I look back through photos and realize so much has happened…so many adventures into new crafts…
The Hitty doll craze hit me, full force, in February, while it was cold outside, but cozy in front of the fireplace …
and I had to have one.
The search began.
The research was intense.
I came upon Gail Wilson's website and was immediately smitten with her version.
Those were the sweetest cheeks I had ever seen on such a tiny doll.
I decided to try my hand at completing the kit…
and an even bigger decision, was to paint her myself…
AND make the clothes.
My skills were growing steadily, so it was time to push that envelope one more time..
Could I do it?
I would never know if I didn't try...
The kit arrived…
I carved out a little space to begin …
and collected some sewing notions.
There had been a tiny mishap with my order. The wrong head had been included in the kit. Nothing to do but begin on the clothes while waiting expectantly for the correct head to arrive by post….
I figured out how to make the lace Gail created, using only a needle and thread. I used a couple strands of pale pink DMC floss to trim the tiny petticoat…
I then trimmed the pantaloons, as well…
This little dress was a challenge in itself. I had never made a self-belt …much less, on this tiny scale…
so I was quite delighted to face and conquer that one.
You can see the muslin body pieces awaiting stuffing, extremities, and head. Also, the doll-sized carpet bag is one I made for Holly Hobbie…Anne Shirley look-alike…(that will be another post altogether:)
The next challenge for me was the placket in the back…I had never made one of those, either…
In all my sewing experience as a teenager, young bride and mommy, I had stuck to very simple, buttonless, placket-less patterns…(zippers were only on an as absolutely needed basis)
and….conquered… Whew!
Now for the painting…as the new head had finally arrived…
All these little pots of paints were included along with the very best instructions..
That wasn't too hard…
….and this part was going well, too…
…and then there was this "stage 2" for the cheeks…
I must've painted and repainted and painted over a few more times…tweaking and tweaking…
wanting to get those sweet little rose-y cheeks just like on that postcard…
I was finally happy with the results…
Now to attack the pieces and the parts…
Soooo so cozy in front of the fire…stitching away …watching this tiny bit of sweetness come to life…
In this month of February…
…the month that celebrated the birth of my 2nd child, a baby girl born 3 months early…
…29 years ago…
…and we named her Rachel Rose. The next morning, we would say goodbye and release her to a heavenly home.
This little Hitty doll would need a name. And as I had completed the final stitches on this very day, this 26th day of February, I thought this the perfect remembrance of my tiny baby girl. For she too, had a head full of chocolate brown hair and dark blue eyes...
….and I would've dressed her in tiny dresses with tiny pink roses…
My baby girl will always be in my heart and memory…
but it helps now, to have this tiny dolly to hold.
I don't suppose I'll ever grow to old for dolls and their tiny things…making pretty things for them to wear…finding just the right shade of ribbon for a bonnet…
…no…I don't think I ever will…
Because I'll always love movies like Pride and Prejudice…that will always cause me to venture to that period in time, when young ladies went to the milliner for a new chapeau…
If you are a doll lover, too…and feel you are all alone…fear not! Embrace that little girl, inside…
What a lovely escape from the frustrations and stress and conflict and worries of everyday grown-up life.
You are always welcome here, at Grammy's House…a cozy, quaint little Victorian Cottage in a Storybook Town.
Blessings,
Christie
The Hitty doll craze hit me, full force, in February, while it was cold outside, but cozy in front of the fireplace …
and I had to have one.
The search began.
The research was intense.
I came upon Gail Wilson's website and was immediately smitten with her version.
Those were the sweetest cheeks I had ever seen on such a tiny doll.
I decided to try my hand at completing the kit…
and an even bigger decision, was to paint her myself…
AND make the clothes.
My skills were growing steadily, so it was time to push that envelope one more time..
Could I do it?
I would never know if I didn't try...
The kit arrived…
I carved out a little space to begin …
and collected some sewing notions.
There had been a tiny mishap with my order. The wrong head had been included in the kit. Nothing to do but begin on the clothes while waiting expectantly for the correct head to arrive by post….
I figured out how to make the lace Gail created, using only a needle and thread. I used a couple strands of pale pink DMC floss to trim the tiny petticoat…
I then trimmed the pantaloons, as well…
I had been introduced to Liberty of London tana lawn fabric through Alicia Paulson on her blog
Posie Gets Cozy and her Etsy shoppe Rosy little things…so I had ordered a quarter of this sweet pink rose fabric (I don't recall the name of the design)
This little dress was a challenge in itself. I had never made a self-belt …much less, on this tiny scale…
so I was quite delighted to face and conquer that one.
You can see the muslin body pieces awaiting stuffing, extremities, and head. Also, the doll-sized carpet bag is one I made for Holly Hobbie…Anne Shirley look-alike…(that will be another post altogether:)
The next challenge for me was the placket in the back…I had never made one of those, either…
In all my sewing experience as a teenager, young bride and mommy, I had stuck to very simple, buttonless, placket-less patterns…(zippers were only on an as absolutely needed basis)
and….conquered… Whew!
Now for the painting…as the new head had finally arrived…
All these little pots of paints were included along with the very best instructions..
That wasn't too hard…
….and this part was going well, too…
…and then there was this "stage 2" for the cheeks…
I must've painted and repainted and painted over a few more times…tweaking and tweaking…
wanting to get those sweet little rose-y cheeks just like on that postcard…
I was finally happy with the results…
Now to attack the pieces and the parts…
Soooo so cozy in front of the fire…stitching away …watching this tiny bit of sweetness come to life…
In this month of February…
…the month that celebrated the birth of my 2nd child, a baby girl born 3 months early…
…29 years ago…
…on 2-26-85… weighing only 1 lb 11 ozs...
…and we named her Rachel Rose. The next morning, we would say goodbye and release her to a heavenly home.
This little Hitty doll would need a name. And as I had completed the final stitches on this very day, this 26th day of February, I thought this the perfect remembrance of my tiny baby girl. For she too, had a head full of chocolate brown hair and dark blue eyes...
….and I would've dressed her in tiny dresses with tiny pink roses…
My baby girl will always be in my heart and memory…
but it helps now, to have this tiny dolly to hold.
I don't suppose I'll ever grow to old for dolls and their tiny things…making pretty things for them to wear…finding just the right shade of ribbon for a bonnet…
…no…I don't think I ever will…
Because I'll always love movies like Pride and Prejudice…that will always cause me to venture to that period in time, when young ladies went to the milliner for a new chapeau…
If you are a doll lover, too…and feel you are all alone…fear not! Embrace that little girl, inside…
What a lovely escape from the frustrations and stress and conflict and worries of everyday grown-up life.
You are always welcome here, at Grammy's House…a cozy, quaint little Victorian Cottage in a Storybook Town.
Blessings,
Christie