Nancy In The Making

Dear diary, Christmas being just around the corner is a seasonal reminder of the annual ritual of gifting.  I relish Dickensian tales of austerity and the ingenuity of the characters  that embrace the philosophy of a gentle economy, where there was little to waste.

  Giving something luxurious and thoughtful that entices a warm midwinter glow during the darkest part of the year is what I endeavour to do.  Although handmade by me the time invested can never be considered an exercise in penny pinching.  After all one cannot bestow compliments of the season with a miserly approach, there are no Scrooges here thank you.

An important familial tradition and an absolute pleasure over the years, has been to create little characters as gifts.  My children are grown yet there is still a desire to create these dolls, not for playing with as previously but as an heirloom piece or a decorative artefact; this was where the original inspiration for Nancy was born.

The simplistic charm of a traditional rag doll cannot be surpassed; it conjures a retrospective sentiment, traditionally from nothing more than odds and ends of this and that and is appreciated and loved by young and old alike. 

I can’t explain my endless fascination with doll making it is a palpable feeling rooted within that compels and motivates me.

 I am renowned for over complicating designs and miniaturizing a thing.  Although I wholeheartedly appreciate the beauty of simplicity in the work of others, however, when faced with a choice of static versus articulated limbs the joints win every time.  I am quite a contradiction.  I feel the introduction of dynamics elevates a fabric figure from a play thing into a holistic character that is fully pose able; unfortunately this takes time and requires much experimentation hence several attempts to achieve proportional and balanced limbs.

Nancy is a historic representation of the stories and knowledge of my forbears, of making and crafting using traditional skills; I pay homage to the generation that I succeed.

I am taking a small break from doll making this week as my attention turns to more homely pursuits.  My lounge and conservatory are receiving new window treatments, handmade by me of course, an indulgence long overdue.

Farewell, until next time.