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Lace
Draping porcelain figurines was something I wanted to learn, so I searched
out internet sites, books and articles for information on how to do this
art form. As luck would have
it, one of my painting gals had done some lace draping 30 years ago and
even had some porcelain doll greenware forms.
We decided to lace them; learning as we went along.
The following article is my experience and pictures of the dolls
I’ve finished.
This
is not an easy or fast procedure and sometimes there are disasters.
But, with patience and perseverance you can create a very beautiful
doll. Finding a flesh colored
porcelain greenware doll is difficult; you might try a ceramic studio and
ask if they would pour one for you, or buy your own mold and pour it
yourself. The lace dolls
usually are 10”-12” tall or you might find some smaller children’s
sizes. The dolls we had were old and brittle as they had been sitting on a
shelf for a number of years. Fresh
greenware is much better to work with.
Fortunately, my friend had some molds and we began pouring our own
after a few disasters using the old ones.
Let’s
start with the supplies you will need to begin:
Porcelain Greenware Figurine:
The figurine must be porcelain and in the greenware stage.
Round or Octagon Kiln Shelf:
This is used for sitting your doll on to drape and to move your
doll in and out of the kiln. Be
sure it has kiln wash on it.
Elevated Turn Table:
Place the kiln shelf and doll on the turn table.
This
is essential for draping all around your doll.
Lace Tool:
This tool has a very long narrow point on one end and a flat spoon
shape on the other. Used to
attach the lace to the doll form and pick and pull the lace into shape.
Finger File Tool:
This is a tool with a very long thin file on one end and is used to
file between the fingers of the doll’s hands.
Do this very carefully, as these fingers are very, very fragile.
Cleaning Tool:
This is a knife edge tool used to clean the greenware.
Always check the bottom of the doll and clean around the hole and
edge making sure it is perfectly smooth.
You will want to clean the seam edges left from the mold. Save these scrapings for later. The knife will take these
edges off and then you will want to smooth them out lightly with a damp
sponge.
Small Sponge:
I use a natural small sponge.
2 Plastic Bowls:
I use Cool Whip containers. One
for water and one for colored porcelain slip.
Paint Brush:
I use an inexpensive 1”-2” brush.
I find one this size is better for brushing the colored porcelain
slip onto the lace or fabric you are using.
Small Bottle for Liquid Slip:
You will need some porcelain slip or porcelain clay to attach the
arms to your doll. I usually
make my own from the scraping and cleaning of the doll.
Just add a few drops of water until it is the consistency of thick
cream.
Laminate Board or Plastic:
This is used to lay your lace or fabric on to saturate it. I have a piece of laminated board 8” x 14”, but a heavy
piece of plastic would work just as well.
Fabric:
100% cotton fabric is the best to use.
Nowadays, it is hard to find 100% cotton lace; it usually has some
nylon or poly combined with it. Check
the content and buy the one with more cotton and less nylon or poly. You
will need the same content for netting.
This is used for the dolls under slip or petticoat and also makes
the dress fuller.
Scissors, Needle and Thread:
I cut my lace 1 ½ to 2 times the distance around the doll. Don’t cut ahead as you will be starting from the bottom and
going up; so the doll will be smaller around as you go up. After you cut the right length of the lace or fabric, run a
basting stitch about a ¼ of an inch from the top edge; don’t knot it,
leaving a tail at each end to pull for gathering.
Now the fun begins, you get to design your own dress.
This usually takes me a couple days of thinking and looking through
pictures. Once you decide on the design it’s time to chose the lace
or fabric you want to use. Use
more than one pattern of lace; it gives the dress more character.
Do the under slip or petticoat first.
Cut the netting 2 ½ times the distance around the doll at ¾ of an
inch down from the waist (I usually mark it lightly with a pencil) and the
length to the bottom of the skirt. Baste
the top edge as mentioned above. Place this fabric in the bowl of colored
porcelain slip and saturate it thoroughly.
Squeeze it out by pulling your fingers over the lace from top to
bottom and lay it out flat on your board or plastic sheet. Take your paint
brush and paint another coat of slip on both sides of the lace.
Now pick it up and slap it against the board or plastic sheet to
remove the slip from the holes in the netting.
Do this procedure to the entire piece of fabric.
When finished, gather the lace to fit around the place you want to
attach it and tie the ends together with the thread.
I always lay the lace on the front and tie it together in the back
of the doll. Turn in the raw
edges for a neater finish.
Using a brush, apply slip on the line where you want to attach the
netting, place the netting on the slip and using the spoon end of your
lace tool, press the lace against the slip as though you were gluing it in
place. It will set up rather
fast so make sure it is securely fastened to the doll.
I usually run another brush full of slip over the top of the lace
and press that in place as well. While
the under slip or petticoat is still damp, you might want to turn under
the raw edge at the bottom as if it were hemmed.
Or you might want to attach a row of 1” lace to the bottom; but,
let the netting dry a little before adding the lace.
Let the netting set up or dry for about an hour or so before adding
the skirt of the dress. This will keep the dress fuller as the under skirt will be
semi hardened and will support the skirt of the dress. Depending on the design of your dress, you may have several
layers of lace. Always start
from the bottom and work your layers up to within ¾ of an inch below the
waist.
After you have completed the skirt of the dress you are ready to do
the bodice. Bring the seam of
the bodice together under the arm for a smoother back.
Gather lace to go around the waist.
This will cover the lower bodice edge and the top edge of the
skirt. By placing the skirt
¾ of an inch below the waistline, it eliminates bulk and the lace ruffle
will lay better.
Now it’s time to attach the arms of the doll.
This can be done in a few different ways;
- You can use the
non-colored liquid slip on the shoulder and top of the arm, hold it in
place for a few minutes until it feels secure enough to let go.
- Position the arm so
that it rests on the skirt for more support.
- Use a small piece of
porcelain clay, flatten it, add some slip and hold it in place until
secure.
- When using any of
the above, I always cut a narrow strip of netting, dip it in the
non-colored slip and wrap it around the joining.
You will want to add a sleeve or drape over the shoulder to
cover the seam anyway.
And lastly, add short or long sleeves,
depending on your design, or a draped shoulder effect.
Now your doll is ready for the 1st firing.
Let me tell you want happens when the
doll is fired. This 1st
firing is a very hot fire, Cone 6 and all the lace will fire away leaving
only the imprint of the lace in porcelain.
There will be smoke coming out of the kiln, so vent it well; it’s
burning the lace and fabric away. That’s the beauty of this art form,
the fragile porcelain lace. If
you saturated your lace well, there should not be any holes; and if you
used mostly cotton lace or fabric the dress should be in tact. Holes are made where you didn’t have enough slip on the
lace. Remember, the lace will
burn away, but if there is no porcelain slip to leave the impression,
there will be a hole. I used a lace that had more poly in it and it
crumbled in the firing; that was a disaster seeing all that work in the
bottom of the kiln. If the
dress does have a few holes, don’t worry, you can use a rose or an
embellishment to cover it.
If an arm or arms fall off during the
firing, you can always glue those on after the last firing.
The next step is to glaze the entire
doll as the 1st. fire has left it in a bisque stage.
Using a clear glaze, airbrush the glaze on the doll using 2-3 light
coats. Be sure to get the
glaze into the folds of the lace. The glaze is a pink color, but will fire
out clear. This color also
makes it easy to see if you’ve missed any places. Let this dry overnight before firing.
2nd Firing Cone 04:
The doll will be a beautiful clear glaze all over and ready for
china painting.
China paint her hair and face. Add
a little Yellow Red to her cheeks for blush.
3rd Firing Cone 017:
Your doll is almost finished.
Now you can embellish you doll with
roses, gems, pearls or anything you choose.
Roses are my favorite. I
couldn’t find any porcelain rosebuds so I was forced to make my own.
In the craft store I came across a product called “Craft
Porcelain” non-fire porcelain, the perfect answer to my problem.
I made several roses, painted them with acrylic paint and sprayed
them with a clear gloss. Attach
them with “Bond 527 Multi-Purpose Cement”.
To make a Picture Hat:
Cut a round from a piece of cardboard the size you want the hat. Saturate it in liquid slip the color of her dress.
Cover it with saturated lace or fabric in a design you like.
Attach it to her head with more slip making sure it is secure to
the head. If you want the brim to be bent at the front, do it while the
cardboard and lace is wet. After
the firing it may droop in places you hadn’t creased, but the results
are always pretty. The
cardboard will burn away in the firing, so again saturate well.
I’ve had my share of disasters and disappointments, but don’t
get discouraged, the results are worth it.
Arms have fallen off and dropped to the bottom of the kiln
sometimes breaking and dresses have melted away, only to end up tossing
the doll in the trash. It’s
no wonder these dolls are priceless and almost a lost art.
But oh, how beautiful they are when placed in a cabinet for all to
see and admire.
Have fun and try one.
Rebecca
11” Doll
Audrey
in the Chair 11” Doll
