Whew! Hoffman Doll Completed

"Eleanor"
by
Coppermouse Dolls
14.5" in height
Cloth, paperclay, wood and brass.
Original pattern by Coppermouse Dolls.

Oh my gosh! I didn't think I'd ever finish this doll. I had no idea how much being pregnant can take the steam out of you. At any rate, she's completed. She's now on her way to Colorado for the Hoffman 2008 Fabric Challenge.

You may notice the jacket is a different fabric or rather the correct fabric for the challenge. You see, I had this hinky feeling that something wasn't right. So I asked my husband to re-read the rules for me. Sure enough, I had used the wrong fabric. Technically, it has the right name, but the wrong number. It was a tad confusing. Luckily, I was able to order some replacement fabric in the nick of time.

For me, the biggest challenge with this doll was the issue of not using a doll stand. I totally love those tacky things. I suppose one could say it is laziness on my part, but I can't help myself. My plan was to use brass rods inserted through the feet and up to the shoulders. Then I would drill holes in a wooden base and insert the rods into the stand. Oh brother, I was so scared I was going to ruin my doll. Then, amazingly, it worked. And I thought to myself, that was so easy. I was just being a big baby about it. That is the wonderful thing about entering challenges; it forces you to work outside of your comfort zone. Neat, huh?

Now for something totally cool. Deanna Hogan is kind enough to host pictures of Hoffman entries on her website. You may see them here. I am so blown away by all of the entries. I wish everyone the best.