Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Posts: 8,574
For the last 2-3 months i have been missing my old Kewpie doll, and wondering if I could do a golly like i remember my Kewpie. This is a little hard, onacounta (nifty word) Kewpie was composition and gollydollys , at least mine are soft-cloth.
so whenever i would wake up at night, (about 4 or 5 times) [oh stop it you guys its not what you think!], I would try to imagine how I would do it. Then I remembered, maybe i dreamed, about another doll I had back then, it was really my sisters, she is was 10 years older, and our grandma made it. It had a head and body in one piece and and had a funny piece of fabric going down the center of the head.
Huh?
so i tried to find a doll on e-bay.....i couldn't, but I surely would be tickeled pink if one of you guys has one and will post a pic. So I scratched out sketches and tried to imagine.....and then i realized that the fabric is cut in such a way that there are built in cheeks and indents for the eyes. Yikes Now What!!!!
I began to feel totally unable to meet this callange. Then I did a search of old patterns and i did find a pattern....and i studied what I could on the internet. I decided that there had to be darts in the head for roundness, and I guessed there were darts in the neck region for shaping.
To make a long journey not too much longer, i tried it out and finally came up with a prototype....On my 5th or 6th try.....and here she is. I know the pics are bad, forgive me, time contraints didn't allow for the light tent but I did use the lights......She is just a prototype, and i am making alterations and fine tuning the various aspects to her.....but i had to share her, i wanted you all to see there can be something really kinda cute about gollies, for those who aren't crazy about my crazies....
Kim-Bee Bearsoh dilly! she is adorable!!!! I love her "do" and her expression!!! 
Her outfit is also adorable!!!
Upstate New YorkDilu ~ She's great! How large is she?
Incidentally, I followed that whole thing up until:
who aren't crazy about my crazies....
What are crazies? I'm too tired to be on this thing tonight. 
Nova Scotia,CanadaDilu,I have the felt kewpie doll pattern here somewhere. I tried to find it just now but I feel sick and I'm going off to bed.I'll look again tomorrow.Sorry. 
Kassie Bears TM/Creations of MysticismHi Dilu,
I don't know much about gollies, but what can't you like about them? They are very cute! :clap: :clap: :clap:
I know a lot of us have designs dancing around in our heads. Forget the sugar blums. But ..... Wow! you are very determined.
I am glad for Dilu.
Big Hugs
Kassity :hug:
Kiprie BearsDilu !! she is darling !!! so cute !!!! :hug:
How do you make her hairs ?? is that mohair ? or yarn ?
I'm so curious ....... 
I love her smiling face and her lovely hair ! 
I hope you have a good sleep tonight. 
Hugs/Marie
Terries BearsDilu, she is very cute!! and she does look like a kewpie doll.
Apple Dumpling DesignsShe's fantabulous Dilu...I love her little kewpie doll look.
Posts: 8,574OK, her hair is rovings from my needlefelting box.....and i rolled the stuff on hemostats ala Shirley Temple and felted them into her head.....too easy.....Jazzy Fran's sis gave me the idea when i tried to figure out hair on some of her glorius beauties, she uses a special yarn.....but I don't have it.....Her hair was the easiest part.....
I can't quite figure out how to get the shape I want with the smoothness I want in her nether regiouns.....I'll have to work on that!
My hubby is the one that said "but she's not crazy looking like your others...." golly I love him. They are crazy looking, and that was what they were meant to be.....however, i was in the mood for sweet kepie style.
My mom had this habit, if i did something bad she took something I loved away and i never ever saw it again......my bike, my kewpie doll, my grandmothers rag dolls, etc.....certain sweaters, skirts .......I must have been a rotten kid.....
Kimmy
This is one reason why I wanted to make a better body type, i wanted someone who could be easier to dress. I'm still working out the kinks on that too....but thanks 
Deb
She is 10" tall-thats about the size bear or golly I start with because they fit on a regular sheet of graph paper when I start playing around with a new design....go to bed, darling, we'll see you tomarrow
Shari I hope you aren't sick, get well, stay well i didn't know there was such a thing as cloth kewpies.....ahhhh another e-bay search to be done!
Kassity
A couple of people who are much more atuned to this business than i both told me that gollies are the rage and that cloth dolls are the up and coming thing....hmmmmm dilu on the cutting edge.....now thats a hoot....but it made me decide to get busy-I'm not getting any younger! It would be nice to fine tune one of my patterns to the point of being good enough for entering into a contest or magazine or whatever.....and then there is the personal satisfaction and relief of having her off my mind. I used to do the same thing with quilts....
Thank you Marie and Terri and Kimmy and Deb and Shari and everyone......I now have an idea for a little boy.....the hair could be more problematical- nope-wait-I have an idea.......
where's the sketch pad.....
Oh Dilu .... she is so sweet, has an adorable face and the hair. Great job!
I remember those kewpie dolls, I had one and they were so lovely.
Past Time BearsI love her, Dilu . . . and she does have a Kewpie look about her!! But you've started a new look with your interpretation - and that's quite a feat! So keep 'em coming - I'm looking forward to seeing more!
Hi Dilu
You little dolly golly is cute! I know exactly the cloth doll patterns you are referring to with the centre gusset thing down the head and the darts. My mum has a whole bunch of them. Would you like a copy?? Though I actually think your design doesn't need improving!! I know there' one she has that is made out of felt, the others are made out of cloth.
I love your roving hair and I think this dolly is just super sweet!
My dear Dilu,
I think I must have one of your gollies! My poor bears don't have a golly friend.....not a one!!
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Acid Attic BearsShe is absolutely adorable ! I love her face, especially her Kewpie eyes ! Her outfit is to die for too !
DoodlebearsDilu, you know I love gollies, that's why I make them too. Your little daring is soooooo cute. Well done with persisting your desire to make her.
Hugs Jane.
Posts: 8,574Thanks guys, I woke up in the middle of the night with a fix, ( I think) for her nether regions, so that the sewing can be smoother and neater.
Melissa I would love a copy-and I can compare my scribbles with what the pros were doing back then.
I hope to someday find one of the dolls- I have dropped enough hints, now all I have to do is find her on line and drool....who me manipulate my darling hubs? Never (always) 
Thank you everyone- I am happy with her, not because she is "it" but because I can see places to take her, and ways to improve her. And I just found out that there are programs available that will let you scan in a pattern and then draw over it making it look really nice...pretty....I am going to have to get one of those.
All right you computer genius ladies you can get up off the floor and dust yourselves off....I had no idea how the patterns got so beautiful. I thought people who drew them didn't have the shakiness like I do....so I am quite excited at the idea of creating my patterns and having them look pretty.
Who knew?!
The dangers of living in a vacuume!
I am very happy you guys like her....Now back to the fine tuning.....
dilu
I want one too.Ijust love her wee face.
Diane xxxxxx
LuxembearsOkay Dilu, this is my FAVORITE you have made so far. You must have incredibe eyesite to do that stitching around the mouth. Very very nice! Wow...keep 'em coming! I am crazy about your crazies. And I love that she is pictured next to Cozy
Dilu,
Golly gosh,I will have to start looking at these gollies,but think I will leave them in your capable hands for now.
Just love that picture of Miss Golly with Mr Teddy.
Lynette
Baird'sBears
She's a darling, Dilu--
I used to have an old Alice-in-Wonderland doll pattern with the same sort of shaped face. I'll scrounge for it and let you know.
I had a kewpie doll once! They're all cheeks and topknot and big eyes. The cheeks always got dented . . .
Eileen
Great job Dilu. You should be pleased that you were able to bring this creation to life !!!
She's really adorable, Dilu. I love her expression, and she really does have that Kewpie look. I love Kewpies myself and once tried very hard to grab an antique one on eBay but pricing just went too high for my tight pockets to match. You've done a marvellous job of capturing that round-headed, sweet-faced, Kewpie look. Lovely!
Flying Fur StudiosI agree with Shelli totally.
I can really see that Kewpie look as well.
NIce job
Posts: 8,574Thank you everyone! i am glad that you see in her what I was trying for...now I have the computer program I need saved on Amazon! This is very exciting to me to be able to make a pattern come out looking like I know what I am doing! woohoo!!!
And Nancy T. suggested a magazine she thinks might help me in my quest.....i am thinking of the same pattern with blond rovings done up in a top know, and using muslin, with a light dusting of blush...and a tummy button and.......
gotta get busy! I still have one half stuffed!
dillydallying around on the computer :dance: :dance: :dance: happy dance
dilu
Nova Scotia,CanadaDilu,I found the pattern for the felt Kewpie and posted a picture under a new heading "Dilu,a Kewpie for you" but I'm afraid you may not have seen it.Maybe I should try and move it here :doh: Let me know if you see the pictures and what you think. :hug: :hug:
