Mrs George's Wig

“Some of the worst mistakes in my life were haircuts”  (Jim Morrison)

This week I have been immersed in the task of developing a wig for Mrs George, my current doll. 

I like to use natural fibres wherever possible and in this case I am using silk.  I find this gives a realistic look, sheen and texture while maintaining the correct scale which is in keeping with the current project.  I hate waste with a passion and have found that the trimmings and off-cuts from previous projects can be utilized for hair fibre.  In this case the ravellings from the tails of my fish have been formulated into a wig.

Using individual silk fibers for a wig is a challenging and lengthy process, indeed not to mention the difficulties one faces attaching it to the head.  My favoured method is organizing the fiber of choice in strands on tissue paper for the desired length which is equal to the head circumference. Once complete this is sandwiched between another layer of tissue paper and then machine stitched. 

Several repetitions of this process produces a wispy fringing that is simple to apply, pin and hand stitch in place.  There are alternative methods of wig making or applying hair however, the merits of this technique offer versatility, control and simplicity resulting in a realistic conclusion.

 Mrs George is clearly having a bad hair day.  Alas, my characters have an unfortunate phase where the hair-do is perhaps more of a hair-don't.

 Once attached it is time to tame that beast with a bit of a coiffure. Quite frankly it’s obvious she needs a jolly good conditioning treatment and a set too with the straightening irons.  Where is John Freida when you need him?

This is the time where I begin to consider the possibilities for the final appearance and finish for Mrs George.  Well in the absence of a celebrity stylist one will have to do ones best.  Armed with tweezers, pins, needle, thread, a prudent amount of steam and an entire day dedicated to trimming, pinning and twisting Mrs George’s style is finally addressed.  I usually try to affect a complimentary hairstyle to suit the features and build a character that transforms the rags and stuffing into a final piece that can be regarded as an individual.  

Have my little grey cells detected a lady of distinction?  I am obviously having a Hercule moment. 

A Stitch In Time.....

‘The future is something which everyone reaches at sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.’ (C.S. Lewis)

I have always found that time is fleeting and always in short supply.  No matter how I try to organize the day to better my efficiency, achievements remain unchanged.

Creative time was at a premium this week, always being deferred by more the important aspects of administration.  As I progress towards self-employment there have been some issues that needed addressing.  Specifically registering my fledgling business for tax and national insurance purposes, a legal necessity no matter how tedious it may initially seem. This process was eased considerably by the charming and supportive people at HMRC; quite unlike my preconceived ideas of offensive, obdurate, pen-pushers that the civil service conjures.

  I have stolen a little time to toy with some ideas.  I am trying to create characterizations in doll form and practice using my readily available and eager to please family, however, my technique is amateurish and my results are inconsistent. 

Clearly, I need more practice although; this does look rather like my neighbour. 

I just have to secure her wig; the doll’s not the neighbour’s.

A Red Herring Round Up

It's been a hectic week, a week of euphoric highs and palpable lows, where I've been floundering around with one thing and another, until Friday when it reached fever pitch.

The week started pleasantly enough, however, the gentle schedule inked in my diary quickly evolved into an unrelenting beast of burden.  I planned fish for the British Heart Foundation, opening a shop on Etsy to sell them and starting a Raganory facebook page.  What I regarded as internet housekeeping all took surprisingly longer to achieve than expected.

 

I am 'Wood' by name, as thick as two short planks and Luddite by nature.  These are not happy bedfellows when trying to achieve and impress technologically.  I am particularly new fangled with blogging, Etsy and facebook, although very much a novice despite reassurances from ones off-spring that ...'it's child's play'.  Unfortunately, that chapter of my life is a dim and distant memory and was a great deal less sophisticated as I recall.  Agonizing over kicking a tin or holding the neighbour’s cat hostage, I have found to my cost, is not adequate preparation for ‘jamming with the consol cowboys in cyberspace’.

Further distractions where to prove inevitable.  It’s possibly a little indelicate to mention the frequency of which my daughter has sat her driving test.  However, just as a mid-week crisis loomed she arrived home with the fabulous news that she had passed.  This of course signified a night off, a night of revelry and merrymaking, celebrating until incapable on pizza, chips and ice cream not illegal in this country as yet, but it certainly felt like it.

Unsure of whether it was the emotion or the menu of the previous evening, I woke to a monumental headache nonetheless.  A brief reflective moment reminded me that with every decision in life there is always a sacrifice to be made, and although I don’t grudge a family celebration the quest to take the world by storm with my fundraising fish had, alas been delayed.

Regardless of breaking needles and what seemed like an endless catalogue of minor disasters the fish were eventually complete and ready for their photo-shoot.  Everything was going swimmingly.  With the photographs finalised transferring them to the computer is easily achievable, under normal circumstances.  Instead, many exasperating hours were spent obliging machine demands while the self imposed deadline slipped further away with the inevitable passage of time.  I retired defeated and frustrated by my lack of technical experience and education.

Fortunately for me I am particularly rich in computer literate children with an army of equally gifted friends at my disposal.  Needless to say the problems are resolved, the shop is open, the fish are for sale and I remain blissfully unaware of whys and wherefores.

I was reminded earlier that just as a violin string needs a certain amount of tension to produce music, perhaps I also need a degree of stress to achieve. 

Stress is like a violin string, no tension, no music, too tight and it breaks, but the right amount creates harmony in life. (Allen Elkin)

Catch Of The Day

 

 

At last the fish are in my shop and for anyone interested, available from here.

 

 I am not sure what went wrong yesterday but with some able assistance this morning the problems seemed to have melted away.

 

More later this weekend.

 



'Ramp up the Red'

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”  (Charles Dickens)

This year the British Heart Foundation continues, to raise awareness and vital funding for life saving research and support for people with heart problems.  We ‘ramp up the red’ and ‘fight for every heartbeat’ on the 7^th February, read more here.

 

 Following a stroke, four years ago, I was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.  I have an aneurysm and a hole in my heart; this was quite a revelation at the time.  I was informed that expert thinking is that this particular defect provides a natural gateway for the occurrence of stroke.  I was 42 years old, I felt threatened, fragile and vulnerable for myself and my family.  However, the literature and advice I received from the BHF was both informative and more importantly reassuring throughout my recovery. 

  I am ashamed to say that, up until now, I have never taken the opportunity to raise money for this very worthy cause.  Something I intend to rectify this year.  By way of showing my appreciation and thanks for the care and information I received, regarding my particular problem, I would like to offer some of the fish I make for sale, the proceeds of which will all be donated to BHF.  It seems a fitting representation as zebra-fish are making their own contribution in the quest to mend broken hearts.   Researchers have long been studying their powers of cardiac regeneration and how this may translate to human heart damage.

For an alternative Valentine’s Day gift as well as helping a good cause, each fish will be presented in its own gift box and will be ready for sale by Friday 7^th February.  My dilemma at the moment is between Etsy and Ebay, the agony of choice.  For anyone who is interested I intend to make updates on the Raganory facebook page of my progress throughout the week, there is a link button on the right-hand side.  I will also confirm the final details here, on my blog later in the week.