fern and sparkle (don't ask...)

Still obsessed with this book, I looked for what seemed to be the easiest larger doll and landed on the Tag-a-Long. She's made with flannel, which is so soft and delicious I will definitely be making more dolls from this material. I also used one of Bun's old baby dresses for the doll's dress. (Don't mind Fifi. She insisted on being in the picture...)

Bun and I had been reading Charlotte's Web as I made her, so she got dubbed Fern. Which I love. I'm really happy with how she turned out. Well...except for the ponytails. I think I placed them too high, so they kind of look like ears. ("Is she an elf," my mom asked?) And I apparently didn't quite construct them right as they are always flopping over. I'm thinking it might be best to cut them off all together and replace them with my beloved Princess Leia buns... But there are too many other new dolls to make before that happens.

But I'm still super happy with Fern. Mainly because of action like this. Whenever I see Bun playing with a doll (or anything) that I make, it makes me feel like I'm doing something right. Y'know?

Is there anything better?! Nope. 

Buoyed by my (partial) success with Fern, I ordered the PDF from Wee Wonderfuls for Kit, Chloe and Louise. This was my first time making a doll (or anything) with a gusset. I was afraid. Surely this wouldn't end well... but it did! It ended up fine. It ended with this cute little one named ...Sparkle. (I'm not sure where that one came from, but it kind of makes me long for the days of French girl names...)

Anyway, Sparkle was also my first attempt at yarn hair. I learned a lot with this first try. Like, don't let the yarn somehow get all tangled up into a gigantic mess before you even get the center part sewn. Yeah, things like that. And also, when you do sew that center part, make sure that it's, like, in the center. (Pay no attention to the lopsided buns.)

But I still love her. I even dressed her in another of Bun's old baby dresses - a little corduroy jumper - and stitched on some of the flowered details with a messy straight stitch. (Yes, I did save a lot of baby clothes.)

For the shoes, I went with yellowish felt for contrast with the dress. I also didn't have any matching thread so I went with a darker thread for contrast. It would seem that yellowish felt + darker thread = moccasins! I went with it and tied a few French knots to stand in for little beads.

All in all, success! In fact, I'm already eyeing several more projects from the book...

Speaking of eyes... I'm almost finished with the w.i.p. I'm just working on the eyes. Eyes are tough. What are you favorite ways to make eyes? Hopefully I'll have an update on the eyeless weenie soon...