There is something I find satisfying and rewarding about doll making, although I can’t claim to know what that is. These four dolls are button-jointed in the Jan Horrox style, about 60 cm long, their clothes are made from embellished and embroidered scraps and may be much longer. The fabric scraps are often silk and satin and have many metallic threads but these shiny things do not show in these photos.
These dolls might represent both birds of the British Isles and the four regions, Scotland – Magpie, Wales – Red Kite, Ireland – Greenfinch and England – Tawny Owl. I think the Magpie, the first one I made might be my alter-ego, a Scottish Prince!
I don’t make many art pieces but I was sorting through my fabric and came across this forgotten piece of work that I had put aside for some reason, possibly a left-over from a double-sided cape of some years back. It was patchwork blues, slightly embellished and overstitched, looked quite attractive so I thought why not quilt it.
I found a length of black cotton just the right size, then a layer of wadding and finally some thin cotton from a sheet. There is a lot of silver thread used in the embroidery and the quilting but it doesn’t show in this pic.
I’m using a free motion embroidery foot to quilt circles and flower patterns, takes practice but gives me a distinctive style.
Finally finding some creative energy and some old pieces of partially worked fabric which can be worked on some more. One of the joys of machine embellishing is that there is no limit to the amount of layering other than the ability of the embellishing machine needles to pass through, without breaking. Another pleasure is the using up of tiny scraps which would otherwise just be waste. The needles do break from time to time and they are not cheap so care must be taken. I often overstitch or couched threads, silk or metallic, embroidery, wool &c. but the thicker they are the more likely to trouble the embellisher, so these are best added after embellishing. But as I am rarely satisfied I often return to embellishing after stitching. The possible combinations of colour, texture, fabric and other elements are of course infinite.
It’s quite tricky to get a good pic of the shiny fabrics and threads and this low res one is also a little out of focus, I’ve used a wide appature on a small camera.
This patchwork of embellished fabrics and embroidered threads will be made into a long dress for a 60cm button-jointed cloth doll, just visible on the left .
Also out of focus, unfortunately, but show the shiny stuff a bit.
Back to the blog, in the 2021 UK Covid lockdown, and like many others I’m struggling to keep positive. I saw a Lydia Emily picture on CounterPunch which inspired me to try some more art, or at least to rework some older pieces.
Some of the world’s largest ships are those which lift other ships, rigs and cargo, the largest of these is the Thailf, a Norwegian monster used to build and dismantle oil rigs. Working on the rather smaller scale of 20 or so centimeters I have made a model kit Crane Ship which will soon be sale at Miller Toys and Models. My kits should be challenging for a six or seven year old – they might need a little help – have great play value and provide a sense of achievement when complete. Using 3mm laser grade birch ply means that the models can be robust enough to stand up to repeated play.
Crane ship, approx 22cm, 42 parts
The simple mechanisms help demonstrate how mechanical systems work and provide pleasurable toys. The kit is supplied with a grab bucket (not shown) as well as a hook. All my kits may be painted with acrylic paints, not supplied but widely available.
I’m still looking for varities of ships and boats to make into model kits. The dredger seemed interesting so I started with a basic hull, a shape I’ve now used many times and then added the dredger structure. The rotation was simply and the winch I’ve used before seemed to work but getting the bucket and the bucket arm to stay in place proved more difficult.
Dredger, approx 20cm
Above all I want the kit to be easy to assemble for a six year old and so any mechanism has to be as simple as possible. The kit also needs to fit onto four A5 sheets of 3mm plywood. Play value is also essential, my young testers check out this and other aspects of the design, especially it’s durability!
After some false starts I have used a living hinge and a cog arrangement on the bucket arm to rotate the bucket. The arm itself is also rotated with a similar cog winch but is held by a gravity pawl, giving just enough resistance.
This model will soon be available from Miller Toys and Models for just £18, 42 parts of press-out 3mm plywood, pva glue and string included.
The lockdown has proved to be a fruitful time for design, much less so for printmaking. Lovely CATO Press here in Easton, Bristol has re-opened but with strict social distancing, which means one person at a time can print; many of my fellow printmakers seem to be busy.
I have spent many hours getting several new models and their associated instructions, photos etc. to a stage where I might put them on my web site – Miller Toys and Models – and perhaps even sell a few. And I have at least five more in the development stage, just waiting for a few last tweaks.
Basically Wooden have been doing some laser cutting for me, in between their usual game boxes and face shields. They also have a new lampshade design which I really like, but it’s not on thir web site yet.
I try to design for ease of construction – the models are an introduction to wooden modelling aimed at younger children – as well as incorporating some playability, a degree of robustness and of course some eco-friendliness. 3Mm birch plywood is a wonderful material but the laser cutter has bought a whole new dimension to it.
The first of my new models is a Chinese Junk, about 220 mm long, with a winch/anchor, linen paper sail and twine rigging.
A Junk is an ancient type of Chinese sailing ship, traditionally with fully battened sails, which are the bars running across the sail. This construction toy uses a schooner rig – one of many variants – for ease of assembly. The name Chinese Junk describes many types of coastal or river ships. They have been used as cargo ships, pleasure boats, or houseboats. They vary greatly in size and there are significant regional variations in the type of rig.
Junks were developed during the Song dynasty (960–1279) and were predominantly used by Chinese traders throughout Southeast Asia. They are still found, throughout Southeast Asia and India, but primarily in China. These days they are often used for pleasure sailing. (Thanks, Wikipedia).
I have found aircraft designing to be difficult, they are so bland, all the same. But the long forgotten flying boat provided some inspiration. The early years of flying saw the creation of lots of flying boats, many with heavy lifting capabilities. Sadly few of the large and spectacular versions survived beyond the 1950s, although there are small ones in use, especially in Alaska. One giant of the 1940s was the famous Hughes H-4 Hercules , commonly known as the Spruce Goose, but actually made of birch, like my models. Only one – the largest flying boat ever – was built and it is still on display in Oregon, USA.
This construction toy flying boat is designed with cargo carrying in mind and so has a rear ramp door and twin propellers mounted high and to the rear. A small but versatile sea bird, and I like to think it could be a real flyer.
The third of the new models is an Arab Dhow, again about 220 mm long, with a winch/anchor and an opening stern door.
The beautiful, ancient trading craft of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, the dhow can still be seen and is used trade and tourism, for some fishing or just pleasure. It’s graceful lines attract the eye and the triangular lanteen sail is supported by a yard held at an angle across the boat.
There are many varieties of dhows, and they still carry dates, timber and fish, and tourists around the Persian Gulf, East Africa, Yemen and coastal South Asia (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh). Larger dhows have crews of approximately thirty, smaller ones typically around twelve.
I have used a waxed twine for the very simple rigging as it it is much easier to thread through the tiny holes than thin string. All three designs have some laser engraving, something I avoided on my earlier models (I was looking for clean lines and simplicity). All the models are ideal gifts for girls and boys over three and for any age, all materials and packaging is sustainable. On sale at Miller Toys and Models.
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