Time to update….

I guess it’s been a while since I updated this blog. i just have been busy, and have been posting a lot of picture on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/marianne.gallant). But here are some of the things I have finished in the last little while.

 
I finally finished.this rug that I have been working on for the last 2.5 years. It is done in fine petit point (I am going to start calling it micro point, since it is much finer than what is normally considered petit point)  with one strand of silk floss on 40 count silk gauze.It is about 5x7 inches. it likely will eventually be a rug in a miniature room box of a kids playroom, which will have 2 little girls playing dress up. The original design called Forever Aubusson is by Sue Bakker, and this design was in an old dollhouse magazine.

 
This is a rug I am working on right now. It will be quite a bit bigger than the above one, and it is being stitched on 49 count silk gauze with several different brands of silk thread similar to Gutermann silk.
It is going to take me quite a while to finish it, since it will be almost 2x the size of the above one.The backgrounds are being stitched with overdyed threads, which will make it look a bit worn.

 

 
A companion wall hanging tapestry to go with the Olive Garden tapestry I did last year. This is the Last Supper, though it does not look like the ‘standard’ painting. It is based on a tapestry and looks very different from the painting. The design is by Annelies de Kort. it is being stitched on 60 count gauze with 2 strands of Piper’s silk floss, and I am using a vertical stitch called gobelin, since this will make it look like it was woven. 


 
 
 
 
Now for some of the miniature doll clothes I have knit in the last while. Most of the clothes are available for sale, jut not the dolls, since I have to buy the dolls, and people can likely get them cheaper getting them straight from the maker. If I ever do get around to getting a kiln and making dolls I’ll sell the dolls as well, but for the time being only the outfits are for sale. If you are interested in any of them, please either contact me on FB or email me at mgb at shaw dot ca.

 
This is Chrissy,  design by Helena Bleeker of http://www.helena-petitefashions.co.uk/. The pants are done in variegated Venne cotton and the jacket is done in 34/2 Venne cotton on 0.8 mm needles. At first I didn’t know if I cared for the way the pattern of the jacket really biases. But then Helena pointed out that it looks like she is moving along…it is swinging. This is on a 3 inch doll.  I just realized I never made the bonnet.
 

 
These are twin sleeping babies, Elly and Graham. Knit in 50/2 Venne Bio cotton on 0.8mm needles. Pattern is by Helena Bleeker. The Graham pattern doesn’t have any socks, but since Elly does, I decided that Graham needed socks as well, so I adapted the socks from Elly for Graham. These are 3 inch toddler type dolls, both dolls are called Sean.
 
 
 

 
These 2 will not be for sale, They are going to be part of a wedding scene I am planning, with all the attendants in colour matched clothes. These 2 are the flower girl and ring bearer. The patterns for both Mandy and Jasper) are by Helena Bleeker. The threads used are 70/2, 50/2 and 34/2 all Venne cottons, and they are knit on 0.8mm needles. There will be a few more coming, and I am also busy with the wedding dress. The dolls are slim body 3 inch dolls.

 

 
 

 
This is Meghan. I knit this pattern up already a while back, just never sewed it up….which is one thing I have trouble with. It is another pattern by Helena Bleeker, done in 34/2 Venne cotton with 0.8mm needles. The doll is 4 inches.

 
And here is Ramon in a winter suit. The jacket is knit sideways. Another pattern by Helena Bleeker, done in 34/2 cotton on 0.8mm needles. The doll looks kinda wonky, one leg is  little higher on the body than the other, but that is the way it is, not a lot I can do about it. I think I may make some skis for him, that way it will kind of look like he is off balance.

 
The last one for the time being by Helena is Leslie. she is wearing a jumpsuit and jacket trimmed in mohair. The jumpsuit is knit in 34/2 Venne cotton and the jacket is Venne’s variegated cotton and mohair trim, knit on 0.8mm needles.  It is the last of my 3 inch dolls, I have to get some more.
 





 

 
This last picture is a baby set I did several years ago, just never got around to putting it on a doll. the design is by Sharon de Vries from South Africa. I don’t know if she is still selling patterns. The patterns are very delicate, done in 70/2 cotton on 0.7mm needles. Since I do have several undressed baby dolls, I will likely knit up more of the patterns by Sharon in the near future, I do have several of them.
 
 





 
Next time I will show some of the quilting I have been doing as well. Hopefully there won’t be such a long hiatus as this last one has been.