3 Weeks and 1 Day left of Work!... and Gabriel's Boy Doll

Thursday night very late the 5th of Feb: This is a bookmarker kind of a blog post, which I will finish or do something more meaninful to, soon, but its important ,sometimes to just start somewhere! Thats what Mauri says, ;'Its important to start somewhere!'  [the next day, I have sort of finished it now... but I'll leave the start from yesterday because I like it and its part of the journey]

This is about Gabriel's doll, mostly, and some joined on things along the way. Gabriel's doll IS actually happening, in it's own way, in its own time, just like how children grow!

Mostly I shall just let the pictures speak for themselves, but perhaps a little bit of a story might explain what might look somewhat confusing or strange, especially if you were to imagine making a doll, never having made one before or knowing whats involved. [just like me right now!]

First, I made the little jersey, because I know (sort of) how to knit, in a basic way, say no more! So I made the jersey for some confidence in starting, and because I love colours and the jersey was made of lots of stripey colours! I used wool that I already had, I like using the same materials in different contexts and then reminiscing and marvelling over how they landed up being used in such different worlds, sometimes more different than I would ever imagine. It is a type of magic, I think!!
Maybe its a bit like a child who comes into the world all brand new but with a tapestry of all sorts of sparkly 'pieces' [as Gabriel refers to most things he likes!] that make them especially them!

I also wanted to make the jersey so that as soon as the doll was made, it would be warm.
Gabriel has learned how to know if he's cold, and he brings me his jersey to put on him. If he wants to go out, he puts on his little south african beeny, even though, when we are out and about he is very cheeky and takes it off and won't wear it!
Little people are very clever in reading grownups!

The jersey I think, is a bit small, but its ok, I can make another one and use this one for a different doll in the future and it's kind of a practice jersey too because I need to learn how to neatly change colours. Wool is rather different to paint!. and of course, jerseys never go to waste in big families!

Then, I cut out and sewed the legs and arms, by hand. I think I used way too many stitches,which is why it took an extra long time, But I liked the idea of lots of very strong stitches because it felt as if the doll would feel very joined together, I hope!. Then I put all the wool into the arms legs and tummy, The wool is lovely, its raw sheep wool, and I hope that will make it automatically warm and comforting in lots of ways for a litle person, who still needs LOTs of hugs and comfort for as long as possible. Oh the tummy is sort of joined to the legs.
Then I made the head which is quite a process and quite difficult, like theorems in maths! - at first at least. The head was not very good at all.  In the end I started again and made a new head, You can see both.
Tonight I finished the face of the new head, and tomorrow I'll start joining all the pieces together, I hope! and the tummy definitely needs more wool!


At the same time, we are packing up our London home and posting it off to Sicily in phases, We've already sent 27 boxes, which so far are mostly books. and we have more to send, but luckily not tooo much, because I have moved enough times in my life to learn how to not accumulate too much,
Except perhaps for paint and crayons and drawing books and beads and bits of string and curious things for making.

I am loving the idea of dolls and I wish I was faster and I wish I could learn to make them really beautifully reallly quickly. But I know that it's a process and takes time, and I know that the gold is in relishing the process where ever it may take you.

I trust in my hands implicitly. Luckily too, unlike in real life, when it comes to my art, I don't worry too much what people think of it, I just do it. It feels a strange contradition in me, in that I often care so much what people think, even though I try my best not to, obiously and logically!  But when it comes to my creations, even though they come from inside my soul, somewhere and are part of me and potentially quite exposing, I don't have that same self consciousness and doubt. It's an enigma, because  I do feel surprisingly attached to  these strange little creatures [of all types made by my hands] most of the time, I think perhaps I also feel more grounded in those images no matter how non-conventional or 'nice' or 'pretty' they usually are not!  I shall try not to think about it too much and just carry on being happy that my hands and my soul are making things!

But this time there is a tiny difference, in that part of me would love to make beautiful dolls like on Etsy,  That are just cute and adorable and enticing.
But that is not for me to choose, I shall let my hands decide and see what they make and love them any way. The way we as society should CHOOSE and DECIDE to love ALL children no matter how they are made or where they come from or anything else that makes them unique.

Back to Gabriels boy dolll!!
So far, here is what we have, in pictures.
and some pictures of the little man himself.

The next day: I have fixed up the writing a little bit, and I still have more to say, !!! about playing and dolls and children! But I will save that for the next one and after my hands have done some more making.

Also I want to say that I have found a wonderful book about creative play for children. Obviously making these dolls is making me even more interrested in play!
I will try to write a review of the book.
It is:   'Childrens Creative Play; by Karin Neuschutz

With my doll kit, I got a special very long needle which is for things like embroidering the face where you have to stick the needle right through the head. It came wrapped in this lovely bit of colouring in done by a child and it had 'very good' in red on it. I thought what a lovely bit of recycling and thank you to the little artist who's art work has made it all the way to the home of Gabriel!

This shows the 2 heads, both without the skin, but you can see the difference. the new one is still not perfect at all, but it is much better!

You can see that he tummy needs more wool!

I think next time I will do better with the eyse, they are a little loose, but they're ok. I was thinking of making brown eyes like Gabriel's but for some reason I made blue. Dont argue with the hands!