Like I Needed ANOTHER Hobby...!

I had seen Waldorf Dolls before, and I always thought they were cute, but I could never really understand the "mania" that surrounds them. One day I was looking at them and thought my girls would probably like to have one and that it would be a nice heirloom gift. I wanted something that would be their "baby" that they would love and take with them everywhere, then maybe some day they would put it on the shelf so they can show their little girl. The problem was that getting a handmade Waldorf Doll is pretty darn near impossible, even if you're willing to shell out the money for one! Just try going on Bamboletta's website and ordering a doll. It simply cannot be done. Other brands are equally as difficult to get, and there are some downright scary looking dolls on Etsy that are somehow selling.

That was when it dawned on me that I can just make them! And as soon as that thought came I was barraged with so many ideas that I couldn't even sleep that night. Outfits, hairdos, names...yes, Waldorf Doll mania hit me BIG TIME!

So I made my first doll. I wanted to name her Eve (for obvious reasons!) but my daughter flat out insisted that her name be Molly. I guess she does look more like a Molly anyway :P





My heart jumped a beat when she immediately picked Molly up and started playing with her. She proclaimed her as her very favorite - which is saying something! And hasn't let her go since.

Of course, when my younger daughter saw that her big sister had a dolly and she didn't the tears started. I knew I had better hurry up and finish my second or I was about to have a meltdown at my house! And so Maggie was born...


So I worked out a few kinks. Made a few more dolls. Tore them up and started over. And over. And over. Worked on my orders, but kept dreaming of dolls. That's when I decided to open the "Orphanage". I don't know how I'm going to work it, but for now I'm going to make a few dolls and some outfits for them, and then I'll probably list them on Facebook when I'm ready to sell them. If they don't sell on Facebook I'll list them on Etsy and see what happens!

Remember when we were kids and we all HAD to have a Cabbage Patch doll? I remember falling in love with mine - I loved their hair and the smell, but more than anything I loved their little buns and belly buttons! lol Waldorf dolls, generally speaking, do not have very many features. Their limbs purposely have little detail. I love Waldorf Dolls, but I can't rid myself of the magic of the Cabbage Patch dolls from my youth...so I took my favorite features of each and put them together in one doll! My dolls have little knee and elbow dimples, feet, and of course a belly button and little buttcheeks :-)

Hadley is my first orphan. She came to the orphanage after finding out that her parents got lost while climbing Mount Everest in search of the rare and endangered Himalayan Musk Deer. She has green eyes with bold curly red boucle mohair with streaks of blonde and hot pink. Quite the stunner!






So for those of you who ever wanted to know what goes into these dolls, I've taken pictures! Don't look if you are worried about it taking away the magic...

It starts with a ball of wool. To me, this is the most difficult part of the doll making process, since it has to be tightly rolled and your hands cramp like crazy. Kindly excuse my wreck of a sewing room - yes, it looks like I belong on Hoarding Buried Alive in there.



The making of the face


Getting skinned!




Sewing on the body - another not so easy part!




Believe it or not, this is me sewing on the legs!


Getting ready to sew on the hair


Giving her a 'do


All done!

Is it sad that this is my favorite part of the doll?



I have other dolls in the works...I won't be displaying them until they're all done, though! I need to work on my orders, but I think I'm going to have a busy (and fun!) Memorial Day weekend. I hope you all have the same!