So much going on!!!!!

It's been crazy busy around here for months!! I've had several large commissions to finish, new patterns to design and print and assorted teaching gigs. Chicago Quilt Festival was this past weekend and is always stressful to get ready for! I finished my new patterns and mailed them to my printer 150 miles away and they didn't get there for 8 days. By then we were close to the day I had to leave for Chicago so I had to drive to Nebraska to pick them up and then fold all day when I was getting ready to leave. Not my favorite way to arrive at a show.
Nice surprise in Chicago, Barbara Willis and Betts Vidal were there too and we had SO much fun catching up. It's been years since I've seen them and we just picked up where we left off then. Such fun! Show was definitely down from previous years but it could have been much worse!!!!
I'm taking a break in May and going to NYC for a couple of weeks of play, theatre, shopping and a little teaching. I'll be teaching my new Bird of Paradise at the City Quilter on May 16 and 17th. In June I'm going to be in the Seattle area while my husband has a business trip there. Haven't put a class together so if you or any of your friends would like to organize something, just let me know.
Happy Dollmaking,
Julie mc

Cirque dolls

This has been such a fun project! I made 2 dolls for a performer in Cirque du Soleil. Her name is Krin and she is stunning. She is performing in Spain this year. What a life she is living! See her web site at http://www.krinhaglund.com/ The doll in the cyr wheel is made from hand painted silk fabric from the Cirque's costume shop. I added some painted details to better match her costume. They also gave me some lycra for the other doll but I choose to paint the fabric on the doll. I've had so much fun researching the shapes of the contortionists that I've made a variety of acrobat dolls. They will be on display at the Burkholder Project in Lincoln, NE the month of Feb. I have some of them on my Etsy site as well. www.magicthreadsdolls.etsy.com My next big custom project is to make 6 large adult sized hobby horses for a fundraiser in Pennsylvania. They will all be magical, mythical, outrageous animals. More fun. I feel very lucky to have so much work right now!! I even had to turn down making props for a children's theatre production. I'm sooo much happier when I am busy!

New Dolls, new style

I've been playing around a lot with this new "mosaic" style. I create the basic shape, stuff it and then attach other fabrics to it with Mod Podge.The piece is then stiffened and protected from dirt and dust. They were inspired by the tattoo I designed last year.Always looking for new ideas, aren't we??