The gift of handmade love

Three years ago my good friend Bev asked me to make three Free Spirit dolls for her Grandgirls.  It was a fun project, and even now the girls still play with their Free Spirit dolls (which is the very highest complement a dollmaker can get!).

This year, Bev asked me to make some tops for the girl's Free Spirit dolls, that she could pair up with some skirts that she would make, to give them for Christmas.  Pictured above is the wonderful gift that Bev will give her Grandgirls this year.  The skirts are all separate, so they can be mixed and matched with the tops.  And then, Bev knit each doll a sweater/cap/mitten set! 

I love everything about this gift, and I wanted to share it with you.

 The Grandgirls Free Spirit dolls

If you are interested in making the mittens for your own dolls, the pattern is a freebie from the WEB's yarn site.  Here is a link:  doll size mittens

One last picture to share.   One of my little Bleue's went to live with Bev, and what a lucky little Bleue she is!  Bev has knit her several sweaters, caps, mittens, and the sweetest little bear muff.

 Bev's Bleue, little Beth Jane, with her snuggly knits made by Bev

Make some magic on Black Friday!

After I finish this blog post, I am going to fix myself a cup of coffee, get out my hooks, and make a little mouse (Neville the Nibbler) for one of my nephews for Christmas.   You can see him up in the left hand corner of the collage above; his pattern is under "Crochet an Outdoor Setting."  

Patterns for all of the dolls and toys pictured here are freely available on this blog.    Along the top are a mouse and turtle, a Free Spirit doll, a Crochet Bleuette, and a Basic Amigurumi Doll.  Next row is a Beagle from " Links to my Animal Patterns," and a Knit Waldorf Style Doll.  Next row is a Prairie Flower Cloth Doll and a Pocket Spirit with a simple bed made from a picture frame and wood turnings.  Along the bottom row is a Free Spirit, Mini Free Spirit, and Labrador puppy (around the Christmas tree), two Teacup Spirits, a Prairie Flower cloth doll, and a littler of Kitties.

You can find all the patterns by scrolling down the left sidebar, looking for the header, or a picture of the type of doll or toy you want to make.  Links to all of the patterns are listed there.

We can all make this Friday a creative Black Friday, and give the gift of handmade love.  It just takes a little time, and a little yarn.

However your day, have a good one!

UPDATE: Saturday 11/24/2012

Meet Neville, Ernie, and Trevor :-)

 My Black Friday Mice!

Delightful Cloth Dolls

Here is an enchanting book by Jill Hamor, filled with wonderful cloth dolls and toys.  I made Virginia about a year ago, testing Jill's pattern, which made up beautifully.  The doll has a baseball-style head, which was very popular back in the 40's and 50's, and gives a lovely shape to the face; she is 16 inches tall.  The instructions are easy to follow, and you can see the results; a perfect companion for any child.  You can find Jill's book at Amazon.

Jill's book has several patterns for both dolls and toys.  She has a simpler doll pattern, that is really dear, and a pattern for marionettes and topsy/turvey dolls.  For toys, there is a perfect Velveteen rabbit, a precious pony, and a sleepy puppy.  Something here for every child in your life (including yourself!).

Jill has a unique way of making hair for her dolls.  I've never tried it, but always loved the result she gets.  You can find Jill on her blog Bybido.  Check it out! 

Here is another great dollmaking book, available through Dover Publications, for a 14 inch storybook doll

I have to admit, I have not made a doll from this book, but the patterns look simple, and there are lots of pictures of the doll construction.  And, several color plates of finished dolls, like this:

 The author includes many accessories for this doll, including the sweet pets you see pictured here.  

So, come Black Friday, turn it into a White Friday and make the child in your life a handmade gift that they will cherish forever.

Simple knit jacket for Little Darling Jennifer

Jennifer has a new wig, thanks to my dear friend Tomi :-)  And she is sporting a new dress and knit jacket.  The pattern for the jacket is here:

Little Darling Knit Jacket

This is the simplest of knit pieces, just rectangles for the body of the jacket and the sleeves.  I used a mid weight sport yarn, so it worked up a bit bulky, like a jacket.  Use a slightly finer yarn and this would look more like a sweater.

Her dress is adapted from a crochet Bleuette design; you can find it here:

Simple Bleuette Dresses

 I added six rows to the bodice (it is worked side to side) for a better fit, and altered the armhole row accordingly.  The bodice is easy, and the dress makes up quickly with the fabric skirt.

Have a lovely day, and maybe consider making something special on Black Friday, and let the shopping mania pass you by this year :-)

A Little Darling

Sometimes, a doll just touches your heart and won't let go.  Dianna Effner's Little Darling dolls have done just that to me, and thanks to my dear friend Tomi, I have one I can call my own.

This doll is 13 inches tall, and has a beautifully proportioned and balanced body.  The faces capture the innocence and wonder of childhood.  Jennifer, my Little Darling, was painted by Helen Skinner.

And the other delightful thing about this doll is, she can wear many of the outfits already available on this blog!  

Here she is wearing a nightgown, bed jacket, T-shirt and jumper designed for the Prairie Flower cloth doll.

And here she is wearing undies, hankie dress, and crochet collar designed for Bleuette.

Look on the left sidebar for Crochet Bleuette and Prairie Flower Cloth Dolls for simple patterns you can make for your Little Darling.

Crochet Collars for Bleuette

A couple of crochet collars for your Bleuette, crochet Bleuette, or any other similarly sized 11 to 13 inch doll (think Kish Bethany or Effner Little Darlings!).

These collars are detachable, and button up the back.  They are made from size 10 crochet cotton using a size 6 steel hook.  They are an easy way to add a touch of old time elegance to any dress.

Bleuette detachable collars

Enjoy the crochet!

Knit Shawl by Lionbrand

Took a bit of a break from dollmaking to knit this lovely shawl.  The pattern is free on the Lionbrand site: it is the Rosy Glen shawl.  You need to register to access the patterns on their site, but this is free, and the patterns are well worth it.

The yarn for this shawl is Lionbrand Amazing, and it is!  It self-stripes beautifully and has a lovely halo.  The yarn is 53% wool/ 47% acrylic.  Blocking is important to achieve the stated size.  I wanted a shawl slightly larger, so worked an extra set of repeats.

Simple Bleuette fashions from hankies

A simple 12 inch square of fabric can become quite a wardrobe for your Bleuette or crochet Bleuette.  These three hankies on the left were turned into a simple pleated dress, panties, nightgown, and sundress.  Each one took less than an hour to complete, and the hankie does all the fashion work for you!

Here are the patterns:

Basic Pleated Hankie Dress  dress with the purple flowers

Simple Hankie Panties and Nightgown nightgown with red roses

Simple Hankie Sundress/Pinafore sundress with blue roses

I hope you enjoy making these sweet little outfits, and hunting for hankies to turn into Bleuette frocks :-)

A gift from Victoria

These two wonderful wigs for crochet Bleuette were made by Victoria DiPietro, a most talented dollmaker and generous friend.