Made Mermaiden

I finally got Hillary's book. It is so awesome -- of course I want to make every single doll in here. Maybe I will. I make Ruby a doll for her birthday every year and the first one that stood out for me was Margot, the topsy-turvey doll. Now, I'm prone to stressing out over complicated projects (not that any of these dolls are too complicated), so I thought I'd test the waters by making a back-up doll.

Mermaiden is one of the smallest and simplest dolls in the book, but it's also one of the cutest. This doll is really simple -- like, if you wake up in the morning and realize that you didn't get anything for an afternoon birthday party, you could probably whip one of these up.

I chose a pretty wacky colour combo, digging through my vintage scraps to find something that would work. I realize the hair is a little odd (and my freestyle quilting is a bit wonky wonk), but this is totally my style, so my kid is used to it. And if I don't finish Margot on time, I'm safe.

We Are Family

Ah, this post is painfully overdue. Every year, I make Ruby a doll for her birthday. If I weren't so lazy, I'd link back to them, but every year they've been a little bit different: Kate the Knitted Cat, the Wee Wonderful kitty, a Raggedy Ann-style rag doll, a Ruby doll and now, Amy Karol's Aunt ___ doll from Bend The Rules With Fabric. I've been meaning to make one of these ever since Amy first posted the idea on her blog a couple of years ago, but I think I really needed the template from the book to push me over the edge.

Aaron's sister Daniella lives in another city and we only get to see her a couple times a year. This fact would be made easier if she wasn't one of the most awesome aunties in the world. Ruby and Henry both love the stink out of her and it's painful that she's so far away. Hence, the Auntie Daniella doll. And, soon to be sent off in the post, for Daniella's birthday (which has also passed, I'm such a failure), Ruby and Henry dolls.


These were incredibly easy to make, the hardest part was going out to buy the printer-ready fabric sheets and hoofing over to my parents' house to print the photos (we're a laptop family and don't have a printer). Super easy, super cute and a little weird (I'm such a sucker for a floating head).


These were ridiculously hard to photograph because Henry would not keep his paws off of them. He was even kissing them, which is why there are some wet marks on the faces. He loves his Auntie 'Nella (as he, and no one else calls her). And I do too.

Raggedy

I had a really special moment with Ruby the night before her birthday. I don't usually put her to bed anymore, but Aaron was out with friends that night. She chose Goodnight Moon as her bedtime book, which thrilled me, because although we read it every single night from the time she was one and a half until she was three, we haven't picked it up in nearly a year. I read the sweet words to her (still pretty much by memory) and gave her a kiss. As I was tucking her in, she said "Mama, when I wake up, will I be four?" I smiled and said yes, and she smiled back and closed her eyes to go to sleep.

In the morning, she bounded into our room saying "Mama, Daddy, am I FOUR now?" "Am I a big kid now? Are my clothes still going to fit? Now that I'm four, I can watch spooky movies! But I still don't like mustard!" In Ruby's mind, mustard is a food for big kids and grown ups. But even at her now advanced age, she wants nothing to do with it.


As I've mentioned before, every year I make Ruby a doll for her birthday. It started with Kate, then the Wee Wonderfuls Put-Together Kitty, and last year the Ruby Doll (who has since been renamed Martha). This year I finally made the Rag Doll from Amy's Mailorder #8. She turned out exactly as a rag doll should -- completely wonky. My sewing machine stopped cooperating with me towards the end, and I'd procrastinated so long on finishing the doll, I didn't have time to try to figure out what was wrong, so I just kept chugging along. But, since it was a rag doll, I wasn't too worried.

As keeping with my crafty resolutions, I barely had to buy any supplies to put Raggedy together. The dress and pinafore fabric is from the vintage fabric sale I went to last year, and the hair was from the stack of fat quarters I bought ages ago to make my Wee Wonderful Olive and Archie dolls. The only thing I had to buy was the muslin for the doll's body, which I tea dyed (hence, learning a new skill!) so it would look a little more flesh-toned. I didn't dye the muslin for the bloomers, which are stark white.

I'm not too crazy about the face, but in general, I think this doll is awesome. And Ruby loves it. She asked me before her birthday if I was going to make her a doll and told me that she loves it when I make her things. So, even if I think it's a little wonky, the person who really matters thinks it's just perfect.

WIP: Rags To Riches

Every year I make Ruby a doll for her birthday. My little beauty is turning four in a few short weeks and doll #4 is well on her way. Ages ago I ordered Amy's mail order rag doll pattern with dreams of making a Raggedy Ann of my own. Well, I'm finally getting around to it, and I am beyond thrilled.

I made good progress on Miss Raggedy earlier this week, managing to tea dye my muslin (sooo much fun), make the body and the hair, legs, and almost finish off her little dress. So far I've loved making this project and I have high hopes for the finished result.

I haven't seen many of these guys during my travels on the Internets. Have any of you made this pattern? If so, speak up! I want to see!

Guys And Dolls

Ruby likes dolls. She always has. I've been discussing nature vs. nurture a lot with other parents lately and despite all the women's studies and gender psychology classes I took in university, since becoming a parent I'm definitely leaning towards nature these days. Not that it's in all girls' natures to be doll people, but it certainly is for my little gal.

I've been seeing a bit of a resurrection of the Fisher Price My Friend dolls on a few crafty blogs and Ruby gets to play with her Auntie Daniella's old My Friend Mandy doll. I love this doll -- I remember playing with one when I was a kid, but I don't remember if it belonged to me or a friend. Either way, Daniella was not a doll kind of girl, so this Mandy is in great shape having almost never have been played with until Ruby came along. And she has a great wardrobe too. I love her. Leena recently picked up some of these for Ruby, which she also likes, but I remain partial to Mandy.


And I did some cutting of fabric today for what will be my first quilt. Of course, it's the Easy Lap Quilt from Bend The Rules Sewing. I really want to take a quilting class to learn how to do more complicated quilts, but for now I'm happy to do a strip quilt with some cheap-o vintage fabric. Hooray!