The light turned warmer and the peculiar gaze of a not-so-little child started its daily pilgrimage through the garden. Why is it always so with us, fall people? We are always that much happier surrounded by decaying leaves, dried flowers and smoky autumn evenings.

Rye wears handmade crochet doll shoes with wool felt beads. By Fig and Me.

The ghost of the incoming Winter is always near us, beckoning us to hurry up with the knitting needles to provide those extra layers of protection for when under the attack of furious winds and heavy snow storms.

The dizzying scent of decaying muck under the leaves and the sonorous jingle when stepping on the dried ones, summons our feet to the underworld of Autumn strangeness.

To that vast time of sudden plenty: acorns, pine cones, mushrooms, hay bales, poppy seed heads, milkweed down, apples and pumpkins, helicopter seeds and chinese lanterns, hot mugs of chocolate, frosty windows and hoar frost on our landscapes, layers of warmth in days of slow hours.

Rye, a jointed cloth art doll by Fig and Me.

We, the Autumn people, are compelled to eat stories with a hint of pepper and a dash of gold around them.

The madness of Autumn seeps deep in our veins and makes our blood run faster. Our hearts hover between total exhaltation and deep cumbersome moodiness. We become the bards, the lampoons, the bread and oats, the cheery eyes and the sorrow-laden tongues of old. We speak in forgotten languages of seeds and burrows, of fur and dusk, of wind through skirts and muddy boots, of pipe tobacco and dewy leaves, soaring birds in the skies of our delirium. We are the Autumn people.

Rye was fully born in October. In that post-temperate slumber where Nature is deciding which way to go. Pale as thistle down, with the deepest brown eyes like a singing well or your favourite swimming hole on the river.

Rye is an Autumn child. They are the world-known for their brightness of spirit, avengers of Nature, sippers of hot drinks and seekers of cake crumbs.

Rye is an Autumn child.

She skirts her legs in black petticoats and sinks her feet in long brown socks. Never outside without as many layers as she can muster, and always in the hunt for the free waste of the woods: blackberries, porcinis, rose hips, goldenrod and more.

Rye is an Autumn child.

Rye, a jointed all-natural fiber art doll by Fig and Me.

Rye strives to fill her cupboards with Autumn’s plenty. In tandem she works equally hard to carry, stack and chop all the firewood that is needed to welcome Father Winter.

Her little kitchen has only two small windows, but thick wide-plank floors and lovely lace drapes, all corners tucked with marmalade jars and tiny hand-written recipes.

With only one table and little to no counter space she bakes cinnamon rolls, banana and chocolate chip bread, cardamom cookies, pecan pies. She cooks raspberry jams, elderberry syrups, roasts chestnuts, fries eggs and boils endless pots of tea.

Rye is an Autumn child.

Kntting for dolls, especially Autumn-loving dolls. By Fig and Me.

Rye is indeed an Autumn child.

We have been blessed with her appearance and treasure these moments of birth, life, departure with equal sentiment. We feel most accomplished in having brought her to live a life of purpose, to lend a smile, an ear, an eye-wink to whoever needs it.

Rye is a doll that embodies everything I love about this season, not just in the wheel of the year but this season in my life.

I am both pleased and honoured to have her with me and to be able to offer her to the world at large: as a side-kick, a friend, a helpful doll. Please know she will require hard work to stay active, she is used to many hours of dilligent activity. Wether that is in the kitchen, the sewing room or better yet: the great outdoors.

She knows many plants and their uses: for dying, for medecine, for cooking, curing and storing other foods. She knows how to spin wool, how to stuff mattresses with sweet-smelling hay, how to stack impenetrable wood piles, how to chop the best kindling and light the morning fire lickety-split.

She cooks and bakes and mends and paints. She plays the nickelharpa and the banjo. String instruments are her very favourites.

She reads and awful lot and needs glasses for minute work, like her embroideries or her miniature watercolour paintings.

I only wish to find her a home where several of her passions are shared. Either the love for music, the passion for cooking, the adorement of Nature, the foraging streak or the quiet and slow hours of hand-work at home. If you have a home like that and you wish to bring her into yours I am letting you know: you are IN for a treat. This doll is delightful and a true Autumn child.

Rye, a natural fiber art doll by Fig and Me.

Rye is an all-natural fiber art doll made entirely by me. Her head has been firmly sculpted in wool over many hours and is jointed to her neck which allows it to move in all directions (but it really shouldn’t be made to twist 360 degrees). She looks up, down and everywhere in between. She turns her head to both sides and any angle is an easy move. Therefore she really “bobs” her head when she walks ;-)

Rye is made with my Petite Fig pattern (18” tall), which has the body proportions of a 10-12 year old. Those beautiful children about to embark in puberty, not really children anymore, not really teenagers either. The slumber zone. Before they wake up to all manner of energies, dream and inspirations.

Rye is made using swiss cotton jersey and canadian wool. She is firmly sewn, well stuffed and expertly assembled.

Rye has deep brown eyes, a cute button nose and a gentle and inquiring smile. All blushed areas were done with red beeswax and are not permanent. She will need to be re-blushed as you continue to play with her (we provide a prepared blusher).

Rye’s luscious autumn-fire hair is made with mohair yarn and mohair weft. It can be styled in many ways but with gentle care. She has little ears, knees, belly button, elbows, etc.

Rye wears several items of clothing. She comes with lovely cotton pointelle underwear and cashmere long socks (made with repurposed material). Over that she wears the softest linen petticoat, that ties at the waist, so it can be positioned wherever she wants it: higher up in the summer, or lower down in the winter.

Rye has a cute organic cotton pointelle t-shirt, with cashmere collar, long sleeves and a big front pocket. The t-shirt opens fully at back for easy dressing.

She also comes with a Japanese cotton overdress in cream and navy stripes. The bodice is lined but not the skirt, which is extremely full. Two wooden buttons at front and hand-sewn snaps at back.

Rye, a natural fiber art doll wearing her seed stitch hat. By Fig and Me.

Little wooden buttons. Doll clothing by Fig and Me.

As an Autumn child she requested a set of long cashmere fingerless “mitts”. They obviously don’t have holes for the thumbs, as hers are sewn down, but they do keep her hands warm as she does her daily chores.

Her wooly hat is made with hand-dyed merino yarn and has a lovely texture that keeps its rather pointy structure. We added a large wool felt bead because Rye is all about whimsical details. We had to make the same with her mary janes, crochet in the same yarn and with two wool beads as well.

Rye has a large triangular cashmere/wool shawl. It has different stitch patterns on it for visual interest (and to keep me sane as I knit it with very tiny needles) and it can be worn in many different ways.

As a last item Rye will be sent home with her pair of gold-rimmed glasses. Only needed when embroidering fine thread-count (petit point is one of her many vices) or doing miniature work on her paintings.

If you wish to bring Rye home, please enter your details in the form below. Her price is $1350 USD plus postage to your home ($30 US, $50 Canada, needs revised quote for International travel). She will travel with tracking number and insurance.

Rye is an art doll recommended for children 12+ and adult collectors. She is a delicate creature and needs to be treated gently, with respect and loads and loads of love because though strong she is a vulnerable being.

We will select a person at random to bring her home on Monday October 29 at 10 AM EST, because we like to leave that up to the magic of the Universe to select homes for the dolls. Please only enter if you are personally interested in offering a home to live in, not on behalf of someone else. Payment is due upon invoice receipt.

—-THANK YOU to all the dear mothers that offered their homes to this little one. I was a bit messed up with the time zone so we actually made the draw at 11 AM EDT. Sorry! She has found a lovely home and if all goes well she will be traveling to her new home very soon. Thank you once more for loving my precious child. Now time to say good bye to her.

Miss Rye, an October child. Art doll by Fig and Me.

Thank you all for coming to read about my October child and for your kind words about her. We all love her here and we hope she finds a wonderful home to bring some of that magic she carries with her. See you all on Monday.