Dolls: This is Amanda.

   Remember I told you I'd fix Sheila's pattern to make her easier to sew? Well I did, but I need to say that I'm not happy with those changes. This is Amanda and I'm not sure about her.

2nd prototype

   The changes I made, make it super easy to sew, but the resulting doll doesn't feel the same. Amanda is 2" taller and a little chubbier; I normally like chubby but in this case I like the original better. Sheila is much lighter and at 13.5" she is a good size for little girls. I changed the arms because I thought Sheila looked like she was contracting her biceps, but the new arms look like creepy fingers extending out of Amanda's body. I made her legs skinnier and longer but I think they don't match with her body. I also made her puffy ponytail bigger which doesn't work because now it feels flimsy, same with the bow. So, for the next prototype I need to rethink the whole doll so I don't make any other miserable mistake. I'll save this pattern though, in case the parts can be used at any other time.

   For this doll's skin I used Kona Taupe, I'm not sure I love that color for a darker skin tone though. I also have some Kona Earth that I want to try, we'll see. The face was drawn with Sharpie Stained markers, including the cheeks which I normally make from felt. When I use Kona Flesh for the skin, it's easy to see the face template through the fabric but in this fabric it was impossible, so I used blue carbon paper to transfer it. It was a big fail because when I soaked the fabric to make the lines disappear, the ink (which I hadn't set yet) bled a little and the areas already marked over with the pink marker couldn't be erased at all. That's why I made her lips red, to hide the lines a little. I'll probably get me a tracer light box to make this step easier.

   In the coming days I think I'll go back to the beginning and work from there. I'll have to alter the way the doll is put together to avoid all the fiddliness, but I think It'll be worth it. I can't wait to get the pattern all right so I can start using my wool felt. What do you think?