Gym Star Ballerina

For my daughter's birthday this year I surprised her with gymnastics and ballet outfits for her and matching outfits for her doll.  Two mornings she woke to find Daisy, who sleeps in my daughter's bed each night, dressed in a new outfit and her outfit was wrapped and waiting for her. 

The first morning was the day before her birthday party and a gymnastics party for a friend of hers so she got the gym outfit that day.  I have since modified the top to remove the tie and sewed it shut so that it now pulls over, is easier for her to put on herself and we don't have to worry about it getting caught on any gym equipment.

Patterns are: Burda 9914 view A (but shortened) and view C for the gym outfit and Butterick 6660 views A and F for the ballet outfit.  The doll outfits I made my own patterns for based on the larger patterns for my daughter.

Meet Toby and Daisy

Here is Toby and his big sister Daisy.

I enjoyed making them and every time I see the kids with them, which is daily, it makes me happy.

Waldorf Dolls

Last fall I made my first Waldorf Doll from a kit by Amy of Dancing Rain Dolls. I made a purple mermaid doll. A guaranteed hit as my daughter loves all things mermaid and all things purple.

The kit was a great way to make a first doll. Almost everything you need is included and step by step instructions. I found the instructions easy enough to follow and Amy was great at answering questions via email. It was easier than I expected and I'm very happy with the results. The most challenging part was teaching myself to crochet to make the cap for the hair. The pattern didn't have instructions for this. With the help of YouTube, I managed to firgure it out, but mohair is probably not the best material to learn to crochet with!

Ever since I finished, I've been wanting to make another, this time with legs. I am finally getting around to it and I am planning to make two. One for my daughter and one for my son. My son is almost a year and a half and is at that age were he loves to tote around 'his' baby. Luckily his big sister is tolerant and good at sharing but I think it is time for him to have a baby of his own.

This time, I decided to source the materials locally. I found some skin tone cotton knit at a fabric shop and stockinette from a medical supply store. I have some wool left in my stash, but will need to buy more soon. Christina of Bamboletta, makes beautiful dolls and recommends the romeny lamb wool from Birkeland Brothers Wool and Bear Dance Crafts for skin tone fabric and other supplies you can't find locally. Dancing Rain Dolls also sells supplies but the cost of shipping across the border to Canada is just too much.

I am going to design my own pattern as well. I plan to change the neck detail and try a different type of joint for the arms. My daughter didn't like the bulk of the button joint shoulders on the mermaid and she is now arm-less by request. The mermaid was played with and well loved through all stages of construction and my daughter wanted her returned to the pre-arm stage.

Here are a few links I have found.

http://crunchyparent.com/?p=118 a post with several links to resources, patterns, and tutorials

http://stardustshoes.blogspot.com/2009/04/baseball-stitch.html a tutorial for the hand stitching to close the stuff hole (a step I find challenging)

http://www.purlbee.com/hand-sewn-felt-dolls/ not Waldorf dolls, but a free pattern for some great handmade felt dolls

A few more links added May 5, 2009:

http://www.vimeo.com/3382618 crochet tutorial

http://starrysheep.com/crafty/?p=103 an alternate hair tutorial for a different style of wig