Fall/Winter plans for the doll company

With Halloween almost upon us, the holidays are fast-approaching.  I have some exciting plans in the works. 
I will be vending at the Go West Holiday show on December 10th.  I will also be displaying/selling some dolls at the University City Arts League holiday show.  If you are interested in making you own doll, I will be teaching a class at Cloth and Bobbin in Narberth on November 29th and December 6. So there are plenty of ways to get a doll under the Christmas tree or menorah this year. 

Please remember that I am happy to take custom orders.  Currently my turn-around time is about 3 weeks, but my mother-in-law is here this whole week, so I have big plans for getting some doll bodies sewn up to keep in reserve.  I'm hoping I'll be able to reduce turn-around time to about 1 week.

Finally, I was thrilled to be reviewed on Facebook on this page.  You have to scroll down a bit to find it, and it spawned a discussion that wasn't 100% complimentary, but hey that's what publicity gets you, right?  If you have a doll from me, please feel free to add your thoughts to the discussion.

Go West

Just a quick recap of Go West.

The weather was chilly.  The crafts were awesome.  I wore a skein of my friend Lisa's beautiful hand-spun yarn around my neck for warmth.

I had fun setting up the booth and I think I learn a lot each time about what works and what doesn't.  For example, I had bought doll stands so the dolls could be standing up, but people really want to pick them up and handle then and the stands seemed to inhibit that a little.  Especially for the kids.  About half way through the show, I moved some of the dolls to sit on the edge of the table where kids could reach them and that worked a lot better.

I didn't leave empty-handed as I did the last time, so I've been gradually putting some of the dolls onto my Etsy site.

I signed up for the Go West Holiday show yesterday, and I am also happy to take custom orders for the holidays.

Off to do some sewing...

Abbie

Abbie is on Etsy, along with a few of her friends!  Please visit the Etsy shop to learn more about her.

Stay tuned for an update from Go West plus some ideas I have in store for the holidays...

Elsa and Rose

It's a cloudy, rainy day in Philadelphia so it was hard to get a good picture of these two lovely ladies, but they are so excited about the craft fair tomorrow and they really wanted to be on the blog.

Elsa is an adventurous spirit, always game for any undertaking.  She loves dogs, snow and going for bike rides.  She's excited for the cooler weather because her favorite thing is jumping in leaf piles.

Rose is a calm and collected.  She likes having stories read to her and she can always be counted on for a hug when someone is feeling down.

It looks like the weather forecast for tomorrow is improving.  Hopefully it will be a beautiful fall day and you will be able to meet some of these folks in person. 

Hope to see you there!

Sarah

Sarah has a reputation for being reliable.  She always shows up on time.  She doesn't forgets her purse or loses one of her shoes, like so many other dolls do.

If she promises she'll bake you cookies, then you can go ahead and pour the milk, because she will do it, come hell or high water.

Adrian is fond of Sarah but don't worry, he knows that she's going to Go West to find a new home.  He is hoping for a new doll of his own for Christmas.

Esme and Phoebe

Esme (polka dot dress) and Phoebe (flower dress) are best friends.  They love having tea parties, riding bikes in the alley and building forts in the yard.

Phoebe loves Esme because Esme is brave, outgoing and trustworthy.  Esme loves Phoebe because she is kind, curious and full of ideas for what to play next.

Meet Esme and Phoebe at the Go West Craft Fest on September 29th.

Carmen

Will also be attending Go West

Meet Martin

 Martin's favorite place is the beach.  He is a little shy, but once he warms up, he is a loyal friend.

He is wearing a hand-knit sweater, long-sleeved shirt, flannel pants and maroon wool shoes. 

Because he keeps his hair extra neat, he would be a suitable companion for even a very young child.

Meet Martin in person, where he will be available for 'adoption' at the Go West Craft Fest on September 29.

Go West Summer 2012

Just wanted to share that I will be vending at the Go West Craft Fest on September 29th.  This show was really fun last spring with great music and food and crafts plus a performance from a really awesome circus.  It was perfect for both kids and adults.

This summer should be even better with the Lil' Pop Shop and Jay Sand coming scheduled to be there plus a return of the circus and even more vendors than last year.  In the next few weeks, I'll be previewing on the blog some of the things that I will have for sale at the show.

Some more dolls to look at

A fairy for a good cause

Clearly, I need to work on my photography.  Here is a wingless fairy (a nymph perhaps?) who(m?) I made to donate to an auction.

One of my friends and co-workers organizes an annual 'Day of Craft" where a group of crafty gals get together in a beautiful historic house and spend the day crafting, eating and catching up with each other.  This ranks high on my list of favorite days of the year.

As part of the fun she arranges some kind of charitable project and this time it was an auction of hand-crafted items to benefit the in-patient psych unit of a local hospital.  This doll was my contribution to the auction.

Lisa (the craft day organizer) spun the yarn for the hair.  Can you see how awesome it is?

Another doll

Well that has to be just about the worst doll picture ever taken, and it shows an unflattering view of my incredibly cluttered sewing desk, but here is another doll I made.  You probably can't tell in this (terrible) picture, but she's wearing a hospital gown (the girl who received her had just been in the hospital herself) which turned out cute and was about the easiest ensemble I ever sewed.

I'm currently working on a doll for a charity auction this weekend.  She has some special hair which I will show after the auction--I don't want to reveal the surprise yet.

I'm going to be vending at the GoWest Craft Fair in West Philly in April so I'll be trying to get a batch of dolls made by then.

Two Dolls on Their Way

These ladies are off to New York to meet their new owners (one toddler and one three year old).  When I make dolls for very little folks, I try to tack the hair down so that it doesn't become too messy and difficult to manage.  One of these dolls will be moving abroad with her new owner shortly.  Each one has with her a nightgown and two changes of clothes.

I will be making another doll this month for the goddaughter of a friend.  The little girl is having surgery at the end of the month so she will be getting a doll who looks like her who will be wearing a hospital gown.  Hoping this will make the hospital experience for her a little less scary.

I am also planning to make a doll for a charity auction at the beginning of February.  After that I have two more orders on my 'books' (such as they are) and then we will see where that takes us.  I am hoping to do some craft shows this spring, but will need to get sewing if that is going to happen. 

Busy, busy me.

Open for Business

The Doll Shop is Open.  Please email or leave a comment below if you are interested in purchasing a doll.