Doll design – cracked!
A good part of the last week has been spent tinkering away with my doll prototypes. Tinkering is a nice word for it really. It’s been more like CUT and HACK, RIP and CURSE. But I have finally made a doll that I can look at and think “yep, that’s where I was trying to get to.”
Here’s the final little sketch which I went from on Friday:
(I had to reconstruct it before I scanned it because it ended up being cut up as a pattern piece in the general frenzy).
And here she is:
All I wanted to make was something appealing, something easy and something that I could look at and see that I have left my mark on. Designing a new toy is not something I do very often. I don’t think I have done anything really new in years so it was pretty hard work for me. It was a completely creative pursuit but not entirely enjoyable.
Now I can play with the pattern – switching fabrics and giving her different hair… the fun stuff. I think I am going to change her legs a little and give her some feet, but apart from that it’s pretty much just trace and cut from now.
And just for fun, here’s the line up of rejects:
My main sources of inspiration in this project:
Rosa’s Ermelinda and Florinda (the reason I wanted to try dolls again in the first place), Fanja’s beautiful Lumi dolls, and everything Mimi’s ever made.
Thank you to the kind people who left really helpful and encouraging things in my comments or in emails last week. It helped a huge amount.
i love her dress!! can i have one of your rejects? the one with the red hair?
It’s an overwhelming response for the poor rejected red head – she is beautiful. Congratulations on persisting and finishing – your final is a treat.
She’s lovely! Does she have a name yet?
My daughter says it is wonderful, and I also think so!I was wondering if you’ll be selling some like these… please let me know.
She’s lovely!That is so funny, though- Mimi is a friend of my mother’s, and it was funny to see one of my favorite blogs link to her!
She’s so gorgeous Claire & the “dis” pile is pretty cute too.
She’s gorgeous! I also love the colours on the “reject” with the orange legs.
Just beautiful. Let’s compare “reject” piles some day – you’ll feel a whole lot better.
Oh she’s beautiful!
She’s wonderful! Perfectly friendly and fun. :-)I love the hair on the orange legged one too.
She’s very sweet, she looks like she has a secret!
She’s wonderful! I love her hair!
She’s great! I love her face – very Loobylu.I like the old style of doll too, though. Hope you’re not giving up on those!
On another note, here’s a photo of two of your prints (plus three others) I put up in my sewing room this morning. I think they look just fantastic. Thank you for selling them to me!http://www.flickr.com/photos/quiltingmick/2582046195/
CheersMichelle
She is gorgeous. I love her fuzzy wuzzy hair.
What a cute doll. I agree with Jodie – she looks like she has a secret just waiting to be told.
bravo!
She is so sweet and definitely has the distinct “Loobylu” look and appeal 🙂 I also really like the fabric you used on the ‘rejects’ and I think the one in the reddish hair is super sweet too.
Gosh, beautiful. I love the reject line up too.You are very inspiring for me.
Oh,she is so adorable! You’ve definitely left your mark. All of the hard work and cursing was worth it! Please please please don’t throw away your rejects, they’re super cute too! The hair and the dresses… Oh!
I think she’s super cute – and I see a couple in the rejects pile that I’d be proud to own, too……Those Lumi dolls are so freaking gorgeous – I think they are the pinnacle of doll design for me – I am so insanely jealous of them! Yum!
Looking forward to seeing the new ones in different outfits – the wee leggings! So cute!
Leah xxx
I am also all about the rejected orange-legged lass – but the finished product is ridiculously cute. Congratulations on what must have been a draining, but hopefully rewarding weekend. New ideas take time, but this one looks like it was worth waiting for!
She’s gorgeous. I like her very much!!
Shame I have boys….
my goodness – what fantastic sewing and equally inspiring was your pile orf rejects. Will your pattern be on sale?
So pretty! The doll is great. I also like the little chair she is sitting on.
I’m going to sound like a complete parrot, but she is GORGEOUS and I too love the red-head reject.
she’s beautiful! i adore her mischievious eyes and that little nose and the groovy striped dress! gigi
Aww, Claire, she is so wonderful!
She’s gorgeous. And by the way I love the red haired reject and apparently I’m not the only one who does, maybe a rejected giveaway? lol
Claire, this is perfect! What a lovely doll. I love the wool hair. Congratulations on the new design.
Shes so beautiful!I love the photo of the “line up of rejects”:)
I love the redheaded reject! WOWEE. Inspiring stuff all round!
She’s great… and it’s a shame to call the others rejects!!
I’m pretty fond of that redhead in the reject pile…Making a pattern for a soft toy is really frustrating and so time consuming, but you’ve done well. I can’t wait to see all the variations that come out of this simple rag doll.
Congratulations!! Love some of those reject colour combinations. Gotta luurve playing with colour and yummy textures!
I love her. 🙂 The discard pile has some really cute ones, too.I need to come up with a new doll design for my daughter who wants a doll “with hair I can braid!”
She’s adorable but I actually like the drawing better, as opposed to the finished doll, possibly because when I saw the drawing I assumed she had light hair. I think calico rag hair would be cute!
she looks beautiful, i just love her hair!
She’s very sweet! And very loobylu-ish. I need to figure out how to make dolly’s arms lay nicely like yours.Did you give her a name?
I love your doll. It makes me want to sew one up, and I have boys, so I guess I’d have to find a girl to give it to as a present.
She’s very, very cute…Makes me want to run to my sewing machine!
Great doll and don’t let the reject pile go to waste!! I am sure there are some more cute dolls in there somewhere!!
I love her, but your rejects pile is beautiful too!
Oh wow. She is wonderful! Unique and Oh-So-Very Loobylu!. Instantly with the eyes and legs it looks like something “Claire-Robertson” like. Congratulations on creating something new! … not an easy feat.
So cute! I especially like how you’ve done her hair. I’d love to see the version with feet too!Well done, Claire.
Hallo,She has a very very Loobylu style!
Super Cute. I love seeing the process for creating a new doll!
Very sweet and tres Loobylu. But the one in the reject pile with the red hair is adorable, can we see more of her?
i love the rejects too!And i super love the final doll.Because superloving is the best kind of love, dontcha think!
That doll is so cute, my daughters would go crazy for it!!! I just added you to my blog roll today. Thanks for the inspiration!
All of them are just precious!
Now you are encouraging me! I had great visions of a doll, that now sits headless and abandoned in my studio. I think I’ll give her a second chance. (I like the red legged reject!)
these dolls are amazing i want one1
She’s just perfect!
adorable!! thanks for including the description of the struggles to get to the finished doll… knowing others are courageously overcoming the obstacles is powerfully inspiring 🙂
i love your dolls..wish i had one of your rejects, they are beautiful..
she would look absolutely darling with little black shoes!
I love the little dolly! and she sits on a little Russian chair! how cute! do you have a russian baby?(I do thats why I asked)
just gorgeous. is that laura ashley fabric on her dress?
I love her! I think the pile of rejects is gorgeous,too. Don’t forget them.
Absolutely gorgeous!Your persistence (or what I’ve seen of it) is inspirational! And the dolls look amazing. 🙂
Very sweet – my elder daughter was very concerned about the prototypes “she isn’t going to throw them away is she mummy?”
Hi, I know this is an older post, but I was really impressed with the beauty of this doll. You have probably made heaps more since then…Happy making,Nina