I am still very much under the weather, but am pushing through and making active plans for a handmade holiday season. I have a couple of advent calendar ideas in the works, and I’m drawing up a list of things to make for Christmas.

As I sniffled and contemplated, I remembered that I used to make dolls. See her above? Her name is Colette. Here’s a close-up:

I created her about four years ago, and she was my first foray into doll-making. I didn’t use a pattern or anything and just winged the whole shabang. She measures about 12 inches in height, and she is still around, nestled in one of K’s toy baskets. I was so thrilled when she was done! I made many dolls and stuffed animals back then, and I had forgotten how creatively satisfying they are to stitch together. I even whipped up a K-inspired doll around the same time, complete with dress-up clothes.

There are a lot of purple outfits because it was a gift for a sweet little friend obsessed with the color purple at the time. And the little friend still has the doll, though the pigtails are worse for wear…

Hmmmm – I think I’ll have to rekindle the doll-maker in me and add at least one dress-up doll on the Christmas to-do list.