Christmas Cards

Some of you have requested the pattern for the Santa Clause ornament, so here it is and enjoy!
I have received quite a few emails requesting the pattern so here it is. enjoy! its never to early to start on next season's ornaments!
SANTA CLAUS ORNAMENT
By Patti Lavalley
Trace body and face onto freezer paper to make templates and cut out. Iron the body template onto wrong side of a 9”X7” fabric rectangle, folded lengthwise with right sides together. Iron face template onto right side of small piece of flesh colored cotton fabric and fuse Wunder Under onto wrong side. Set aside for now. Sew around the Santa body, trim closely and slit one side only to turn and stuff. Turn right side out; define points with end of paintbrush. Iron the piece and then iron the face onto front of Santa, fused side down. Use feature guide to draw face with fine point black micron pen. Use fine paintbrush to paint eye corners white, iris blue and then use pin head to paint a black pupil. Use other rend of pin to add a tiny dollop of white for pupil highlight. Blush cheeks and seal with matte finish acrylic spray sealer. Stuff firmly and close. Paint the tips of hands flesh, and the tips of feet black. Loop white yarn around two fingers to make beard loops and wrap yarn around 1 finger to make hairloops. Sew onto doll’s face where indicated. Glue trim around sides of face, glue micro beads. Add beaded or other trim around top of hat and sew tiny bell to tip. Sew a loop of cord for hanging at top of head back. Sew tiny buttons to the front, add glitter. This cute little 4” ornament makes a great gift for make several for yourself. You can insert the Santa into the chimney of homemade card as well! Enjoy!













This year my annual ornament making sessions have doubled as cards. Each 4" Santa Claus i ornament is removable from it's chimney.

Play Day!

When I find myself in a slump I likce to create art dolls just for fun. I use a simple body shape so I am freed from design issues to experiment and play. These have a basic triangular bodys with seperate arms. A surface design is created on the fabric with free motion embroidery. Faces can be stamped or drawn, or use an art doll clay mask. Allowing yourself to play can really unlock your creative muse.

Sarah Jean

Sarah Jean is a doll I made refering to the article by Deanna Hogan in the December Doll crafter & Costuming magazine, called Alabama cover-Up. She has a cloth over polymer head and is painted with acrylics.
The pattern for the body is my own and the head mold came from a porcelain doll head. It was a very difficult project and I could not get the top of head seam looking nice so I ceated applied hair with paperclay medium. I learned alot from this doll and will attempt to make another without the flaws. lol

Fabric leaves

Today I was raking leaves and the thought occured to me that some of the leaves would make interesting shapes for fabric leaves. I made freezer paper templates and cut them out from fabric, added some snippets of contrasting fabric and used orange thread to create the veins with free motion embroidery. I cut out some shapes in the fabric leaves to suggest decomposing areas of the leaves.

Now what to do with these! I may just have to make a fall theme doll and incorporate these into the dolls costume. Stay tuned to see what materializes!

Fabric Leaf project

I found just the right fabric for this project, hidden deep in the bowels of my studio. i suspended some snippets and fibers between the fabric and some fine netting and did a surface design using free-motion embroidery.

I decided to use my Altered Astrid stump doll body pattern. I love using a stump doll body as a canvas for embellishing, as it lends itself to surface design very well.

Here is the fabric after the surface design has been stitched and the sewn and unstuffed doll body.

Spirit of Autumn

I am very pleased with the way she turned out. The finished doll is very textured with the free-motion embroidery, surface design and additon of the fabric leaves. I had hoped to capture the look and feel of the fall season, with the natural colors of decomposing leaves blowing in the wind.

I have called her the Spirit of Autumn.

Play time at doll club

At our last meeting of Reining Dolls and Bears I taught a mini class on Apoxie Sculpt. I used my Atered Astrid stump doll body for demonstration and others applied the medium to wood boxes, doll bodies, metal objects, etc. Everyone had a grteat time playing with the medium and of course great food was enjoyed by all as well.

Hoffman Doll 2006

This was my Hoffman 2006 entry, and she wa untitled for the traveling exhibit. She was returned to me today and I have named her

Bella-Rena. . She has an armature in her leg which allows the doll to pose. Bella-Rena has fabric hair, cotton fabric body, hand painted features and delicate beading on her dres which is from the Hoffman fabric.

The Boss Man and Foot Warmer

Foot Warmer is always ready to oblidge the Boss Man on those cold winter days!

Hoffman 2007 challenge doll

this is my entry for the Hoffman Challenge, 2007. She is adapted from my Molly and Her Button Dolly pattern. Her arms are inside bead jointed, a technique I learned in Deanna Hogan's Averill class. Her hair is braided cording made from cool yarns and I applied a chenille making technique with yo yos to her dress.

Judi Ward's visit

Our last meeting of Reining Dolls and bears in April we had a special guest, our founder Judi Ward. She was on a US visit from Germany and was able to attend the meeting.

We made ATD's for a project, and great food as always! We really miss Judi and the ever present inspiration she brought to our club. A great time was had by all who attended!

Pin Dolls

I belong to a list caled Pindoll Alley, it is a yahoo group where we swap monthy themed pindolls with a partner. Here are a few of the pindolls I have made.

Wrap dolls

I have been making wrap dolls for a swap on Fabri-holics list. This is a very freeing artistic expression where you are not adhered to the same rules as for a traditional doll. the mermaid has bucco layers and Tyvek fabric tail.

Rain Dance has air dry clay mask and hands and feet.

Each doll has a thin spool in the center and wire body armature is threaded through this. After the armature is in place, it is wrapped with floral tape, then batting is added. Strips of fabric are then glued and other embellishments such as yarn, beads, etc. are added. It is very easy to "erase" the previous layer with new additions! I try to leave a bit of the surface showing on each layer.

Artist Trading Dolls

These ATDs are for sale at http://www.pattidolls.etsy.com/

Have been having lots of fun playing with dolls this week. On one of my dollmaking forums we re making ATD's or Artist Trading Dolls. They are flat, a bit like paper dolls with Timtex or cardboard as a base and you cover them with fabric or paper. Then you embellish, accessorize or whatever your creative impulses drives you to do. Little limbs are attached with small scrap booking brads. These are just too much fun! Spring ATD is from a template by Sherry Goshen and the foldy ATD is from a template by Judy Wellnitz.

Trip to Sewing Expo

Last week I went to the Sewing Expo with a couple of friends. We took a charter bus from Fabric Depot, the largest fabric store in Portland. So cool, no driving! There were over 1000 vendors there, cutting edge and new products to see and demo, seminars, fabrics galore and awesome trims. Pamela Armas of Treasures of the Gypsy was there as always, as well as Barbara Willis and Karen Shifton. I did the worst damage of Gypsy booth of course! She has the most exotic fabrics from India, and stunning trims and blings. When you see hr booth, it is like a rainbow came to town.

Got a pic of Pamela in her booth and also a pic of my favorite treasures that I bought. The fabric was $50.00 a yard! the photo just does ot do it justice. A very special doll awaits that fabric.