Look At That

Melissa Gaggiano doll design

    Will you look at that. I wasn't sure how I'd address Link's hair. Using my usual felt wigs [the mermaid dolls] and the floppy yarn hair [a more recent design feature] wasn't going to work with this doll. Staring at the illustrations of Link I realised that his hair needed to be flat, curved and layered in individual pattern pieces.

Hard To See

Melissa Gaggiano doll design

At first it's hard to see how it's all going to come together when faced with a couple of unconnected, flat pattern pieces. But as you build on it, that doll takes on a life of it's own. Keep on, keeping' on!

Legend of…?

    A new project in the works… A Legend of Zelda doll. Not saying much. Very busy. Here's a snapshot of where it is at. Gotta keep on, keeping on.

Melissa Gaggiano Photography

A New Service

    Breaking News: In addition to my Red Bubble and Etsy stores I decided to offer a customised doll making service. And here is the idea…

    Kids make the coolest, craziest, brightest, uninhibited drawings of people and characters. I want to take those drawings and translate off the page into three dimensional plush dolls. And that in a nutshell is the service that I am providing.

    Click here for more information.

She Sings La-la-la

Doll design by Melissa Gaggiano

    My eldest was so pleased. She woke up to find her Draculaura doll finished. She skipped around the house with the doll singing la-la la-la la-la.

Cute + Scary

Doll design by Melissa Gaggiano

    I have begun work on a doll design for my eldest. Knowing that I was making a Monster High doll for my youngest, she wanted to have her own. So I asked her to do a drawing of how the doll should look. I have interpreted the drawing with a couple of modifications.

    My eldest is super excited and can't wait for me to finish the doll. If she had her way I would have been working on the doll well into the night, but after 8 hours I had to put my foot [and sleepy head] down.

So Pleased

    Today I completed the Robecca Steam doll. My littlest is so pleased. She spent the morning reminding me to keep at it [just like every other day this week] and after 19 hours I got there. K is now playing quietly with the doll. So now, I can crawl up in a ball and try to sleep off this virus that hit town last night.

Melissa Gaggiano doll design

All That Hair

Doll design by Melissa Gaggiano

    After three hours of hair work, I am almost there. Next step is to design and sew the goggles that sit on the doll's head.
    Goodnight, so tired now.

Almost There, Just a Littler Further

Doll design by Melissa Gaggiano

    Getting there with the Robecca Steam doll. Only two things left to to make - the hair aaaaand the steampunk goggles.

Progress

    My youngest is an excellent manager. She has been making sure that I stay on track making her Robecca Steam doll. So I really don't have too much time to wax lyrical about how well the project is coming along, because I know the little one will come in any moment and ask me to keep working on the doll. But I thought I'd share this snapshot of where it is at…

Doll design by Melissa Gaggiano

Constructing Robecca Steam

Photography + doll design by Melissa Gaggiano

    At the request of my youngest I have been working on a handmade cloth doll based on Robecca Steam, of Monster High fame.

    I made the decision to work with felt fabric as it is a friendly material. When I say friends, I mean that you don't need to turn or burn edges because the material will not fray.

    The basic template was drawn up on paper before choosing the fabric. However many of the more decorative details are being designed as I go along with the fabric cutting. This makes the design and construction an ever developing journey. The idea that I started with is so completely different from where it will end.

Project Time

    It is a great feeling starting a new project. All that enthusiasm. New ideas exploding. Inspiration flying left and right. Sounds a little dangerous, right? It's not though. Just a whole lotta fun.
    So what's it going to be? My eldest's first year of school is almost over and I thought it would be nice to make her teacher a thank you gift. Since there is a doll making thing in my house, I decided to make a doll in the likeness of the teacher.

Christmas on a Vespa

Melissa Gaggiano illustration
Buy Vespa Christmas

    Christmas is two months away, but that time sure can pass by rather quickly. So I am already thinking ahead. I have a lovely piece of work available in my Red Bubble store [think: cards, posters, cups]. It is a Vespa Christmas, joining two of my likes in one merry package. Check it out.