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Stringing A
Porcelain Doll
Materials Required:
Sizing &
Measuring The Cord:
Choose the approximate
diameter of the cord using the chart below;
| Doll Height |
Cord Diameter |
| dolls up to 7 inches |
1/32" cord |
| dolls up to 24 inches |
1/8" cord |
| dolls 24" and taller |
3/16" cord |
Measure a length of cord
about one torso-length, measuring from shoulder to crotch.
If your using a coat
hanger as a stringing hook: open the hanger, curve one end into a hook shape
and the other end into a rounded finger-hold.
Stringing Your
Doll:
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Tie one end of the cord
to your stringing hook's bent end.
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Feed the hook into the
body from a leg opening up toward the head.
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Use an S-hook to attach
the cord to the neck.
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Insert the hook through
one arm opening and pull the cord toward the arm.
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Use an S-hook to attach
the cord to the little bar on the arm.
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Repeat with the other
arm and both legs, for a square shape inside the body.
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When you arrive at the
last leg, pull the cord to tighten.
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Tie a square knot or use
a "C" hook to connect the cord ends. We have found that a
square knot works best if you want to tighten more later.
Alternate
Method:
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Follow instructions 1-3
under "Stringing Your Doll" above.
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Do Not thread cord
through arms. Thread only through S-hook at neck and through each leg.
Tie & cut off cord.
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Thread cord from one arm
to the other. Don't pull too tightly. Tie & cut off cord.
Cleaning SFGW
- Submerge greenware pieces in lukewarm water
with a few drops of baby shampoo for at least 5 minutes prior to cleaning.
- Keep the pieces and tools wet during
cleaning.
- If your eyes are not already cut do so now,
using a wet feather knife. Bevel eyes with a wet beveling tool and size
them.
- Clean all seams with a Wet Scrubber (Seeleys
product) or other seam cleaner, (pieces of panty hose work well for this).
Be careful not to remove too much detail or flatten parts of the doll when
cleaning the seams. Periodically re-submerge your doll part in water to
remove paste build up.
- To re-establish leg and arm grooves, use a
length of wax cording. Encircle the cord where the groove would be the
deepest and go in a clockwise motion until you reach a desirable groove has
been achieved. DO NOT GO TO DEEP AS BREAKAGE MAY RESULT.
- Examine doll parts with magnification after
they are partially dry and they no longer are shiny-wet, since many
imperfections will not appear until this time. Remember, flaws will catch
the paint and cause painting errors.
- If there are pin holes in the greenware, use
some of the porcelain paste that builds up when you use the wet scrub to
fill in the pin hole. You cannot submerge the part in water again after this
is done, so fill pin holes last.
- Fire your doll to porcelain using your usual
method.
| Tips:
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Some people believe that it is not possible to
clean greenware as well wet as it is dry. This is not true; the more
practice you have with the wet-cleaning method the easier it will be for you to
clean efficiently and to spot imperfections in the greenware. Not only will you
break fewer pieces but you’ll eliminate in exposure to airborne silica dust.
If you fire the pieces while they are
not fully dried, be sure to keep a peephole open in the kiln until all
moisture has escaped the kiln.
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Porcelain Body
Assembly Instructions
- Sew center back seams. Leave
open between dots for stuffing insertion. Pin seat to body back, matching
center back (medium dots) to center back seam. Match notches on seat to
notches on body back, machine stitch, backstitching at beginning and end of
seam.
- Machine stitch darts in body
front.
- With right sides together pin
body front to body back, machine stitch inside leg seam - reinforce at
corners by taking one or two back stitches at each corner. Cut center line
to small dot, clip to corner as indicated on pattern.
- Stitch body front and body
back shoulder seam, back stitch at beginning and end of seams.
- Run a basting stitch at top
of sleeve between notches. With the right sides together, pin sleeve to
body, matching medium dot to shoulder seam - match notches. Machine stitch
sleeve to body. Back stitch at beginning and end of seams.
- Stitch side seams and sleeve
together matching under arm seams and notches.
- Turn up leg and arm casing -
machine stitch. Turn the body to right side. Thread a blunt end upholstery
needle with heavy duty or carpet thread, insert (doubled) thread through
casings, leaving approximately 5 - 6 inches on each side for tying on arms
and legs.
- Stuff porcelain legs with
poly-fill. Apply Elmer's or similar glue in groove of leg. Tie legs to body,
Stuff legs and body tightly with poly-fill. Use a cup of plastic pellets in
seated area to give weight.
- If using armature in arms,
put armature in upper body and through sleeves. Insert armature into
porcelain arms and tightly stuff poly-fill around armature ensuring that it
will not slip out after tying it to the body. Tie on arms.
- Stuff upper body keeping
armature in center. Sew top edge of stuffing opening by overlapping and
securing with a whip stitch.
- Attach head/ shoulder plate
with heavy wax coated cording.
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