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Thursday, 20 February 2020

Clemie (I think!)


It’s only taken me getting on for 5 months to produce a follow-up Waldorf Style Doll. What with Christmas, a personal matter and work as usual getting in the way, it’s taken a while!




If you’ve already read the following text on Facebook recently, I apologise for not being original. 
So, here are some photos of my newest doll. She is made (I think her name is Clemie) from the same pattern we used at Ildiko’s workshop in September last year. That said, there are plenty of differences to the end result, which just proves the benefits of having a teacher on hand! I’m reasonably pleased with her, but she’s far from being as good as the original. And why is that? Here’s what I think:

1.     I used a different doll jersey (what I had in at the time)

2.     Her arms and legs, for some reason, are too skinny

3.     Her cheeks aren’t chubby enough and her forehead looks a bit too wide

4.     The shade of fabric is lighter that the original and next to the white hair, she looks a bit anaemic – a darker skin would have looked better!




5.     Having mentioned the hair though, that is the part I am really pleased with. I had a go at a crocheted wig using mohair yarn especially designed for doll hair. It’s called Wild Brushable Mohair. I found various tutorials showing the method of making them, but then you just have to work it out as you go along adjusting the ‘wig’ to your doll’s head. I then washed it gently (before sewing it on her head) and let it dry into the lovely curls you see in the picture. There is a downside to this type of doll wig though. As lovely as it looks with all those curls, it soon becomes quite matted when handled, so I can’t imagine it staying looking so nice after being loved, cuddled and played with by a child. Maybe, in time, I will discover a way of keeping those curls! For now though, as seen in the other pictures, I’ve re-styled her hair into little bunches in the hope they will stay in place easier than pretty curls – still quite cute though!




I hope you’ll enjoy my new journey along with me as I learn the process of making good quality Waldorf ‘style’ dolls!

3 comments:

  1. Nice to see you blogging again Julia! I am not on Facebook or Instagram (for now) so haven't been able to keep up with what you are up to. I think Clemie is wonderful! It is good that she is not like the original with her various proportions as we are not all the same! Have you stopped making teddies now that you are making the dolls? It is great to see your creations whatever they may be! x

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  2. Hi Simone, I do spend far more time on Facebook and Instagram now - blogging takes so much longer. I do need to get back to it though. Yes, it's going to be the dolls now. While I was still making the bears, I was starting to watch a few doll makers thinking how gorgeous they were, but also not believing I'd be able to make them. But, eventually about 18 months ago I started to have a go but with little success. Then I attended the workshop in September and now this is what I want to do. I prefer that they are designed for children to play with rather than for collectors (although there are doll collectors out there too). I shall be 60 in May and am retiring …… yay!!! Can't wait! Then I can focus on my crafts and attempt to turn it into a little bit of a business - I can try anyway. I'm going on another workshop in June too to get more experience from a professional.
    It's good to see you're still enjoying your crafts. As to your latest post, I prefer the one on the right - because the yellow lifts it.
    Hope all is well with you xxx

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  3. Hi Julia! Good luck with your upcoming retirement. I am sure you will be very busy! Thank you for the feedback regarding my question. I hope you enjoy the rest of the week. x

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