In progress: Eartha Kitt Catwoman

Life happens.
That’s why this doll is going to take two weeks instead of one.

Let’s do this!

This is our inspiration:

That’s Eartha Goddamned Kitt and we were blessed to have her in this world.

She sang, moved, acted, and spoke truth to power in four languages.

She sizzled.

She was a goddamned parade of energy packed into a 5’4” frame.

She was iconic.

She was so unapologetically loud that she literally left this world screaming.

I set out to make Eartha as Catwoman from the Batman tv series.

Eartha, as I said, was iconic and I can’t think of another comicbook character who has as many successful and iconic costume variations and interpretations as Catwoman has.

Body and Face

Eartha had cheekbones for days if not decades.

In my stash I had a Monster High Robecca Steam head that I’d experimentally carved and sanded the bolts off of.

I wasn’t going to use a classic Monster High body though because those all felt too long/tall for Eartha. The new line of bodies, while more curvy, tend to be more hip-heavy than she was. I went online to see if I could find a better body in a similar color.

I found Uma.

I’ve been generally happy with the articulation of Descendants dolls as base bodies. I used one with a Disney Anna face for my last Mini Me

I got lucky, the color match was very close.

The Descendants doll neck pegs are shorter than MH dolls and aren’t anchored in place in the neck the same way. As such, the neck pegs on Descendants dolls sometimes pop out of the neck when you remove the head. Mine did and wouldn’t go back in place.

I liberated a neck peg from a MH doll and inserted a wire into the neck to anchor it in place.

In a perfect world I would have slowed down to take pictures of all this. It’s not a perfect world and I’ll try and do better in the future.

Hair!

I rooted her head with some brown VOLKS hair I had. I also had black hair but the brown looked like a natural black on the head while black looked too black.

Because the last time I rooted a doll I stuffed too many hair strands in each hole, I was very careful in not over-stuffing.

I’ll get into Catwoman’s hair more in my second post. It’s a combination of a bumpit, an impossibly thick braid, and a top ponytail that also contains the cat ears. It’s wild.

Outfit!

I had the Requiem Arts Designs Super Stretch Doll Clothes sewing pattern for Petite Slimline girls and boys in my collection

And after a few drafts I had it

Where we’re going, we’re gonna need accessories!

I wasn’t going to be able to sculpt super tiny jewelry fixings or the small medalion with a lions head. I also don’t have 3-d drafting/printing skills. Nor do I want to go over two weeks on a one week self-challenge.

It was time to interpret the vibe of the necklace and belt. Sequins in my stash AND flattened filigree bead-caps would have to do. If I had more in-store selection or time I would have had a range of smaller sizes….but we make do.

Shoes!

I had one pair of Descendants shoes in my stash. They didn’t have the right sole or heel but they were close.

VIBES. We’re going for VIBES.

I removed some details with an xacto-blade, sanded the shoes, primed them, and then repainted them.

The hands, which came with fingerless gloves, posed an issue as well.
I’d debated painting them a solid black or making just the fingerless gloves black..but them I started cutting and sanding

These will take a while before they look good again. I hope it works.

Mask, ears, and hairdo!

I’m currently dog-sitting and home-sitting for my workplace manager while he and his wife are in the Philippines. I don’t have all my supplies near me so that also has slowed me down.

Yesterday, on a visit home between work and doggies, I slathered the Robecca Steam face with vaseline to act as a release and tried to sculpt her mask with black Apoxie Sculpt. I don’t know if it will work or if I’ll need to make it out of fabric.

With the left over Apoxie sculpt I made cat ears

I plan to head home and do more work on her today. Hopefully we can wrap this all up before Sunday!

Fun fact: I’d planned to carefully log time and resources used in making this project. That time log? Forgotten due to LIFE.

I’ll need to try again. I’ve been on a “willpower alone isn’t enough” kick so I know I need to figure out ways to occasionally remind myself to do it.