Little Miss Raisa is wondering if you would like to take her home. If so, she asks kindly to read more about her so you are forewarned.

Little Raisa, an all-natural cloth art doll by Fig and Me.

This little girl is quite unbearably talkative. Wakes up bright and early and never stops. Her best entertainment is pretend play, or so she says.

Today she wanted to be a country mouse, and off she went gathering all sorts of odds and ends: bits of the cheese cloth Grandma used to cover the quince tart, a chunk of apple that fell under the table, a half-chewed pencil (we suspect a child had the misfortune of chewing into their writing utensil while daydreaming about building snow angels…or conquering the world), a broken piece of nice china (we suspect everybody but cannot point fingers), the newspaper weather report (bright and sunny as usual, things almost never change around here, such desperate weather, really!). The list goes on and on.

Raisa, a natural cloth art doll by Fig and Me.

"But, what are you going to do with all those bits?" I asked her much to early in the morning.

"I'm going to build me nest!" declared triumphantly the little rascal.

A nest! I say. But since all my dolls are dreamily disposed, I suppose is fair to let them play pretend as much as they want. The nest in question had to have a "real" mouseling baby, so we had to make her one, and she named her "Sweet Pea" (you will see why later on). She likes to tuck it into her front pocket for comfort and protection. Some days she even pretends she is pregnant.

Raisa carrying her mouseling baby. That's what pockets are for we say!. By Fig and Me.

Carrying gently her little baby, by Fig and Me.

Raisa is a country  mouse and likes to take care of her wee baby. By Fig and Me. — Raisa is a country mouse and likes to take care of her wee baby. By Fig and Me.

Aside being a country mouse (we blame the latest obsession to lovely children's books that fill her head with bright ideas), and robbing the house of both treasure and rubbish, Raisa also plays other things.

Just the other day she said to me she was a meadow lady. "And what on earth is a meadow lady?" I inquired with disbelief, never actually heard of the profession myself.

"Well…a meadow lady is a lady that lives and loves the meadows, silly!. I mean, she has to have a meadow, doesn't need to be hers, but she has to have it." she replied.

"You mean, she needs to live near a meadow?" again, me and my stupid adult assumptions.

"Well yes. But I am going to need a different dress to be the meadow lady". All dolls say the same thing: I am going to need this…or that…I am a slave to this woollen creations I tell you.

Raisa in her meadow dress, by Fig and Me.

I don't know about you, but I see meadow ladies with lovely, hard-wearing cloth, of the gingham variety. Such is our luck, or maybe we do attract just what we need, that we found this lovely thick cotton just right for her meadow dress. If you have been a long-time follower of my work, you've probably already heard me wax poetic about both gingham and thick fabrics so I won't elaborate.

Raisa going places in her meadow dress, by Fig and Me.

Little details of Raisa's meadow dress: wool stitch flowers on her lined linen apron, a wee button and some cashmere ribbing. By Fig and Me.

Raisa wearing her thick cotton gingham dress, with linen apron and wooly hat. by Fig and Me.

Meadows are of course covered in flowers, unless you are an idiot and haven't noticed such a thing. I used to be one so don't feel bad at the harsh words.

Meadow ladies are in obvious need of aprons, to carry some of those lovely bouquets home.

The sleeves mustn't be too long, so that you can bend and pick to your heart's content without getting your cuffs all dirtied up by the soft and mossy earth. Come to think of it, Raisa must actually lie on the meadow because she comes home covered in dirt.

Meadow ladies are of course prey to the harsh elements, and Raisa's fair complexion is not to be messed with. Being the caring protector I am, I made her a wooly hat. Just with enough point to make her look both mischievous and adorable. True facets of her personality.

And when the weather is frightful, and you can neither go out and be a meadow lady or a country mouse in search of nesting material, then you can always be a princess.

Raisa embodies all sorts of royalty actually. Some days she is the "king of the castle", other days she is the "queen of hearts", but most days she is "the princess and the pea". That's what she calls her baby. She has the stories a bit mixed up I say, and adamantly beg her not to sleep on her baby. To which she smiles with a bit too much wink.

Raisa, her royal wooly highness. BY Fig and Me.

Little details of Raisa's princess dress. By fig and me.

So there you have it. I think I have made quite the case for Miss Raisa. Told you all about her peculiarities of taste, her story book obsession, her need to run wild with her imagination.

The world is her canvas, so they say and with Raisa I do believe it. I find so much mischief in her eyes, but also a lot of tenderness and a wise appreciation for her world.

She feels so real to me, and it has nothing to do with super-sculpted body features, poseability, or more realistic hair, in her case I think is the simplicity of her creation that allows me to see so much more in her. I must be crazy but I do believe it.

I will stop dreaming now and let you know that Raisa is up for adoption. As you can see she comes with a lengthier wardrobe than usual, which adds immense play value in my opinion. Much care, thought and consideration has been spent crafting her clothes, not to mention Raisa herself.

Raisa is a figlette doll, and she is 18" tall. She is firmly stuffed with carded wool, and her facial features have been needle-felted. Her eyes are embroidered with a very nice shade of brown and her cheeks lightly blushed with red beeswax.

Raisa's hair is white and made with mohair yarn. This hair style can be braided, gently brushed and adds ginormeous charm to her looks. Raisa comes with Sweet Pea baby and all the clothes included, which can be hand washed and laid flat to dry. A care file is sent via email if you happen to be chosen to bring her home.

Raisa is a doll full of life, and she is most recommended for an older child (6+) or an adult collector.

Raisa was offered for sale on January 12, 2017 and has found a home.

Thank you so much for reading her story and for your kind comments and wonderful offers.

Each and every entry was like a balm for this dollmaking heart. Truly grateful.

We hope 2017 gives us plenty of strength and imagination to create beautiful dolls, just like her.

Raisa building her nest, and caring for Sweet Pea. By Fig and Me.

Raisa in her meadow lady dress, by Fig and Me.

Little Raisa, a natural cloth art doll by Fig and Me.

This little girl has given me so many ideas, has inspired my hands and refreshed the love I have for what I do. I don't normally create dolls with larger wardrobes but I just thought Raisa had to have them. I hope you agree.

Thank you so, so much for all the love you have already bestowed on her. For your kind comments as we were working on her, and for coming to visit her.