Recently I noticed a pile of forgotten sewing projects. Things needing mending, a doll almost finished, and something in need of buttons. My knitting is located downstairs and I can knit a stitch or two here and there, weaving bits of it into daily life. Downstairs is where I spend my days- in the kitchen, in the living room where the woodstove is, and it’s where the stuff of life takes place. I pretty much only go upstairs to sleep at night. I don’t really spend any time up there. And that’s where my sewing projects were located. So it’s no wonder that they weren’t getting finished. Plus, I’m more comfortable with knitting than I am with hand sewing, so my knitting projects get more attention. I was bothered by the fact that I had all those unfinished projects laying around so I brought them downstairs and gave them a new location: in the living room, right next to my knitting. And when I had a free moment, instead of reaching for my knitting, I reached for my sewing. I talked to my grandma on the phone one day and finished mending a pair of Bracken’s favorite pants. I was so happy to have one project finished! It empowered me to tackle some others. 

The next project I started working on was a little Waldorf doll from fall session. She was finished, except for one thing: her bonnet needed to be finished and then sewn on. That’s it! And she had been waiting in the need-to-finish-pile since the fall. So I started working on her when I had a free moment here and there. Bracken wanted to play with her so he cheered me on and motivated me to finish her more quickly. When I was first creating her, I intended for her to be a grandmother doll. I gave her curly gray hair. I did a braid across the top and then was going to give her an updo. But then I fell in love when I saw a little bonnet on someone’s doll and decided the grandmother doll needed a bonnet too. Then I just left her long hair down in the back. She has a flowery dress, a blue cape and bonnet, wild curly hair, blue eyes, and rosy cheeks (just like the snow angel.) She’s a simple Waldorf doll and I like the sweetness she emanates. We were calling her “Grandmother Doll” and then one day, out of the blue, the name “Grandmother Larkin” popped into my head, so that is what we are calling her now. I like to think that Grandmother Larkin loves to grow flowers in her garden and sew for her grandchildren. On a sunny day, these little daisies made the perfect place to photograph her.

Most nights I ask Bracken if he wants to bring any “friends” up to bed and he usually picks a few to take with him. Ever since I finished Grandmother Larkin, he’s been picking her to bring to bed every time. She’s well loved. I have to say, there is something magical about making something with your hands and then watching your child love and play with it, breathing life into it. I feel there is a special joy in handmade dolls.