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ASK VIOLA

Q:* I have several pieces of lace that are too
large for mini work? How can they be used?

     A: Look it over carefully. Do you see a
mini doily somewhere in the lace’s pattern? If
so, cut it out. Is the top edge, or the bottom
edge, lovely enough to be cut away from the main
piece and used as trim for a mini outfit? Larger
pieces can sometimes be glued on top of a piece
of fabric and you can cut a bedspread, or even a
dress from that.

*Q: My porcelain is old and moldy. Should I throw
it out?

    A: I have stirred moldy porcelain thoroughly
and used it as usual with no noticeable
difference to my castings or the final bisque
piece.

Q: My beautiful antique fabrics
have yellowed with age, how can I correct that?

A: Soak the piece in dental cleanser. If you use the kind that turns
blue, leave the piece in the cleanser until the blue disappears or
it could tint your material blue. Rinse thoroughly with clear water.
The dental cleanser seems to be mild enough to not damage the
fragile antique pieces."

Q: Is it possible to remove glued clothing from a
doll whose face is pretty, but the clothing is
not?

A: Sometimes it is possible, depending on how
firmly the clothing has been glued onto the doll.
Try placing the dressed doll in a 250 degree
oven for 5 or 10 minutes to warm up and loosen
the glue. Then pull off the clothing. If
necessary return the piece to the oven again to
soften the glue if it cools down before you’ve
completed the process. Porcelain dolls can
handle the oven treatment without damage, but if
your doll is plastic, you may not want to submit
it to the oven.

Q: Can I use real hair to wig my doll?

A: I personally don’t recommend it. I think
it’s too stiff to lie naturally on top of the
doll’s head. However, if you feel you want to
use it anyway, I would suggest that you keep the
hair long rather than trim it short, so there is
a bit more weight to it and it can fall down the
doll’s back instead of sticking out in various
directions.

Q: I bought some commercially made roses that
are just slightly too large for 1:12 scale. Is
there some way that I can still use them?

A: Often larger flowers look fine on a doll’s
hat, when they would not look good on her dress
or in her hair. If you prefer to make the roses
smaller, try unwinding them and cutting off a
portion of the part you unwound, and then glue
the end back down.

Q: What material do you recommend that I use
to dress a contemporary man?

A: Any light-weight material should work fine.
There can be a temptation to use a heavier
material, thinking that men’s clothing is heavier
than woman’s, but 100% cotton (for example) will
seem to be the right weight when it is put onto a
male doll.

Q: I’d like to begin selling my dolls but I
don’t know how to price them.

A: Look for a doll on eBay and in magazines to
find one that reminds you of the ones you’ve
made. Is the creator of that doll well-known?
(“Known” artists can often sell their work at a
higher price than someone who is still earning
recognition).   Are her/his dolls selling at the
price she/he is asking? That information will
help you determine what price range would work
for you.

Q: Is it wise to offer workshops, or will I
be giving away secrets that will reduce the value
of my dolls?

A: Of course, if there is something unique about
your doll – something no one else knows how to
do, that will advantageously affect the value of
your doll. Once you have taught others that
secret (and they, in turn, share it with still
more people) that secret no longer serves you
well. However, that should not discourage you
from offering workshops because you can choose a
project that does not include instructions on
your special unique item. For example, if you
are able to make an especially pretty flower, you
can still teach students how to make a hat with
flowers, but you can offer your ready-made
flowers as part of the kit that is included with
the workshop. You need to make sure that there is
no confusion about whether or not instructions
for flower-making are included in your workshop.

Q: What is the most important thing to do
when offering a doll for sale?

A: Pose the doll so it seems to be alive. A
“stiff” doll seems more like a “doll” than a
“person”. Bend the arms, even slightly. Set one
foot ahead of the other. Seat the doll, or have
it holding something. Also, photograph it at a
natural angle. The photographer is assumed to be
a miniature person himself … so direct the camera
at the level that a 1:12 scale photographer might
have positioned his equipment in order to take
the picture. Another important factor is to be
sure that the hat the doll wears is appropriate
to the costume. Clearly some hats are used some
time beyond their popular season, just as we may
wear our shoes after that particular style may
have been replaced with a new one, but you have
to be realistic about how much into a new era an
old hat might still be worn.

Viola Williams (two links inside the following address)
http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=dollsmini