Little update…

…on what I have been up to for the past month. It sure did pass fast and I haven’t posted any news during pretty long period of time.

Due to some minor health problems I had to take some time off from crocheting and staying away from PC. That resulted with brand new ideas I started to wort at so all this ended great and we will have many new things to work at pretty soon.

Before I show you and talk to you about my newest project, I would like to show you photos of few dolls I made for friends.

Little Strawberry Shortcake and Woody  you can see on the photo below are dolls I made for local friend. None of these patterns was mine. Had to make dolls in few days and didn’t have time to come up with pattern of my own. Instead, I used patterns from my pattern library. I have a huge collection of all different patterns from many famous and non famous designers. I think that each one of us, who is in this craft, has this “mania” of collecting patterns and making to do lists for our future projects. At least I do! I can tell you that this list, of what I would like to do and try, is huge. Unless I end up with something urgent to make (like these two little dolls) most of the time those patterns just sit and wait some better times (while I keep loading new ones on top of them).

Let me show you these two before I continue:

Both ended up cute and patterns I worked on were nice and easy as well.

For Strawberry Shortcake pattern I used Yolita Amigurumis pattern. Clicking on link provided will lead you to Yolita’s blog. From there you can go to her Facebook page. Feel free to contact her if you will have hard times finding Strawberry Shortcake pattern. She will be glad to help you.

Original pattern name is Rosita Fresita!

Woody I made following the pattern made by Siemprejosefina. This one is not free. You can find it on Etsy.

The thing I changed on both are the eyes. I painted eyes on both of these dolls. I also made hair on Strawberry Shortcake little bit different than from original pattern (but only because had different yarn, this one was lighter weight so had to improvise a little). 

Last month I got contacted by wonderful and so kind doll maker from France, her name is Arlette. She sent me mail asking for my BB dolls measurements. She creates dolls from textile and wanted to make BB couple but in same proportions as my original dolls. Instead of sending her measurements I made her two dolls (boy and girl) and send them so she could get to see them in real and make dolls based on visual experience, rather than working with plain numbers.

I really enjoyed working at those two dolls for her. I called them BB bros and they both ended up very happy and sweet. Arlette was pleased as well what made me even happier. To thank me she send me two of BB dolls but in textile. Oh my God, was I surprised and happy when I got the package!!!

I am not good in sewing and sewed dolls were always special treat and treasure for me. Love them even more than crocheted ones and receiving BB dolls in textile for me felt as Christmas! I have no words to express my gratitude and thankfulness to Arlette for taking her time to make these little ones for me. They are absolutely beautiful! Their names are> The Little Green Eyes Princess and The little Captain Red. Arlette made me this beautiful card (which I forgot to take photo and prepare for this post…) where she drew these two little dolls and wrote their name. She also sent me Sugar’n Cream yarns! I am bragging, I know…but it was such a beautiful gesture she made, and I still feel very thankful to her. Anyways, here is the photo of dolls I made for her and dolls she made for me.

 

By now I talked about and showed you the projects I finished. Now can tell you more of what I started to work on and what is going to show and share with you soon.

For a long time I wanted to to moveable joints and head crocheted doll. Sometimes I felt as the idea on how to make one was haunting me through the nights. Had many ideas by now, but never really started or tried to make one. The period while I had to stay away from hook and PC, I took time to give it deeper thinking on how I would make doll moveable.

There are many different ways. The best I saw so far was one Beth Webber came up with. I haven’t tried to follow the pattern on her moveable joints (and maybe I should have-would make my work much easier), but the whole idea of hers is the best I saw so far. You can find all details on her moveable joints and head dolls here:  http://byhookbyhand.blogspot.com/

it is link to her blog but on the left side bar of her blog you will find links to many different patterns, among which there are moveable joints, head…

Beth’s place is the best for all of you doll lovers. Not that you will find huge pattern sellection, but Beth’s work and enthusiasm will inspire you and your future work as well. I just love to visit her place there and spend some time. For me it feels as gaining energy from her blog, posts, patterns and work. She is great! We love you Beth! 🙂

So…my idea on making moveable joints!

The whole idea is making arms and legs first. Start them from bottom, work to top, and keep opened. Attach them to the body with buttons from the inner side of shoulders, hips and inside the  body.

Arms and legs to make from two pieces, connected them in elbows and knees with tiny crocheted additions on sides of the legs (sewed through lower leg or arm part) and make them moveable front-back. For the head I have different idea. Will try to crochet head in head. Small ball looking part that will be worked in addition to the body, will place inside the head (will crochet the head around the neck and around this little ball piece). Will talk about head and how this idea will work as soon as I start working on it. By now I have tried to make one arm to se how the elbow joint wil work and it is really working great.

That kept me going and continue with making legs (what I will show you in a little while). Both legs turned out great. Look at the photo. Legs look really good.

 Everything went as I planned. I crocheted both legs, left them opened on the top. Started the body and connected the hips to it with the buttons (as planned). The body started to work as an oval, and really was getting nice shape (don’t worry,made records of all I did so we will have the pattern 🙂 )

The hips or this attatchemt where I sewed the hips to the body felt little wobbly, and at first I thought it was becasue there was no stuffing, so I hurried to finish at least the half or two thirds of the body to be able to stuff and check if the wobbling will persist, and to my sadness it did. Stuffing didn’t help. Both legs are very moveable in hips and make doll look like a string one. Not good at all! Idea with the buttons will have to be dropped and changed with something else.

To keep the same shape of the legs and body I think will just try to cut the threads I used to sew the buttons and attach legs to the body, and instead of button attachment will use old method, sewing it from the inner thy sides, through the body and attaching both legs same time. This should work and keep legs stay closer to the body and move nicely and not wobble around like these.

So keep fingers crossed! I am going back to work and hope to get this moveable doll done by next week. Will keep you informed how it goes.

If you have any ideas that might help, please, feel free to drop a line here or on my mail. I am always happy to hear from you. 

Thank you for staying with me this time. Was a lot of bragging but sometimes girl needs to do that too 😉

 

Wishing you all happy end of this week and wonderful blessed weekend!

Love and hugs,

Vanja