The winner is Melanie. I’ve contacted Melanie and have told her the news! Yah Melanie! I will be doing another contest very soon! Thanks so much everyone for entering. **Lets all give a big round of applause to my lovely John for sorting through all the entries and new subscribers. My subscriber list for the […]
Monthly Archives: September 2008
This picture has absolutely nothing to do with my post. I love it because he never takes a shining to a doll, but he did with this one. Win a Doll! One day left..see Sept 10th post for details! I feel as though I’m in the teenage years of my business. A little awkward […]
It sounds like an amazing project… I definitely look forward to hearing about your brainstorming.
We are loving our new addition, by the way. Thanks once again!
I understand completely where you’re at – we’re there too right now. I feel a bit like a hermit crab who has outgrown his shell but doesn’t have a bigger one to move into yet. I did “stumble” upon great consulting services through Business Development Bank of Canada, which may help you with what you need. They come at a price, but having someone to talk to and coach me along has been very helpful – kind of like a business therapist, LOL! Otherwise, there are lots of government agencies and women in business (one of our local universities runs this centre) centres that can help.
If I were closer, I would love to make dolls for you! You have already successfully created a business with a heart, lots of them.
what a great projet and how exciting it is for you… you have a business working well, now just look at the options to developp it further…and if possible helping others with it… all in all very positive no ?
One more day to wait before the result of the contest… so exciting…. have a nice day…
here in France , the weather of automn has arrived … it is chilly vanilly!!
Sounds like you’re on the threshold. Ready to take on new things, but unsure at the same time. Which is totally understandable. All you really need to do is to take a deep breath and go – but hey, that’s a lot harder than it sounds, as I well know… Finding someone who can help you get things in perstpective sounds like a very good idea, because there’s no need for you to do this all alone! It’s your business, of course, but sometimes – maybe because it is – it helps to have someone look at it with new eyes, someone who isn’t as intricately woven into the daily process of creating your lovelies as you are. Wishing you lots of luck! And the project sounds fabulous – both of them, actually.
P.S. One last thing – can I just say how incredibly cute Ben is? 🙂
I think it’s important to establish for yourself how big you want Bamboletta to become while you will still feel comfortable. Do you want to continue doing as much as you do now? Are you perhaps looking forward to be more of a coach or the creative brain and have others do the actual sewing and making? Or perhaps wishing to see the dolls in every major toy shop around the country or even the world? Think backwards from that wish (or goal) to where you are now, and you will know what to do step by step. I’m watching with great interest!! 🙂
Also interesting to hear about the Guatemala project. My mother works for Fair Trade, they have projects like what you describe all over the world, little felted slippers from Peru, embroidered things from India, all small projects with local people making a living from what the Fair Trade organisation sells here. It’s great to buy something here and know the money flows back into the community over there who made it, without a middle man who did nothing but still taking the biggest cut.
Christine
PS: love the idea of sitting around and sewing together, I’ll definitely come by for that whenever I’m in the neighbourhood! 😉
i love both of your ideas (and your son’s curls)!
Christina, I too, cannot wait to see where we go with this. There are so many possibilities. Today was FULL of them for me (many interesting emails and phone calls)! Suddenly, we have so many great people getting interested and involved with the Project. Our philosophy is “inclusivity”. You have an idea, a passion or something you want to give/share? Let’s talk. The possibilities are endless! I can’t wait to see the first Bamboletta doll in the arms of one of the children in our Village!
I’m a commercial canned food snob. My mother is an amazing canner/preserver and I was fortunate to grow up with most my food handmade. We lived on a 1/4 acre suburban lot, a lot in which my Italian parents had most of it as garden, labyrinths of beans, tomatoes, zucchini and peas provided me with […]
Oh-My-Gosh
Antonia has the best hair EVER!!! Is this one of the yarns you dyed? It really looks fantastic. Every time I think I have a favorite, you post a new doll and I just fall in love all over again. You’ve outdone yourself Christina. Great Job!! 🙂
How wonderful boucle yarn looks for curly hair!
…Speaking of birthdays, it’s my birthday soon! *hint hint* :p
~Holly
Two Cheese Please
not a big fan of can too. if I can do without any , i am happy;;.. but your pudding things is interesting…. lovely transfer…have a nice week end… take care
pascaline
That hair is simply gorgeous! O, to have such curls… 🙂
Also…speaking of birthdays…Happy one to you Christina!!
And, oh my heavens!!! Antonia’s hair is simply amazing! I think Paige is going to need a friend (well, in addition to Trevor’s new baby coming for Christmas..lol). I don’t think I could ever have enough of your dolls Christina…they’re like children…each of them is such a blessing!!
Oh the hair! I’m so jealous. She is beautiful!
Antonia’s hair color is simply amazing. So so beautiful!
The dolls are gone from the Birkeland window-I saw that this morning while having a coffee date with friends at Bean Around the World. Sad to see them go… they were such a cheery addition to Main Street. I hope they all go to wonderful families!
I love reading this, 4 years ago and you were looking into Markets and store sales, and now look at you guys, congrats
Only one week left to Win a Doll..please check September 10th post for details! Today we went into Victoria to check out the Sunday Market on Government Street to see if it could be a potential vending spot for Bamboletta next summer. I’ve been checking out all the different markets to see where I might […]
So everything in these pics is what you did over the weekend?? Wow, that’s amazing! You are such hard workers, the two of you.
And how cool that market seems like a good place to sell, I must remind myself to see if we have things like that here. And a really nice way to meet others who are also creative and sell what they make.
Btw, did I miss something or haven’t you announced that big news yet you were talking about a few weeks ago? Or is it too early to tell? 🙂
I know what you mean about kids demanding so much, I was making a list of things I’d still like to do someday and realized there was quite a number of things that will have to wait until they are bigger. It’s ok though because this is a special time that’s over before we know it, just frustrating sometimes. As a parent of young ones we are second place for a while I guess. 🙂
Christine
Waouh ! you both did well over the week end.. How does it work? do you wait for you kids to be asleep and then you work as a team in front of TV or radio… It is great to have a husband who is happily sharing your job/dream/passion… By the way happy anniversary… here too I often buy myself something small to celebrate anniversary… as i don t have a good income yet… so hard when you start a practise isn t it…
anyway I love the colour of the hairs…have a great week
and one more week with my fingers crossed… take care
P
Ps : we, as parents have all the same tiredness and doubts… but at the end… our kids are the best thing in the world isnt it!
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing dollmaking advice. I sell some small felt/felted dolls, but the true “companion” dolls that I make I give to my kids! So time-consuming, but beautiful. Your dolls are the best I’ve seen on non-Euro sites. Lovely.
I bought myself a nice piece of art for my 5th anniversary on the 20th – glad to know I’m not the only one who does this, hee hee! If DH had his way, there would be a new windsurf board in our garage…
happy anniversary! I think the “little house” moment is sort of romantic, really… and we’re having moments like that with our Jasper, too. Will he never sleep?!
Naomi.. the Jaspers NEVER sleep, it’s very weird. I don’t get it, he is awake from noon until around 11:30 with NO nap. He has a nap in the morning, usually for around an hour but that is it. He’s just so intense, and now the walking..lol.. we just follow him around making sure he doesn’t bang into things. Crazy little man, good thing he is just so gosh darn cute!
Good job on the art purchase April! I think us women have to take gift buying into our own hands.
Thanks so much for that lovely compliment Sarah. I drool over some of the European and Japanese dolls, I love that aesthetic.
Pascaline, we were fortunate to have a friend take care of the children for a few hours on Saturday. Instead of going out for breakfast, or doing something like that we had a morning of dollmaking. John watched an important soccer game (they are all important according to him!) and I listened to podcasts while sewing. Then we work together and stuff the dolls. He likes doing the arms.
Christine! You should sell at a market, it is so much fun.
No announcement yet, it didn’t happen the way we thought it would..yet!
Your dolls have the most beautiful hair! Now I know why. I hope you find some markets to sell from. This summer I shopped almost exclusively at farmers markets and if I had seen one of your dolls there, I definitely would have bought one! My daughter and I are in love with your dolls!
I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one with a son who doesn’t sleep!
Happy Anniversary!!!
Bethany, thanks for the compliments 🙂
Oh April, it’s ridiculous how little sleep he needs and wants- he can’t miss a thing.
Adrianne, thank you!
This tip really helped me quicken my doll making process and I only figured it out about 2 years ago. It’s so simple but I’ve never seen it in any dollmaking how-to’s. Anyways, it only works if you use a type of pattern like mine which is the arms attached to the ‘muff’ of the […]
I *love* that you share these tips. I love seeing how things get put together! One day, when I get brave, I’m going to try making a doll. I’m sure I’ll be emailing you for support. lol Your fabric stash behind the curtain thrills me. You should see my yarn stash. 🙂 It looks similar, except it’s behind a door…with a child proof latch. My little bear broke in once, and it was a real (tangled) mess.
Thanks for the tip! I imagined there HAD to be an easy way (or everyone would have stopped making dolls with arm-muffs by now…), only I couldn’t figure it out by myself… Which is silly, because as you say, it’s so simple! You just have to know. Thank you, thank you!
*grins* I LOVE your closet. Makes me feel a lot better about my overflowing-my-goodness-what-am-I-going to-do-with-all-this-stuff-closet in our living room. Now please help my husband understand! 🙂
Dear Christine, I wish I knew how to sew… so i could try to make a beautiful doll like yours but i guess you need first to sew and be creative… which unfortulately i am not that good at… so i will keep dreaming of your dolls and read about them via your blog… have a lovely day and i hope you slept better last night…
Hm, interesting tip. I don’t do it that way. Perhaps I should study your photographs more careful and try.
I love your secret behind that curtain! I have the fabric in plastic bags, it’s disgusting. Lol. 🙂
Christine
PS: perhaps this is one of great Bamboletta secrets, but I am curious what you do to get that nose. My dollbook says a nose will cause the fabric to rip or tear more quickly so they do not recommend it, but it looks so cute!
Just found your blog. I love your dolls!! I have 2 grand daughters. Wow…wonder if I could ever do that.
I promise you, while i’m anally retentive about my embroidery floss, my fabric stash looks like a bomb went off in the middle of it! I wish I lived closer so we could have a cup of tea and a chat and I could play with your big bowl of floss – it’s like pullilng out treasure after treasure when it’s all in together like that!
~Holly
Two Cheese Please
Thanks for the awesome tip! And my question was going to be “the hair.” Maybe you just need to hold a “hair workshop.” I’d fly in from Utah for that one:)
stephanie
Thanks everyone! I love giving out the tips 🙂 I am happy to not be alone in my unorganization of fabric/yarn. Monica, when Jasper is sleeping I get Kristie my sitter to come down and organize my yarn..she has to do it about once a week I am that ridiculous!
Meike.. I know it’s so simple, but such a good tip!
Christine, some noses can break through the ‘skin’. I just fixed a commercial waldorf doll recently for my friends daycare that had that happen. If you make a soft nose that is squishy then it won’t wear through. I hope that helps.
Hello Pascaline!
Welcome Donna- sure you can do it, it’s so fun and your grand daughters would love it!
Hey Holly! I’d love to have you come over and organize the floss 🙂 I’ll even throw in some chocolate. It’s funny they are like that- I have a bobbin winder and everything.
Yes, the Hair- Stephanie, I get emails almost daily asking about the hair… it’s a difficult one to explain- I will one day!
Ha! My fabric shelves are the same as yours! No really. The same shelves and the same piles. I also do a version of your current “doll making tip”. I, too, learned the hard way. How cool are we?
xoxoBerrie
Great tip, though I tried it this way over the weekend, it didn’t work so well for me! I have two questions if you’re looking for blog content – do you sew the leg seams by hand (the parts where the legs meet the torso at the top of the leg) or by machine? I tried by machine and ended up with a terrible mess. Second question: How do you make that part under the chin so smooth? I struggle with this part!
Thanks!
April
Berrie, we should start our own group or something for messy crafters! Yes, the dollmaking tip is a good one. I remember when I first tried it, I called John at work. He did not share the same excitment as myself but_ I had to tell someone! Next time I’ll tell you..Oh, I’ve got one- I figured out how to dye mohair a copper colour! yeah!
April.. too bad about the tip not working for you. I do sew the leg seams by hand and to not get the ‘Ghost Neck’ I actually did a blog post about it last month explaining how to prevent it. With pictures!
Too funny! All this wonderful work we do and the group we start is “messy crafters unite”! Oh please share your new and exiting discoveries. I’ll share mine!. Your revelation for dyeing copper hair, though, is useless without giving up the secret. Bah!
xo Berrie
ha 🙂 the secret to my organization is suckering a poor unsuspecting houseguest into folding and color sorting the teetering mess that was my fabric closet.
I get emails about yarn hair all the time too. I think it’s one of those things that seems like such a mystery until you jump in and try it. what I still don’t understand is that crocheting a cap and pulling the hair through thing that some waldorf doll makers do. I’d like to see that in action!
Great tip!! I was wondering if you could tell me if your doll hair is sewn in at the part or if you do the crochet cap thing. I am debating which I should try. I want a full head of style-able hair, any suggestion?
Anything that you have just stuck in your closet for lack of a better place for it needs to be removed from your home or given a proper location.
Hi, where I can find the Waldorf patterns?
Before all, excuse m poor english.
I’ve saw your dolls and are wonderful. I’m dollmaker and I send my dolls to Uganda to Lira Babbies Home, where leave 34 little babys who have no parents.
Is it possible to have the pattern of your little doll? I thank you very much if you will reply to be.
Greetengs to you and your family
Grazia fron Italy ( Liguria )
That is an excellent tip. Thanks so much. I’m about to embark on my first doll making experience and that tip will help so much.
Your dolls are just the sweetest around! I would love a tip for the mouth…I am only making my second doll, but I cannot tell you how many times I have done the mouths. I cannot get that nice slight smile. I can get a straight line, a ‘V’ (from a little stitch), or i have to make a bunch of tiny stitches.
Thanks so much for sharing all the great tips/how-tos! I am making my first doll (of this style) and I’m nervous and want it to be perfect–it’s for my 2-year-old daughter for Christmas. I got the head done with no ghost neck, thanks to you, and I’m getting ready to sew the head/arms into the legs/body section so this is great! I was wondering if you’d be willing to make a tutorial menu or some other way to find all your tips quickly! Also, have you considered selling patterns or kits for your dolls? Or even just the fabric and wool stuffing to make them? Thanks again, so much!
[…] Bamboletta provides a tutorial on attaching the arms to the body. […]
just found this post and have to say…
thank you…….I love you!
What a great tip thank you… I was doing it allll wrong.
thanks for the tips. Do you think you could explain how to do hair. I am sure it is easier than the crochet cap method and must use less yarn.
filiberto …
[…]bamboletta: natural, handcrafted companions for little ones – » Blog Archive » another doll making tip..[…]…
printing for less…
[…]bamboletta: natural, handcrafted companions for little ones – » Blog Archive » another doll making tip..[…]…
thank you so much for your experience and this tips thanks again
Thank you for sharing that tip… now how do you make the chins not wrinkly?
Is there a doll pattern that we can purchase to make our own bamboletta dolls?
Thank you,
Ann Power
adult match maker…
[…]bamboletta: natural, handcrafted companions for little ones – » Blog Archive » another doll making tip..[…]…
[…] from the Heart) Step-by-step on Flickr (Beth @toureasy47201) Outie bellybutton (Rhythm and Rhyme) Sewing up shoulders (Bamboletta […]
[…] from the Heart) Step-by-step on Flickr (Beth @toureasy47201) Outie bellybutton (Rhythm and Rhyme) Sewing up shoulders (Bamboletta Dolls) Bamboletta Buns(Bamboletta YouTube […]
I would love a tip: the horizontal line on my doll’s faces tends to show through. Any ideas?
Hi Anna,
Sorry for the late reply, try switching to a thicker fabric for the skin 🙂
Thank you,
Brooke 🙂
This might sound like a “lazy question”, but I swear that I’ve looked with no luck…how can I find any and all of your other doll making tutorials? And has there been a hair tutorial yet?! I’m about to order supplies for my first ever doll and am collecting as much knowledge ahead of time as I can. I’ve found it especially hard to find good tutorials on hair and wigs, muff/arm/shoulder construction (though now I can cross that one off my list!), and feet -esp feet with a bottom piece/sole-. I’m planning to alter patterns/create my own because I haven’t for the life of me been able to find one that is “just right”, or any pattern shaped/pieced feet (rather than stitched).
Thanks SO much for sharing tips and photos… I couldn’t believe how hard it was to find good info on doll making from seasoned doll makers (and esp from professional studios)… You Rock!!
With Gratitude,
Rebekah
Dear ladies at bamboletta,
I have made a few dolls myself and I have one question for you. How do you make the stitches so nice looking at the neck? I struggle with this, if you want to share any tips, I would appreciate it soooo much!
Thanks!
Danyel , aspiring doll maker.
Uh… is it me? Or a different Melanie? I’m guessing not me, because there’s nothing in my inbox… but now I’m curious…?
Yay, it *is* me! Thankyou Christina, I’m very excited to meet her 🙂
congratulations to Mélanie… lucky girL… sad that we didn t win but happy for you anyway… enjoy to play with your doll soon… take care
and big thank you to Christine for letting us play the game… looking forward to the next …
have a nice day
pascaline
this is a great idea to put cristal into their head… it has such great healing properties…great idea… did you learn about cristals …can you tell us more ?
Congratulations Melanie!!! You lucky girl 🙂
lovely letter and lucky melanie:)
Wow, that letter made ME cry, and I’m not even pregnant! How embarrassing! I’m very inspired though, and I decided that next time our family relocates, I am buying a Bamboletta doll for each of my children (I have two at the moment) and will have it sent to our new home to meet us there and be a special transition friend. (Don’t worry, this won’t be anything I need by Christmas, so you can breathe a sigh of relief that I’m not adding to your already potentially overwhelming workload).
Thanks for loving what you do and sharing it with all of us!
CanCan, what a sweet idea! I want to move just so I can do that! Now I just need to convince my husband that we need to move so I can buy another doll…
Congratulations, Melanie!