New Clothes for Yren

This is my third version of Biscuitbear's 18th century dress. I liked how pretty she looked in the gold fabric, but I put it away for a long time because I had trouble with the back. It would have been easier to just start over, but I'd already ruched and applied all that vintage lace. But today when I got it out again it didn't seem so discouraging, and I finished it up.

I've been working on this Trench coat for about three weeks, adapting it from a Barbie-size pattern that appeared in a dollmaking magazine in 1989. I spoiled a lot of fabric trying to get it right. Now I have the pattern pretty much set, but it's still tricky to sew!

Can't resist portrait-making...

While Picnik is still with us, I've been going back into my Picasa library and trying to work on pictures that desperately needed it. I have some that were just useless until Picnik rescued them. This particular one would have been perfect--except that there was a stray hair across her face, right down the middle. But I've found that the "Blemish Be Gone" effect works wonderfully on stray hairs, and I made this one disappear!

Oh. And I did sort of apply the "Gritty" effect to it. It was pretty without it, but I just had to use it while I still could. It's so interesting! I love what it does to the modelling of Yren's face and neck. So I'll enjoy it for now and later when there is no more Picnik I'll...Oh what the heck, I'll put the other version on here too.

Happy Birthday, Monika Viktoria!

This is one of Monika's favorite pictures of Yren, so I'm putting it here to wish her a special birthday and a wonderful year!

We hope you are staying cozy and warm and comfortable, and that you aren't anywhere near the freezing cold weather and snowfall that's hitting Europe today. Brrrr!