Virgo - Birthday Doll 2022

Friday evening, and I'm taking a long, deep sigh and nursing a well-deserved hot cup of tea.  Well, actually it has gone cold, but such is the case with ever so many cups of tea.  I did it.  I completed my birthday doll.

For the longest time, I have enjoyed and admired this beautiful Virgo artwork that inspired this doll.  I wish I could tell you who the artist is, but all too often, artwork shows up on Pinterest with nothing but a description, and who saved it to a folder in their account. 

If you recall me going over in my mind what I would do this September, there was never a doubt that I wanted to create Year of the Rooster Gracie.  But a Virgo doll?  How in the world would I do that?  A dress of stars?  Grecian gown with sheaf of wheat?  All I knew was that I had to try.  I recall that Helen Kish did a couple of astrological sign dolls - and this I only know because I own one of them, and didn't want the  

other I saw on Ebay.  The doll was dressed in a romper of stars and silver platform shoes with a star cut-out.  I made her into Virgo by giving her a necklace with a Virgo charm on it.  Whoop-dee-do.  Big deal.  I like the doll though.  Especially her shoes.

But as I was in the stages of completing YRG, I became intent on finally making a Virgo doll of my own.  And this beautiful image of a young maiden during the harvest is just so ME.  Anyone who has met me and gotten to know me will concur.  Henley top, Bohemian style clothing, a bit rumpled but stylish, no make-up.  Me.  The longer I spent observing the details of this artwork, the more fascinated I became with it.  It is so unique.

I have done a fairly thorough search through the artworks of Virgo on Pinterest, and they range from overtly sexy to anime comic style.  The depictions of the twelve Zodiac signs have inspired artists for centuries.   They have appeared in illuminated manuscripts, and on medieval domed ceilings.  Today they show 

up on coin purses and throw pillows and hanging tapestries, and keychains and the novelty goes on and on.  Of all the images of Virgo I have admired and collected, this one resonates with me as a contemporary and thoughtful piece of artwork that describes the nature loving worker bee I am.

My earliest studies on the topic of astrology, and as I mentioned last posting, were with Linda Goodman.  I loved her wry sense of humor and no-nonsense way of describing the signs in all their finery but making sure not to skip a beat over what was swept under the carpet as harsh criticism.  Linda Goodman Sun Signs, and Linda Goodman Love Signs were dog eared books on my shelf.  I must have shared Sun Signs with someone, because it's been gone for years.  Love Signs, I have no use for.  But I greedily read through it as a young woman with each man I dated.

Excerpt from Sun Signs: "A Virgo woman can leave her husband for a man she met beside some faraway ocean, bear her love's child 

before the benefit of marriage and face a hostile world with her head held high.  That's not very maidenly or virginal.  There's a lot to learn about this tender, fragile little symbol of spotless womanhood.  For one thing, her spine is made of stainless steel."  I also got a kick out of, "The Virgo girl is annoyingly meticulous about small things..."  Or this one, "...and probably won't get wrinkled in middle age."  Haha!  Wrinkles present, meticulous as usual, except when I don't want to be.  And the rest? No comment.

The truth is, Linda Goodman writes a great and entertaining book on the Zodiac signs, and I have found 95% of what she writes, true and funny, and humbling to say the least.  

The stellar constellation of Virgo has origins in Babylonian society where it was associated with the goddess Shala, who was depicted holding an ear of grain.  To the Babylonians, this goddess ruled over fertility and the harvest, connecting Virgo to some of its earliest archetypal associations.

This connection to the harvest continues into Greek mythology, where Virgo is connected with the goddess Demeter, who ruled over the bounty of the earth and agriculture. There is also the connection to the Roman goddess Ceres, where she was the ruler of agricultural themes.  It is no wonder Virgo is the sixth sign of Zodiac beginning at the end of summer when harvest is commencing and ending right before the change of season with the Autumn Equinox.

In classical astrology, Mercury was assigned rulership of both Gemini and Virgo.  Virgo was thought to be the nocturnal home of Mercury, a conscientious and detail-focused earth sign.

Virgo also has its own Tarot card, as do all the signs.  The Major Arcana of the Tarot for Virgo is The Hermit.  This card depicts a wandering sage with only a lamp and staff to guide each step.  I am not an expert on the Tarot but love the artworks, of course.  It is fortune telling.  It is gypsy fortune telling.  Its mystical and wonderful, and if you're given a good reading, you can take it with you.  

I enjoyed working on this doll.  This is a 16" Maggie Iacono doll, the same one I used for Red Riding Hood last September.  While I enjoyed her as Red, I knew I wanted to do something more unique with her.  Maggie Iacono dolls call for unique, one-of-a-kind art doll projects.  She was perfect for Virgo.

Now that Monique Trading Company is gone, human hair doll wigs will be almost non-existent.  I should have bought every single one of them in every size just to have on hand, when the sale was going on.  I did stock up, but it got expensive.  Lucky for me, I had this human hair wig in size 7-8 for Virgo.

I deliberated long and hard over her Henley top.  You could see it as a white blouse, or a Henley knit, and knit was what I settled on.  The neckline is edged in the tiniest batiste, hand-made and hand-sewn bias tape.  Tiny beads give the illusion of snaps.

The embroidery on the top is of sheaves of wheat, fanning out from   

the opening.

The apron was the main attraction in this costume for me.  I studied the painting again and again until I could figure out just what kind of pattern was needed for the embroidery. 

Virgo is wearing a kitchen tea towel as an apron, economically tied about her waist with a "scarf" or sash to keep it on.  This is a farm girl.  A harvester.  She uses what she has on hand. 

The tea towel apron is embroidered with vines and birds.  The vines were sewn with two threads, and it was my intention to continue this way with the birds.  But two threads on the first bird came out looking like a fish.  Good grief.  So out the embroidery came, and one thread did the trick for outlining these delicate little birds.

This is the embroidery pattern I used for the birds.

Detail of the wheat embroidery at the neckline of the Henley top.

Virgo's skirt is a fully lined affair of tiny windowpane cotton.  The check pattern feels very rustic, while the delicate weave of white is ethereal.

Virgo's shoes are a sandal similar to those I made for my gypsy doll, Cassandra.  I contemplated making gladiator sandals, but the practical Virgo in me said they needed to be close toed as she'd be working the harvest in dirt.  

The braids in her wig began to curl naturally, and I allowed this.  I could have wet the wig and braided more tightly, but this doll was only "inspired" by the painting and not a direct impression.  I would never cut or trim this wig either.  

I loved the little grape leaves woven into the braid, and the length of the hair, the braids, provides her a more delicate look.

Virgo's crown of grape leaves from the harvest was the first thing I made.  Do the difficult thing first.  Each grape is needle felted.  I know.  But it had to be done.  I could have used beads, but that felt like cheating.  The grape "balls" were then sewn together, and the clusters assembled on the wreath or crown.

This project left me wanting to do more.  I'm on a roll again, and I'll stop only when the steam runs out.  I have the holidays to think of, and Halloween is my next favorite time of year. 

The Autumn Equinox follows three days after my birthday, and that alone is enough to celebrate!  It might even rain this Sunday and that would be the best gift of all.  How I miss the rain!  

I've included a few of my favorite pieces of Virgo artwork, or at least some unique pieces.  Also below is a beautiful artwork of the Autumn Equinox that I wished to share with you.  And two birthday cards just for fun. 

Currently we are picking apples and making applesauce which we freeze.  It is so delicious with meals in winter and reminds us of the gift the trees and earth have provided.  I'll have a piece of German Chocolate cake on Sunday.  And the plan is to make Orange Peel Beef for a special meal.  I love Chinese cooking, and this is one of my specialties. 

Enjoy the beautiful artworks below and wishes to you for the best of the 'bers!

Love, Melissa

Virgo and Mercury

Tarot, The Hermit

Nouveau - Just love this.

Morning Glories

The Autumn Equinox

 

Grace and Dolly in the Big Apple

Birthday Week!  Oh, c'mon.  I can celebrate all month if I want.  Why not?  While California's forests burn around me, and the days of clear, blue skies are gone until the fires go out - which could be mid-October - and the dentist puts me through the wringer, I need to keep my spirits up and play.

So, yes, I'm working on "the other" special project for September, now that Year of the Rooster Gracie is done.  However, I had to take a quick break from it when the Virtual Doll Convention Club Grace box arrived on Friday.  I'd already purchased a fat quarter of mini animal print fabric to make Dolly a dress, just in case I found myself inspired.  

Rachel gives us YouTube introductions to the Club Grace offering of the month, so I now have extra time to plan for Dolly's complimentary outfit.

Am I into animal print?  No.  But I was, in the 80's.  In fact, I'd borrowed money from my mother while we were in Hawaii, so I could buy this very sexy and feminine dress in a zebra print.  I know I have a photo of us having dinner one night in Oahu, and I was wearing it.  The 80's were difficult and complicated for me, so any music or fashions associated with that time, evoke sad memories.  I think I crossed that bridge a couple of months ago and made it to the other side unscathed and have been feeling stronger overall, so I jumped in, feet first, into making Dolly a complimentary outfit for Club Grace September.

The theme was Brunch in the Big Apple.  Believe it or not, I was in New York in 1989, and wasn't impressed.  It was too much.  Too big, too tall, too smelly, but an experience I wouldn't have wanted to miss.  It was summer.  And I recall taking a ferry ride to see the Statue of Liberty.  Also saw Les Miz there.  Did not do any shopping though as there were 

sights I wanted to see. Like Central Park.  So maybe, this month's Club Grace gave me an opportunity to reflect on the past a little.  And, the funny thing was, I really wanted to do something with Remmie Lou, who seems all but forgotten these days.  I adore bulldogs, so I will never forget Remmie Lou.

Let's start with the box.  A while back, Diana Vining started designing interior artwork for these boxes, making them keepsake boxes to store the month's garments and extras in.  I think Diana has done an extraordinary job with this.  They are gorgeous, and the artwork is superb, well planned and executed.  

Inside this month's box were the standard story card that Diana writes for Grace, a shoe box to make for the blue jeweled shoes "Grace must have after first glance in a boutique window", great stickers, a keychain and a newspaper featuring a surprise of Rachel's baby daughter.  

Silly as it may seem, I think my favorite addition in the box was the tiny apple confetti.  I set these boxes out in my studio when they arrive, just as seen in this photo, and I enjoy looking at them until the next box arrives.

And I was thrilled to make Dolly a matching dress, and shoes and purse!  

But first I had to do something for Remmie Lou.  This month she gets to go shopping with Grace and Dolly.  Pedestrians part the way as the three girls click down the avenue, as they are in awe of Remmie Lou's September sapphires collar and matching gold chain leash.  

She is allowed in every store and boutique, and gets all the attention, showing off her beautiful necklace.

I try to do something with Remmie Lou with each outfit I make for Dolly.

I'm wondering if she got a Halloween costume last year.  I don't recall.

And I am so hoping Grace gets a new Halloween costume this year.  If she doesn't, you can be sure I'll pull Dolly's witch costume and Grace's cat costume out and dress them up.  Remmie Lou will get a costume then.  I already know what I'll make for her.

Dollys' dress is fancy because of the print, but it's a simple dress of high bodice, long sleeves and full skirting.  It's in the accessories that I spent the effort.

I wanted her to have a pair of shoes like Grace's, and a similar shoulder bag.  Dolly's gets a back-to-back D logo on hers for Dolly Dingle.  Inspired by Grace's Channel bag, I have to pat myself on the back for that one.  The shoes came out darling, too.

Another addition in the Club Grace box were two shopping bags you could fold up to create, two little perfume bottles, and a pair of apple earrings for Grace.  She's wearing them, but you can't see them.  Clever.  Rachel had FUN putting this box together.

September means fall is near and, in many places, already present in the turning of leaves.  The image below is of Grace and Dolly's favorite shopping alley in the Big Apple, full of bookstores.

I do not know if my current project will be done by the 18th, but it's a goal.  I'm so ready to begin playing Halloween and making a couple of costumes for dolls.  Cissy never got a Halloween masquerade party costume.  Peggy Sue needs a new one.  But that is the official day I turn 65.  The 18th.  I love birthdays.  I love all my friends' and family member's birthdays, too.  It's that special day that says, I'm glad you were born.   We all need to feel special once a year.

Love, Melissa

 

Year of the Rooster Gracie - 1957

I was a curious child.  Every new idea or concept that floated by me that had a hint of mystery attached to it, I latched onto and explored.  One of these ideologies or belief systems, was that of astrology, the zodiac.  When I discovered that I was a Virgo, I read everything I could on the subject.  By the time Linda Goodman's publications came along, I was a young adult, and I gobbled up her writings on the subject. 

 Analytical to a fault, I never tried to fit into what was written, but noted that what was surmised, may fit well for some, but not all.  That's when I had my chart done, which was a bit more tailored to me, yet still, not everything the charting indicated fit who I was, or would become.  Still, I enjoy the idea of astrology and love being a Virgo.  I read my horoscope every day, but only if it's a "good" one.  I won't be cornered into someone else's idea of how my day should proceed.

My teen years were spent looking for the right "sign" in friends and beaus.  Often I chose the opposite as they were simply more exciting and interesting.  

My first introduction to the Chinese Zodiac came by way of a paper place mat on the table of a Chinese restaurant.  Not wanting to spill anything on this treasure map, I slipped it into my purse and asked for another.  But before I did that, I searched for 1957 and discovered that I was a Rooster in the Chinese Zodiac.  And just what did that mean?  Keep reading everything that's been written on the Rooster personality, and you'll get overwhelmed.  Add to this that 1957 is the year of the Fire Rooster (there are Wood, Metal, Water and Earth roosters as well), and you're in for hours of research and confusion.  

The best of the traits, in my opinion, because we like "good traits", are that roosters are fashionable, dedicated, live clean 

lives, are bold, and ingenious.  Confident, committed and loyal.  Good talkers and writers.  La-la-la-di-da!  Shall I list the bad things?  Hah!  No.  We can find plenty of those looking up the Virgo personality.  

The point is, it's all fun and highly entertaining.  Going further, I had to look up "famous" Roosters.  The short list: Kate Middleton, Paris Hilton, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rami Malek (GREAT actor), Nina Simone (be still my beating heart!), Neil Young, Dolly Parton, Vera-Ellen (boy could she tap dance!), Eric Clapton, Osama bin Laden...oops.  So, what does this say about Roosters?  Not much.  Can we really find any one thing that connects these people as Roosters?  We might have to dig further to find out what element of Rooster they are.  

All that said and noted, I still find the Chinese Zodiac as fascinating as our western astrology.  Every twelve years, the Year of the Rooster is celebrated, and the last twelve-year cycle for the Rooster was in 2017.  I must have made note of this at the time, but whatever I was up to in 2017, it had little to do with creative efforts in dolls.

However!  When I devised to celebrate this birthday month with Symbols of September, I knew I had to do something with the Year of the Rooster.  I had such a blast creating Good Luck Gracie for 2022's Year of the Tiger, that I decided to buy another Gracie doll and do something with her for Year of the Rooster.

I had a much more difficult time with this one.  Pinterest was full of children's parade costumes and toys for Year of the Tiger, and there was next to nothing for the poor Rooster.  No problem.  I'd put on my thinking cap and pull out all my Ruby Red Galleria Ten Ping costumes and come up with something.  Symbols.  Year of the Rooster Gracie is an allegory doll.  And I created her costuming in part, based on the poster above.  

I chose the colors gold, brown and yellow for her costuming.  And sure, the poster says avoid green, but I wear green, so Gracie can, too.   

As I was looking for interesting accessories and details in costuming, I looked to Ruby Red Galleria's Gigi in this kite flying costume.  It was the collar that I loved so much and the kite.  Love kites.  Gracie had to be original, so these elements of Gigi's costuming were inspiration.  

I also looked up roosters on Pinterest and found this felt rooster with chicken and chick and loved the colors and simplicity of design.  I used this artist's idea for a cross-body bag in leather for Year of the Rooster Gracie.  I had to cut and piece together, like a jigsaw puzzle, the elements of this rooster.  The pieces are too tiny and detailed to have done stitching on them, so it was all put together with fabric glue.  

Earlier, I'd made a rooster bag out of wool felt and embroidered it, but it didn't have the mystery and elegance I was after for this doll.  I like the bag and will use if for another doll, but I had a vision for this doll, and the first

bag just didn't work.  

After completing the bag, I started on the costuming.  The over apron was to be the main focus of the costume, and it's a pattern I've used before.  

I spent hours sorting through my silks for coordinating patterns and colors.  The rooster purse would be the basis of the color selections.  I this was another reason why I ditched the felt rooster bag.  The leather one lent me more to work with in color selection. 

I began with a dark green silk with tiny brown embroidered fleurs in it for the trousers. The under shirt is an embroidered rose silk that ties in the back with silk ribbons.

Over this, a yellow checked blouse with Chinese collar was made with a dark yellow border in silk.  What you cannot see

are the machine stitched, red embroidered leaves on the yellow border.  In these photos, you can see a hint of the border.

Ruby Red Galleria often combines various fabrics in prints to create a costume. I love how they do this and have studied the costuming as much as I've enjoyed dressing my dolls in it.  So, for the over apron, I chose an embroidered silk for the back and a plaid silk for the front.  Why?  Because I wanted to make a version of Gigi's collar with a rooster embroidered on it.  This collar would be a detail focus of the outfit, much like any fancy bodice is done for a dress.

The checked Chinese blouse is closed at the neck with a hand dyed mini twill tape Chinese frog closure.  

The beautiful silk I used for the back, was a piece given to me by Kathy O'Malley (Filanowski), years ago.  It was just a remnant that I never used, though I'd intended to, and now, have.

The embroidery design for the collar was taken from a Chinese drawn symbol of the zodiac rooster. The red on white design is shown in an image below.

It is not an exact transfer, but a representation of the same rooster.  

First of all, you cannot transfer a drawing like this to silk in such a small size.  I do a kind of point system, or make dots, much like constellations, to outline the image, then freehand the rest of it.  

I am a long, long way from being competent at embroidery, but on occasion, when a costume calls for it, I put great effort into the tiny stitching that creates a picture.

Year of the Rooster Gracie gets a hat.

One of the themes I worked with in my mind for the costume was that of farm animals.  Farms.  Roosters live on farms - usually.  We do have neighbors with them in their backyards.  Cock-a-doodle-dooo!  Every morning.  But, yes, I had the colors and feel of farms in mind when designing this costume.  Checks in the clothing, yellows and golds for wheats and straw and corn.  Muted earth tones.  

Yet, I have often noticed that even the poorest of Chinese dress has a spark of color and fanciful design.  This was brought out in other ways such as embroidery and pom-poms.

I made Gracie's Chinese straw hat by creating a form out of cardboard, covering it with Glad Press n Seal, then proceeding to wrap the straw as you would with a PNB hat mold hat.

I love pom-poms.  I selected six small pom-poms in the colors of the leather bag and sewed them to the side-fronts of the hat.

For her shoes, I made them in the same green silk as the collar, then embroidered small red flowers on the fronts before assembling.  

Ruby Red Galleria covers their Chinese doll slippers often in a white linen.  I've done this several times for other costumes and did it again for this one.

One last accessory would complete the costume.  Good Luck Gracie received a toy needle felted tiger to hold.  I didn't want to needle felt a rooster and had considered making a puppet.

However, for the felt puppets I make that fit over the doll's hand, her arm would need to be raised when displaying the doll to show the puppet.  Her elbows don't bend.  That wouldn't work.  

I could have made a rooster marionette.  That would have been awesome.  Next time.  There will be another Chinese Gracie and I'll keep this in mind.

But I love kites, and I was keyed into Gigi's look.  That tiny kite of hers with the eyes!  I had to make a kite for Year of the Rooster Gracie.  I have seen so many illustrations of Chinese children flying kites, and this was the feeling of joy I was after.

I looked online for images of colorful roosters.  I needed one that had a plain or blank background for this effort.  The image I chose is shown in the photos below.  I chose this rooster due to his stance and how he would fit on a small kite.

I printed him off on inkjet printer fabric and used a kite template in miniature to get the shape I wanted.  

I'd just bought some new alcohol markers and used these colors in the background of the rooster.  You may notice I used the background sky and grass color from the Year of the Rooster poster added at the beginning of this blog.  Take a look.

I then folded the edges under, trimming at the points, and glued them down for stability.  

I took bamboo skewers and cut them down to size for the kite's braces on the back, then sewed them to the kite as Ruby Red did with Gigi's.  

Year of the Rooster Gracie was now complete.

This was fun.  Now I have a little doll representing the year I was born in the Chinese Zodiac.  

As an animal lover, I find the Chinese Zodiac much more fun to work with.  I asked a friend of mine what her symbol was, and she told me the horse.  She was not pleased with having a horse for her Chinse year.  I had to laugh.  I won't be making her a Year of the Horse anything for a gift!  Good information.

Below is some beautiful artwork for Year of the Rooster.  I love the one Etsy artist's little finger puppets!    I even found a vintage Jack and Jill magazine whose September issue had a rooster on the cover.  This is how I have fun.  I am never, ever bored and constantly working on the next project in one way or another.  It's still early in the month and we have until the 30th to celebrate Symbols of September.  More to come...I hope!

Enjoy the first of the 'bers!

Love, Melissa

Image I used for the collar.

Image I used for the kite.

Etsy seller's finger puppets.

 

Esme's September Aster

The 'bers have arrived!  I've been eagerly anticipating the arrival of my favorite four months of the year, and especially this September.  Its my birthday month, and this one is a landmark year.  I turn 65.  I never thought I'd feel comfortable saying those words, but things change as you get "up there".  I'm upright.  I'm walking.  And I'm enjoying my life, so what is there to be squeamish about?

SIXTY-FIVE used to sound ancient.  It was the age when people born before the boomers, retired.  It was a time when you became an official SENIOR CITIZEN.  Well, AARP has been sending me bulletins in the mail for years now, and the only real change is that as of September the first, I'm on Medicare.   Okay.  Now I'm beginning to get squeamish.  The only important thing to me these days, is living the best life I can - while I'm still upright.  So, this September is going to get celebrated big time.

If you recall, last September I celebrated the month with Little Red Riding Hood.  I loved it!  I had so much fun doing this.  Making Little Red Riding Hood doll clothing, posting vintage illustrations from the fairytale on Facebook, collecting some rare LLRH ephemera, and so on.  I was actually having trouble thinking of what to do this year, but I knew that Esme, at least, would have to have a new botanical dress, and that it should be the Aster.

Morning Glory is also associated with September, and I may yet try one, but the Aster has long been the flower of September. 

I think it was upon completing Esme's Aster last month, in anticipation of sharing it this month, that I decided to celebrate the month with Symbols of September.  And so we begin.

 

"The name Aster was derived from the Greek word for "star", and in the past it was believed that the perfume from burning the leaves of the plant could drive away evil spirits."  As a nighttime star-gazer, this appeals to me.  A closet gypsy, I love the idea of driving away evil spirits.  

This little flower gown was a challenge to design.  The aster has a trillion petals, and I wasn't sure how this would all go down.  In the long run, I created the gown as I went along and for what its worth, its Esme's Aster.

She wears especially tall leafy boots as the leaves of the plant are thin and long.  

I made her a little hat representing the bud of the aster flower.  The design was created by observing botanical drawings of the aster bud.

The panties, or base of the flower retains its long green casings or leaves as the flower blooms, so I added these to the waist of the bottoms.  This also gave the dress a bit more volume.  This alone, the adding of volume due to so many petals, was tricky to work around.

Each leaf and petal is machine stitched for stability.  This stitching also helps shape the pieces for display, such as curling them up.

September has just begun, and I'm working on a darling doll to share soon with you.  There may even be a second when she's done.  Either way, there is no shortage of inspiration and desire in keeping with the theme of Symbols of September.  

There is no better time of year, or season.  Even though we are in a heatwave right now, the air smells like autumn.  I can sense the change of seasons and anticipate all the fun that comes with them. Okay, I do love spring, but Autumn is the best.

To me, the end of summer begins the first of September.  It will always the time to return to school after Labor Day. But just for now, just for today, it is the time of flowers and Esme's September Aster gown is a symbol of "love and patience".

Enjoy every day of this magical time of year!

Love, Melissa