It has been great instructing a group of local women in doll making. All live in Hawaii now but originate from Japan. My “wherever possible” crafting and finishing doll hair out and about has caught their eye and a few months later we gathered to let me teach them how to make a similar doll. It has been their interest and enthusiasm that made me take the direction into teaching this craft.
It has been a true blessing seeing their happiness over creating the doll and the future possibilities for their own crafting, parenting, and use of materialism is influenced in 5 weeks of gathering once a week for two hours.
I also enjoy hearing that the inspiration of these handmade dolls crosses borders and continents. Grandmas, cousins, and mothers alike are taking part in “completing” the doll. Going through old boxes of doll clothes or dusting off their sewing machine to contribute to clothing and mailing it to the new doll owner.
The internet is a beautiful thing when it comes to this. Relatives saw how wool roving became a beautiful doll 5 weeks later. I am inspired by the women I meet, their motivation, and determination.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
Ps. I have a few words and pictures of a previous doll workshop waiting as well. Its different and beautiful every time. I am very thankful to have been the one to introduce these mothers into a few of Steiners Philosophies and Waldof Doll Making.
I feel fortunate about the direction my sewing, doll making, and designing is going. We are inspiring each other. They with their determination and wonder about what they have created and I their teacher hopefully remembered for years.
One had to leave early so we will gather again for a group picture. The dolls are wearing simple clothing which I developed for the class. I am sharing the techniques on the blog in a few days. We brought along old shirts (mostly knit fabrics and wool) and made very simple clothing from simple hand drawn patterns.
I am offering a small wardrobe workshop soon but the simple clothing works great as an introduction to clothing for participants who have never sewed before.
Both dolls here are dressed in their “Windelpopo Simple Clothing” Dress and Tshirt and Pants combo.
Special clothing for this little doll was clothing that Mama kept from her premies birth. She weighed only about 2 lbs when she was born so we all drifted in memories when she dressed her doll in clothing that her own daughter wore while in the NICU.
