Yikes! I Made A Doll

Conceived sometime at the end of June.....head first.

Looks kinda creepy huh?
I grew goosebumps looking at this.

Born 19 September 2012, after 3 months of labor.

She has 10 toes!

To be adopted by No.2 when she celebrates her 3rd Birthday.

And dimpled knees too!

She even has a butt crack and a belly button but I won't be showing that here.

Yet to be named. Let's just call her Doll for now.

I can't believe I actually made a doll. I'm still in awe of myself for having accomplished this. Oh, the things I'd do for that daughter of mine. Well, it all started when a mommy friend was looking for a rag doll for her daughter. Which made me realise, my own daughter doesn't really have one herself. Which then led me to think that I could make one for her - pfftt what with all my crafty skills, it'd be a piece of cake! It resulted in a doll with a head and arms 2 sizes smaller than it's body. No worries, I told myself. I'll just call it Prototype A.

I persevered. I went doll-making tutorial hunting on Google. I pinned. I followed instructions. And here she is, the fruit of my labor....

Meet...um....Doll.

Her skin was harvested from a 100% cotton Ikea bedsheet. She's stuffed with Malaysian kapok cotton. Her head is a ball of yarn and cotton, lined with an old pantyhose of mine. Her face lovingly handstitched. Her hair, painstakingly attached, strand by arduous strand, onto a crocheted cap. I tell ya, I shed blood (from pricked fingers) and sweat (I have sweaty palms) making her. It wasn't easy but definitely worth all the effort.

She's not perfect but she'll do for now, until I recover from post traumatic doll-making stress disorder and start a new obsession.

Thank God a good friend gifted me her dress. I would've died if I had to make her a dress too!

I did make shoes for her though.

I think every little girl should have a rag doll to call her own. No, not every mother has to make one for her daughter. I know I went the extra mile. You see, I'm a sucker for heirlooms and I thought it'd be nice to hear her say to her daughter one day "your grandmother made this for me, and now it's yours". Hah!

Doll would bring a refreshing change into our household . Her plastic counterparts have somewhat invaded my daughter's toy box. We may have a serious infestation of Barbie dolls that might get out of hand if I don't do something about it soon. Here's a case in point...

"Optimus Prime" hanging out with the girls....

Nah, nothing wrong with that really. Barbie's just not my thing. I can handle one or two, but not six. Yes, my soon-to-be 3-year-old daughter already has 6 Barbies in her possession. At the rate she's going she'll have 20 by the time she's 10. Gee, I only had 1 in my lifetime and in those days owning just ONE Barbie doll was such a luxury. Times have changed.

Well, Doll, I'm handing you over to a 3-year-old tyrant this Sunday. Just kidding, she's really an adorable little girl who'd make your heart melt and your head hurt sometimes. I hope she will enjoy playing with you and having you as her companion when her mommy's too busy to entertain her. I hope she'll love you and have wonderful memories of times spent having you by her side. I hope she doesn't yank out your beautiful arms and legs. I hope she will, one day, have a daughter of her own and say to her "my mother, your grandmother, made this for me with her blood and sweat, and now it's yours". I hope her daughter will be a sucker for heirlooms too.