My Lady Daffodil was truly a labor of love. I made 45 teeny, tiny daffodils for this one. The inspiration is obvious. The original costume was the first I made when I began my residency. It's the only costume that I didn't make everything. I had a store-bought yellow dress that fit a little too snug for my taste. I then purchased a green flowing skirt to wear over the yellow dress. I had no clue or experience making costumes or wearable art. I just knew that was what I wanted to do. What I did make was the wire frame around the waist and the head piece. (See original outfit below.) Therefore I changed things up a little on the doll. Since I originally wanted a yellow dress, I made her outfit all yellow - it's a top and a skirt. And instead of a wire frame which didn't allow me to sit down, I made a belt with flowing ribbons with daffodils. And there you have it.
Although this was the first outfit, this was the last doll I made. By this point I learned to make shoes from polymer clay. They turned out so great and much better than using felt. I also learned how to insert a wire frame which made her posable - something I've always wanted to do. So she holds her bouquet just like I did in the original.
It was still chilly in March but the daffodils were in full bloom all over the place. The botanical garden was challenging people to spot a million blooms and every where you turned was life springing forth. I even had a few pop up in my garden bed at home - that I didn't plant. The daffodils will forever hold a place in my heart. I might add that yellow is my favorite color.
She is made of fabric, rhinestones, yarn, crepe paper, polyester filling, ribbon, thread, glue, and paint with a wooden machine-carved and hand-painted base. She is roughly 14" tall. She is currently on display at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, Va. in the library until September 2021.
Original costume.
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