meet Coco and Kiki

Here she is! This is Coco. My first doll attempt. Obviously, not an exact match with the inspiration, but a doll nonetheless! And one that my little Bun was very happy with. I painted on her eyes and little heart mouth and made a very crude dress by essentially sewing a tube with arm holes. No hems, clearly, and then I threaded some yarn through the fabric to gather around the neck and waist.

For my second attempt, I tried to stay a little more true to the original. This time, I embroidered her "star" eyes and sewed on her little felt heart-shaped mouth. The pom-pom might be my favorite addition. Makes me want to figure out a way to incorporate pom-poms into my wardrobe...

 

I knit her a little shawl (a basic rectangle really) to keep her warm. Her name? Kiki, of course. 

Best of friends.

Next up... I give the Black Apple pattern a try...

Have you seen this?

This was the article that started it all. I was flipping through my copy of the February 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Living (which I am loving as of late by the way) and came across this article on Jess Brown and her super stylish rag dolls. 

I'm going to make one, I thought.

Nevermind that I didn't own a sewing machine or know how to use one. It didn't matter. I could picture it in my head. I was going to make one.

I studied the article. I Googled Jess Brown and then studied her website. I tracked down a local shop that carried her doll and studied them in person. They were so sweet and so original; I couldn't get them out of my mind. And those clothes! The Liberty dresses, the hand-knit stockings. I would figure it out.

I bought some muslin, a wool sweater from Goodwill for the hair, and my mom brought by some fabric quarters for the dress along with her 1970s sewing machine. She gave me a quick tutorial, and I sketched out a pattern.

I should say the real impetus behind the desire to create such a doll was my daughter. She was three, and wasn't getting any younger. If I wanted her to have handmade clothing/dolls/heirlooms from her mom, I would have to make them. Like, now.

So I did. I made one. I made her my interpretation of a Jess Brown doll. I'm happy to say, that was only the beginning...