notes from elinor

Family, A Craetive Opportunity

Nothing like a large family to keep you at it.  Grandchildren inspire you with their wonderful take on the world.  We have had babies and babies this year.  So here are some more ways to interact with your grandkids, or any body's grandkids. This doll was made by Isaac Muir and me.  His mom Rachel Sanders is holding little Harper Reese Sanders.  Isaac is the sweet one in the middle.  Down here, Little Joe needs a quilt before he goes to Germany. My name sake Elinor Peace Collett Coleman and I did a journal page together.  We had a lovely visit.  Did I tell you, "Families are Forever".

Susanna Oroyan is gone and we are all poorer

Yesterday on the Fifth of September I got on the road and drove to Eugene for a memorial service for The Empress of the Universe, Susanna Oroyan.  Hard to believe she won't be here to organize us any more.  I was so happy to meet her beautiful son Martin and daughter-in-law.  They brought their little boy and are expecting their third child.  Their daughter, of whom Susie was so proud, was sitting for exams in England and could not attend.  Tom, Susanna's husband looked pail but determined.  He has MS and this long bout with Susanna's illness has taken it tole.   His brother and two sisters and Susie's mom and brother were also there and that was a great support for him as well.  The service was lovely and there were many local doll makers there, who have loved and looked after Susie for years, to morn her death.  None of us could wish her back.  Her  body was a burden for her, but the legacy that she left can not be over stated.  Her books have defined the doll form for this age.  She has put into the public domain every folk solution known to the doll making world for the execution of the doll body.   She has set the feast.  Here's to the Empress, we salute you and will never have a gathering where the real Maud Alice does not preside.  (For those of you to whom this name Maud Alice is strange, she was Susie's most divine creation and in every way was Susie herself.)

New Sample

Every once in a while you have to make a new sample.  In this one I used The Beautiful Heathers Fresh Cut.

New Sample

Every onece in while the doll has to look different.

1. 

Hat Trick

Cindy Walters, T.V. host and quilter, and I are going to be performing in Iowa at a PCM Retail  Show.  We are going to team teach with Patti Culea and Ute Vassina.   Cindy has been working with Michael Katz of Jacquard www.teejuice.com to develop a paper backed 100% cotton that comes on a roll.  It acts like a taught canvas.  You can paint nd die on it.  I used Jacquard's Dye-na-flow and Portfolio Brand water based oil pastels plus some of Jacquard's Lumiere paints and some rubber stamps to embellish the fabric.  It was very easy and a lot of fun.  Then I made a pattern for a long bodied, big footed doll and made two of them, one of my own fabric and one of Cindy Walters which she shared with me.  I couldn't resist adding a stuffed hat that swoops off the head.   I kept the head body ration about nine to one for drama.  I share the pattern in the class and we'll talk about all the fabulous product we have to fool around with in this day of largess.

Working with grandson John Fox

John had four books to read this summer and one project based on one of the books, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee.  John chose to do a game board.  He brought me the seance of the game and an old game board which we gessoed.  He downloaded Internet pictures of cover of the book and some drawings and photos of Mockingbirds.  We glued the pictures onto the board and used playing cards covered with g esso for the drawing cards.  15 had positive things that moved the characters forward on the board towards understanding and 15 contained prejudices and assumption that held the characters in place.  Both of us were proud of the results.  We watched the film during the time we spent on the project and talked about the significance of some of the scenes.

Had to visit Provo, Utah to be part of all the big doings.  I arrived just after Mr Joseph Dale Edwin Bailey arrived.  He was 7lbs and 14ozs and 21 1/2" long with amazing long fingers and toes.  He looks like both of his parents but the Neilsons have won this genetic contest.  Little Joe is adored by all who have had the privilege of meeting him .  His grandmother Neilson was there for the delivery, I walked in after all the work had been done of course.  Everyone but Christina and the babe went to see George receive his masters.  Oh his father must be so proud.  How he would have glowed.

These three kitties were at home when I returned Leigha . begged to keep one but then there mother wisked them away and they are on their own.  But they are sweet.

Day Trippin' with elinor

Start with a bus of 17 eager women.  Plan a shopping trip for them and challenge them with a Karen Shifton pattern that they can tweak, to use what they purchase to make the doll.   Then pick out  end destinations with great care and imagination and give the bus driver a map.  That's how to kick off Camp Doll "U".  It was sooo much fun.  First we hit The Calico Cat, then The Goodwill, and Daiso the new Japanese $1.50 shop, have  lunch at the mall and follow it up by a visit to The Pacific Fabric Outlet Store.  Then let those crazy women tear into their project.  They are motivated because their buddies are all over their projects.  Nothing like an into the night sewing frenzy.

Meeting in Pheonix

Had to go somewhere special for my birthday so I picked Phoenix in the summer.  Well in all fairness to Phoenix I would go anywhere to see my family and The beautiful Heather and Issac, Charlotte and Elijah were there so I hoped on a plane and went.  An added benefit was that the Coleman girls and John Fox were headed that way with my daughter Evalyn and son-in-law Joe.  They had been in Mexico serving a family mission at a local orphanage.  What a birthday present!