Opening Shop

Facebook told me the other day that I made my first doll one year ago. That first doll was rather primitive, but I was determined to try to make one of the dolls that I imagine. After many trials and tests and pattern changes and samples and stitching and unstitching and stuffing and taking it back out again, I am pretty happy with the pattern I have and the dolls I’ve been making.

And as it was my one year dollmaking anniversary the other day, I celebrated by opening my own online shop.  I only added one doll, but it only takes one listing to be officially open, right?  I have a couple of other dolls in the works, and I thought it would be nice to list them all at once, but after working on one of them yesterday and today, I decided that I’d just list them for sale as I finish them for now.  It goes against traditional online selling advice (which says to list at least 10, or even 100 items right at the beginning), but sometimes traditional advice should be tossed to the wind, yes?

My oldest daughter, Cate, made a few suggestions as I worked, and I must say she is pure genius.  From using a natural color hair, to making a headband, to the challenge of making braids (when I made the Sister dolls for my granddaughters), this doll’s beauty owes much to her.  And without further ado, here is the newest lovely. Her hair is deep brown fabric, molded and folded and squished and stitched into place one stitch at a time.  Her braids are attached, but not sewn into place, so a little girl who enjoys playing with hair can remove the ribbon and rebraid as she’d like, even twisting the braids to the top of the head and tying them in place.  Her eyes are a gentle shade of greenish grey, and as such, she asked me to make her clothing that would make her eyes stand out.  (She’s a quiet little thing, but just a wee bit vain.)  Her cheeks are made of wool felt, stitched into rosy place with embroidery thread, and embroidery thread is also used to hand stitch her sweet little face.  Cotton fabric is used for her clothing. Her dress fastens in the back with velcro – no small buttons to come loose or frustrate little ones’ fingers.  Her drawers have an elastic waist and two little pintucks on the legs.  Her hooded cloak, is made of a deeper shade of green than her dress, and it allows her to wander through wood and meadow without disturbing other little creatures with her presence.  And she truly does love to be outside watching the goings on of plants growing and animals playing.  Her little pointed boots are the same shade of deep brown as her hair, and have a little ruffle on top to match her cloak.   Her removable headband matches her dress.  She is stuffed with pure, clean, naturally hypoallergenic sheep’s wool, which gives her a bit of weight, though she is perfectly light enough for the smallest little one to carry her.

As with all the other dolls I’ve made, this one was stitched by me in my own little home in the woods of Maine.  If you would like to give this doll a home, please visit my Etsy shop.

And if you haven’t seen enough, here are a few more portraits.