Doll Artist and Teacher: Preserving the art of making dolls and Artist Member of the Original Doll Artist Council of America (ODACA).
Stuffing Dolls, Aching Joints
Hello Reader,
I've been sewing and stuffing like a madwoman the past few days, and my hands are paying the price. It's tough getting old. Honestly, don't underestimate the effort it takes to stuff dolls.
This weekend I sewed four Santa ornaments and two full-sized Sleepytime Santa dolls. The joints in my hands, especially my thumbs, are giving me quite a bit of grief.
Our Emergency Department holiday party was Saturday. One Santa ornament was my White Elephant for our gift exchange, and the other was a gift for my friend/coworker that hosted the party (poor thing - I told her to text me on Sunday if she wanted me to help her clean up). Turnout was great, though I was only mildly curious as to who was left to staff the ER. Don't judge me...
On Friday, I settled on my final day of work: September 1, 2023. I downloaded a retirement countdown app, and it's getting real! Only 8 months, 12 days to go! Just think of all the things I'll be able to accomplish without that pesky day job getting in the way!
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Deanna Hogan
www.blueherondolls.com
deanna@blueherondolls.com
Deanna Hogan, Blue Heron Dolls
Doll Artist and Teacher: Preserving the art of making dolls and Artist Member of the Original Doll Artist Council of America (ODACA).
Hello Reader, I finished a doll yesterday, and it felt good. When I started her I thought she'd be a good one to take to Virginia for this summer's ODACA Day. But as life has a way of getting in the way, I had to make the decision to cancel the trip. My only regret will be missing all my doll friends. So here's "Averill." I'd forgotten how time-consuming she is to make but I didn't feel rushed as I made her, working a little bit on her each day. She has buried bead joints in her elbows,...
Hello Reader, It's finally spring, which means we're due for weather that beats down my beautiful daffodils. It never fails. Yesterday I started sewing a new doll. This is exciting and refreshing for me because while working on my Big Project (secret souvenir dolls for 2027) and Christmas creations, all my other doll undertakings were on hold. But which doll to make? I went through my patterns and picked one. I chose "Averill," a doll I haven't made in a long time (the last one was a OOAK...
Hello Reader, I sew a lot, sometimes every day. It's never a good time for equipment failure. I love my sewing machine, a Bernina 165 that was purchased in 2006 (manufactured in 2004). Over the last month or two, the reverse/back-stitch button has been increasingly glitchy to the point that it has stopped working altogether. It works fine in every other respect, but the reverse feature is used on EVERYTHING. So I took it to the Bernina doctor. He informed me that my machine is older and has...