Thursday, January 5, 2017

Abuela

My favorite orders are always the custom ones.  I love seeing what people come up with -- the thing they could never find, or a recreation of a long-lost toy.  Recently I was contacted on Etsy by someone who wanted a specific doll for her daughter.  A doll that isn't made.

Her daughter is in love with the grandmother character of a cartoon show that I've never even heard of.  There are dolls of the major characters, but Abuela didn't get a doll.  And that's who her five year old daughter wanted for Christmas.  When Christmas came, she was disappointed.  And then her mom thought to try Etsy, to see if anyone could make one.

The mom sent me a photo of the character -- which I'm not going to put up because it's licensed and I'm not and it's not an exact replica anyway, just an "inspired by," but still -- and I got to work.  The only fabric I didn't have on hand was light gray for the hair, but luckily the thrift store down the street had a pale gray men's shirt on the dollar rack.  I used the lower portion of the sleeve, so I still have a whole large shirt left for other projects.

I'm really loving my machine embroidered faces.  The hand embroidered ones had a different feel, but even when I was really moving, I couldn't do ten faces in a day -- and in busy season, that sometimes is what needs to be done.

All the other fabrics I had on hand -- the bright pink was the pocket from a skirt, the paisley was the back half of a vintage skirt that I'd cut up ages ago, the lace was two separate bundles of hem lace that probably arrived in a cookie tin from one or another elderly female relative.

She went to the post office on Tuesday, in time to arrive for a special birthday party this Saturday.




4 comments:

Unknown said...

I have a little boy who is 4 and know exactly what show you are talking about. I find it wonderful that the girl loves the Grandma! I have read your blog for years now and enjoy every post. Thank you for sharing parts of your life and your makes!

Anonymous said...

I truly enjoy your stories and your creative vision. Bobbi

Janet said...

Me too! Wish you could show how you do the faces on the machine. I am not as creative as you are. Thanks for your blog!!!

Cindy said...

Well I don't know the show as all my children are adults now, but how lovely that you created and abuela doll for some lucky child. Nice work, Karen.