Story: Stepping out of the box- Repaint, Eyelash rooting and Craft Outfit

As you can see, she's completely unpainted and without anything to wear. She's also missing her eyelashes, which I'll be adding later in the process. Her hair, however, is in surprisingly good condition, so I want to preserve it rather than change it too much. The plan for this makeover is simple. She will get a full face repaint, new rooted eyelashes, and a complete outfit made entirely by hand. I´m keeping sewing to a minimum and letting materials and textures do most of the work. 

This is where the transformation really begins because she's been faceless for months. Repainting her face is like giving her an identity. I build the face slowly, layer by layer.

 About halfway through the repaint, I root the new eyelashes. Adding them at this stage helped define her expression early on, even before the face is fully finished. 

The rest of the outfit is made from lace trim. I create a collar, a top and a skirt with very minimal sewing. The top is stitched in place while the skirt is gathered using elastic to create soft ruffles. It's a simple construction, but it adds a lot of movement and detail. 

Her hair is already very nice, so I keep the styling. I carefully combed some of the curls and put it up in a way that complements the outfit very close to the original styling. Sometimes preserving what already works is the best choice.

And here she is. The same doll that waited for so long without a face. Now fully complete. The foam clay coat, the lace details, the repaint, and the lashes all come together as one. This is why I love restorations and makeovers. Watching something unfinished become a whole.