Twenty five degrees below zero, frost on all the windows, a dwindling fire, cold hands and cold feet. Specks of gold through ice crystals, a bright blue sky, cooing baby on the couch. Such is the morning of today. Scoop beans, drop, grind, wash face, make espresso shot, steam milk, latte on my hands, camera full of photos and Anjo's story starts coming out of my fingers. Who is this little baby?. The white landscape beckons a blanket on my lap, a steaming cup on hands and the day seems to start on a right path.
Anjo and I had big plans last Fall. She was going to be made in my favourite month of the year, we were going to enjoy reading special books on falling leaves and recite poems out loud; I was going to take her to the forest and show her critters' dwellings and sit on mossy logs all day. Listen to the sound of busy squirrels, antsy birds and the quiet busy of the woods. But our plans went sour. January she kept saying, I much rather be born in January.
But what about all our ideas? You said you loved foxes! Where on Earth are we going to find foxes in January? We are not even close to the boreal forest, I very much doubt we can do that. Anjo just kept on staring at me, whispering January. January. January. So January it was and now I understand. Anjo is a Winter baby, not a Fall baby. She loves the glistening snow, the blue skies, the pink cheeks bit by frost. And while foxes make her giggle, January is her month. My sweet baby January.
Some days doll making is a struggle. To acquiesce, to concentrate, to create. Much of my inner chant has to do with being more patient, and to not let excitement run me down. But every time dolls come out of my hands I am reminded of the beauty that is to be creative. Some days it feels like a blessing, and other days a curse. You cannot stop, you cannot do anything else, you have to, you have to, you have to. Sweet Baby Anjo, with her quiet face full of ideas, her serene expression, even the slowness with which I was forced to work on her, has given me (yet again) a valuable lesson: walk slowly. It is in the process of pressing, and concocting new ideas, of trying and experimenting, of tying and sculpting and writing and basting that you find your happiness. It is in those simple and humble moments in which you are actually still.
So there you have it. A doll is a doll is a doll, but it can also be so much more. A path, a friend, a toy, means to an end, a poem, nothing more than materials sculpted into human form, or a connection to a string of moments. Anjo will be whoever you need her to be. She has no agenda, she just is.
Anjo is a 22" tall baby-style doll made with all natural materials. She is made using swiss cotton jersey and stuffed with wool. Her hair is mohair yarn. My baby-style dolls have fabric joins that allow for a lot of movement, this one in particular is the first one with a sculpted bum. Anjo wears several items of clothing: an organic cotton top with a generous ruffle band, circular knit collar as well as cuffs. A pair of cotton baby pants, also with generous leg and waist bands made with repurposed cashmere ribbing. Her baby shoes are made of linen and cashmere, with a man-made suede sole. She wears a cozy wool diaper with elastic on legs and velcro for a snug fit. Her cotton chenille vest is lined with japanese linen, has an embroidered label, cotton ribbon and closes with ric rac ties. Anjo wears a hand knit baby bonnet in popcorn stitch, made with alpaca/wool yarn. All items are hand-washable only, and laid flat to dry. Anjo is suitable as a toy for a child 6+ that can treat her gently and also dress her with ease. Her price is $675 USD plus postage charges, taxes applicable to Canadian residents. Shipping is provided with tracking number and insurance.
If you are interested in bringing Baby Anjo into your home, please fill the form below with all your details, and I will select a person at random to purchase her. I will close the comments tonight at 9 PM and invoice shortly after. Payment is due upon invoice receipt. Thank you for coming to meet her and for your support of my work.
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I will go and snuggle with her now. See you all tonight!.