and without too much further ado, here's the tiny Contessa of Chocolate...

She is cloth body, silk gauze over stone clay face, mohair, removable bunny ears and wired sewn hands, pink patent leather looking pumps with various vintage fabrics in her attire.  She really wants you to eat all your chocolate at Easter.

Getting a tiny swap doll finished

It's been a struggle the last few weeks, nothing major, just a lot of family stuff to deal with.  Thank goodness
for tiny dolls to make.  This one is the little Contessa of Chocolate and she's here to remind us all that
Easter is coming and to eat ALL your chocolate then because it's the last possible time to indulge before
bikini season!  *cough*  We let her believe what she wants, right?  here she is in progress and although she's done, I haven't taken her official portrait before I send her off to some lady in Michigan.  I will be getting
a sweetie from Latvia in this first doll swap I've decided to enter.

It's also hard to take her seriously because she's wearing bunny ears on her hairband and at the time of this photo giving me quite a Pain in the Butt over her final attire!  (PS: I won that battle, as you will see)

happy valentine's day!

the art of making hands...

well. I just finished a pair of hands which are for a 13 inch doll.  They were supposed to have been
for a 12 inch scaled doll, but, well, I am just going to have to make a body to go with these hands because
I don't see how  my usual style of hands (using turned cloth so they won't ever break) can be made any smaller!
well.  Actually I do.  I just don't have the proper tools that small to make them.  It was stressful.

But! Since they 'came out'... I'm happy!

and here they are (note the scale)

the Valentine's Day Princess is done... also known as Shawn's Girl

It's a Strange Magic

I really like her.  Shawn's Girl comes alive.

and the 'head start' of three heads

and the start of the cloth overlay for Lucy's benefit... since she asked how it was done.  (I know, it still doesn't demystify it all the way! *g*)

the quilt pictures first...

okay, so I couldn't find the straightening tool in the photo editor and I didn't put the hanging sleeve on the back
of it yet, so... please use your imagination and 'straighten' it in your mind's eye.    *g*..
at least all the quilting is done!

Note the 'echo stitching' in a Sashiko style quilting and the trapunto of the hearts.  It's a pretty quilt going to a gorgeous baby... and I hope to have a Valentine's day photo of her on it!

Okay, the quilt is done!

I was pleased with how it came out.  It's my own design and has elements of Sashiko, Hawaiian Echo Stitching
and some Trapunto, and a little Welsh style for good measure. I call it "Ripples of Love".

 I cannot wait for a picture of the glorious baby using it who is going to get it on Valentine's Day.  I'm pretty sure it's not a spoiler, because her mommy isn't a follower of my blog.. so those of you who know her, please keep a secret :-D   shhhhhhhh

I have three heads started for dolls, and I am anxious to get back to making my dolls...thank goodness for
the 'head start'...