Category: Soft Dolls and Art Toys

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Lucy has a new friend

It’s a big day for Lovely Lucy. She has a new little girlfriend to share her secrets with.

Meet Linda. Linda is very much like Lucy, only she is her own person, um, doll. She has quilted golden ponytails, and a candy-stripe dress of red and pink and green.

He stockings are deep red with white polka dots. Her bottom is weighted with Poly-Pellets so she can sit nicely. She is stuffed with poly-fil.

Linda’s outfit is decorated with ribbon trims, Rick Rack, and machine appliquéd fabric. I re-embroidered her trims by hand with embroidery floss. So, she is extra special.

Her gold boots are topped with striped ribbon and machine appliquéd fabric buttons. She has no loose or removable parts. Linda is meant to be displayed as art and she is also meant to be loved. I wanted her to be able to withstand some play, and so she is made of 100% cotton quilting fabrics and some rayon that I fused to an additional layer of cotton sheeting for durability. I prewashed her fabrics so they wouldn’t shrink later if she needs to be gently spot cleaned and set flat to air dry.

She is signed and dated below her hairline on the back of her neck.

Linda and Lucy are approximately 10 1/4 inches tall when seated, and approximately 18 1/2 inches long when lying down.

Many hours and a lot of work went into making Linda. She is meant to be of heirloom quality, and to be saved and cherished by a new friend, whether adult or child. She is a wonderful listener and she is very good at keeping secrets. She is also very patient and kind.

Linda will be visiting my other dolls and toys over on Etsy to see what they are up to soon.
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I made it to the Etsy front page! Yay!

During the presidential debate last night, my “Goodnight Irene” doll made it onto the Etsy front page!! This is my first time on the front page, as far as I know. I was so excited! Thanks again, Elena, for putting me in your treasury, and thanks Etsy!

And this morning, my “Lovely Lucy” was included in this adorable “Dolls for all!” treasury by Fraisebijoux on Etsy. Thanks, Nicky!

These things really make my day. I really do appreciate it so much when people compliment my work in this way. I have hard days, like everyone does, and the kindness lifts me up. Many thanks!

Gosh…I’d better finish those Lucy dolls that are waiting for me! I’m so pleased that people like them 🙂
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My Irene is on a treasury on Etsy

My “Goodnight Irene” doll is on a treasury called “You, Color Admirers” on Etsy. Thanks, Elena!

I’m prewashing my new fleece, along with some other fabric. It’s air drying on the porch right now. I’ve been making some more fleece slugs. My doll from yesterday is drying on my work table at the moment, and there is a lot of clutter to move from one surface to the next in order to do anything in there. That fleece is bulky and takes up a lot of space! So, I’m extra anxious to use it up.

I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by all my projects today. I like having a bunch going on at once, but that doesn’t mean my head doesn’t start spinning once in a while. I’m sure as soon as I see some more progress, I’ll feel better. On that note, I am off to sew.

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Fleece and priming the well

I bought a few quarter yard cuts of poly fleece over the weekend, to use for embellishment on some sock toys, but I woke up and thought, “What else can I make with that?” That seems to be common with people who sew. You buy fabric for a particular project, get it home, and immediately start to think of other uses for it.

I made this slug, of course…so cuddly and cute. I will probably keep doing this, making more and more. I’m tempted to make a pile. I know…I did say I was planning to paint. A couple of people have nudged me on this and I will. I will! 🙂 I took out my drawings and my reference materials. They are sitting on my work table right now.

I can’t say I might not push them aside, on and off, to sew though. I was thinking that Julia Cameron calls this sort of thing “priming the well”. You do simple, repetitive-type tasks that are meditative to unblock your creativity. I’ve recently begun rereading her book The Artist’s Way. In my case, it’s also called procrastination. Hah! I think I will try doing something on my paintings. I have a drawing I want to change a little. I’ll stick a toe in the water. What I don’t want to do is end up sitting for hours staring at my drawing, doing nothing, when I could be sewing and being productive. I want to get ready for the holiday season too.

I feel like I am on some sort of mad dash lately. I have a goal in mind. I think I see how to reach it and what I need to do. I feel like I did in high school when I was determined to get into “the best” schools. I got in. I’m not sure they were the best schools for me, but I did achieve my goal. Okay, well…I was eleventh on the waiting list for Harvard, which I withdrew to go to Yale….but c’mon, they make you choose one or the other in advance 😉 Anyway, I feel like that now, impatient and determined. I can even remember writing, ” I awake every morning with a sense of impatience,” in my college application essays.

I think it is important right now to “show up” and work on something each day, whatever that may turn out to be.