When making dolls, having an idea in my head is an obvious starting point..
I often don’t make sketches beforehand, as I like to just go along with where the stitches take me.
But this way of working, I suppose, does allow for more radical changes to be made along the way of creating, and it is then, that the true personality of the dolls force their way through.

I had a very specific idea for this here doll in progress above.
I wanted her to become a lovely and warm, fuzzy woman, with big buns in her hair on the sides and a cozy full skirt made of patchwork, which I patiently stitched together from lots of small bits of vintage fabrics I had collected over the years:

Anyway, all well and lovely, until, when I added everything together,
the doll was like; You know what Pantovola? No…
She didn’t like the head she was given, nor did she agree with her skirt..
I said, ok .. listen lady, this took me days of painstaking work and patience,
but she wouldn’t have any of it.
Long story short, I made her a brand new head and face, which I carefully replaced with the old one, and sewn her new skirt to go with it.
Then she kindly demanded I make her a friend. He had to be a wolf, a handsome one.
So I made her a wolf…

When she saw the enchanting wolf, the lady doll wanted to add even more loveliness to her character, so she suggested I make her a rose to carry with her.

Finally… I hope they are both happy now with what they have become!

They wanted to be named the following:

Rossitva (Bulgarian for Rose)  and Ivaylo (Bulgarian for Wolf)

Both dolls will be listed tonight, Sunday 25th March at 8:30 British Summer Time, in my etsy shop!