Creating Heather-Rebekah

Just recently I received an order for a baby doll from a woman in my knitting class.  Having not made a baby doll before I searched my Gail Wilson patterns and found her 11 inch Columbian doll pattern.  She was perfect for this project.  I thought some of you might be interested in the process of making one of these dolls.

Of course, the first thing one must do is to cut out the doll body and stuff it.  Wool Roving is carefully inserted into her head, body and tiny arms and legs.  One must be careful to stuff the doll firmly but not overstuff.  Overstuffing can cause her to be too large for her tiny clothing. Since this doll had a painted face, arms and legs a base coat of Gesso was applied.

Once the Gesso was dried and lightly sanded to make it smooth, a base of tan paint was applied and allowedto dry for 24 hours.  Then for the details of her face and hair which are hand painted.  The finishing touch is a light coat of varnish to make her skin durable and shiny.

Here she is waiting patiently for her clothing.

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Dress and bonnet made it is now time for Heather-Rebekah to get ready to meet her new Mom

Finally, Heather-Rebekah is born.

I hope you enjoyed watching this little one grow.  She was created for Donna Mello in honor of her daughter, Heather-Rebekah.  The real Heather-Rebekah is now 24 years old, graduating from college and heading to the Sudan to teach English.  Best wishes and safe travels to Heather-Rebekah and thank you Donna for allowing me the opportunity to create this memory for you.