As some of you already might know, both my girls attended a Waldorf school when they were
young. One of the things which attracted us to this school system was their attention for an inviting ambiance and the use of natural materials.
When my eldest was four she was introduced to the famous Waldorf dolls
and wanted one for herself. Luckily a
doll makers course was starting soon after her discovery and there I learned how to
make all kind of different cloth dolls.
S was so happy with her "Rapunzel" and not
so long after that M got one for herself too.
Some years later (in the Fall of
2000) I got the idea to make one for myself. This was the kind of doll I always
wanted as a little girl: so soft and pliable. So I made my inner little girl a
doll and I named her “Saar” (Sarah). The adult part of me was delighted to
have a doll for myself to dress up and I started to make her a wardrobe of her
own. This has grown into a hobby of mine which I amuse myself with off and on. After several
months of abandonment I picked her up again, freshened up her face with
watercolor pencils and made her a knitted dress with crocheted shoes.
Since I
like to write about my crafts on this blog too, I thought it might be fun to share
this part of me as well
Wow, you are talented in the area of doll-making too! Sara is perfect - I much prefer simple, sweet and soft to hard and plastic (or porcelain). I'm thoroughly impressed!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Bev! Yes I prefer her ten times above a plastic one too :)
Deletewhat a little beauty, I'll bet you made the outfit and shoes too
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharyn and yes I did :D
DeleteWow. She looks great! I love seeing your crafts. You have so many talents. :)
ReplyDeleteI have never been crafty with sewing, I will always appreciate mom's skill with it. My mom made soft dolls for my sister and me (and our cousins too). And later when we had American Dolls, she would make clothes for them. One of the dresses was actually a smaller duplicate of a dress she had made for me. So my doll and I could match. ha ha ha.
Thank you so much!!!I would love to own an American doll too because there are so many patterns for her but unfortunately they are not easy to get here and sooo expensive!!!
DeleteWow, Ellen, this is wonderful. You are very talented (you can make dolls, knit, and crochet!???). This is such a healing practice, too, to nurture your inner child. I had a similar experience earlier in the year when Gabriel started baseball. I realized that I'd been unaware of how ravenous I was to reconnect with my own inner sense of innocent fun and joy. I love that you are doing this for yourself, and that it is a source of great pleasure for you!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Olivia!
DeleteYes Running around and playing games with your child is such a liberating experience. As a child I was mostly a quiet girl and dolls were always my favorite. First they were my children, then the barbies were having grown up adventures and then, when I was "too old" too play with them,I started making clothes for them
Yes, Ellen, your talents are impressive. We, too, used the Waldorf approach when my son was young. It was wonderful to collect all the beautiful playsilks and natural toys. I now have quite a collection of Ostheimer animals ;) Your doll is so sweet and I love that you've honored your own inner girl by making her something she would love.
ReplyDeleteHi hi You make my blush! My inner girl is quite happy at the moment.
DeleteIt was the entourage which drew us in but soon I learned how passionate the teachers were to educate my children without molding them into a "perfect student"
Thanks for sharing. You are a gifted artisan. I was never one for dolls but this crafted beauty would be a lifetime companion.
ReplyDeleteThank you Carolyn! Doll were always my thing and but now she is the only one I have
DeleteI've made a number of sweet waldorf dolls over the years. This doll is just lovely. Love her warm green outfit!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Linden. That means a lot to me to :)
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