..welcome girls..

Every holiday, I feel as though I bite off more than I can chew. I believe I have a bit of crafting ADD at times, as I get distracted with all of the wonderful things out there waiting to be created. This Christmas was no different. I wanted to do something special for my girls. I have always liked the look of these dolls, simply constructed and wonderfully loveable. We have a myriad of "baby" dolls around this house, both from my childhood and gifted to my daughters over the years. This year, I wanted them to have a "bigger" girl doll. However, the price of these beauties was pretty prohibitive..at least for me.

I came upon a website that offered kits to make these dolls, and I decided to give it a whirl. It couldn't be that hard, I thought, if you know your way around a thread and needle. And it was a fraction of the cost...bonus. So in October, I forged full-steam ahead and got the kits. 3 months will give me more than enough time to complete these.

Now, in theory, 3 months was more than enough time. I believe that's why I didn't muster up the courage to open the kits and get started until mid-November. You see, there's also this procrastinator side of me -- the one that likes, even thrives under the pressure of an imminent deadline.

I forced myself to start on the first one, only after the children had gone to bed, most evenings. I followed the directions to the letter, even looking for tutorials online when the directions seemed a little unclear. But slowly, my dolls came together.

As I got to making the bodies, the process seemed to get easier. I felt a little guilty making these body parts and then shoving them into bags or boxes to keep them hidden. It felt oddly inhumane.

When it came to the finishing touches, I felt that the hair was a bit sparse. Perhaps I had done it wrong. Regardless, I decided to add some color to their manes. I chose pink and purple, knowing that Margot would be thrilled, but uncertain of how Evy would respond. She is much more fickle in her color preferences.

I finished Margot's doll first. I cannot explain the pride I felt in having completed this project. In some ways, it came out better than I anticipated. And Margot loves it.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief when Evy loved her doll as well...even with the pink hair. In the interest of full disclosure, I finished Evy's doll at 12am on Christmas morn. *sigh*

I loved every moment of making these dolls, raw fingers and all. What's even sweeter is that all the doll clothes my mother meticulously made for me years ago, fit both of these little ladies.

I have enough materials left over to perhaps make another, although it would be a much smaller version. I am so happy I chose to make these dolls, too, as the satisfaction that I feel is far greater than any I would have from just picking it up off a shelf and purchasing it directly. But that's just me..