One of the first things I do when Christmas draws near is to take the Father Christmas dolls out of their boxes. It's a happy reunion, for I seem to forget each year how much I love them. I really can't believe that I made them (What has happened to my creativity?) This one is my favorite. His name is Zeke. He is dressed all in fur from his head to his feet.
The little trees, one rather tallish and the other not so tall, are tucked into a tiny space in the sewing room. Why, it's becoming more and more like a lovely little forest in this room. It would be such a happy thing to sew in a forest, don't you think? (When I was a kid, I used to take needle and thread into the woods and sew leaves together for garlands to pretty up my playhouse.) Maybe, if I just left these little trees up all year round, I would be inspired to get more sewing done. At the very least, if it doesn't snow this year (but, I really think it will), there would still be snow inside to enjoy!
I really love the face on the blue-eyed Santa below. He looks a lot like my Scotch-Irish relatives on my mother's side of the family. Most of my dolls have brown eyes like my dark-eyed husband and daughter. I named this Father Christmas doll, Raphael. He would never even think about taking a bundle of switches to a child on Christmas.
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| "Raphael" ~ A Father Christmas Doll |
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| "Legend" ~ A Father Christmas Doll |
Now, I am off to sew on the Christmas dolls' dresses. Hopefully, the little trees will work their magic and I will be able to finish the sewing soon. I hope all of your Christmas plans are going well, and that you have a little magic to help you along too. Take care!
Mary
37 comments:
Mary, I just love to zoom in on your photos and see all the glorious detail in your Father Christmas dolls. Those eyebrows and ruddy cheeks are just exquisite. Now that your sewing studio is steeped in holiday ambience your sewing mojo should be in high gear. Looking forward to seeing the doll clothing you create in the next few days.
What a beautiful tree with all of the cranberries! I love all dolls and the marvelous Father Christmas figures. Delightful for children and adults!
Looking nice and festive around your house.
The faces on all the Santa's are expressive and beautiful.
I just love your Father Christmas dolls. If I had them I don't think I could bear to tuck them away out of sight for most of the year. Your trees all look so lovely.
Looking like Christmas! Where did you find those pretty cardinals? Janice
Ha! I hope to chase down that sewing mojo and hang on tightly! Thanks for the visit!
Thank you, Jen! Now, I wonder how a new figure would turn out. I may have to make just one more! :~)
Thank you, Happy One! Oh, how they would love just a bit of your snow!
It does make me a little sad when I wrap them up and put them away, but they would get so dirty if I allowed them to stay out all the time.
Thank you, Sandra! It has been a slow year for me as far as sewing goes. I am definitely going to try to do better in 2020! I think of you often, and sometimes wonder, when the cold winds are blowing, what you might be sewing. Take care and keep in touch!
The little cardinals are my favorite thing on the tree. I found them, several years ago, in a little gift shop. I think there are a dozen of them.
Oh what beauty. Your room is looking so inspiring.
Oh Mary, Mary, Mary!...your Santa dolls are magnificent!! Y'know, I collect them, have hundreds. But to say I MADE them, like you do, would just tickle me and my pride would burst...Do you sell your creations? Oh my, oh my.
Oh, how I would love to see these in person...they are wonderful. You are such an artist/craftswoman. I do love the idea of the forest all year long...and I might want to leave the Santas out for the year, too.
Magnificent dolls, they have such character :)
I like the skinny little Alpine trees, no moving the furniture around !
You are ahead of me with the decorating, and it all looks so delightfully festive.
Hugs,
~Jo
How beautiful, Mary! Your Father Christmas dolls are amazing and your decorating is wonderful! Your Scots-Irish Santa is my favorite, because that is also our family heritage. Scots-Irish, English and Cherokee. We are quite the mix. Your talent shows in everything you do.
:o)
I like your comment on the skinny little trees ~ Alpine, of course! Why didn't I think of that! I also like the no moving of furniture around. Next year, I may just do an Alpine forest and forget about the big tree.
I like the skinny little trees so much that I really am going to hate to put them away. But, I guess I would just get tired of them, so away they will go when Christmas is over.
Thank you! I am enjoying it. This is such a wonderful time of year!
Oh, yay! I hope you will be showing Santa dolls on your blog. I haven't sold any of my dolls. I work too slowly to be very productive in the business. Thank you, Anni!
Beautiful! My kind of Christmas decorations. I love it.
In my mind's eye I can see you as a little girl, sitting in the forest stitching leaves together....how fabulous! Your home's Christmas magic is a joy to behold. Your Christmas tree bedecked with the gorgeous ornaments is joyous; as are the little trees in your sewing room. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in your lovely home.
I love your Father Christmas dolls--and isn't it fun to bring out dolls we don't see but one month out of the year? I do that with a few of mine, (including my first ever clay-on-cloth doll, the most homely elf you ever saw) and it seems to make them more special for having missed them. Enjoy your little forest! I tried keeping a pencil tree out all year...started in October, and decorated for each season/holiday. It was fun, but by August of the following year, I had to put it away--they get dusty! :~P
I really like the "skinny" trees! Did you do any decorating in the shanty?
My favorite decorations are the kind you'd find right out the back door. Maybe that's what I will do next year when I set up my Alpine forest.
Oh, yes, I still yearn to stitch leaves. My favorites were the fuzzy ones like those from the fuzzy mullein plant.
Oh Mary...those dolls are beautiful! The faces are so real looking and have true emotions written on them. You are so talented! I wouldn't even know where to begin! Good luck with your sewing. Your trees are gorgeous too!
I still have my first ever cloth and clay doll, too! She gets to sit under the tree with a few other old toys. About four years ago when I thought I'd be "leaving town forever," (Merle Haggard) I threw away lots of my first feeble attempts. Now, I sure do wish I had them back.
I just stuck a few pine boughs in a basket; sure don't want to put much out there just in case Santa Claus decides to put the inside boards up! :~)
Thank you, Sam! It is going to be my goal next year to sew something every day. Just something, even if only a few stitches.
Thank you, Carolyn! One of my granddaughters requested blue eyes for her doll; she got brown! I do love my blue-eyed Santa, too!
Oh Mary! Those Father Christmas dolls are wonderful. I don’t imagine that your creativity is gone; it is merely waiting for inspiration. Perhaps the trees will grant it, but I’m more inclined that a prayer to the One Who gave all this creativity will be the Source. Happy creating!
Rose sent me over to see your Father Chrismtas dolls, because my post today is my Saint Nicholas doll. I did not make mine, it was a gift. yours are beautiful and you are really a gifted artis to create them.. I can't sew a straight seam which means I can see how talented you are.
How lovely your tree looks and your dolls are just so sweet! The father Christmas doll is so wonderful!
Sweet Father Christmas! Your tree is just so lovely!
There is just something about the sentimentality of Christmas decorations. You really caught the spirit of it!
How did I miss this post? I kept checking to see if you had posted and then went and missed it! I love your decorations and your Father Christmas dolls are exquisite! You do such beautiful faces and the eyes are gorgeous...pure God-given talent! Your trees are so pretty and I love the berry ornaments. You must have a lovely place out in the country. I miss my old little farm. Thank you for sharing the beautiful sunset. We have so many trees here I can never see it.
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