Making Dolls

I designed the costumes for Brisbane Dance Workshops 2009 production "The Middle Kingdom" The antagonist was the Grand Duchess. A tap dancing meany who wouldnt allow anyone to have any fun in her realm.

Brisbane Dance Workshops has an annual fundraiser. For this year I decided to pick up my old habit of making dolls from costumes I had designed or worked on for the opera as my contribution.

The first and biggest challenge came in the shape of finding a doll that wasnt overly infinitile or too sweet and smiling. I was lucky enough to find this doll as a second hand store. This in keeping my business as eco-friendly as possible. I didnt have any of the brocade left over, so I purchased a table cloth and dyed it to match the original fabric. I was able to use the same black lace that I had used on the original dress.

The dress is a near perfect copy of the actual dress worn in the production right down the number of radiating box pleats in the peplum. I had to simplify the sleeve and stomacher detail slightly just because I ran out of room. I also used really metallic trim and glass pearls. She has a corded petticoat under her dress.