Jude

Imagine life as a little boy who lives in a small snow blanketed village surrounded by big trees and the chatter of nature.

He gets up each morning and walks no further than a kilometer from home to attend school in a small schoolhouse. Just like some little boys I know, he doesn't like to be bundled and bounded by warm sweaters and bulky coats. He often leaves home with his favorite winter hat, mama's hand knit scarf and warm boots to keep out the wet. Then off he goes, school books in hand and favorite sled in tow.

Though the distance to school is short and brief, he likes to prolong and extend his journey each morning, especially in winter when there is so much fun to be had in the snow. He'll stop frequently to throw down his gear and books and splatter himself against the white cold fluff to play snow angel and to lie waiting for the next snowflake to fall on his tongue. He'll take the sled up and down small mounds of snow and forgets that he has somewhere to be.

But, that doesn't matter to him because it just feels so good to be a little boy with not a worry in the world and with only the joy of a simple life to be had. His name is Jude.

I love making little boys. There have been a small handful created in the past and they are all some of my favorite creations...full of charm, character and inspired by the lads nearest and dearest to my heart or created for very special people....Ivor, Tom Frost, Claus, Paschal, Tootles...they were all some of my favorite characters. Yet, I wonder why I don't make them more often. In the wake of the crisis and unrest our world currently faces, Jude was created as a wish for an earth where all little boys and girls can have not a single worry and only a simple life filled with joy. And for those of us who are fortunate enough to have a bit of this peace and serenity in our lives, there is nothing more we can ask for.

Jude is a Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup doll. He stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. He is made with all natural materials. His doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe. He is firmly stuffed with bio-wool made in the USA.  His seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  His hair is made of mohair yarn.  He has embroidered facial features and a lightly sculpted face. His cheeks, nose and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax.  He is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes.  But, with some posing, he is also able to stand. He has a belly button and a bum.

Jude comes wearing a simple white striped cotton shirt and cotton pants. His warm woolen hat is 100% merino wool cut from a clean, pre-washed, repurposed merino wool sweater. His colorful orange and moss tweed patterned scarf was hand knit with 100% fine alpaca yarn. His boots are hand knit with a 100% wool yarn.

Jude comes with a wooden sled, hand-painted with a scarlet acrylic paint. The sled handle is made from hemp twine. Jude comes carrying a sling holding three school books. Each book is hand bound and tied with wool yarn and contains real pencil sketches made by me. The sling is made from 100% cotton ribbon clasped together with a nickel-plated eye and hook.

Jude is recommended for ages 8+ due to the delicate nature of his design and the small parts that may pose as choking hazards for very young children.

If you are interested in giving Jude a home, he will be available at Dollectable, tomorrow, Tuesday, December 1st, 2015 at 7:00 PM (EST).

The Making of a Great Irish Elk - Adventures in the Art of Soft Sculptures

The love and intrigue I have for the art of soft sculptures grow more and more deep with each creation. It began with a simple banana leaf created for Varsa Nabhas at the beginning of this year and it continues today with the creation of the great Irish elk by the name of Mochta (pronounced Much-ta).

I love combining the art of doll making with the art of soft sculpturing. They are not so different, really. There are many facets around soft sculptures that draw me closer and closer with each creation. I love the process of making things from scratch. I love that I can find inspiration from an idea, doodle with the idea on paper and then go through the challenge of cutting a pattern from this and turning it into a three dimensional concept using a variety of mediums.

For me, the creative process often begins with something I've experienced in my personal life that I want to recreate with fibers. Varsa Nabhas and her banana leaf umbrella were inspired by my love for rain, my time spent living in Kenya and my time traveling in India.

Benja and her great big clock were stimulated by my love for gears as my background is in mechanical engineering and math and physics education. I also have an obsession with time, which leads me to marvel at one of the greatest modern time keepers in the history of humankind, the Big Ben clock at the Palace of Westminster in London...hence the inspiration behind the making of Benja's great big clock.

Cicindela and her firefly were spurred by my twice-charmed encounters with the magic of fireflies...once when I lived in the midwestern United States and another time during my two years of living in Kenya.

Piper and the beautiful hummingbird, Scout, were inspired by a customer's chance encounter with the amazing tiny birds that linger here in California and coincidentally are one of my favorite birds of all time. No matter how often I see them, whether they are buzzing high overhead or a few feet before the eyes, they never cease to stop me in my tracks and take my breathe away. This tiny, true-to-life-sized hummingbird is the most favorite of all the soft sculpture projects I've tinkered with.

Now, I introduce the latest exploration in my soft sculpture adventures...Mochta, the great Irish elk. In August of this year, while hiking the beautiful coast of California at Point Reyes National Seashore, we had the great luck of encountering a herd of Tule Elk, endemic only in California. We saw them early in the morning on our hike in, while they were feeding and battling in the distant hill behind a curtain of fog. I've lived in California for eight years and this was the first time for me to discover Tule Elk nearby. I will tell you that they are the most magnificent and majestic creatures to encounter. When they walk, they are graceful, enormous and profoundly enchanting with their chest and head held high and proud. When they are in battle, antlers locked and clicking with one another, they appear gentle and slow yet their head-to-head tug and dance is anything but gentle for the power behind each head lock is fierce, aggressive and much too intimidating to view except from a distance.

Since that hike, I have been yearning for the chance to bring an elk to life. So, when this current custom request came in turn and I was asked to make a doll with a companion reindeer, I could not help but bring forth my elk encounter as the inspiration for my making.

The chance to see these creatures in person was nothing short of entrancing, enchanting, beautiful, magical and majestic. And so, this moved me to bring to life a creation filled with all of this...enchantment, beauty, magic. But, I also wanted to take it one step further and make something even more majestic and mystical and that once was but can never be found again....and that is an extinct species of deer, called Megaloceros, otherwise known as the giant Irish elk. These enormous, prehistoric deer species were the largest of the deer ancestors and walked the earth so long ago. Can you imagine? 

And though, the vision and the end product of a soft sculpture creation will have the elements of enchantment, beauty and magic, the process of making them can be anything but this. As delightful, thrilling and challenging (which is an element that drives me) as it is to draft a new pattern, the work in progress can sometimes be frustrating, tedious and consumes a lot of time.

First, there must be something that moves me deeply. The encounter with the elk herd at Point Reyes was indeed the inspiration for this creation.

Then, there must be the vision of how this inspiration can be molded from fibers. So, there has to be a sketch, a picture in mind. I am not an artist and my sketches are limited to basic lines and curves. Vintage illustrations of nature and wildlife are a consistent source of information and inspiration for the drafting of my patterns. I use library books, old books or vintage artwork to gather ideas on how to draft proportions, stances and shapes.

From here I can begin to make the basic sketch for my patterns. Version 1 is always the most comical to me. They never come out the way I think or want them to come out. And it is only from drafting and then mocking up the pattern, meaning I cut the fabric and sew it together as a mock-up, can I truly realize that things are not what I intended.

It doesn't get better with Version 2 of the pattern. A second iteration of the pattern make-up can sometimes go very wrong....like this one. An idea on paper may seem very nice until it is pieced together in fiber and then....the realization that weight has a large bearing on the end result.

So, back to the drawing board for adjustments. By round #3, I begin to learn a few things and my mistakes make me a little bit more knowledgeable each time, which is the part that feels very rewarding.

Version 4 arrives after many hours, sometimes days (if I take a lot of breaks) of sketching, moving sketch lines, curving some, sharpening others, adding markings, making the pieces fit together, working asymmetrical pieces with symmetrical parts, lengthening and shortening parts of the pattern. And luckily, this time around, I am satisfied with Version 4. 

The fun part comes when the final pattern is done and the final fibers are to be chosen. I like to use the best and most natural materials I can get my hands on and these don't come cheap. So, when the time comes for planning out the fiber selection, I like to be prepared and efficient with material selection in order not to let any go to waste by first planning out notations on my sketch what textures, colors and materials will be needed. This is an extremely satisfying step in the making.

Alas, the time comes to bring together the tools and materials and fashion the creature.

But, the process doesn't end there. Having the right proportion in pattern-making is the key element that hones the aesthetics of the final product. In the case of this majestic Irish elk, I went a little far with his antlers the first time around and even the second time around...too large and too stuffed, making this Megaloceros not only odd looking but also bound to keel over from the weight on his head.

In Version 3 of the antlers, I am satisfied with the size as it is now proportioned more appropriately with the size of the elk. I have also reconsidered the design so that it is much lighter and created so that they can be shaped to mock the real form of the Irish elk's headgear. The detailed embroidery on the antlers are to represent the beauty and magic of the creature. Without the embroidery and further adornments, I think Mochta will come to life much less majestic and he must be given a life with nothing less than magnificence, nobility, and resplendence. 

But beauty, nobility and resplendence comes at a price, called time and detail. So, time and detail are put forth to add to the "majestic" nature of his highness' headdress....5 solid hours of hundreds of small embroidery stitches on two magnificent antlers supported by a network of wires sandwiched between linen and wool in order to provide structural integrity and the ability to be shaped and curved.

For me, each step of the creation involves an intentional decision making.

A lace capelet requires a decision on the appropriate lace pattern or color, weight and texture of yarn that will look dainty, elegant and majestic but not too over-powering, loud or ornate.

A crown that is proportioned correctly for the size of the doll...something involving the likeness of royalty and fairy tales but not too sparkly or gaudy.

A head cap and shoulder wrap that give the impression of extra warmth and coziness but still offers a rugged sense of nature and life in the woodlands.

A dress and pair of footwear fitting for a woodland princess would involve simple colors but adorned with beautiful hand embroidery, the most delicate vintage swiss cotton lace, neatly designed fine textured fabric and detailed hand crocheted trim.

As such is the way that I work, the final details of this Irish elk will also unfold with each step of the process involving an intentional decision making.

So, slowly, but surely, the Princess Aoife (pronounced Ee-fa) and her great giant elk, Mochta have manifested themselves. And soon, very soon they will be ready to greet the world. 

A Woodland Warrior Princess...

...was seen in the forest today.

Unafraid of the wet and rainy downpour, it appears that she's gone in search of something near and dear to her heart.

Legend has it that she lives amongst Megaloceros.

This sweet heart-shaped face

“Those true eyes too pure and too honest in aught to disguise the sweet soul shining through them.”

      - Owen Meredith (British Diplomat, viceroy of India and poet, 1831-1891)

Enthralling is the moment when you can look into the eyes of a doll who has come to life and get to know who she is. 

This tiny, adorable face is filled with the most delicate touches of creation...keen teal green eyes, a round, sweet heart-shaped face, and a profile that is ever so finely detailed with that dainty jaw-line and the faintest of lips.

Meet the next 6" Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup....coming to life soon.

"The soul,

fortunately, has an interpreter - often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter - in the eye.”

                                                                            - Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

Selecting the eye color for the doll is not only a thrilling and exciting moment in the making, but it is also the single defining element that brings forth the soul that will come to life.

As such, our very own eyes will be keen on discriminating, judging and selecting even between colors so minutely different that they are typically indistinguishable to anybody else, except the mama. (This is not so different from all other aspects of motherhood that begin the moment a baby comes into the world, don't you think?)

With this said, let me show you the shades of eye color for the beautiful brunette that is lying on my work table...waiting for her turn to awaken.

Two shades of "teal"

Two shades of "sapphire blue"

The colors are ever so slightly different that they play tricks on the eyes, making the mind believe that there is no difference. But, for those who see extra-finely, the difference is rather noticeable. With that, I leave you to decide which soul will come forth to life next.



Selecting Colors and Textures....

....is one of my favorite parts of bringing a creation to life.

From the colors of a bird to the skin of a doll, each step is a conscious decision that determines what character will come into the world.

In doll skins, the choices range not only in tone but even within two similar tones, a decision can be made between the weave of knitted fabric. Doll skins commonly come in either a jersey knit or an interlock knit.

If you are a knitter, you are familiar with the right side and the wrong side of the garment. A jersey knit is characterized by this difference...the front (or right side) of the fabric is patterned with the knit stitch (the characteristic "V") and appears smooth while the back side (or wrong side) of the fabric is patterned with the purl stitch, giving the appearance of bumps on the surface.

Interlock knits reveal that both sides of the fabric are the same. Both sides show the knit stitch. Interlock is thicker and more stable than jersey, which means it doesn't stretch out of shape as easily and it doesn't curl at the edges, making it easier to manage.

The choice in doll skin fiber is really up to the maker's personal preference and up to the type of use for the fiber. Perhaps, on a doll, where firmness and structure must be held in the face or certain parts of the body, then an interlock knit may be used. If one needs more flexibility and give, such as that for stuffing pudgier bellies and bums, then perhaps a jersey knit may be used.

Next, we speak of hair fibers and colors. Here too, the options are endless...there is yarn (hand-spun, hand-dyed, natural), alpaca, mohair, Teeswater, Wenslydale, Tibetan lambskin, raw or processed, and on and on it goes. Since my intention here is not to give a lecture on hair fiber, but rather to explain the process in bringing a creation to life, I won't bore you too much with details about hair fiber. So, for practical purposes, I will simply mention a couple of options and speak here only in terms of the next doll to come to life.

For our upcoming darling, a 6" Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup, I am working with her mama to give her very long locks. In order to achieve this look, we will work with suri alpaca over mohair yarn or even mohair locks for suri alpaca is extra wispy and ultra soft and long. Then, there is the decision about raw vs. processed alpaca. Again, here it is left up to personal preference as you can see the aesthetic effects are different.

Next is the decision between shades of hair color....lighter vs. darker. Who is that you see coming into the world?

NOW, let's talk about fabric choices for a doll's clothing.....my most favorite bit of the process. Oh me! Oh my! When it comes to fabric selection for a doll's clothes, the options and choices are infinite. And as with all else, the end choices are really up to personal preference...do you love neutral, earth-toned colors...soft and quiet?

OR do you love deep, dark, rich and vibrant!?

But, it isn't always as simple as that. Knowing what you prefer is the easier part. Knowing how to balance is the tricky part (quite like life, don't you think?). Even if you have succeeded in choosing the colors of your liking, you now must balance the colors, textures and patterns.

Too many patterns involved and you make out with a very BUSY body.

Not quite enough of the boldness or the prints and you make out with something rather BORING.

In order to achieve balance, just the perfect touch of patterns, textures and colors are needed.

Then, even once you've achieved this part, there is the decision about which fiber to use...will you go with the mustard linen fabric (shown at the bottom of the stack) or the mustard corduroy fabric (shown at the top of the stack)?!! The one you choose will make the difference between a wintry look under warm corduroy and a summery look under cool linen. Or perhaps you are not trying to achieve either look but you just love one over the other.

You see, this can go on and on forever because after all that, there is now the business of picking out the pretty little things, such as trims....an entire beautiful beast of it's own. 

And even after the final decisions are made, you may find that the doll or critter to come to life is really a result of one person's whimsy vs. another person's. And no matter how much logic we try to define in the process, it really boils down to individual preferences and as such logic makes no sense at all.

With that, I leave you to muse about the next doll and hummingbird to come to life.

The Magic of Fall

Hello friends! I am so thrilled that Fall is almost here! It is, for our family, the most favorite time of year...a time when the seasons change (yes, even here in California...even here, the leaves change colors and the air gets ever more blustery and there are pumpkins and falling leaves and acorns and the smell of spice all around). At our house, it is also a time to celebrate many things...birthdays, family visits, ethnic traditions, holidays. It is indeed the most hectic and fun time of year for us.

Now that Summer is coming to a close and Fall is rolling near, Scarlet Elfcup's workshop will once again come to life. Even with the passing weeks, one by one critters and dolls have begun to make a lot of noise, tugging and calling for attention, asking and begging to be brought to life. All summer long they have been sitting idle, quietly and patiently waiting in their heaps of fibers, doll skins, fabrics. Now, it's their time for play!

In a couple more weeks, some Fall critters will be showing their faces and one or two 6" Wee-Bee Mini Elfcups will be here for a special Ethnic celebration. So, stay tuned!