Make Your Own Two Faced Tessie Doll.

O.k. I think I have a serious case of Pebeo-itis. Once you've got it, there is no cure.....And I am totally fine with that.

Today I'll be sharing with you some of the conditions to look out for.

1. trouble sleeping due to so many ideas buzzing in your head
2. A highly contagious grin from all the fun you're having
3. A sense of sadness when you aren't creating
4. an insatiable desire to paint on anything fabric
5. spots……of paint  on your hands
6. loss of appetite . There's no time to eat.You're too busy painting things

Here's what I created to get you started on your own case of Pebeo-itis.

Supplies for this project: Pebeo Sétacolor Opaque fabric paints Discovery Set, Pebeo SetaSkrib fabric markers  6pack of original and fluorescent, calico, chalk marker, Gesso, Schmincke Aero Color acrylic ink, Princeton artist brushes and silicon brush, Canson 'basix' art sponge, water spray bottle, stamps, stencils, Archival black ink pad, iron and sewing machine.

The first step is to lay out your pre-washed fabric, fold in half and pin on pattern. Mark out your doll design with your chalk marker. I  drew my pattern freehand on butchers paper first. I kind of like not having a set idea of what I wanted. This way, the fun just flows. Now that you have your doll parts , you're ready to crack open those delicious little bottles of fabric paint and pop off the pen caps.

I think the best way to show you how it's done is step by step. So I hope you find these images I took whilst creating  Two faced Tessie helpful. Let's go….

Draw out pattern
NOTE
If you wish to stitch your doll together with a 'tidy' edge,
you will need to add around2cm of seem allowance.
I chose to stitch her together , leaving an edge that can fray over time.

Pin fabric and trace out design

Cut out doll parts ready to go

Begin by adding stamps to get started.
Apply paint with sponge over stencil

Continue sponging paints randomly

You can use fabric markers over stencil objects

Fill in areas with a pop of colour with fluorescent markers

Using a  silicon brush, apply gesso over stencil to cut back
 colours and add interest

Again using gesso and the silicon brush, apply streaks.
This tool is great for this.

Fabric paint applied directly onto silicon brush and streak
across onto fabric where it feels right.

Try using different silicon brushed to create interesting
 lines with the paint.

Finger painting fun with Gesso to break up bold colours

Try adding Schmincke acrylic ink with dropper.
This is divine when spritzed with water.

Be sure to dry fabric before applying more paint or markers as they will run. Unless that's what you want.
I also recommend ironing the project as you go to SET colours so they don't reactivate as you add more colours

By just pressing the markers down on an angle,
you get these wonderful little teardrop like marks.

Apply paint with Princeton brush directly,
 making little lines  that have a heavier 'body'.

Create stripes on the arms with silicon brush by
 adding paint straight onto brush and dragging in a short downward movement.

Draw your face design. Feel free to copy
this directly if this is what you like.

Begin colouring in the eyes with a mix of fluorescent a
 basics markers. They blend into each other beautifully. 

Now for some rosy cheeks. Add a drop of Schmincke
 acrylic ink over fluoro pink cheek colour and spritz with water.
Watch as it bleeds out creating those cheeks.

Start adding colours to the eyelids. By working the varying
 colours over each other, they blend and add depth.
Also create shading with a mix of purple and blue.

Add depth to base colours.

By adding a variety of colours to the eyes,
 they really come alive. 

Add highlights in the eyes with gesso.
I also added some gesso onto parts of the face.
This is great for 'cover-ups'

Flipside.
Time to take a different approach and start
 drawing a skeleton like image  wight he markers.
Decorate the edges with patterns of all kinds.

Stencil  some blue over other images  to unify the piece.

Colour in ribcage with markers.
The ribcage was stencilled on with black fabric
paint and dried and set before moving onto colouring.

Lightly spray fabric and sponge on
 colours to fill in 'open' spaces.

Here you see more use of design and patterns
 to create something reminiscent of 'the day of the dead'.

For Two faced Tessie, I cut out a second
 face and draw out a fun 'day of the dead' design.

Just for fun, Cut out a little house and paint.
sticking only the roof onto the body so the
house itself flips up to reveal a puffy heart.
I stuffed the roof of the house to ad volume and later
glued on a piece of leather for the door and he underside.

Flip up the house to reveal the heart which
h is filled with stuffing to puff it up.

All stitched together and ready for cuddles.To assemble  I sewed the arms together first. Be sure to have them 'facing' each other when stitching, and leave a whole so you can turn it right side out again. I surest pinning the arms where you want them so as you begin stitching the doll together , you don;t forget to add the arms.
( like I did..oops)

Bright and beautiful. Here she is.
I also created a 'love' patch for her. This disguise an area of paint that I wasn't so happy with.
For her patch, just cut out a small rectangle, draw on striped, set colour. Stamp on 'love'  and if you like , add false stitching  to decorate. 

I wasn't worried too much about a tidy finish. I quite like the idea of the edges fraying a bit. I think this adds to the whimsical nature of the doll. Of course when you are stitching it together, It is up to you if you want to sew it together 'face-to-face,  and then turn right-side out again. Be aware that  you will need to have a little extra seem which will be taken up by doing it this way.

I hope I covered everything here for you. It is a rather  big project, and the blog is quite long, but I think that by showing you step by step , it gives you a much clearer image of how to create one of your own fabric dolls with the fabulous Pebeo Setacolor Opaque fabric paints and markers.

So if you now have a case of Pebeo-itis, be sure to let us know in the comments.


                                                                    Till next time,
                                                                        Cheers
                                                                         
                                                         
                                      Kerry Sinigaglia

                                                                           xx