Category: Handmade dolls

Goodness

I admit that I have felt so weary of winter lately, but this crocus was a hopeful sign this afternoon when we stepped out for a walk.

Our new neighbors were awake this morning when I opened my kitchen blinds at 6:45 am. They made no effort to hide their morning routine framed by their vast uncovered windows. I find it comforting to see serenity and life in that house, at last.

I had an anonymous friend send me gifts throughout 2021. She mailed me themed monthly gifts, anniversary and birthday gifts, and basically overwhelmed me with generosity. She made a difficult year easier. As I read her final card to me, revealing who she was and why she did this kind thing, she told me about another gift she had given. Every day of 2021, she had prayed for me by name, which really means a lot to me. Last night she gave me a last array of gifts, not via mail, but in person: my favorite candies and a gift card to my favorite restaurant. I gave her the handmade doll I had wrapped and waiting in the closet for the day when we would meet. Goodness, so much goodness.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

I put photos of my 2021 dolls in my little album this week. I am learning new skill in creating personalities in the features. Which doll face or mood matches your hopes for 2022? “Resolute,” as President Nelson said to be? Hopeful and curious? Calm and full of faith? Or maybe cautiously optimistic?

I think I relate to the expression on the blue haired doll. I feel ambivalent about the New Year, blank about the coming months, but maybe a little relieved 2021 is a closed book. I can resolve to keep an open mind to what is ahead and find joy in it, but I would really welcome an easier road for a little while. I feel quieted by the things I need to fix in my life, but I know to whom I can go for help, and I have a plan.

Merry merry

There are things we do to mark the days leading up to Christmas. We have a few Advent calendars, and the little house Advent on my windowsill is one of my favorite new things. There are concerts and the annual trip to Temple Square. My hands have handled many Christmas cards and neighbor gifts, given and received. Most years, I embroider a doll or two for people who are grieving. I made some extras this year since 2021 has been rough for so many people. Today, the husband of someone I gave a doll to this week stopped me and thanked me for the comfort it gave to him. Who knew?!

I received a beautiful gift basket that I wouldn’t let my family open for days because I thought it was so pretty. A week went by, and I finally got around to unpacking the gift. In the bottom of the box, beneath some paper and wrapping was a silver ring with a “T.” I knew this was not intended for me, and tried to find the owner. I was successful, and the woman quickly came over to get her ring that she lost while assembling the box. The ring had the initial of her son who is serving a mission, and she prayed that she would find it. Another tender mercy for a missionary mom.

I might need a “T” ring myself.

My hands have been busy with other things, and today I am only writing as long as I have to wait for Mark to come out of a meeting. Oh, here he is. Merry merry Christmas, my friends.

Finished!

Well, this one is ready. 🎄🎁🤶 I didn’t know I loved her until the last stitch. Sometimes that’s how it works. I had some adventures with this face, including spraying what I thought was water on it, only to learn that someone had replaced the water in the spray bottle with car cleaning solution. Later, I replaced an entire eye because it was smaller than the other. This doll is a survivor.

Doll Work 7

Someone had her hair styled this weekend. Happy day, I have moved through my creative slump. I’m setting up my doll factory for Christmas and I have a few more dolls planned.

This is the doll I was making for the blog tutorials in early 2021. To see the tutorial posts, you can click here. I made changes to the hairline on the back of the head before I created this twist and fold hairstyle. She’s come a long way.

UFOs

Here are some sound effects to play in the background as we take a scroll through some of my UFOs (UnFinished Objects).

page 667/798
This is really hard to read on the Kindle. I think I will get a physical copy to finish it.
and some more books
This will be a quilt someday.
I need someone to hold my hand on this next step of family history research. I need to find the right person, and hopefully they can read Finnish.
It has been too tender a year to work on this.
The front porch flower container broke, so I need to transplant some flowers to a new pot.
This is a project for my embroidery machine for my mom’s craft room.
This is my souvenir from Oregon. I am getting close.

not pictured:

Tim’s missionary list

It doesn’t bother me to have some unfinished things. It just means that good times are ahead as I finish them. The priority is all of the mission stuff for a while.

Doll work 6

I have made some progress on the doll I started in February.
This is the back of the head. I line up pins in a row where I want the part to be and wrap yarn around each pin, then and around a stick. The stitches you see on the right are the anchor stitches for all the facial embroidery. When I do the other half of the hair on the back of the head, they won’t show at all. Also, ignore the needle in this picture. I’m just using the head as a pin cushion.
I use upholstery thread to sew each loop of hair down, followed by a tack stitch to keep it in place. (By tack stitch, I mean a small stitch right beside the stitch that I have already made through the loop of yarn. This keeps the thread from coming undone.)
Here is a closeup of the stitch I make through the loop of yarn, just without the pin in the way. I am actually repeating what I have already done for the picture. I don’t normally do two stitches through the loop of yarn.

A friend passed away before I could finish this doll for her. So, I really don’t who needs it, nor do I have a great plan for the hair. It will probably be two ponytails or braids. I placed the hairline back from her face to allow for bangs, but I could always add more long hair in front of I decide against them. My observations about yarn are that woolen yarns seem prettier to me, and the thicker the yarn, the less work to fill the head with hair. I have used all kinds of yarn, thin and thick, acrylic, pure wool, and woolen blends, and I actually have a very pale blue yarn waiting for my next doll.

The thing that takes the most time, at least for me, is the decision making. We’ll see what develops. Somehow, even though this doll represents a missed opportunity and the loss of a friend, she smiles at me, and I know it’s okay that I didn’t finish in time.

To see earlier progress on the doll, here are links to the posts.

Doll work 5

Doll work 4

Doll work 3

Doll work 2

Doll work 1

Doll Work 5

There is something I need to fix, but her face is almost the way I like it. I love how her smile turned out. The next step is hair, and I will take some pictures of that process. I think the hair is the biggest hurdle. The trick for me is not to think too much and get trapped in a planning loop. It really just takes some courage to BEGIN.

I finished a really good book this week called Gideon’s Trumpet by Anthony Lewis, which is about the journey toward the right to counsel. It’s only the second book I have ever read about the Supreme Court, and you know what, I loved them both. The other was called The Great Dissent: How Oliver Wendell Holmes Changed His Mind and changed the History of Free Speech in America by Thomas Healy.

Law literature and facial features. These are just two parts of the odd mix knocking around in my head.

Doll work 4

I’m trying a different outfit and have more progress on the face to show today.

The book that I used to learn how to make dolls is called Storybook Toys by Jill Hamor and it is gorgeous and thorough. The embroidery stitches that I use for the face are very basic, the backstitch and satin stitch, and sometimes a French knot for a shine on the eyes. I will use several shades of blue and gray and flecks of gold for the eyes. Right now I have the base shade of one eye finished. Every thread is anchored on the back of the head with tack stitches as I showed you before.

My week will be spent at home, stitching a doll, reading a book about a Supreme Court case, editing more stories for my dad, and cleaning out a bedroom. I will post more progress on the doll when I can. I am still reading more than anything else… good job, me. I wish you the very best week. Let’s hope that you can do something that feeds your soul between the mundane and stressful things.