The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people.

-Unknown

As I started making this baby, I felt a voice tell me to try something new. I have spent all these years trying to learn as much as I can from other doll makers. I have watched videos, read blog posts, bought patterns, researched deeply, and tried many techniques. I am so thankful for the doll making community. Most of them are so helpful and generous with sharing their knowledge. I can say I know way more now than I knew when I started but I still have a lot more to learn and I love that. I feel the day I stop learning I will totally loose interest. However, I often found myself comparing my work to other doll makers’, I guess that is pretty common. Then I realized I could never be like them. Not that I can’t be as good as them, but I would never make dolls like them, nor I was interested in doing so either. I live another reality, I live in another “world”. I live in a beautiful colorful country and I have a mixture of cultures too rich to ignore. Why in the world would I want to make dolls that don’t represent me or the people I love. Why wouldn’t I make dolls that look like us, Latinos, Blacks, Asians, people of color. Don’t get me wrong, I love all these caucasian natural fibers dolls, they are gorgeous, but I think that area is pretty well covered. There are not enough natural doll makers making dolls of color and I am determined to change that. I know this maybe taking a risk, but I feel is a shame that most natural doll makers make one or two black dolls a year, if any. Why not be the doll maker that makes one or two caucasian dolls a year instead? I want to fill my website and shop with colorful dolls from different ethnicities.

Now, you might be surprised I chose to make a Mexican doll first given the fact that I am not Mexican but Puerto Rican. Well, my children are my biggest inspiration, and they are both born and raised in Mexico. I have the two cutest Mexican babies a mother could ask for and this baby girl is totally inspired by them.

There are more new things around here than just the color of the babies. I also decided to make her head in my own way. I basically made a regular Chulona and then needle felted over the features until I got them as firm as I could. I also needle felted the whole head until I got it as firm as an orange. This way of making the head has more steps for me than the regular way of making a Waldorf head, but it gives me more control over what I’m doing. It really made it easier for me, maybe because is something very familiar and very personal. I have been making non natural Chulonas for longer than the natural ones, so why not mix the techniques? I did and I am never going back. And while I was changing things I decided why not make the eyes and neck in a different way as well? So I did. I have more ideas of things I want to change in the body, legs, and arms, but I need to experiment more on those before I make a final decision.

Another thing I did with this baby girl that I had never done before, at least with a natural baby, was accurately time myself making her. I timed a little over 67 hours making this girl. This is not counting an extra round of details, photos, video, blog, and packaging. I decided to round it down to 65 though, just because I tried new things that maybe next time will be made faster.

Now that you know a little more about how I came to make this sweet baby, let me tell you a little about her. Fátima was born in the middle of Summer in hot beautiful Merida, Yucatán. She loves watching the birds and butterflies and feeling the sun rays on her skin, though not too much because her baby skin can burn. She doesn’t like the AC and she prefers to have all windows open to hear nature sounds and oh there is so much nature to listen to around here. I love how babies just have a way of making us more aware of our surroundings. Fátima is one of those babies that will make you look for happy things. Bright colors and lively music make her smile. She loves sweet milk with corn flour and beans made in a clay pot. She’s an all Mexican baby girl.

Fátima is a 15 inch preemie size natural fibers baby doll. She fits into most preemie clothes. Her skin is Laib Yala heavy weight in light brown color, her limbs and torso are filled with clean wool. Her head is floppy and moves from side to side. The head needs to be supported at all times, just like a real newborn baby.  Her legs are sewn directly to the torso with upholstery thread. They are very floppy. Her arms are also sewn to the torso with both embroidery thread and polyester thread. Her face is firmly needle felted, soft sculpted, and hand embroidered with cotton embroidery floss. Fátima’s hair is a hand crocheted black wild brushable mohair wig cap. It can be styled with wet fingers and brush. She’s fully soft sculpted, weighted in the torso with glass beads, and anatomically correct. She’s very fun to pose.

Fátima is not meant as toy for children. This doll is meant for gentle play by an adult collector. She’s a collector’s item meant to be treated as gentle as a real baby.

Fátima will go home with the clothes and accessories shown in the photos.

• A handmade cloth diaper with snaps
• A handmade and hand embroidered (by me) shirt
• A handmade diaper cover with skirt
• A matching handmade bow headband
• A pair of hand crocheted bare foot sandals
• A handmade pair of tights
• A handmade sleeping dress
• A hand crocheted bonnet
• A pair of hand crocheted booties
• A handmade doll as a traveling friend
• A handmade blanket

If you would like to see more photos of Fátima you can check her album here.

If you would like to have a better idea of what she feels like, you can see a little video of her getting dressed here.

Fátima’s adoption fee is 650 USDollars plus shipping. Shipping inside Mexico is free, to the US, PR, and Canada is 45 USDollars and for the rest of the world is 70 USDollars.

If you wish to adopt this baby girl just comment below stating so. I will take entries for Fátima until tomorrow Wednesday, July 22 at 4pm CDT. If more than one person is interested I will draw a name later on. Once a family has been chosen I will send a PayPal invoice that is due upon receipt. There are short payment plans available, but at least a 1/4 of the doll price (160.50 US) needs to be paid up front from which 50 dollars are considered a non refundable deposit. The deposit goes towards the price of the doll. Shipping can be paid at the end of the payment plan.

As always by commenting you agree you are 18 years or older and please do not comment for someone else.

Fátima has found a loving home. Thank you so much!

I really hope you love this baby as much as I do. She is the first one that is made in this new style. I paid much more attention to details and spent many hours in her crafting.

I hope life is treating you well in these uncertain times. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Maybe Fátima will bring some joy to your day.

Read you soon.

Hugs,

Aubrey