Mouse + Paper + Clay

The weekend gone presented an interesting turn of events. There was an impromptu crafternoon, which led to the creation of Giuseppe, a needle felted mouse. Having wanted to make a little creature like this for quite some time. And the time never feeling quite right, until now. 

© Melissa Gaggiano

Since Giuseppe turned out as well as he did. I went at it again, and made another little mouse... even smaller.

After a tidy up one of the kids was on the verge of throwing out their recent paper sculpture. Before the paper was recycled, I took a photo of it, for a remembrance. This image makes you want to go on a holiday, does it not?

The kids make things with minimal input from me. Occasionally I show them techniques that I've figured out, but for the most part I give them the space to freestyle it. Yesterday though, we had a situation which required a collaboration between mama and child. The result was this Princess Peach statue.

Go Ahead! Make Your Own Sloth

© Melissa Gaggiano

How could I not be excited? Today I am launching my first craft tutorial ebook, and it's all about the sloth.

This book has been quite a few weeks in the making. There were times I wasn't sure this would actually come together. But a combination of perseverance and getting some sleep, made it possible.

And now, I present to you "Sloth – Felt Design Tutorial", available on my Etsy store.

This PDF download provides you with all the information you would need to make one of my cute sloth designs. It includes:

- material and tool listing
- simple, step by step instructions with matching photographs
- pattern pieces template page

The dimensions of the doll presented in the tutorial are as follows:
Height – 17 cm
Width – 6.5 cm

A little background story...
This sloth originally emerged as a much larger doll that has showcased in a Leonard St clothing boutique in Melbourne. The original sloths wore doll size clothes, replicating Leonard St fashion. For more information about this – Leonard St Sloth.

I then decided to product a smaller scale of the sloth (without clothes), and make it available as a tutorial, for you. Which is where this book comes in.

Visit my Etsy store and buy your own copy of "Sloth – Felt Design Tutorial".

© Melissa Gaggiano

Moon Princess

The past few days have been dedicated to making this Moon Princess doll and her loyal steed. All made with a combination of sewing techniques, fabrics and paints.

Hannah Done

    The Hannah doll is now complete. Yeah! To make this doll I used the body pattern from the previous Keira doll pattern, and… I used the leg pattern piece from my mermaid pattern for the limbs of the Hannah doll.

Olivia the Lost Princess

© Melissa Gaggiano

Ethereal dollish dreams float around in my head.

Spiritus Concept

© Melissa Gaggiano

    Here is a concept I doodled the other day. There is potential here. A new doll? Perhaps.

Mermaid Rockettes

© Melissa Gaggiano

    My production line for the Xmas market continues. I now have mermaids lined up like rockettes. Time for me to get sewing...

Pants for Ken

Ken's Got Pants

    In this house there are two Ken dolls, both vying for the one and only set of clothes that they happen to be in possession of. Yes, that is right, these poor boys have to share their clothes [an issue I have talked about previously with great passion].
    But the times are a changing' as I have begun making them a spare set of clothes, beginning with a pair of pants. No longer will it be a 24/7  Pants Free Friday for the Ken dolls in this house.
    And now I share with you a tutorial for making pants for this overlooked figure from Barbie-land.

Materials

• Scrap fabric [Dad's old boxer shorts will do and if he asks where his pants went just say it was for a good cause.]
• Thin elastic

Steps

1. Print the below provided pattern [ensuring scale is correct]. Cut out the paper pattern.
2. Cut two fabric pieces from the paper pattern.
3. Fold the bottom hem of each fabric piece 5mm and stitch closed.

step 3

4. Fold each fabric piece in half and stitch up the pant leg.

step 4

5. Pin both pant legs together via the crotch. Stitch the crotch closed.

step 5

6. Fold down waistband of pants 10mm and hand stitch closed, leaving an opening no wider than 10mm.
7. Feed an elastic through waistband via the opening just made. Tie a knot in elastic to close.

step 7

8. Turn pants through and give Ken his dignity.

Print paper pattern to scale

Sirène Pattern Available

    I have a new product available in my store. I have created a pattern and instructions for my beloved mermaid doll. For those uninitiated, the mermaid has an accessory fishtail which the doll's legs can be tucked into. How awesome is that?

Slothful Work

New doll design & construction
by Melissa Gaggiano

My youngest client put in a request for a blue sloth. So today I sit, think, draw and construct something entirely from scratch. Stay tuned for the finished sloth.

And Sew

© Melissa Gaggiano

    And so, this morning I finished work on the final draft of a new fashion doll. Just a couple more pattern piece tweaks are required before I go ahead and produce a doll for my store.

    After thought: I'll have to think of a name for this doll.

    Just a reminder that I have a blog competition going, which ends this Thursday. Get in there and have a read.

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

Day 91

Melissa Gaggiano Photography

World Meet Dolly

Melissa Gaggiano doll design

    The doll is complete and her name is Dolly.

Cat's Meow

Melissa Gaggiano doll design

    On the weekend, quite on a whim, I made another doll. I mix and matched pieces from different patterns I had designed, and I altered the head of the doll to make it seem cat-like. I also up cycled the fabric. I don't often work with knitted fabric when using a sewing machine, but I had a winter shirt that I simply was not wearing, so it got used. I got to say sewing with knit is a bit like roller skating with crazy loose wheel steering. But it was oh so much easier turning the doll through and putting in doll filler.

Inside My Head

Illustrations by Melissa Gaggiano.

    Thought I'd share a little of what bouncing around in my head. This week I have been playing around with a completely different doll concept to what I am used to working with. I don't know if I'll go ahead with this. But I am giving it just a tiny bit of thought. I cannot see these being entirely cloth dolls. More like art dolls made of polymer clay. It all depends on the type of resources are involved, and that sort of thing.

Check out my mermaid dolls currently selling at Etsy:

www.etsy.com/shop/MelissaGaggiano

Meet Millie

Millie doll design my Melissa Gaggiano.

    Yesterday I finished making a doll for my daughters to play will. I designed her from scratch and made her from fabric scraps from my craft box. My eldest has named her Millie.

Bon Appetit

    Finally! Finally, I was able to finish making a doll which had been conceived a couple of months ago. I had run out of some materials and was waiting for the right time to buy more. Well, that time has come. And now world let me introduce you to the cat doll Bon Appetit[named by my eldest].
    I managed to snap a couple of photos of Bon Appetit before she disappeared forever into my daughters land of fantastic wonder [translation - their bedroom].

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano.

Of Cats & Flowers

    I have a few drawing projects on the go at the moment. One of those has been conceptualising a cat doll with a flower print that I designed all by my little ole self. If time allows I'll try to mock up the doll this week. 

Concept by Melissa Gaggiano.

Coraline's Clothes

    I was tossing up whether to paint a top onto the Coraline doll or knit one. The knitting idea won out and I began planning and knitting the top.

 

    Oh yeah! And I just had to share a photo of this delicous dinner from last night. It was an Indian dish of butter chicken, with a side of rice, brocoli and cauliflower. We sat outside and ate dinner with a glass of Penfold's wine. I think having dinner outdoors is simply the best way to eat? Do you agree?