[Nfb-krafters-korner] Where Joyce started out

[Hettie]

Joyce
Would've loved to see one, must have been cute.

Hettie


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-----Original Message-----
From: Nfb-krafters-korner [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Joyce Kane via Nfb-krafters-korner
Sent: 26 October 2015 11:29 PM
To: 'List for blind crafters and artists'
Cc: blindhands at aol.com
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] Where Joyce started out

Going back when my daughter was like 1 year old [and now she is going to be
37 in 15 days]  I made and sold clown dolls.  They weren't the scarey type.
I made them out of a man's size 100% cotton sock.  I would cut the top part
of the sock with the ribbing on off and that would make the 2 arms.  I would
cut on the center and center back into the sock to create the legs.  The
heel was the butt of the doll and the toe was the top of the head.  I used
calico fabric with pin dots, gingham or different prints that coordinated
with the clown outfit.  So the feet ruffled collar and the brim of the
pointed hat would be made out of the coordinating fabric and the top of the
hat and outfit had the main fabric.

I used a lot of kite string.  Once the sock was stuffed and the crotch was
sewn I would tie string down from the top of the toe to form the neck.  With
a marker I would draw a heart and put my initials jk in the center of the
heart.  I used like a lower case j and then just added the part of the up
and down outward going shape of the K to the back of the j.  That is how I
initialized my work in the hospital all the time.

Let me give you an example so you can picture it a little more.

This was a very popular combo for babies.  Pink rosebud on white background
fabric for the main parts and the coordinating part was pink gingham small
check [1/8" check.  Yep for boys it was the same except for blue rosebud
with blue gingam.

Now to finish this picture off.  I use a coordinating color yarn and made a
loopy strip that I put on scotch tape and then sewed that into the hat.
Stuffed the hat with polyphil and hand sewed the hat in place.  Stuffed the
body and arms and hand sewed the arms on stuffed the leg part which I sewed
by machine across the bottom of the legs and stuffed the feet and hand sewed
the crotch closed and the kinda like boots onto the legs.

I used 1 inche pompoms red for the nose and coordinating color for the hat.
Now you have this all pictured without a face.

I hand embroidered each face with French knots, X's or up and down and side
ways lines or tear and other embroidery stitches for the eyes   I was the
only one who did the faces.  This is terrible, I can't remember how I did
the mouth.  I never kept one for myself.  I think my Mom has one that I made
for her or my Grandmother.  I will have to check it out.

I made an awful lot of these clowns and basically it kept me home with my
kids for almost 7 years.  I retailed them at craft shows and I wholesaled
them in   gift shops, baby and maternity shops, party line businesses, etc.
At my prime I had 2 people sewing the costume part.  My girl friend worked
with me most nights stuffing the parts and I had another friend that would
come over and pitch in before a craft show and dress them or sew and glue
pompoms on.

I went to New York city to find a resource to get the socks at a wholesale
price in a building right next to the Empire State building.  This is all
when I was sighted , young and having children.

Well I hope I have not bored you too much, but I was able to make enough
money to stay home with my kids until my youngest was 2 years old.  I only
went back to work at the hospital 2 days a week and still sewed and sold my
clowns and handmade crafts.

So I have experience in running my own business as a Crafter and medical
transcribing  business, too.

Joyce


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