Pia, the bear. A natural fiber art doll ready to play.
It took some convincing, my prettiest words of encouragement and a few days of sewing and knitting to get this little doll to wear clothes. Let me present you Pia: the bear-bear.
Now, normally the dolls are very excited to wear their clothes. They ask many questions about seam treatments, buttons chosen, suppleness of fabric. Pia however, couldn't be bothered one bit. All she wanted was to hide under the sewing table, play with the scraps on the floor, and wander about, without even skivvies.
Priding myself on the title of "Dollmaker", more like doll-wrangler, I decided to use encouraging words and attend to all her cues and wishes. Once I convinced her to wear underwear, the rest was easy. So then, she wanted to go outside to play…but the weather had different ideas, right Pia?
The clouds were heavy with rain, as the previous night had pummelled the parched earth, up until sunrise. Living with a tin roof makes for exciting music when it rains so very hard.
"I'm a bear. Bears live outside. Why can't I go out?". Those blue eyes turned on me with inquiring, almost pleading focus.
"Well, this bear lives inside when it's a-raining. You wouldn't want to get your boots soiled, they would take days to dry." Always feeling my answers to these matters are so feeble, that there is actually no point in placing arguments to the contrary.
She waged war. Pouting and stomping about, talking to herself and her toys, a little girl decided life was unfair to her this day. It was time to bring in the cavalry, I thought. Alright then, to the kitchen it is.
As is usual with small children, nothing beats a sour mood better than poetry…in the shape of food. Better yet if it comes slathered in something gooey. Even more so if it comes with a nice cup of tea, or hot chocolate, or fresh-squeezed lemonade. You know the drill.
After little stomachs were made plumper with the addition of said vials, a little girl wasn't cross anymore. With dim understanding of the forces of nature, she asked many questions about thunder, rain, and clouds. Obviously books were brought out. I live for these moments.
After what to her seemed hours of fruitless questioning, I decided to give in. Nobody can honestly tell me they can look into those eyes and remain strong. Such is my feeble heart.
One sage once said, "If you can't beat them, join them" and I've always considered those words on point. So without much refutal and peppy spirits we headed outside.
First thing she noticed, and highly commented on, was the smell. Cedar, juniper, pine, pecan, and cottonwoods impart a very sensuous melange of scents. I call it intoxicating, she called it 'stinky'.
After the 'stinky' smells were exhausted in her diatribe, she advanced to the drops. Why so many drops? Why are they still falling? Who puts the drops there? how come they sing? who teaches them to sing? who coordinates the whole thing? can you be a drop-teller-person when you grow up? directing drops for life? what trees think of these drops? do they like being bathed every now and then, with no short notice? do trees think? who can hear them?…some days I wonder how I make it to bed.
But when you have little kids at home, it is almost second nature to answer these many questions, all day, every day.
While my own children are not so little anymore, I do have little dolls here all the time and treating them as guest of honour, we all try our best to answer their many inquiries about life.
I, myself, ask them many questions, so it only seems fair to me to reply in kindness. What do you want to wear? where did you come from? how long where you there? do you like porridge? is it this pink or that pink? garter or stockinette? curly hair? do you like braids? No elastic on your pants? Soft and cozy? Ok.
And although some play hard to get, or it takes unbelievably long to bring them to life, they all answer. They all come to be.
They all surprise me with their gusto and readiness to become forever playmates. They all support my inner drive: to create beauty and nurture play. To heal the world, one doll at a time.
Pia is extremely satisfied with herself now, and wishes to find a loving family where she can come and ask MANY questions. She proposes to eat all her meals without much complain, but rather pleads there is no early bed time. She likes to see stars, and to sleep late under many blankets. She can be quiet as a mouse, and fierce as a tiger…but she prefers to be a slumber bear. Honey is her most favourite thing in the world, only surpassed by hugs and stories.
If you want to bring Pia home, please read on!.
Pia is a natural doll, made with cotton fabric and stuffed very firmly with wool. She measures just shy of 15" tall and is made with my personal Little Fig pattern. She has knobby knees, a rounded tush, a belly button, a few freckles, and four ears (the bear ones come off!). Pia's hair is curly goat hair, and can be finger-styled (she does NOT have fond feelings towards hair brushes).
Pia wears a cotton double-gauze top, that opens fully on back, with alpaca knit sleeves and cashmere ribbing throughout. A pair of linen trousers with extra long, lined, patch-pockets and cashmere ribbed-waist. Cotton pointelle underwear. Little wooly boots, that reach almost to her knees, and a matching short-sleeve jacket, with very wide skirt for twirling and two wooden buttons.
Obviously Pia is a bear, so she has a pair of fuzzy bear ears, made with italian mohair/alpaca fabric and lined with pink wool tweed. They are sewn to metal barretes and can be placed in whatever fashion she wants, and taken off for bed time.
The price for Pia is $865 USD plus postage ($30 to Canada, $25 United States, $50 International). Pia will only be available for a short period of time, as I am on my way out the door and wish to find her a family before our trip starts. If you would like to bring Pia home, please enter your details in the form below. We will select a person at random at 2:00 PM EDT. Invoice and email will be sent, invoice is due then. Thank you for your understanding.
Pia is recommended as a doll for children 7+ due to small parts. She needs gentle handling. Her care file will be emailed to you upon shipment once I get back home.
-THANK YOU FOR CHECKING OUT PIA. SHE HAS FOUND A HOME. MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL.
