So, Sew

Inspired by a doll I saw at a friend’s house, I started making my own in 2001.

I made this doll, which ended up being called Scary Dollie – nicknamed by my dad for its messed up looking body and face. I was quite proud of this creation and started making a whole mess of dolls out of old fabric and felt.

After a while, it seemed like a good idea to try and sell the dolls. I was picked up by a small store in San Francisco and began creating and selling Feltsies. Feltsies were completely made of felt and stuffed with cotton fibre. I sold about thirty of these total and then I landed a “real” job which took away much of my doll-making time.

from left to right: Feltsie, Bears Without Cares, chimpanzee, quadropus, gorilla, more Bears Without Cares and Large Kitty Pillow and Large Mouse Pillow. I started experimenting with different creatures and based the shapes and styles on drawings of mine.

I took a pretty long break from making dolls. Occasionally, I’d receive requests from people to make something for them, or I’d make a doll as a gift which usually motivated me to make other things – paintings, drawings, mini books.

A recent trip to Portland visiting Emily (co-founder of Bee & Bean) reignited my love for making things by hand. During my weeklong visit, I made a total of 11 dolls. We have been continuing to make these dolls via Skype sessions. It’s been a fun and creative endeavour that we hope to keep up with!

Thanks for visiting!

- Jenny