I'm in a silly mood today :)
Well, here she is folks! After about ten different tests, this is my final pattern for the Eloise doll. As you can see, she's kind of naked. That's because she's about to be packed up and sent off on a trip to visit one of my best friends, The Seamstress Extraordinaire Casey, where she'll be fitted for a special Casey-designed flapper doodle dress! When she's no longer in the nude, I'll be offering her for sale in my shop. The dolls will be made to order, so if you're thinking of ordering one just a heads up that there will be a 1-2 week turnover time.
Now, some of the changes I made from my original pattern:
Before, her feet and arms were separate from the body, which was a pain to sew together (and the limbs were a pain to turn inside out and stuff this way, too). Thanks to the ingenuity of my little brother, she's now sewn in one piece, which for someone who isn't exactly a wizard with the sewing machine makes things a heck of a lot easier!
Also, I decided to embroider her features instead of silk-screen them. The silkscreen can be very hit-or-miss, and I like having more control over how it turns out. I think this method gives the doll more quality, too, and will probably be better as far as longevity goes.
And, last but not least, rather than paint on her dress I decided that she needed a real dress to wear, which is where Casey comes in! I think this finishing touch will make her absolutely perfect. I'm also considering a little string of flapper-beads, but their inclusion might make the doll off-limits for kids, and I'm not sure if I want to do that.
