Emily, corpse bride doll

 

Oh poor, tragic corpse bride.  I was hardly aware of your existence until girl child decided to develop a wee crush on you a few months ago.  When the girl started swishing and glooming around the house, dressed in layers of tulle, bemoaning her loveless and rotting state. 

 

This doll was intended to join Smootch in her final appearance as the Corpse Bride in her school's Halloween parade, where Smootch in her tulle and blue make up had to tell all the kindergartners she was 'a bride, who is dead' because none of them knew what a corpse was.

 

What kind of six year old doesn't know what a corpse is?  Aren't they learning anything useful at school?

 

Or maybe I live in an oddly grim world with my little gleefully gruesome offspring?

 

Anyhoo.  The doll wasn't quite ready at Halloween.  She's a few days late.  I suppose from her perspective, what's the rush?

 

Corpse Bride.  She is, obviously, based on the Tim Burton movie of the same name, although I have had to take some detours from exact replication.  Due to limitations of my skill, materials, and time.  I only have a little of each.

 

 

She was challenging for me in a few ways.  A couple of firsts.  Full painted face, bones, bridal couture.  First dead body.  She was also full of small deviations between what I wanted to see and what actually happened and I have had some opportunities to make peace with my own imperfections and limitations.

 

I debated giving her button eyes and a sewn mouth but I thought that this particular dead girl should stay on the side of more cartoonish than creepy.  She probably wouldn't worry my children but I have some friends who are sensitive and you can bet your flesh that girl child will haul her to school for show and tell.

 

 

A few specs.  She was sewn in linen and then painted with acrylics.  Her texture is somewhere between leather and soft plastic.  A little disturbing.

 

 

  

Hair is poly yarn, stitched on the part then glued into position. 

 

The dress is a cream coloured cotton, treated with watered down acrylics.  I built it in layers on her rather than make a dress first and then fit.  Seemed like she wouldn't mind if I sewed the skirt right onto her torso.

 

 Her shoulders are attached with buttons to allow the arms a little movement.  Got to be able to pick them up and move them into a zombie like embrace, yes?

 

I do.  You may kiss the bride.

And if you are wondering, doll making is creepy, even when you are not creating a corpse.  This project made me feel particularly ghoulish at times.

The veil was part of some destroyed under skirting from one of Smootch's dress.  Scraps of it have been hanging around for years in the dress up bin.  I stole a bit, cut it to shape, did some zig zag stitching to prevent frays, and looped it over a wire I wrapped with white yarn and laced with flowers.

And that is Emily, the corpse bride.