Pleasant Weekend

Leslie Molen

After working 6 long long days in a row, I was able to just forget about test tubes, blood, and numbers for three marvelous days.  Saturday morning I headed up to Akron to take a class with Leslie Molen making Chun Woo.  I've always wanted to take a class with Leslie because her dolls are amazing, and I just love her personality. BUT...my sewing skills are not good enough to challenge me to make clothes.  My friend Pam who put on this event convinced me that I could do it.  I'm happy I did even though my sewing skills did put me to some problems.  AND, I didn't read the instructions correctly so I showed up with a head to be needle sculpted that was made of cotton fabric instead of the knit.  No problem...Leslie did not give me grief at all & told me to just use this head as a practice and join in.  In a sense this was a much better idea for me to just sit & observe as I picked up more technique and ideas by being forced to just watch instead of performing.  We made eyeballs that are so wonderful that I don't think I'm every going to have to buy eyes for my dolls again. 

I stayed at Pam's house Saturday night which is always a delight for me as Pam & I get along so well.  It was fun to get to know Leslie even more. And imagine how happy I was when I found another women who not only loves Science Fiction but loves some of the wild television shows I watch.  Leslie & I spent over 15 minutes talking about the ending of Justified!

With the head Leslie made and my clothes.

Sunday, Leslie actually gave me the head she'd just as her demo doll on Saturday & told me if I could catch up then I might be able to get most or all of my doll done.  WOW!  I listened as she talked about the makeup and putting the doll together with the costume, as I did the cloth overlay, cut out the eye sockets, and did a few other assorted things to catch up.  Now I did say my sewing skills aren't too good right? Well, it seems that while misreading the part about what fabric to use for the head, I wasn't paying attention too much & instead of making a jacket for the doll (which Leslie told me would have been much much easier), I made a dress.  Oh well, at least now I know how to make a jacket! pants! headdress! and a dress!  I just need to practice.

Leslie and Judy Brown

The other thing that made this weekend such a delight was the group of women.  Most I know from the Time for Dolls Akron area doll makers club I belong to. The others, I have met at AFIC or the Dollmaker's Gala in Aurora Ohio.  We sat all weekend talking and laughed.  There was a connection as we went from one topic to another and back around.  The people I work with are all difference ages & from different cultures so it is so difficult for me to relax while talking to them.  Notice I said talking to instead of with?  It does make a difference to be with a group of people who have the same background and time understanding that you do.  That is why I just "let my hair down" and let pour out of my mouth anything that I wanted to say without fear of offending or having to back track and explain what I mean.  Joyce one of our oldest members thought I was interesting!  Wow, no one has said that to me in ages.  Oh and one person coined me as a Southerner.  What?  Me? Then I realized that to someone from Cleveland, I truly was southern.  LOL! 

I'm trying to hold onto all this joy that I felt this weekend.  I decided that I need to reach out to other women my own age group in my doll maker guild and my beading group.  I miss feeling comfortable and a part of something bigger than my studio.  Oh, I can talk to my dolls, but mainly they don't talk back & if they do...well...they probably won't listen to me either!