La Calavera Catrinas -- Progress!

I just checked my notes, and I started on the new La Calavera Catrinas on Sept. 30.  I'm almost finished with the first of these three WIPs.  When I made the one in September, it was fairly quick work, and I wasn't really happy with the result, but Fee and Amelia liked her best of all the September finishes.  Hmm, since Amelia wanted one, I knew I could do a better job if I tried again.  Decided to make one for Amelia and one for Erin.

And I have been working on them, but it has taken forever.  Ended up making 3 heads, which  didn't take but two or three days--sculpting, drying, painting, drying.  

But the heads were too large for the new body pattern I came up with--

Which is when I started getting into all kinds of difficulties.  :)  

(Yes, Mary M., re-solving old problems and creating new ones!)

After some alterations to the new pattern, things were better; 

but then I wanted an armature.  Had to figure that out. 

I've made all kinds of armatures in the past,

but never have been particularly happy with any of them.

Thank you, Pinterest for a variety of ideas! 

Skillful, huh?

Well, the next one will be better,

and this one worked.

The skeleton print makes it look as if she is wearing tights. 

Gessoed the  body, sanded, gessoed, painted black, sanded, etc.  Auditioned some fabrics for bodice and sleeves, but decided to "make" some fabric using Sulky Solvy and tiny scraps of Halloween fabric, threads, yarn, and other leftover bits I save.  

A jar sitting by my sewing machine keeps 

colorful threads and bits of embroidery floss. 

 I save tiny bits from squaring up fabric 

and from cutting out pieces of a pattern.  

Eventually, they will be recycled in some way

--as fabric beads, tiny bits of applique,

 or as in this case, a new piece of scrap fabric.

As each new dilemma presents itself  

(whether it is figuring something out or just choosing a fabric or technique), 

I abandon ship and work on something else. 

Like...

Reading some of my favorite blogs, 

making sachets from Day of the Dead fabric,

glittering leaves left over from some project a year or more ago, 

cleaning up one of the messes that I've made, 

checking Pinterest for tutorials on making armatures, 

organizing a drawer where I've stuffed things to get them out of the way, 

reading another chapter in a novel, 

embroidering aimlessly for meditative purposes.  

Endless ways to remove myself from a dilemma until something gives, 

and I get a lot of exercise going up and down the stairs.

-----------

I've finished all the little fabric flowers (!)

 to decorate the Catrinas heads and applied them.  

They don't look so bare now!

The one that is almost finished 

needs only to have her boots painted

and a final attachment to a stand.

Have another body and armature

ready to dress.

Don't know which head will go with the body,

but I'm able to see the light 

at the end of the tunnel now.  :)

Listening to Deva Premal's version of the Gayatri mantra. 

 Most often, silence works best for me,

but listening to the lovely voices of Deva Premal

 or Snatam Kaur endlessly repeating mantras is soothing.

Yesterday's high was 93,

today is much cooler!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Namaste.