Wabi Sabi Threads

Back home

Back to reality...

Washing machines, work, cooking and rain. I can't believe that we have such a nice weather last week. The place were we were staying (Cernay Vacances) was very beautiful and confortable, and the landlady cooked a wonderful meal for all of the students every day.

It was my first time working together with other dollmakers and that was one of the best things, I'm already missing some of the other students. Of course we made plans for seeing each others again and I hope that some of those plans become real soon.

Besides the great time spent in a wonderful place, with awesome people and great food we were learning dollmaking with the Best Teacher. I hope that I can make next year's workshop with Marlaine Verhelst again. She is very nice and fun, and of course her dolls are great, but the most important thing is that she is a very good teacher, very supportive and encouraging. Of course she always knows how to bring magic to the face and balance to the doll.

I have a wonderful time.

Marlaine Verhelst's Workshop: Day 8

I had a hard time saying goodbye to all the students, some had became very good friends.

Besides that I spent most of the day at the airport, wondering about the safety of my packed doll.

Back at home a hugging husband was waiting for me : )

The doll arrived fine and the whole family liked it very much.

Marlaine Verhelst's Workshop: Day 7

At 5 o’clock in the afternoon we had a reception with some guests coming in. So the whole day passed very quickly. At four o’clock in the afternoon I found myself with no legs (the doll didn’t wanted green legs), no finished shoes, no hair and only bits of pinned fabric as clothing? Where did all the time went? A3 come to rescue by providing a couple of spare legs with shoes (Thank you, thank you). Marlaine made a wig for everybody in the house. For my doll she shared some knitting wool thread and glued it in spiral in the head. (Thanks a lot )

At the reception all the dolls were gorgeous and nobody cared about the pins in the costumes.

I have put a gallery with pics of the “finished” dolls

Marlaine Verhelst's Workshop: Day 6

We finished the painting of the faces. At this point my head decided that he didn’t want green hair : ( He is quite a rebel boy.

After lunch we sat on the front yard of one of the houses. Marlaine gave some tips on making clothes and we began sewing/ designing the costume of our doll.

We stayed at our houses instead of going to the workshop. That way each of us had access to the sewing machines that the dutch dollmakers have brougth.

It was great fun and I felt more confident working with fabrics than with clay. We have a great time sharing fabrics and tips until late in the evening.

Marlaine Verhelst's Workshop: Day 5

That morning we began painting the faces with watercolours. A very special feature on Marlaine’s dolls. She gave great tips on colour mixing and shadowing.

We have half day off. People wanted to visit Paris. I was running late on schedule so I decided to stay.

I also began to sew the trousers of my dolls. I sew stripes of 2 x 12 cm in two different colours of silks. Then I gathered them, creating the shape of the short trousers.

I stayed awake until late drinking some wine in good company.Good company is another treat of the workshop.

Of course I didn’t finish my shoes.

Marlaine Verhelst's Workshop: Day 4

We kept working. Sculpting hands and shoes.

The schedule of everyday was from 9:00 to 13:00, then we made a break for a gorgeous warm meal than the landlady cooked for us. Back to work at 14:30 until 17:00. At that time Marlaine was off, but we have to keep working. Sewing the body, the legs, the arms. Stuffing the parts.

I made a pair of green legs and decided a bit late that I have to work on hollow shoes.

Marlaine Verhelst's Workshop: Day 3

Keep sculpting. The head is turning a boy!!! I don’t want long trousers and a boring outfit.

Marlaine is a very good teacher. She gaves great tips and always knows where to add “a little bit”

Once you get used to Classic Darwi it turns out that is a great clay to work with. You can let dry the parts that you are satissfied with, you can scap the parts that you don’t like, and you can always add more by wetting the surface a bit. Once a piece is finished you just have to polish it with a damp cloth and... voila!

Marlaine Verhelst's Workshop: Day 2

First hands-on day.

There were eleven students, Ineke, A3, Hester, Hellen, Anns and Erika from Holland.

Truus from Belgium, Wendy from Wales, Pam from New Mexico, Hannah who is swedish but lives in Paris and myself from Spain.

Most of us were trying to finish a doll during the workshop. Hannah was working on porcelain, a time consuming project, so she was only going to make the head, hands and feet. Hester wanted to practice facial expression. So she was also working at her own pace.

The rest of us had different backgrounds on dollmaking. Some have been making sculpted dolls from twenty years, while for Wendy and myself it was our first experience with sculpting.
We were working with Classic Darwi, an air drying clay.

Students with more experience could sculpt whole legs, instead of just sculpting shoes.
I began working on my head. Marlaine has prepared an egg-shaped base to work with it. We followed her step-by-step explanations and her hands-on demonstrations.

At first working with Classic was very messy. I think that I keep adding too much water.
By the end of the day we were supposed to have eyes and mouth on our heads.

Marlaine Verhelst's Workshop: Day 1

I arrived at Cernay by train. A beautiful village on the outskirts of Paris. I went for an small walk into the village. After that I met other students that were staying at the same building.
On the evening Marlaine was offering a reception. I felt very tired and quite shy. There were lots of students from Holland and others from all over the world. Some came with husbands and Pam from the States came with her daughter.
I fell asleep as soon as I got into the confortable bed.

Packing...

I have to pack for my trip to the Marlaine Workshop. I fly tomorrow to Paris.

After two hours sorting fabric and roving I decided to take this group with me. Tou can see the fabrics that I bought at the silk shop together with some of my stash. I have also sorted some ribbons, not on the pic.

I still have to choose some beadings, and pack boring things like clothes and toothpaste. I have being thinking of taking this stuff with me on board... just in case that they lose my luggage.

I'm very eager to go to the workshop but negative thoughts keep visiting me... would I be good enough, will I get along with the people, things like that.

I have to put those thoughts away or I'll stay at land.