Friday, August 24, 2012

Fun For Friday - My Favorite Dolls

Happy Friday!  Today I'm sharing a quilt that I made in 2002 and one of my favorite collections.

Dollies and Butter Cookies (the quilting looks like the cookies you eat off the top of your finger - Salerno butter cookies)



I hand quilted it and embroidered the faces and hair.
They all seem to have a different personality -




I'm so sorry, I don't know who to give pattern credit to :(

Here is my black dolly shelf in my sewing room


These dolls speak to me in a way that is hard to explain.  I think they are sweet and humble.  I love the Color Purple, and Toni Morrison's novels and Addy.  It must be a civil war connection somehow, but I really don't know.

Years ago I made a group of dolls like this one.  Aren't the braids a hoot?  I stained the fabric with coffee and tea and put it in the oven to make it look old.  I just made the dress without a formal pattern.



Here is another one I made in a doll workshop.   I think the teacher was quite surprised when I pulled out my black fabric.  I just love her.  She's an older girl.


I made the dress, apron and bloomers.  It was fun to dress her.  I painted on the boots and added the button.

Her face is painted and I added little gold hoop earrings, which are jewelry jump rings.   Her hair is black knee highs cut into strips that I braided.   It was a joy to make this girl.


I recently acquired a few new doll pattern books.
Who knows, a new one may be in my future.

Have a great weekend everyone and I hope you enjoy meeting my sweet dolls today.

34 comments:

Kimme said...

Your sweet dolls are gorgeous, as is the mini quilt :-) I love making dolls too just haven't made one in a few years. Love your new header.

Sherri Farley said...

The quilt is so sweet, and your dollies are adorable!!! Wonderful details.

Joanne Lendaro said...

great post, LOVE the dolls!!

Sujata Shah said...

You just made me want to start making dolls all over again!!!
They are so adorable! I love them all. The quilt is priceless. The dolls have personalities of their own. And the hair? Braids? Terrific!
Barb, you are an awesome, gifted soul. Have I said that before? OMG!!!

Heidi said...

wonderful quilts and awesome dolls. I love the older girl !

Pinkadot Quilts said...

The dolls are so sweet! Love the braided hair too.
Salerno Butter cookies......"Hey mom, what is it dear? I want a Salerno Butter Cookie!"
I can't remember what I did yesterday but I remember that jingle! Was this a Midwest thing? I don't remember them being here on the east coast.

Lee Prairie Designs said...

Oh my, Barb...love them all!

Thanks for sharing your adorable collection ...that poster bed is a treasure!!!

:) Carolyn

Anonymous said...

I used to make dolls and stuffed animals a lot. However, after my daughters grew up I stopped. I think you may have given me a kick in the "you know where" and inspired me to have another go at it. I absolutely adore the ones you shared today!!!

Nancy said...

The quilt is adorable, and I love all the little prints you used in the dresses. Dolls... what is it about soft, hand-made dolls?? Just love them. You might like the pattern in "Quilts on Safari" by Jenny Williamson/Pat Parker. They have a pattern for "Thandi", an African doll whose name means "beloved." I just made one and will put it on my blog soon. Also, check out Dollies Without Borders, a group that distributes dolls on missions to Haiti and African nations. You have a wonderful collection. Thanks for sharing it.

Janet said...

What a fabulous collection, I had a friend that made that same adorable quilt but I couldn't tell you the pattern sorry.

Lori said...

What a sweet collection!!

regan said...

Your quilt and dolls are so sweet! I've never been a doll person, but your older girl doll is lovely! Her arms and hands are so delicate, the dress and bloomers are so sweet.....I imagine her with a soft, quiet voice!

Quilting Corner said...

I absolutely love these dolls. Your quilt is fantastic. Any chance you could put the pattern on your blog for the quilt?

Chris said...

Lovely collection, Barb - I especially love the older girl. Thanks for sharing!

Maureen said...

Love the quilt and doll collection - as you say, sweet and humble. My daughter and I loved the American Girl books. I thought she might want Samantha because she shared the name or Felicity who also had red hair. No, she wanted Addy. I always loved Addy's bubble gum pink dress. She had the best story, too.
Somehow, there is honesty and wisdom in the older girl doll's face. Well done!

Janet said...

Love, love your new header picture! Your dolls are delightful - I especially like the last one :0)

VikiVictoria said...

Love your black doll quilts! I was thinking of asking you for the pattern but thought "I can figure out how to make it!"

Carol said...

Love your dolls...oh and that quilt...absolutely wonderful!

Judy in Michigan said...

What a great start to my day = the quilt and dolls are wonderful! Did you make a quilt a few years ago with dolls that had different dresses but they all had arms that went straight across (horizontal) - kind of primitive? I have a photo that I saved but now I can't remember whose blog it came from...seems like you. Anyway, thanks for showing us part of your doll collection.

Kyle said...

What a great collection. I especially like the older girl doll and all the detail. I enjoy your fun Fridays!

Kim said...

I love making dolls and giving them to my granddaughter, she gets a kick out of
playing with them and tucking them into strollers and cradles. She put her expensive American Girl dolls in the toy box and plays with my handmade ones.
Maybe I should collect some for myself!

Happy Sewing

Rachaeldaisy said...

OMGolly!! I love your header!! That's what I've been sewing all week.. pieced hexies!! You have the most wonderful collections, your dolls are so beautiful and your quilt is so sweet!! I love the happy doll with the groovy braids.

Linda in NC said...

Your dollies both quilted and stuffed are delightful. What is there about a rag doll that just speaks directly to the soul in such a satisfying way?

Rachaeldaisy said...

I keep coming back to stare at your header. It's so captivating!! I see different things every time I look. The Star with the presidents heads is wonderful, and the 3 tumbling blocks that create a star, the sweet birds...

Anonymous said...

I love your new header. Could you tell us the size of your hexagones?

I love your doll collections and that doll quilt; it is so beautiful.

Thanks,
cy from Canada

MARCIE said...

I love your little quilt! So cute and so well done! Wonderful dolls as well.

Nifty Quilts said...

Wow! These are all so great. Didn't know you made dolls TOO! You are one little beehive of creativity.

One Minnesota Quilter said...

Once again...love everything you have posted. Is your header a quilt that you have made? It's beautiful too!

Judy

Vivian said...

I adore the variety and charm of your doll collection. You're a lady of many talents.
Add another voice to the loud praise of your header. That quilt is wonderful! What size are the hexagons? They're another creative collection.

Françoise said...

Love your header

libbyquilter said...

what a sweet post this is~!!~
love the little quilt and i actually remember using some of the same fabrics that the dresses are made from back in my early quilting days. (may even be bits and pieces still in the scrap basket somewhere.) i was wondering the same thing as quilting corner; will you be posting the pattern?
i think your doll collection is charming too.
i never really liked the harder forms of dolls but who can resist a soft rag doll~!? i've made a few and hope to make more in the future. my daughter thinks they are so primitive that they're scary. maybe i need practice . . . i've recently subscribed to a primitive doll magazine that somerset studios prints. you know some of the dolls within those pages really are scarey~! but i still love them.
there is something about the process of creating a doll that sort of makes one feel a bit overcome by the specific 'personality' of each as it comes into being. almost a feeling of channeling i think.
when i try to explain this to my daughter she looks at me with wild eyes and says that she now understands just why the dolls i make are scarey.
i guess it does sound quite strange . . .
oh well. i still like creating them and i understand why you love your wonderful collection~!!~

:-)
libbyQ

Sue said...

Love your doll collection, and especially the quilt. I think the pattern is from the book Prairie People by Marji Hadley...one of my all-time favorite books. =)

Chris Jeffery said...

“These dolls speak to me in a way that is hard to explain.”--- Yeah, I get you. My daughter really loves her dolls so much. She really treats them as her friends, and I know that even if these dolls don’t talk to her, literally, they give my daughter that feeling of comfort and affluence like a true friend can offer. ;)

Raewyn said...

I love the quilt and also your dolls Barb. Lovely post.