a bucket hat. I was experimenting with the black and white setting on my phone camera this morning. Patterns for Gus' shirt and hat can be found in the shop. 

Dress Uniform

I just finished what has been one of my most complex orders yet: a bespoke set of Army Dress Blues, complete with rank, medals, nameplate, gold buttons, and lots of embroidery! I am so grateful for all of the reference photos that my customers provided along the way, so I wouldn't miss any details.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the fabulous moms, who encourage and inspire! Gus is modeling his peach silk and baby alpaca sweater that my mother knit for him!

Gus Starts a New Hobby

Gus has been staying safe in his doll studio, and with many of the other fashion dolls on instagram being photographed in extremely casual attire, I wanted to show Gus' personal spin on a look en déshabillé. Here he is, lounging around in Derek Rose-inspired boxer shorts and Versace-inspired fuzzy slippers. 
 

A close-up of Gus' fuzzy slippers, and the Versace men's slippers that inspired them.  

Relaxing indoor hobbies are great ways to keep busy and de-stress at the same time. Gus is leading by example, here, and has taken up the timeless craft of knitting. I made the tiny knitting needles from paper cue-tip sticks, sharpened in a pencil sharpener, and painted with acrylic.

 

Who knows? with a little perseverance, Gus' miniature knitting project may become a scarf! I think his Lanvin-inspired bag makes a great knitting tote. 

A Springtime Gala for Dolls

Yesterday I co-hosted my first ever virtual instagram party with the amazing @adrian.dollslife

We planned a spring gala, with the idea to boost morale during social distancing, and to give all the instagram fashion doll collectors a reason to pull out all the stops, style their dolls in their most glamorous ensembles, and spend the evening sharing their art with other doll collectors around the world.  We worked on planning the event for weeks, and with input from Adrian's photographer, I created the poster art and invitation above. 

Then, I started worked on outfits for Gus and Lucian. I wanted to create something extra special to do the occasion justice. For Lucian, I decided on a suit, inspired by looks from the Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2020 show and their 2019 Alta Sartoria show.  

I was a little stumped though, about what to make for Gus, so I did what I always do in that situation, and re-watched a whole bunch of runway shows. I found some inspiration from Dior, Louis Vuitton, and some others, and after some brainstorming with @stovallthedoll and @adrian.dollslife, I settled on a hot-pink suit (something that has been popping up on several runways, with a spray of orchids, inspired by Dior's pre-fall 2020 show, and a wallet chain, inspired by ones from Dior's Fall Winter 2020 collection.  

Designing doll clothes can be quite a process!

Here are Lucian and Gus, preparing for the event:

And here they are, ready to party! I had so much fun crafting each little detail of their outfits, from the crowns down to the shoes. I dug into my jewelry making supplies for tiny gold and silver charms, Followed paper orchid making tutorials on youtube, unraveled scraps of full-sized gold braid to make miniature gold braid.

The party was so much fun, I definitely would like to do something similar, with another theme, next spring!