other kinds of cloth dolls – Izannah Walker Journal

This is one of the two soft sculpture dolls that I made in 1984. This photo is from a year or two ago, when I washed it before packing it away in the attic. It’s still in very good condition, considering how much it has been drug around and played with and all the times it has gone through the washing machine!

Do you remember the first doll you ever made? My first doll was actually twins! Two identical dolls made for my oldest two son’s first and third birthdays. I made them in February and March of 1984, from a pattern that my mother gave me. She had purchased the pattern ten years or so earlier, when my little sister was small, but had never gotten around to actually making a doll from it.

Almost life size and able to wear 6 month size baby clothes.

At the time I made the dolls we had just moved 6 weeks earlier, from Nebraska to Minnesota. My husband was traveling a lot, and after I got everything unpacked I worked on the dolls during nap times and at night, after the boys were in bed. Since the dolls were the same, Blair got to open his two weeks early, on Ian’s birthday in mid-March.

See the doll in the back corner of the crib? Even early in it’s life it was having hair raising adventures!

Made from polyester knit fabric, with fake fur hair, soft sculpture details and painted eyes. My doll making skills have improved a bit in 31 years, but I hope that the dolls I make now bring their owner as much joy, delight and fun as this doll did!!!

Later that same year I made my very first teddy bear, as a Christmas gift for my then 20 month old son. I remember frantically sewing away, trying to get the bear done around midnight on Christmas Eve… Somethings never change! 🙂

This is what my first teddy bear looks like today, 31 Christmases after I made him. Still looking out at the world with his embroidered, baby safe eyes, ready to play or snuggle up close for a nap ❤

These are the two dolls I designed for my how-to article in the Christmas issue of Early American Life. The issue has been mailed out to subscribers and is currently on newsstands. My prototype dolls have come back home from their photo shoot at the Early American Life offices and they’ll be listed for sale later today on my website. The dolls may be purchased via the secure checkout at ASweetRemembrance.com, or in the mean time you may call me at 860-355-5709 or send me a note via email at paula@asweetremembrance.com.