Tag: art-dolls

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Miss Beatrice Bunny by Max Bailey and Elizabeth Ruffing

This is Miss Beatrice Bunny, the lop rabbit. She is the third original, one-of-a-kind folk art animal doll that Max Bailey and I have made together.

She is a sweetie.

She’s sitting on the fabrics I have picked out for her dress. She has a little violet flower painted on her undershirt that matches the violet flowers in one of her dress fabrics.

I don’t know if she is related to my Matilda. Matilda has such a funny expression. You can still find Matilda over here on our website, along with the video of me painting her. We have more animal friends planned and in the works…

There is plenty of sewing and painting to do.

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Hopping down the bunny trail

This the the original folk art bunny rabbit doll Max Bailey and I are working on so far. Our attempt to take these photos almost resulted in our bunny flying away. The wind was really something.

Ms. Bunny is a lop rabbit.

I made different arms for her than our cats have.

And you’ve got to love the feet!

Yesterday, we roamed around a quilt shop we like, holding our Siamese cat doll up to bolt after bolt of fabric. I think we startled the lady who works there. She was suprised at how real Loretta looked. We picked up some quilting cottons, and I ordered some more fabric online later. Today, we picked up a couple more cottons. I’m being very fussy, as usual.

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Cats without clothes

Well, Heidi, the tabby cat folk art doll, does have clothes, as you’ve already seen. Loretta, the Siamese is still in need. These are the first two folk art cat doll collaborations between myself and Max Bailey. We did a sunflower fairy way back when. That was our first joint art doll venture, aside from the trading of tips, and my sculpting lessons. We have a bunny and a Maine Coon cat in the works next.

Max gave Loretta and Heidi amazing painted eyes.

I knitted Loretta a sweater and planned to sew a skirt to match. I adapted a Fuzzy Mitten knitting pattern, and it came out really cute. I’m learning as I go with the knitting and crocheting. So, I guess I shouldn’t be too upset that my sweater came out to be too large! I thought I had it right, but it was too bulky for poor Loretta, who looked like she was swimming in it. It wasn’t a happy moment 🙁

But…I did manage to knit a sweater. I’d only ever made a scarf before. It does fit a larger doll I never finished. I have a small pile of those. Sometimes I want to make all the things I started and am not sure how to finish disappear, because I hate to let anything go to waste and the clutter starts to annoy me. There are times when you just have to move on though, or you spend more time, get more frustrated, and never end up with something you are satisfied with.

I am rethinking Loretta’s outfit now. I’m not even sure of my fabric choice anymore, since the sweater isn’t involved. Could it be an excuse to visit a quilting shop? Maybe it’s better not to add to the clutter!

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Linking mania, stuffing, and pondering Valentine’s ideas

So, you may have noticed my linking binge on the sidebar of my blog. I think I need to be stopped. It’s getting out of control! I’m not sure how many pages or social networking sites a person needs these days. Feel free to say hi anywhere you find me, but this site, or our main Ruffing’s site, is still the best place to find me. I apologize if I’m slow, or worse, on MySpace. I can never seem to navigate that site, or I just don’t have the patience for it, or all the flashing, glittering things associated with it. I should be stepping away from the computer more often anyway, before it somehow reformats my brain!

Today I’ve been stuffing little cat doll parts, little paws, little tails. I poked my finger with the needle a bunch of times, before remembering to tape my fingertip with a double layer of sports tape. That really helps, much more stable than a thimble, at least for me.

I picked up the latest issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, and a spare journal. I never know when I’m going to need an extra journal to absorb my overflow of ideas. I hate running through one and not having a spare.

This issue of Quilting Arts Magazine has a cute heart art quilt tutorial, which I think would make a nice Valentine’s Day gift. I was thinking of a mini quilt, maybe mounted on a greeting card, or enclosed in a frame would be sweet.