A little playtime

Since I sew for a 'living', it's not really a hobby anymore. I still like to do other crafts from time to time but don't usually have much time for it. Recently, though, a couple friends jokingly challenged me to try making a Waldorf inspired doll (there was an ulterior motive to their challenge but that's OK LOL). I hadn't done much looking at soft dolls since my daughter hasn't shown much interest in dolls in general. However, I thought it might be fun to see what I could do with what I had on hand.

First I looked online at tutorials and websites, like Bamboletta, for dolls like I had in mind. I realized that I wouldn't be able to stay totally true to the ideals of this style in that I'd be using polyester batting for the stuffing (wool is the preferred choice for these dolls) and my selection of knit and yarn colors tended toward the bright rather than skin tones but I was excited by the idea of trying. My first head was OK but not what I had hoped to achieve. The facial features were small and the 'hair' shed a lot of fluff with the slightest movement. Still, I thought it showed promise. Best of all, my daughter seemed very interested in what I'd made.

The next head was much better all around. She still doesn't have much of a chin but otherwise I felt like this might actually be something I'd enjoy doing. The next step is to create a body. I'm debating trying to draft my own pattern for that or purchasing one like the ebooks I found at Dancing Rain Dolls. I had been thinking of making her into a fairy but now that she's got hair, I think she might need to be a mermaid.