May 26

May 26 Natural fiber art doll: Tessa Bleu

Tessa Bleu is a natural fiber art doll, 18” tall and made as a custom order. We went into the backyard forest to look for violets and strawberry plants.

Natural fiber art doll Tessa Bleu by fig&me

Tessa Bleu is the doll mirror, so to speak, of a human child who is about to turn 10-years-old. Her mother requested I made a custom doll for Tessa as her birthday present, and let me tell you: that is one of the funnest things for me to do as a dollmaker.

I have been making custom dolls for many years now, and many of those dolls have been made as birthday presents for children or adults. They do conjure a special energy because I know they are made to mark a special occasion in someone’s life. It really drives my hands as I work.

For Tessa Bleu we had to get working with lots of knit fabrics, as those seem to be the kind of clothing this little girl prefers to wear. I remember when I was so afraid to work with these fabrics, they conjured images of skipped stitches, stretched out seams and overall wonkiness that I wasn’t to keen to endure.

But over the years we have been making doll clothing, we have grown a little bit steadier with the sewing machine and a certain level of comfort has been achieved when handling these fun fabrics. It was so fun to dive into the pile of knits and gather prints and matching ribbing and then lo and behold, even a metal zipper! Who even am I?

While Tessa Bleu has three full outfits, I decided to only show you this one (for now). She must start her journey home very soon as that birthday mentioned is getting closer and I am not one to tempt the shipping gods for delays on delivery.

She is wearing a lovely little grey sleeveless shirt with big ruffles on the armholes. It has cute little white hearts that Tessa seemed to like. Then we paired with her fantabulous dark jeans, which have working pockets! I love pockets.

In fact, I am bound and determined to add in-seam pockets to a few dresses who seem to be lacking in that department. Mainly because I need to be wearing my phone all day to track my steps. I know there are wrist pedometers and all that but since I do so much work with my hands I think they would be a bit misleading.

Or maybe I will make myself a pretty ‘chatelaine’ for sewing implements and a big pocket for my phone. Oh! the things we dream when we have needle and thread at our disposal friends!

The jeans have front and back pockets, elastic waist and permanently sewn cuffs so she can always hike them over her little wooly boots. She is wearing stripy red-and-white socks and of course underwear!

I guess other than the jeans, who took half of the brain power of a long weekend, the other piece-de-resistance was her hoodie. I have made hoodies before but not one with a zipper, and not ever have I used a metal zipper before. It was fun, but I think I am going to buy plastic zippers from now on.

We added a little bit of blue lace to the hood and cashmere ribbing to the lower part of the hoodie and cuffs. As you know, I am known for repurposing lovely cashmere sweaters into all sorts of doll clothing and accessories so we couldn’t let Tessa Bleu leave empty handed.

A few more specs on Tessa. She is 18” tall made in my Petite Fig pattern. A doll pattern with very petite proportions, long and lanky legs and arms, a sweet tiny belly and round buttcheeks. She is stuffed very firmly in her legs and arms with wool, but her feet, hands and belly were left just a little bit softer for added ease when dressing and undressing her.

Her face is needle-felted and her eyes embroidered a beautiful shade of blue, trying to match the real Tessa Bleu’s eyes. She has a few perfectly placed freckles and tiny ears. Her hair is light brown Suri Alpaca locks, that I wefted and then sewed by hand to a mohair cap. She likes barrettes so I gave her four. Which she promptly decided to wear all at once!

I will try to come back and post a few more photos of her clothes so you can see but I must warn you, this week is a bit bonkers. I have to ship her home and also Fawn (who decided to stay just a wee bit longer due to some sort of trouble with her attire; she wanted something a bit more summery for the beach! I had to agree), a few postcards must be written on behalf of Poet and two upcoming mini workshops on all sorts of embroidery shenanigans have me glued up to the computer editing videos.

If I don’t do it this week, I will do it soon, because Tessa Bleu has been a breath of fresh air in my sewing room and I am so thankful to her mom for allowing me the time and all the patience in the world to see her come to life.

I hope a little girl is beyond thrilled with her new doll, once she opens this magical box. I know I would have if this had been my ten-year-old present!