As I was finishing my March spirit doll, I was telling my husband how freeing I’m finding this process. Most of my work I have created has been large, complicated and a learning experience (art school all the way through my needlework experiences). But this entire “I have to finish something every month” I expected to be stressful, but it isn’t, because the only expectation I have is my own. What I want to do and when I say “I’m done”. Absolutely ground-breaking is the fact that I haven’t looked at the first two dolls and thought “if only” – not even once. I like them. I doubt I’ll ever do another one just like them. After all, there is way too many fabric, beads and embellishments in the world to EVER do the same thing twice! ha ha
What I’m finding of these little girls is they’re easy. Oddly, in some ways, I actually feel guilty. Maybe they should be more heavily beaded, or I should do sketches, or something – but on the other hand, I’ve never created 3 pieces that have given me more pleasure and been more fun! So, forget the guilt – thus the “freedom”! Yay!
Crazy eh?
That being said, this was the first doll I stitched together and oddly the one that fought me the most. But then the oddest thing happened. I just started stitching. I put the arms on, then the face and then just kept adding. I love the hair treatment, with cast on Brazilian embroidery (with some yummy Edmar thread) around her head. Then I found in my stash, this fabulous soft ethereal orange fiber and had to use it as “hair”.
Putting the little beads on at the ends was a bit of a nightmare because I put the hair on with a needle and THEN decided she needed the beads, so had to use a needle with a bead on the end of each strand and tie a knot (obviously would have been easier before I sewed each piece on.
However, such is creativity, eh?
I love how her colors almost clash – like an overfilled overzealous garden (I guess which is exactly what I saw when I saw this print) and then the final touch is that big chunk of turquoise on her chest. Somehow it all made her feel somehow “spring totem-ish”!
Anyway, on that note, we are headed off to New Mexico this week for a quick spring break trip – and I’m taking my large brazilian embroidery project. So, I’m sure I’ll have progress (and a few trip photos) to post on the way.
I already have my “theme” (if you will) for next month for the spirit doll and that’s around my birthday. I can NEVER remember my own age (or most dates for that matter) so it’s going to be numbers. Hmmm, now to find a fabric that speaks that to me!
Wow, I’m even finding more freedom to talk about my stuff. Yay! Now I’m off on vacation!