Ella, Sweet Child of Mine | Natural Fiber Art Doll, Waldorf Inspired

Oh! the time has come to send Ella home. We have spent the weekend reminiscing over our time together, which has been rather long (ehem!) but I do not complain.

I receive many requests for custom dolls, either figlettes like Ella or Petite Figs (like Blu, or Miele, etc). I think most people don’t realize it takes me weeks to finish a “ready to sell” doll, whereas the custom dolls take me months.

As I said, I don’t complain and so far none of my doll mothers have either, though I do know it pains them to wait and wait. But in the end I think the results are very much worth it.

A little detail, a wooden button on Ella’s overalls.

Those puffy legs!

Such a cute face. Ella by Fig and Me.

Take for example her hair. We bought it for her brother back in 2021 and it didn’t work for him, but we knew it would work for Ella. Shipping times for the specific materials I need to make custom dolls add at least 6 weeks to the whole ordeal.

Of course, in the mean time, I am designing, dreaming, pairing fabrics and yarns. Letting the dolls gently come to me, tell me what they like, and I work on them very, very slowly.

I like it best this way.

Cotton overalls, which I call ‘bombachos’, trimmed with cashmere cuffs and adorned with a dark wooden button.

Most of the time I draft fresh clothing patterns for each doll, which really is getting out of hand to store and organize. But the honest truth is that every little piece of new drafted design connects me and reminds me of the doll in question.

It’s also very interesting, at least to me of course, to see how much my instinct guided my first drafted patterns. I also enjoy seeing how large my earlier dolls were, and how slender, elegant and full of curves my patterns are now.

Cotton chenille vest, lined in linen.

One thing I was meditating about is that normally, and especially for the figlettes, I keep the patterns with tons of ease. Wide legs, wide sleeves, because in my brain I am still thinking these dolls get played with by children, so I always strive to make them extremely easy to dress.

That of course is rarely the case nowadays as my dolls are mostly in the hands of adult collectors, who supposedly (hehe!) have more dexterity and can maneuver the dolls, their arms and legs in and out of tiny clothes.

When I make Petite Figs that "sentiment” is not there. Is it because I created the Petite Fig at a point in my journey when my dolls were already mostly bought by doll collectors? Who knows, but I noticed it this time.

Soft cardigan knit in DK weight wool, for Ella. By Fig and Me.

Doll cardigan with ribbed yoke and wide sleeves. By Fig and Me.

This was more obvious to me as I was knitting her cardigan, which by popular demand will turn into a knitting pattern one of these days. I designed the sleeve ultra wide, as most of my knitting patterns, and especially the earlier ones. Thinking that little chubby hands would be trying to pull the cardigan sleeves over her blouse.

It made me giggle to realize how attached I am to certain ideas of the dolls, based at the time in my life I created their pattern. This might all sound bonkers to you, and you would not be far off the mark!

But if I can attest to something is that dollmakers spend a lot of time thinking about such things. A leaf inspires a character and a piece of lace brings visions galore. It’s part of the appeal that dollmakers feel about their craft: we cannot help ourselves. Everything is doll related.

Mohair curls, dyed and wefted by me. Ella is a natural fiber art doll, custom order.

Doll clothing details, by Fig and Me.

Ella wears her soft knit cardigan with three wooden buttons. By Fig and Me.

So yes, Miss Ella will soon leave us. I hope her mom appreciates and loves all the detail and care I put in her creation. I hope she loves the softness of her clothes, the ampleness of her puffy overalls and sundress, the curls on that lovely head.

Knowing her for these many years and sending her dolls has been lovely. I hope one day I get to make dolls for her grandchildren! but not just yet children, we are not ready yet!

Thank you for coming to see Ella and wave good-bye. I wish you a lovely Sunday and a great week.

Ella, an 18” waldorf inspired doll, custom order. By Fig andMe.