About me, about Moths
Author
My name is Ekaterina Semenenko, also known as Semechka, and I’m the sole force behind the Semechka Workshop brand.
Though I’ve always been creative, my original ambition was to become an IT engineer, not an artist. However, my hyper-responsibility led to health issues, prompting me to pivot from my major to pursue my hobby.
I’ve been working with polymer clay since 2014 and began crafting moth dolls in 2018. I pour my love into each creation, striving to make every moth more exquisite and of higher quality than the last.
Like everyone, I face frustrations, but reading your feedback warms my heart. Your happiness brings me joy, and I’m grateful for your support.
I crafted my first moth plush impulsively, unaware of its future impact on my work. Embedding a magnet was a natural step, essential for its car-friendly design that required a secure attachment. Despite initial imperfections, the creative process was immensely enjoyable.
Orders started flowing in soon after, but I accepted them only once confident in my dolls’ quality. It wasn’t until a year later that I officially launched my moth plush dolls, receiving an incredible response.
Today, I create around 30 unique dolls annually, each meticulously crafted with attention to detail. The journey from that experimental creation to establishing this site has been immensely fulfilling. I’m thrilled to continue sharing my passion for moths with collectors and enthusiasts worldwide.
Moths matter!
The way I do it
Each moth is created by me by hand from Cernit polymer clay. It is stronger and more durable than other clays, which allows me to make the wings of the moths thin. They are slightly flexible in normal condition and become more flexible when heated but are not brittle.
For most wings, I combine polymer clay of varying colors into blocks with a design that runs the entire length of the block. Then I cut it into thin slices and combine them into a large design layer, from which I cut out each wing. Other wings are made in applique and gradient techniques in polymer clay.
It would be much faster and easier to work with paints, but it is impossible to make them stable for long, whereas clay doesn’t burn in the sun and feels great in water.
The bodies of the moths are not stuffed but on bases of felted sintepon, to each of which I sew a magnet. The eyes are also made of polymer clay, planted on pins, and then sewn. They are the only ones colored with shimmering pigment and varnished.
The legs of the moths have a steel wire core and can be bent slightly. I sew them tightly to the body of the moth, forming a joint that allows you to change their position.
The process of creating a moth can be broken down into the following stages:
- forming the base and attaching a magnet
- sewing faux fur components
- sculpting wings, legs, and eyes
- multiple baking sessions
- sanding
- drilling
- fashioning antennae from decorative feathers
- assembling all parts of the moth
- trimming fur
- gluing seams
- treating fur and clay sections with alcohol
When creating new moths, my process begins with sourcing fur of the appropriate color, quality, and pile length from the market.
Next, I meticulously sketch out patterns for the body and wings. I check the patterns during the process, and if the result doesn’t satisfy me, I try other variations. This iterative phase of the process can be quite time-consuming.
I am always looking for new technical solutions to make the dolls more reliable. It’s very exciting!
