1989 Doll

What's the secret to realistic wigging?  Patience. Not being afraid of setting it down and picking it up again while drying......and a minimum amount of hair.  The biggest mistake I see beginner do, is to use a large section of fiber and too much glue.  Pretty soon all I see is a disgruntled looks, sticky fingers and hair everywhere.  Wig one step at a time....don't rush!  Then you'll be ok!

Tools.....Viscose (hair), hair pleater, tiny curl rods, assorted knitting needles (pointed on both ends), a plant mister filled with water and a drop of Downy for static control and a hair dryer.

Basic Wigging Technique
1.  Select hair style.  If you would like a center part, these can be ordered from your doll body supplier (we simply cut a center groove in head at green ware stage).  If you bought a doll without this groove, you can make a fake one.  Take a small pie shape piece of fimo, indent a groove in the middle, bake, and glue this piece where you wanted the part.

2.  Create a hairline.  (I look into the mirror, and see how my hair line goes from ear to ear.)  Then I put a matching line of glue around the doll's head from ear to ear.  Gently spread this glue upwards so the whole head is covered.

3.  Section some hair fiber from the main hunk of hair.  You need a section about 3" long, and about 1" wide.  Make sure this section is very thin.  Separate strands with your fingernail if necessary to make even in thickness.  Lay this over head from neck to nose, patting gently to adhere to glue.  Then put a thin line of glue from ear to ear top.  lay a piece of hair over this.  Hold the whole thing down gently.  (TIP.....I take a plastic bag, place it over the dolls head, and wrap a rubber band around the neck.  Let this dry, and then unwrap.)

4.  Arrange hair as in your photo.  Take sides and gently lift up and back for an upward sweep.  Take all hair and gently lift up for a ponytail.  Secure all with a small wrapping of matching thread color.

**HINT....I always wig my dolls last...that way I don't mess up their hair when dressing.

1) Are there patterns available for miniature dolls that are mostly glued?  Yes!  I glued Laureen's whole outfit.  No sewing at all.  I glued the pleats, ruffles, etc.  The secrets are in my book...but one I can tell you for sure is that ALL NATURAL fabrics are a must!  I literally have thrown away boxes of 'pretty' but non-glue sticking material.  Now I haunt the antique shops for the old materials.

2)  Where can I get molds to make my own porcelain dolls?  There are many people that I buy molds from...Laureen was sculpted by Parker-Levi, and her mold can be purchased (along with a catalog of other doll body molds) from House of Caron, 10111 Larryln Drive, Whittier, CA  90045.  Please tell her I sent you as a referral.  Also Stacy Hofman molds are fantastic, and you can write her at 292 Corbett Creek Road, Colville, WA  99114.
 

**Easiest way to braid viscose is to take your length desired, knot one end.  Then take a stick pin and pin to your pants leg.  Now braid keeping the tension even between leg and hand.

**If your natural, or old material is stiff, try soaking it in pure Downy (test sample edge first).

**If you ask for a bigger shoulder hole in porcelain doll body, you can actually push the sleeve material into it, around a pipe cleaner, to make a well tailored sleeve.

**Parasol...use the tiny drink umbrellas as a base.  Gently tear off paper (some people have had luck soaking most of it away).  Take ruler and measure across the spokes on top of the umbrella frame.  Cut a circle just a 1/8" bigger than this.  Fold the circle of fabric in quarters.  Cut a small piece off at the tip.  Attach trimming and decoration as desired.

**Persian collar....cut out velvet ribbon in collar shape.  Pull bunka thread, until it unravels.  Cut this into small pieces and glue on in random design on collar (tip...bunka and velvet ribbon should be VERY close in color...silver or black).