To ear or not to ear...

Or, "A Doll Just for Me"

Dolls, cloth dolls, significant dolls have been on my mind for many years. It seems it was seven years or more, starting with my ugly divorce, when I started thinking about making dolls, and not knowing how to go about it. During that time, I researched and joined several groups on the internet about women's spirtuality and soapmaking and any number of other things, but never even gave it a thought that there could be doll groups. Now I'm a member of a couple of online doll message boards, as well as a mixed media art board, and my beloved soap groups.

With all the waiting and dreaming and thinking of the kinds of dolls I wanted to make, you would think that they would all be just for me. It didn't take long, though, to get caught up in swaps, challenges, and other similar things, in which I was making to a purpose that was beyond something for myself (even though I've kept all of those, too!). So now, I'm working on this one...and she is only to satisfy myself.

Made from a Barbara Schoenoff pattern (Shar Lillia), she is, so far, constructed of a favorite piece of batik, will have blue hair, and has suggested from the beginning that her name is "Go Gently Starchild." Barbara's delightful pattern comes with ears...but I just can't decide if she needs them or not! The pic above shows the parts as they are now, with beaded joints, and hands that had to be sewn three times! Never have I had hands give me such fits, and it was just the way things were going for me, because the pattern is fine. It's a real treat to work a little here and a little there, and do this just for me.

Coming in the next few days...all the other DIPs and the altered fabric panel and the mess in my treehouse!