'Dale Leroy',as he has become known,(named after the hypothetical little boy my mom always wanted and never had ), has a wire armature,covered with felt. He looked like this the first time you saw him.
His head is felt stuffed with Polyfil. He even has felt lips.
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| The neck situation looked ok when he was naked... |
Then I made some clothes for him.
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| ,,,but he looked a little stubby once he got a shirt. |
All he needed after that was hair and a face. So here he is now,with both of those.
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| The fuzzy felt makes the eye lid paint look like eye lashes! |
I'm not really satisfied. Other than the fact that his torso is too long and one arm is too short,I was hoping his hair would end up thick enough to reshape his head a bit. No such luck. I might try adding some more hair later.
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| He could use more of a nose too. |
I don't know if I like his mouth either. Should I remove the felt lips and just try painting lips on? That's a rhetorical question, so don't bother to answer. I won't listen to anything anybody says,even though I've asked, as my family well knows. I'll probably be afraid to remove them for fear of ruining the whole doll, and just leave the felt lips on and complain.
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| I swear that nose used to be more visible. |
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| "The Great Profile" he's not. |
So there is Dale Leroy. He looks a bit tall and lean to be a child,but hey,even hypothetical children need to grow up sometime.
I am also working on the goofy faced little guy I showed you during the progress on Dale Leroy. We'll see him again soon.
Have you considered needle sculpting? I hope that's what it's called, anyway. You bring a needle from the back of his head to just one side of where the nose should be, take a miniscule vertical stitch, go under the 'skin' to the other side of the nose, make another tiny vertical stitch and pull the thread until you get the look you need, then go through and fasten the thread on the back of his head. If it doesn't look right, snip the thread, massage his head a bit, and you're back where you started.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I was making a doll last night I could have used that on. Maybe next time.I've seen it, but I don't know how to do it.I'm not sure it would work on that felt,as it might tear through too easily.Also,he's very small. I'm not sure there'd be room between the stitches for a nose!
DeleteHmm. Hadn't thought of that. He is pretty tiny, isn't he? Did you put pink felt skin over the original skull? Felt is tricky. I've done it with cloth dolls, but never that small, and not with felt. Hmmm.
DeleteNo. He just has a stuffed felt head.I've tried something different with the larger doll I'm making right now,as far as the nose and cheeks go. The eyes will have to have another solution.
DeleteWell hello DL (if I may), it is nice to meet you. I think you are a handsome young man. Your outfit is very cute and I love your boots. I look forward to reading about your adventures.
ReplyDeleteOh great Dorothy! Now I have the idea to make Dale have 'adventures'! Now I wish he wasn't made in such a weird scale so he would have more props to use.
DeleteHi Tam!
ReplyDeleteDale Leroy might not be perfect, but he certainly has a whole heap of character, and you may not be entirely happy with the results you achieved, but at least you had a go and probably learnt a lot along the way. I know I often make lots of mistakes in things I attempt for the first time, but I find the next time I try, I always manage to do a better job.
I shall look forward to seeing you other little chap. :)
Big hugs,
X
The disappointing thing is,I've made those metal wire bodies before! I should know better by now.But I did much better on my more recent bodies,so hopefully the new guy will be an improvement. I need to learn how to make a neck on a felt doll!
DeleteHow completely charming..there were certainly times when I would have loved one of these as a lil brother instead of the one I got. But a sister made me a rag doll with overalls and blue check I still adore.You are very creative, thank you for sharing.Enjoy your blog very much.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much.I felt the same way about my older sister!
ReplyDeleteComing from a large family all my older sibs 5 sisters 1 bro), were great it was my lil bro that was a pain..thankfully He grew out of it..maybe I was his Geiger counter of how far was too far..now I love boy dolls, I even made a franken dolly that reminded me of him (lil bro ,who funny enough is named Ken) out of a blonde kiddle head and a Tutti body.Eyes are the wrong color but otherwise reminds me of him, I cal Kenny.
ReplyDeleteI only have the o0ne sister,so she was all my childhood tortures! Which Kiddle head did you use? There are quite a few blue eyes blondes, but Biff Boodle and Sizzly Friddle are brown eyed blondes. Biff's eyes are a bit weird though.
DeleteNo, he does not look like a little boy. But I thought he was supposed to be your twin/slightly younger brother, so there. Great job.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a tiny bead under the felt skin would be a nice nose next time you make a doll this way? I made a stocking doll head once, and the instructions said to make a tube, stuff it, tie a string around it in the eye area, sow a bead in the nose area, make another tube, put the new tube around the old, fasten the ends in the back, embroider eyes and mouth, and sow on some yarn as hair.
I have tried needle felting. It is fun. I have managed to make some very tiny things. I am sure that you can do it. One day,I plan to felt one or more dolls, for my doll universe where the teens are about 15 cm.
I'm not sure how the felt would lay over a bead. I made this nose out of tiny pieces of felt,glued on top,but I think I should add more.
DeleteMy sister and I keep saying we need to get some felting needles. I got some wool roving in preparation,and once faked a needle up and partly made a tiny cat. As of yet, no felting needles though.
I think Dale Leroy is adorable and I am awed that you can make such tiny little creatures.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteTam, I think he's very cute and I love those big yellow boots, they're just perfect. As for his nose, well he looks just find without one to be honest. The lips are not a problem either! I think you're being overly critical of yourself as per usual :)
ReplyDeletexx
Thanks. I have had comments on both sides of the nose debate,as well as the lips one. I've been told his lips are too pink for a guy,and that he needs a nose. I could still add more nose,but I guess I'll leave him as he is for now.I'm never going to be satisfied with anything I do anyway. You're right!
DeleteI think he's fine the way he is. He does look like an adult, but he's supposed to be your brother! I think he has real character.
ReplyDeleteWell thank you. I think he's a mess. I really only like his shoes. My next attempt at felt people came out much better.
DeleteThey are great, but Dale has a personality! A silly one, but its still a personality. He reminds me of a farmer's son, maybe a little simple, but with a good heart.
DeleteHa! You nailed it!
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