The Redhead Connection presents: Strolling in Venice

This post has been long overdue, but there's a reason for this. When I planned it I was sure I could use some pictures of Venice we took some ten years ago, unfortunately after desperate searces in the pc and backups we found out we've lost them!

This was pretty bad, so it took me a while before I made up my mind to prepare this post anyway with stock pictures from internet.
As I was free to pick and choose the kind of images of Venice I wanted to use, I decided to show you a slightly diffrent side of Venice. No San Marco Square, no Lido, but little canals, calle and corti (coorts).

Venice is wonderful, one of its wonders is that you have to walk or take ferries to move around the town. Or a Gondola.

I finally managed to start working on a Poppy Parker's wardrobe, so Berenice is very happy to star in a post after quite a while! Furthermore she's here with Giacomo.

Calle de le colonete

Maybe you remember, or maybe not,  they are the "pretty couple" around here. They are just so neat looking!

Corte della Comare

I have to work more on Poppy's dresses proportions, the dress is acceptable but it doesn't fit as I hoped 

Giacomo is wearing mostly an IT outfit, I only made his jeans (these jeans are a favourite over here, I have to sew more of them!)

ca' Barnaba

Calle dei Botteri

The purpose of the  Redhead Connection is  to showcase my beautiful redheaded dolls, so here is our wonderful auburn haired couple: Vittorio and Emilia.

Calle dei Botteri

Vittorio has a new pair of glasses and, with a colourful tank t-shirt and jeans jacket, looks a bit less stuck-up.

Corte dei Preti

Since Margherita found her husband and children, Vittorio needed a girlfriend as gorgeous as he is! Emilia is his perfect match.

Murano - Rio dei Vetrai

Corte Sconta

Emilia is wearing one of Odette's floral dresses, it is a bit short but it really befits her!

Ponte del Megio

Of course as soon as the photosession was over he took Emilia on an extensive tour of Venice's historical Palaces and museums....

I must learn to photograph them always in natural light: they look awesome!

Our medieval trip to Venice is over, the girls loved it!

Tartan Craze a Hommes Collection

I've been talking about this project for a while, and now, finally, I'm ready to present you the complete Tartan Craze collection!

Let's go with 20th Century Fox's  fanfare!!!!

I had to stop at some point as I still have several more ideas, but now with springtime finally coming by I have to move on to something else!
First of all let me show you some of the sources of inspiration for this collection:
Ragandbones, Moschino, AuJourLeJour and Valentino's collection from 2013! (I haven't been able to identify the fourth picture, any ideas?)

The thing that impressed me most while preparing the collection is the versatility of the tartan fabric for hommes fashions, from ultra casual, sport and formal, tartan adds a great accent to every style!

What is missing from this collection are formal suits, but as I'm planning a collection  of formal outfits I will sew at least a couple of them (with a  complete tutorial) next fall.

Having trumpeted this collection so much I also took some time to put together some decent pictures, here are the boys on the catwalk (Note: Nicola is wearing in fact a Prince of Whales , but in scale looked more like tartan):

Enrico, Taddeo, Sebastiano

Armando, Bartolomeo, Giacomo

Carlo, Nicola, Goffredo

Ever since I sew the first suit in this collection I envisioned a "Highlands lookbook" for the guys. Scotland is one of the (several) places I haven't visited yet, and Sasha's pictures are on film, so I had to draw upon stock pictures from the internet as backdrops. I believe these are the perfect setting for the collection!

Highlands Lookbook

Lords of the manor, our Supermodels:

Sebastiano (Valentino) Carlo (AuJourLeJour)

The most elegant dudes of the house in casual outfits

Taddeo (Original Billa) Armando (Unknown)

The trendies ones

Bartolomeo (Moschno) Enrico (RagAndBones)

Classic Brit Giacomo - Goffredo can't resist wearing a tie, even in the middle of nothing

Giacomo - Goffredo (Original Billa)

Sunset on the manor, a pensive Nicola ponders about his upcoming visit to Dublin and the girls he shall meet there

Nicola (Original Billa)

I look forward to hear which is your favourite style and picture!
Kisses Billa

Extra: Some of the guys get a face enhancement

I wasn't 100%  satisfied with the faceup of some of the guys, so I checked all the available internet resources  and found out I had just what I needed:
Caran D'Ache Prismalo Aquarelle Pencils! In fact I have a huge box I used for coloring some of my drawings some time ago.

By the way a sample of my drawings (these are illustrations for a short novel I wrote a couple of years ago for my nephews):

       

       

so, I picked the colours I needed, sharpened the pencils and with patience started working on the guys.

I damped the tip of the pencil with mi tongue, ok, this is not ladylike, but I did it anyway and these are the results:

Goffredo has got his new mustaches

Enrico had such a bland coloring, now with his new lips I think he's really handsome

Armando got mustaches and lip enhancement

Giacomo has got freckles!!!

As with hair styling I limit myself to little touches, just to have the dolls look exactly how I envisioned them when I bought them.

What do you think?

The "Redhead Connection" presents: Roman Holidays featuring Carla and Valeria

I've been thinking a lot about showing some love to my MM girls, expecially to Carla and Valeria, who are simply beautiful. At first I simply thought of finding inspiration in some of Robert Best's fashions for silkstone, in particular I adore Market Day Barbie

Then I decided that sewing some floral dresses  and photoghraph them wouldn't do them justice. Ok, they are not poseable but they sure can strike that ONE pose....again Silkstone was a great source. As Mattel's latest campaing for silkstone is set in Rome, and I love Rome,  I decided to make an exercise in photomontages.
But, at least in my mind, Rome+lovely girls=Roman Holidays!!!!
I must add that sometime ago I found on e-bay a  wonderful blue Barbie Vespa for a nice price.
Mix everything together with my Redheaded Dolls Obsession, and you have "The Redhead Connection"!!!

I've been in Rome several times, in fact I have to go there due to work duties several times each year, but I never had any time to take pictures, so the photomontages are on stock images.
But I can tell you Rome is a very special place. Each time I go there, even for a few hours for a meeting I feel elated, there's something in the air.

These are the dresses I sew for Valeria and Carla, they are now ready to see some wonderful places and meet interesting people......

Let me introduce you to Orso Maria. He and Carla are in front of the Coloseum, Orso Maria is one of the new guys and soon you shall see him in all his glory, all the girls here are crazy about him. He's wearing a black tailored suit (D&G style, at least that's what I was trying to do) and a piquet white shirt

Borgo Pio is a lovely neighborood on the outskirts of Vatican City

Beautiful redheads posing in front of Fontana di Trevi:

Valeria and Giacomo visiting the Caracalla's Thermae. Giacomo is wearing a nice blue sweater I made out of a sock, and a pair of simple jeans. So far I can tell you he is Samuele little brother. More about him soon!

And before leaving  Giacomo shows Valeria around Rome by night. This is Piazza di Spagna, the atmosphere is pure magic!

Don't know yet if this is going to be the first of a series, but it was real fun!!! Possibly the Redhead Connection should present the "grand tour of Italy": Cinqueterre, Florence, Rome and Venice, let's see if I can keep up with my sewing and photomontages and all the projects around here!!! Maybe a "yearly instalment" LOL....hope you'll be patient enough....

As it took me ages to prepare this, our soundtrack shall be: Morcheeba "Rome wasn't built in a Day"

See you soon
Kisses, Billa

Another Hairdo

The last two guys who got home are Enrico and Giacomo. I loved their screening, sculpt and hair colour but HATED their hairdos. In fact I decided to buy them only after I saw some pictures of them after restyling.

Take Giacomo, he has these gorgeous red hair and soft screening, but the original hairdo is....gastly.....

and how he is now, with a simple bob, he's soooo sweet!

Enrico had this awful oversized wave!!! Too ugly  to be looked at (IMHO)

now he looks just right, he has got something edwardian about him, right out of some Oscar Wilde play (I can picture him Bunburying in the country)

Well, my hairstyling is not perfect, but I'm really pleased!

PS. please IT, no more silly hairdos for guys.......

Well, maybe I did all this just to share this wonderful song by the Great Charlie Parker:

Another Hair Do - Charlie Parker