A warm day, strong arms and a walk in the sunshine

Peggy Sue is feeling very happy as she can now hold her hands up whenever she wants.  Before they used to flop down, but with a bit of leather cut to the shape of her 'armholes' this has made them more firm so they no longer fall down.  She feels like she is a new girl!

She couldn't help but dance around in glee...

It's a good thing that today has been mild! I really must get on with knitting her vest.

Later on she was found outside in the garden with her pram

She does enjoy taking her friends for a walk.

The day was just perfect for it.  In her pram she has Little Owen, Violet and Alice her rag dog snuggled in the back.

Peggy Sue's Surgery - Part Seven - make up & massage!

Looking at Peggy Sue's blank face I wondered what on earth I had taken on...  Me?  Paint a face?  Who was I kidding?  The only faces I had painted were either on paper at school, many hundreds of years ago, or  the two Hitty faces I had recently painted, and lets face it, Hitty Patience does have that startled, caught in the headlights look about her!  The other, only marginally better is the boy of the Hitty family, Miles.  So what was I doing thinking I could paint a face for my lovely Schoenhut Miss Dolly?

Looking at this blank face I wondered if I really would dare to do it.  The hardest part is always making that first step... I painted the inside of her mouth black and then painted the sclera and the teeth white.

Oh no!  What do we have here?  Yikes, I really wondered if I was doing the right thing.

Her iris were the next to be painted...I decided to play safe and stay with a brown colour.

I added the pupils...Yes that 'caught in the headlights' startled look.  Oh dear, I really shouldn't have attempted this!  Still in for a penny in for a pound as the saying goes. (I wonder what that really means?)...

trots off to look it up...

If something is worth doing then it is a case of in for a penny, in for a pound, which means that when gambling or taking a chance, you might as well go the whole way and take all the risks, not just some.

Originally with reference to the fact that if one owed a penny, one might as well owe a pound  as the penalties for non-payment were virtually identical in severity.

Next I painted her eyelids...

and then the corners of her eyes a skin coloured pink.  I also highlighted the iris with a bronze and then painted in her eyebrows, trying to achieve a feathered look.  All this is amazingly far more difficult than it sounds.

Lips I choose to mix white and red together to soften the colour....no, don't like that at all!

Decided to try red for her lips...I think it is better, but not entirely convinced...

Hmmm...best not to look close up I am thinking!

I am wondering what she is thinking. She doesn't look too upset.

Perhaps more resigned...as if to say, oh well if this is the best she can do...

I may well change her face as time goes on and I get more confident, but in the mean time I am going to go with it and see how I feel about it after a few days.

The next step was the waxing and polishing.  It was a bit like giving a massage...something I could have done with!

I am loving the grain and colours that are coming out.

Just a shame she has the scorch marks on her face.  Still I guess it adds to character, and at least she isn't all wrinkly like me!

Not having another wig for her, nor finding one I like yet, I decided to give her wig a wash.  I used a wool wash and then a fabric conditioner, combed it through and then left in for a while.  It was then rinsed and left to dry.

Yes I know your fringe is sticking up...I really am not quite sure what to do with it!

Well as she had been given a full body work over I thought I better make a new dress.

Yes I used the same skirt fabric that I made a dress for Anne-Marie with.

Peggy Sue returns to her bedroom

I'm not sure she has spotted the newcomer yet...

I think she may have now by the startled expression on her face...

to be continued.

Peggy Sue's Surgery - Part Six

Peggy Sue has been sanded down and is ready for her first coat of clear matt varnish.

She feels lovely and smooth.

Unfortunately she has some scorch marks on her face that I can't sand away, but hoping that doesn't detract too much from her new look.

Playing at being a starfish while the first coat of varnish dries.

She needed a light sanding between coats 

Playing starfish after her second coat - looking much better.

Dare I start the next stage, painting her face?

Peggy Sues Surgery - Part Five

Peggy Sue is being incredibly brave.  This is how she was left yesterday evening... Just the hard 'glue' shellac type substance, some paint and of course her eyes remain...

Head needs finer sanding and still rough behind the ears...

The hard glue substance is also on her ears

So with a resigned but brave look, Peggy Sue goes under the 'gloop' again...

Oh dear, oh dear, what HAVE I done to her?  She rather looks like she has had a rough time.

However, she is starting to look better, although still struggling to get the paint from around her eyes and mouth removed...

She certainly doesn't look as happy as she did last night.

The head is smoother and behind the ears is tidier.

Getting there with her face, just trying to think of the best thing I can use to get rid of the rest of the remaining paint around the eyes and mouth.

I have been working on her most of the day, except when I popped out to get the ingredients to make a lasagne for dinner tonight and to get some beeswax and matt varnish!

I am wondering who she will become, or whether she will stay the same.  It feels good to work with her wood, and she feels more alive because of it.  Even my husband (who hated her) said she looks so much better and can see the potential.  I am hoping that she will, but am worried about her face, although don't regret doing it.

Peggy Sue's Surgery - part four

Well I am afraid that with her body looking so much better (in my opinion) and upon closer inspection of her head and face I decided I really couldn't leave the head untouched.  It wasn't really just a matter of touching her up as so much definition has been lost by the person who repainted her.

The nostrils have all but disappeared and boy did I get a shock when I looked under her wig!

I find it incredible that someone actually repainted her and then stuck the wig on before the head had dried properly!

What a mess!

I think Shirley may have been the name of the wig, as it had stitch lines on the tag where it looks like it pulled away from the wig and stuck to her head.

Look at the hair stuck to the head and mess behind her ears.  Poor girl.

Just before the 'gloop' went on...

I am saving her eyes until last.

Her head need to dry about a bit now and I will then do some sanding and then some more stripping.

Oh dear, I hope there is some potential there!  I'm pretty sure there will be, and she will truly be all mine!

Now shall I also get her a new wig, what size, what type and whereabouts in the UK do I get one?  Will have to do some research.  Still I have time, although we want to get the school open and operational as soon as possible so she will need to be ready!