Merry Christmass

God bless all the little children and you.

Tiny Hat Tutorial...A Finishing Touch for Your Little Doll

When I started my blog, I put this tutorial on my Tutorial page.  I have deleted that page, because it was not well thought out.  Now I have taken the pictures and placed them in a collage that you can download and use at your leisure.  If you ever need help with my tutorials, just ask.

The first thing that I do is select a color of fabric...I use silk, but cotton will be fine.   I soak the fabric in a solution of 50/50 tacky glue and water.  I let the fabric dry on a plate, so that it will be smooth.  The doll that I am using is 1 5/8 inches tall...so her head is tiny.
  Measure the circle for the brim of the hat, and cut a circle to the size you like.
Clip a tiny hole in the center of the hat and carefully cut a tiny circle out of the middle of the brim.
Measure the hole to the doll's head.
find a dowel--I used a paint brush--with the same diameter as doll's head.
 Place the brim onto the dowel.
cut a strip of fabric so that it is the desired height of  the tiny hat.
Wind the strip around the dowel, cut strip to fit and glue ends together.
when strip is dry, remove and apply glue to base of strip.
Put the glued strip back onto the dowel so that the glue adheres to the brim.
Let dry.
Cut a tiny circle so that it is the same size as the crown (glued strip).
Glue top to crown

The final hat will need decorations to cover up edges.  I use tiny ribbon to wrap around the crown. Sometimes I glue a piece of silk floss to go around the top of the brim...the little gold hat is a n example.  I use beads, silk ribbon roses and tiny feathers that I collected from a pet love bird..  These little hats really pull together a little doll's wardrobe.

Happy hat making, and have a wonderful week,

Shameless Self Promotion

Actually, self promotion fills me with shame...but it has got to be done.  I started my blog to promote Evalina and other characters for some children's stories that I plan to write.  Evalina will be the main character.  She and  her little sister Posy Anna live in Honeysuckle cottage.  Humble and Pie are their best friends.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with scale miniatures, Honeysuckle cottage is considered a half scale miniature(one half inch equals a foot.  I am making all of the characters and the setting from scratch.

     I am about to send out a Christmas card to some publishers, with hope that they will visit my blog...wish me luck.

I am also getting back, after a long respite, to making and selling my miniatures.  I am preparing to go to the IGMA show in August.  I have opened an Etsy shop, and am slowly putting some of my pieces into it.  At the same time, I have started a Pinterst site.  Please follow, admire and pin me when ever you can...I need the attention.  I am not comfortable with attention, but I need to try harder to get my images out.

I continue to work on Hugo.  He is getting a little teddy bear  who still needs ears and arms

I am putting a Holiday challenge onto my needlework blog
http://mini-needle.blogspot.com/

I have had this clipping for about 20 years....finally, I am knitting him in miniature. I will finish him by Christmas.

My challenge is for the rest of you to make a Christmas item.  I have changed my mind, it does not have to be needle work, any hand made item will be included.  Please send me a picture, and I will  post it.

lucy_coles@netzero.net

Hugs, and Happy Holidays,

Lucy