Move It Forward and Finish It Friday

Well it’s the second day of a brand new year and it’s a Friday to boot!

I’ve started thinking about this new year and what I might wish to accomplish. I think I’ve picked out my word for the year but I’m still trying to decide what direction I will go in. My word is discipline as in self-discipline, self-control. I am not a well-disciplined person in that I tend to go from one project, one thing, one thought to another without sticking to any and finishing. Plus I am a procrastinator. Can I do better this year? I will try and in the trying I should at least improve, have some forward movement.

My Friday posts will still be about finishings or at least moving something I’m working on forward so now we have MIF and FIF.

I have some new hints and tips that I will be sharing and I will probably keep the posting of those to Mondays just to be a little consistent. I’ll try to do a post on Wednesday of works in progress and another post that will just be thoughts and ideas which may show up from time to time on another day of the week.

Saturdays I am trying to reserve to working on Wounded Warrior Quilts or quilts for Linus and hats for NICU’s.

So to start off this new year of Fridays this is what I am working on today.

Rag Doll in Process

It’s a rag doll based on the work of Jess Brown and her book “The Making of a Rag Doll”. My daughter discovered her and her rag dolls and purchased the book for me. I’ve used her pattern from the book with some modifications and my own style of face. It’s hand embroidered and based on some paintings by my daughter’s best friend Christina. 

From my Sketch Book

Beginning of the face

I’m hoping to finish the body today. Not sure if her hair or any clothes will be done today but I’m working on ideas for those. She doesn’t have a name or a personality yet. And since she is my first rag doll (well I may have made some as a child but I no longer have them) she will remain in my “first” collection. I plan to make at least two more, one to incorporate some changes and corrections to my original attempt (and to see if I can embroider another face – hoping this one wasn’t just beginner’s luck!). 

More detail added to the eyes

The third one will be to time myself in the making of the entire doll. I like many get lost in the process and don’t realize how much time has passed.

Working on this doll has reminded me that my mother made dolls both rag dolls and Waldorf style dolls for her grandchildren. The ones my daughter received are still in my possession but have been somewhat dismantled for cleaning and are packed away. I plan to find them and restore them. When I do I will take photos to post here.

Later next week I will post items that I have worked on (and even finished!) since my last writing in 2014.

Hope to be back later with a photo or two of my progress on the rag doll.

Damp Stretching the Face

Until then,

Happy Moving Forward and Finishing!

Rose