Project Dolly

I finally have some of my creative urges back. Perhaps it is because I now have a wriggly 7 week old baby who is not a fan of being put down anywhere that I suddenly have a strong desire to paint, create and sew things?! I do love a challenge. Currently I'm painting and decorating Holly and Elijah's room when I have a spare few minutes and I've now thrown in another ball to juggle - customising Niema's 'Perfect Rag Doll' myself. I had seen a set of plain, 'blank canvas' dolls on Etsy which we just a doll shape with no face, hair, clothes etc but felt too scared at the concept of starting from (almost) scratch on something that HAD to be special - plus there were 10 of them and I wasn't looking for a new hobby. (I just may have changed my mind about that now and am likely to have 500 dolls in varying neon hair shades all around the house by the end of the month!?) 

In the process of the bedroom clear out Holly decided to part with lots of her teddys and cuddly toys. I was surprised she managed it but apparently 'approaching 10' is a VERY grown up age (and I think she is making way for a mobile phone and a tablet that she will NOT be getting - sorry Holly) 

In the charity bag pile lay her little nameless dolly. It was one Elijah and I picked up for her from Paperchase and had just unfortunately never become a very special friend. I like her...but she'd just not very 'magical' perhaps. So my choice was either to pack her off for charity collection and then order a special dolly from far away and for lots of pounds for Niema... or I could have a go at a bit of a makeover, some cosmetic surgery, a hair transplant and a new outfit? The second one please!! Yay!

She's half done. I'm loving sewing her new hair. I'm wondering if I'm a bad person - I work in self esteem and I'm sewing false eyelashes onto a doll and giving her long blonde hair?! It's not intentional at all... but I picked up a dirty blonde-brown that I couldn't find on any of the dolls for sale because its the colour I expect Niema's hair to be (based on mine and Holly's) and it just HAS to be long and hippy hair if she is to live in our house. Its just the style we do - low maintenance and often tangled. (Plus I'd just spent too much at Meadowhall and the blonder wool was £2 vs the first darker brown one was £4- doesn't make that much of a dent in my spend but every little helps?!) 

I'm trying to give her face more character. I think she missed out on being Holly's favorite because she maybe looks a bit TOO nice... maybe as though she doesn't ever have any interesting ideas or sneaky plans... and that will never do. It is very important for a little girl to have someone to blame a few mishaps on... is it not? None of those things could ever be blamed on a dolly with such a plain face. I would just not believe it was her doing.

So her cheeks are added, her eyelashes sewn on (there were none before), and the hair, which is half done is going to be lovely and thick and not like those dolls from the shops where they are bald if you take their bows out! I did google to find out how to do hair but it looked to complicated to read so I've made this up as we've gone along. I'm quite pleased with my method so I will write about it in another post in detail. 

Next stage is to unpick some of the mouth - she's too simple. I'm thinking of adding some eye colour and then we will find something special to make her a new outfit for the finishing touches! Am I too old to make one to keep for myself???