New Doll for my sister

The doll

face

 front beading

 beaded cap sleeve

top of tail

pearls-bead stitched on body

waist beading

left arm beading

side view of hair

back view of hair

  

     right arm beading

This is a doll I made for my sister. She was never particularly interested in my doll making as knitting is totally her thing. She lives on the water just off the Chesapeake Bay so she wanted something to tie into that so I suggested a mermaid. I showed her some pictures of different patterns and we both agreed we loved Barbara Schoenoff's "Scylla". So, there were instructions galore on how she would like the doll to look (don't worry she doesn't read my blog)! She didn't want a lace covering on the lower body so I suggested french netting. I found on Etsy some netting called The Merry English Widow which looks like french netting but the holes between the netting are about 1/2" where french netting is about 1/4". So I ordered the Merry English Widow and the French. I first tried the Merry English Widow (don't you just love that name?) and when I turned the tail inside out I realized I had cut the netting as close to the seam as the fabric and it all fell apart. I didn't have enough to make more so I used the french netting. I had dyed the netting a little lighter than the fabric as my sister didn't want any contrast she preferred it to be subtle.

So, I knew I wanted to make beaded cap sleeves, it covers the seam of the top of the arm which bothered me because of the angle it has to be sewn at. Then across the top of the tail I used crystal cubes and Swarovski bi-cones and a size 8 seed bead. At her waist I used the same seed bead and bi-cone but then used a pearl bead instead of the crystal cubes. I knew I wanted to scatter some pearls around her body in a seed stitch so I tied them in that way. Her head piece has a stone with 2 crystal beads at each end and that ties in the crystal used on the tail.

The doll's top body was more difficult. I was going to drape some extra netting and hold it with some scattered beads then my sister said - "I love beads! You can start at the waist and then fade them out." Great idea, but I'm not exactly happy how it turned out. I know how to bead, but I'm not a beader. I do like the beading on the left arm, it's like an eel has wrapped itself around her arm! I tied the beads off quite often in case she wants to cut some of them off. 

For the dolls hair I used all different kinds of yarn.