Is three months too long...

Is three months too long to wait to write another blog? Probably so, but amazingly nobody really gave me a bad time. Not like we did to poor Sue. So thanks for being understanding and letting me have a short vacation. OK, a long vacation...... I hope this is worth the wait.

My daughter was sarcastic and implied I threw the pumpkin vine lady together in one afternoon. Actually I did put her together in about three hours, and Kade and I did not realize the contest was to be held until about two PM on the day before the contest was to be held. But here is what was involved in the construction of this fine little artistic endeavor:

#1. The doll head is 100% cotton stuffed with quilt batting which took me about 20 hours to read the book [over and over], experiment with the paints for eyes and mouth, figure out what I could do for hair, draw and redraw the features on the face, read the book AGAIN, and review her features to see if I was happy with the final product. The hair is yellow tie dyed cotton fabric which is strip torn and sewed to a band of cotton which matches the face fabric. It is braided and the bangs are in place with beaded pins. Her crown is a set of "pirate" wooden beads from Yuba Lake.

#2. The main part of the body is a fabric sack with an elongated peninsula for the neck. It is stuffed with an old sleeping bag. Or at least the batting out of an old sleeping bag.

#3. The arms are tie dyed green /blue fabric which are stuffed with batting and pipe cleaners. Each arm has two elbows because you can do that when you live in fantasy world. One hand has four very long fingers with blue finger nails and the other hand is a leaf with three round portions. Beaded bracelets hide the seams where the hands are sown to the arms. Yes I made those also. The arms are actually pinned to the torso with great big quilt pins. This makes it possible to turn the arms to what ever position is best for the princess to sit on her thrown and hold her corn cob sepulcher. Her left hand is made so she can hold the piece of corn.

#4. Five unique leaf bodies were made to fill in the top of the bodice so she looks like she has an entire body of vine. Each leaf is sewn right sides together, turned, stuffed with batting, colored for shading, quilted, and embellished with beads.

#5. The bodice is white bridal satin lined with silk-crepe. Each seam has a stay sewn into it for shape and long line smoothness. The midriff jacket is crystal encrusted silk lined in 100% cotton. The zipper in the back of the bodice was sewn in by hand. The sleeves are pushed up so the arms are more visible and pinned above the first elbow. The model did not cry when the sleeves were pinned in place. No animals were harmed in the making of the project.

#6. The belt is red dupioni silk, sewn with open ends and pinned with a pearl straight pin.

#7. The skirt is 148 inches wide of 100% cotton muslin which was tub tied in Southern Utah. It was then left to dry in the wind which accounts for its unique color. It was sewn with a curvature stitch and gathered on a length of cotton tape. It has no hem, as the bottom edge is on the woven edge just like a kilt.

#8. The bench she sits on is a wooden creation of Josh's , painted green and antiqued to look like it has been outside for a couple of years. Her bodice sits inside a small oval tub which in turn sit on the bench the bench is sitting up on a ale of hay so the gown has plenty of room to flow. The entire skirt is stuffed with straw to make it full and to fill the requirements of the contest.

#9. It rained for at least 8 hours prior to the judging so she was soaked by the time the judges saw her. Therefor the face color was running but the rest of the outfit withstood the test. The skirt was soaked but looked great due to the heaviness and fabulous draping.