Way back at the beginning of 2010 I did a Steiner doll making class. I finished the first doll fairly quickly, but stalled on the second one. It was partly because I missed the last class when we went on holiday. And partly because it was more complicated, with jointed limbs. But, really it was the hair. The hair terrified me. For the next two years the doll sat in a bag, naked, and with a blotchy semi-bald scalp. I finally pulled it out after we moved and finished stitching the first scalp-layer of hair on. And then it looked like this for a while:
Not very cute. So I finally decided enough was enough. I would finish this in time to give to Milla for Christmas (I had previously planned to give it to her for Christmas 2010 and 2011 and for her birthdays in 2011 and 2012). Since the hair was scaring me I knitted a cardigan instead. A mini-version of the Kina in some grey wool that's been hanging around. And then I made a dress, a modified version of this simple peasant dress, with a ruffle added to the bottom and bigger armholes (there are, I discovered, a LOT of doll-clothes-making resources on the internet. Some of them quite odd).
And then I bit the bullet and did the hair, with the help of this tutorial from Crafty Sheep. This is easier than the hand-stitched way that Carla, my doll-making teacher suggested, and while I love her ethos of making it all by hand I wasn't sure I had the time or patience to ever do it that way, so I was happy to find a quicker and simpler way to get the hair done. And finished is better than perfect, right? I can't believe that after putting finishing the hair off for so long it only took about an hour.
And I really enjoyed making the clothes. If Milla takes to her and likes dressing her I'll make some more. It seems like the perfect way to use up leftover bits of wool and fabric.
