Heart of the Art

The Heart of Art.

Many of us are guilty of over thinking our creative projects. Sometimes we just need to allow ourselves to play. Through play, we learn, just as we did as children. When we over think a project, it often loses something. That intangible element called “Heart.” The heart of our art is what makes it speak to people.

Recently, I began a new figurative art piece, with a plan that it would be a companion for an earlier figure. That's her picture, above. I had the armature made and began posing it. As I worked on the figure, it began to seem rather forlorn. I let it be and kept working. When I revisited it later, I realised it reflected my mood that day, somewhat sad and forlorn. I allowed my feelings to show in the piece and the effect was very rewarding. It was also cathartic – I felt much better after spending the time playing in my studio, with a new piece as a result. It became something that meant something to me. I’ll post pictures on the blog when it’s finished.

May you put some heart into your art.

Wordless Wednesday

Poppies by Edwina Sutherland

Creating Historic Costuming for Art Dolls

Creating Historic Costuming for Art Dolls

Sometimes we start a project with grand ambitions to do it right. Once you’ve decided to dress a doll in historic costume you have decisions to make: what era am I depicting, how accurate am I going to get with the costuming? I’ll walk you through my approach and tell you some of the tricks and tips I use.
You can have a lot of fun with a project like this; there will be many questions to answer. I start by researching the era. Once I have found the look I want in one of my books, I look for the pattern shapes. These are the best way to get an authentic cut for a costume, no matter what size it is. Evolution of Fashion: Pattern and Cut from 1066 to 1930by Margaret Hamilton Hill and Peter Bucknell, or Patterns of Fashion by Janet Arnold are both excellent resources.
Pattern making
Now I fold and pin a pattern on the doll. You can use paper towel for this or soft interfacing. I lay it over the doll’s body and mark it with the period patterns in mind. Certain things, like the placement of the grain lines on the skirt panels are very important to give the authentic look.

An 1860 -1885 skirt, for example has several panels, with the straight of grain on the front edge of each panel. This has the effect of pushing the fullness of the skirt back, adding to the bustle effect.


The right fabric
Using the right fabric is important. Heavy fabrics won’t pleat or gather softly and be much too heavy at the waist. A trick I use here is to make the doll’s waist small, so that it can accommodate a pleated or gathered skirt, without losing the dolls’ waistline. Fabric can also be edited out of the top of the skirt to reduce bulk. If the bodice will cover the waist, don’t bother with a band at the skirt waist, just stitch the pleats or gathers flat and then lay the bodice over it.

Simplify construction
Seams can be eliminated to simplify the construction.

This soldier’s coat should have side seams and side back seams. I have eliminated them here without losing the effect of the era. This 1812 coat has facings sewn with raw edges. Accurate for the period, it meant using a fabric that wouldn’t fray.

I was puzzling over the trim for this general’s jacket. The portraits I was studying showed elaborate braid across the fronts. Further research showed a jacket at a museum, without any braid. So I can be accurate and simplify the costume at the same time! The bicorn hat was created by studying an actual hat. I happen to own one I found at a charity shop, but a museum visit would be useful here too.

Fake it!
Other ways to simplify costuming is to fake it. The Marquis here has a lovely vest.

It is only the front, however. I lined and then sewed the fronts closed down the center, added buttons and stitched it to the insides of the coat. There’s no shirt either, just a strip of cloth to simulate the shirt and neckerchief. I used very soft cheesecloth for this. The lace cuffs are sewn to the ends of the sleeves.
So you see that you can create an authentic looking costume, using a few shortcuts to simplify construction. It’s all about researching the cut of the clothing, then choosing appropriate fabrics for the scale, then deciding which parts of the costume can be simplified to make the whole thing work. I wish you success with your next project.

Wordless Wednesday

Shoe lasts

Paper doll costuming

Paper costuming concepts, or making it up as I go... 

Today I though I'd take a look at the costume of this doll. I call her Origami. A few people have asked me about it. If you read my post last week, you'll know this figure won Best Overall Doll in the Doll Street Re-imagine History challenge. woo hoo! I was so excited! I won some great prizes!

My first thought, once I'd come up with the concept, was to focus on the kimono. Then colour came into it. I decided, along with the temple devotee idea, that white was the way to go. I've been wanting to make an all white doll for some time. So, the time arrived!!

Then there was the decision to use crepe paper. My mother sewed up miles of crepe paper as Easter bonnets when I was a kid. If she could do it, so could I! Not too much sewing though, I glued most of it! It's an advantage of working with paper!

The kimono

I'm familiar with the kimono shape, since I designed my Geisha cloth doll costume pattern. It's simple, yet effective. Rectangles of paper, folded over at the edges, became the kimono. For the sleeves, I took inspiration from the pagoda. Crepe paper spreads nicely, so I exploited this to create the slight ruffle at the cuffs. It gathers nicely too, so the pagoda shapes were a combination of the two effects.

Looking at the back, I supported the skirt with an under bustle , then the underskirt was pinned on. The idea of a bustle on the outside grew out of the pagoda sleeve effect. I just rolled up more paper to give it some ooompf!

An obi completes the connection and hides all the gathers of the skirt and ruffles. The braid could have been done with hair, but I was in love with the white motif by now, so braided paper fit the bill.

Heads up!

The hat was an origami fold, called the Lilly box, I think!! I'm terrible at keeping notes!! I used this fold years ago for another doll, but did not write  the name of the fold down. It took me ages to find it again!! A little glue was required to hold the folds, as the paper is too soft for true origami.

The costume is fragile and having toted it around from the studio to home and then to doll club, there are a few tears. So, the next step is to re-do the costume in white fabric. So stay tuned!!

Memories light the corners of my mind

I've done an antique looking photo, to capture her forever in the past. Once I redo the costume, this doll will be gone. So photos are all I will have as a memory, just like when I sell a piece, I still have to photos. So photograph your work, people!!

Making Faces

Sometimes you look at a doll you made ages ago and see it with new eyes. This is Catherine. She was created using my Emmeline cloth doll pattern. I am having a bookmark designed (because I'll be featured at the Vogue Knitting show in Chicago this October!!) and hers will be one of the faces featured on it. I needed to take a new photo, so took her down from the shelf. I was pleased with the pictures and sent them off to my friend, Choleena.

What struck me as new about this figure was her expression. She really has an attitude! She's dressed in 1812 costume and was based on a portrait I found. Don't ask me which one, it was a long time ago! The woman in the portrait had a faraway look of longing. Longing to escape her dull life, I thought. That's why I called her Catherine, thinking of Cathy from Wuthering Heights. Longing to run across the moors in search of freedom.

 Have you ever taken a second look and found something new? Have you ever run away in search of freedom?

By the way, please check out Choleena DiTullio's work. She's a fabulous artist!

If you want to create a Catherine yourself, the pattern is on my site: Emmeline Pattern

Graduation!

It's been a busy couple of weeks at Casa Sutherland. My son had his prom, exams and commencement all in one week. Plus, the poor guy was packing for camp! Talk about pressure. We are very proud that he has graduated and is off to college in the Fall.

Below is my favourite dress from the girls at prom. It takes its inspiration for Haida designs and I think this girl stood out from the crowd of taffeta and frilly gowns. Note the matching hairstyle. Don't you agree?

Meanwhile, my online classes have begun. I am busy answering questions and keeping things rolling. You can still join either Yvette or Dance With The Stars by clicking the pictures on the left. Why not join me?

Wordless wednesday

Imagine - Strawberry fields