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McKeyla's Hipster Hat Makeover

12/8/2017

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So.  McKeyla McAlister’s hipster hat from the lava light doll: it looks pretty good* in the promo photos, but in real life it was rather ghastly.  Aside from the way it was fastened to her head using those tags that doll manufacturers are so fond of, what really let it down was the flimsy, shiny vacuum-formed plastic it was made from.

Decopatch to the rescue!  Decopatch is like a more sturdy kind of tissue paper and comes in all sorts of gorgeous colours/designs/patterns.  It’s VERY easy to use, and rather addictive – you might find yourself searching for more items to customise once you've finished!  Below are instructions on how to Decopatch (from
www.decopatchme.co.uk :
 ‘Cut or rip the paper into small bits about the size of a postage stamp.
Put a small amount of Decopatch glue on the part of the object you wish to start Decopatching then with the brush pick up the paper you have just torn and put it on the part you have just put the glue on. Put another small amount of glue over the top of the paper as this helps seal the paper.
Repeat until the whole of the object is covered.’


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McKeyla McAlister's hat, and the Decopatching process.
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The Decopatched and varnished hat, complete with ribbon.
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McKeyla modelling her revamped hat!

After the second coat of varnish had dried I used an awl to make larger holes where the tags had originally gone through on either side of the hat. Then I made another hole about 0.5 cm from the first hole on each side (just behind, and a little lower) so I could poke elastic through to the outside then back inside the hat  - so I could knot the elastic on the inside of the hat (and not have them sticking-out on the outside) - see photo and dodgy diagrams below!  To stop the ends of the elastic fraying I sealed them with clear nail polish (forgot to take a photo of that part).
The finishing touch was to glue a polka dot purple ribbon around the hat and tie it in a knot at the back (I also tied a knot at the front to make it sit better). This completes the look, and hides where the elastic shows at the sides.  The elastic goes at the back of McKeyla’s head and tucks under her hair; McKeyla's Hipster hat makeover is complete!
 
*If I was someone who used the word ‘cute’ I’d say it was cute!



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An inside view of the holes and elastic of McKeyla's Decopatched hat
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Overhead diagram of the holes and elastic of McKeyla's Hat
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Side diagram of the holes and elastic of McKeyla's hat
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Welcome to Sparkle Malarkey Spritzer!

18/3/2016

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Peacock feather, lace & studs headpiece
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Sadie - 'Sally Salmagundie' Blythe, post-makeover
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Rose centre
So, this is the start of my blog.  "Does the world really need another one?" you may ask.  Possibly not, but Instagram (much though I love it) doesn't allow for going into great detail about things in one entry.  So here we are.  This blog is a bit of a mishmash, because that's how my mind works; some of it will be about millinery and headpieces; some of it about doll clothes and customising (Blythe and Monster High in particular); parts of it will be about books and films and flower photos and anything else that takes my fancy, because all sorts of things tend to end up being inspiration and influences for my work.  So be warned: if you can't cope with a mixture of ribbons and re-rooting (of doll hair); feathers and face-ups (doll repaints); beading and body-mould comparisons, or  flowers and fashion, this blog may not be for you!
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'Night Circus'-inspired headpiece in progress
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Ivory & blush ostrich feather pompom headpiece
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Peach & gold 'Peony' headpiece with veil
I've had a bit of a thing for headwear for as long as I can remember.  I also love feathers, ribbons, beading, small things, and sparkle.  And I have a love of renaissance fashion and showgirls; so when I make headpieces those elements tend to make themselves known.  I love making petite, detailed pieces, that are like little treasures.  Sometimes I'll base a whole piece around a particular type of fabric or ribbon, other times I get fixated on something and it just seeps into whatever I make.  A few years ago I fell in love with a book called 'The Night Circus', by Erin Morgenstern, and that's been such an influence that it's spread from headpieces to brooches to doll clothes and Mini Lalaloopsy makeovers, and requires at least one separate blog post all of its own!  I love colour and texture and vintage-esque glamour (without slavishly following the style of any particular era), and flowers, and sparkle - sparkle is good.
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Ghoulia Yelps & Wydowna Spyder looking at fabrics for Monster High doll clothes
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Cresta Eyrie - Monster High CAM Harpy (re)root
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Mexican-inspired skirt toile for Skelita Calaveras
The doll-collecting thing crept up on me over the last few years, and I only really came out of the doll closet last year, when I started posting on Instagram.  As a child, I was more fond of teddy bears; I had Sindy and Barbie dolls, but found them rather uninspiring.  I was always making miniature rooms and things, and loved sewing.  In the back of my mind was the thought of finding interesting dolls to make clothes for - and then, by chance, I happened upon Monster High, and that led me to Blythe and Pullip.  I'll save the voyage of discovery for other posts, but I've ended up with various different dolls, some of whom are customized (or in the process of being customized), and all of whom are inspiration to make doll outfits.  I'm starting out with dressing gowns - because a girl needs something to wear when she's in-between outfits, or is having a spa session - and then trousers (Sadie, my first Blythe, likes wide-leg trousers), and intend to indulge my love of gorgeous fabrics and sparkle with skirts, dresses, capes, and whatever else I fancy.  Oh, and hats! Doll hats: it seemed a natural progression from human headwear to doll headwear; so far it's witch's hats, and top hats, but I have a feeling that bonnets will be putting in an appearance sooner or later... So future posts will cover a crash course in Blythe for beginners - because it's a bit (as in VERY) confusing to the uninitiated, well me, anyway(!), work in progress on clothes and hats, Monster High doll re-roots, and all sorts of other things.
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'Cloud 9 Bowl' & 'Simply Love Me' Blythes pre-makeover
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Sasha & Sadie in Pullip and Blythe dressing gown toiles
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Blythe & Pullip witch's hats
Enough for now, I think.  I'm aiming to post once or twice a week, with future posts dealing with just one thing at a time (less confusing all round).  I hope you've found this interesting/diverting/promising enough to visit again.  Happy Sparkles to you!
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    Sparkle Malarkey Spritzer is a place where I can go into more detail than on my Instagram about work in progress, current obsessions, past projects and anything else that takes my fancy.  All photos  ©Tonya Robinson unless otherwise stated.

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