A Christmas Waldorf Doll Finish

There doesn't seem to be anywhere near as much blogging these days and I keep wondering whether to bother, but I will for now ..... for the record at least. Really, I favour Instagram now, but anyways!!

I finally finished the Waldorf doll I started several months ago, but was awaiting for her clothing! I think I’m making a bit of progress with each doll I make, but still want to improve. I love the pink tights I’ve made for her, but can’t decide on the head wear ..... knitted headband or knitted bonnet (photos of both)?
Do you see her peeking through the stairs at the Christmas tree 😀

Happy Christmas everyone 🎄🎅🤶

Lucy - Waldorf Doll

I will get faster eventually at making Waldorf Dolls, but for now, they take me an age – there is so much involved!!!! And I still have plenty to learn, but I think this one is better than the last, so I must be getting there. 

Her dungarees are made from cotton velvet, lined with a Tilda cotton fabric ………. note to self: DO NOT sew with velvet again – it moves!!!! 😊

 

You’ll see in the first photo that she’s being very sensible and wearing her mask ….. sorry, just had to do it 😊

 

She loves her boots!!

I hope you're all happy and keeping well.

Getting there ................

Well, my next Waldorf style doll is finished, BUT she's a little bit bare at the moment!! and so needs something nice to wear. She's thinking she would like some velvet dungarees (see beautiful cotton velvet draped to protect her modesty 😉) - mind you, sewing velvet ……….. ?? enough said! She I may yet have a change of mind 😄
We have the time though ………….. did I mention I'm now retired??!!
She needs a name too!

I've recently celebrated turning 60 (hence retirement) and thought you might enjoy seeing some of the balloons my darling!! eldest nephew organised for me ……… he does love a laugh (at my expense). I think they're brilliant! The 'Hip Hip Replacement' is referring to the knee replacement I had about 18 months ago. You can't get knee, knee replacement, because clearly that wouldn't be funny, so 'Hip' was the next best thing. I keep on trying to explain to this 33-year old nephew that he too will, one day, become old and decrepit 😄

So, I hope everyone is managing to keep well and safe and enjoying plenty of crafty time.

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!

Waldorf Doll making

Just over a week ago, I attended a weekend Waldorf Doll Making workshop in Hereford! It was run and hosted by the very talented Ildiko of Waldorf Doll Shop. It was a very intensive 2 days ………….. and with ‘homework’ to be done on the Saturday evening too! That was to start crocheting the wig cap. Ildiko had us working hard, because there’s a lot to do to complete a doll in a weekend – she’s a very good and thorough teacher; and the ‘proof of the pudding’ is in the dolls we produced. And that didn’t include making the clothes either – they were already made for us. During the weekend, Ildiko also fed and watered us with plenty of delicious homemade food, biscuits and refreshments.

I’ve had a go at making a couple of Waldorf dolls over the last year, but with little success. It’s the head and face that’s the key – get that wrong and you’ll have a weird looking doll, so that’s what the majority of the workshop concentrates on. My interest in these dolls has been growing over the last couple of years – and at the same time, my interest in the teddy bears has been diminishing. The elephant I showed in the last post was the first bear I’d made in over 12 months and I didn’t particularly enjoy making it, so I see myself going down the Waldorf Doll route from now on so long as I can repeat the technique next time. I like that they’re made totally organically of all natural products, which is part of the Steiner principals. I also approve of the fact they are likely to be played with by children, which is why they are made so well. There are collectors out there too, but they are really designed to be played with.

Anyway, the little lady in green is the one I made - note, every bit is handmade! There were five of us making dolls and the next picture shows all the dolls together made by Sue, Alice, Manuela, Siobhan and me.

Now I don’t wish to offend anyone, but I just have to show you her cute little bum :0) 

If you're not familiar with Waldorf dolls, their origins are in the Steiner education system, although the original doll was of a much simpler design.