And now she's done!

……..except for her shoes. I'm still waiting on a delivery of small buckles so that I can finish them. But as you see, she does have a sweet bonnet which I crocheted from cotton yarn and a hand-kitted cardigan made from 4-ply merino. Underneath she has cotton drawers. I was going to make a petticoat as well, but I decided there was already enough bulk around her middle, with the dress and the pinafore, both with gathered waists. She's a sweet child…..off the the USA as soon as her shoes are done!

Hester Mae

 This little girl was made in response to a number of requests I've had to make information available on the painting of darker skin tones. As a result I've created a downloadable tutorial that is an adjunct to my "Painting Faces For Doll-makers"  PDF. Both are available as an instant download in my Etsy store 
( http://www.susiemcmahon.etsy.com )
I photographed "Hester Mae" throughout the process of painting her:

She's a sweet child waiting patiently for her finishing touches.

Luca

"Luca" is my most recently completed doll - my take on the Commedia Dell'Arte character, Arlechino, but without the usual black mask. I was attempting to create a character that was ambiguous on several levels….the gender is unspecified and the expression I was aiming for was a little enigmatic. The colours I used in painting this doll are ones I am fond of: blues and blue/greens.

Luca is an 18" jointed cloth doll with a cloth-covered air-dry clay head, painted with artist's acrylics. The clothing is part painted and part dupioni silk. The hat is stiffened  and painted felt.

Suffice it to say that the new studio is "working' well! I'm happy with this piece.