Playing with dolls helps me learn to be caring.

-Unknown

Is it already fall? Not that it makes a difference where I live, LOL! But it does mean Christmas is closer and I looooove that.

You have been probably wondering why I have been making more simple wool babies lately. Well, there are a couple of answers for that. One, I needed a break from my wool art dolls. I got frustrated with one I was making and decided to take a break from that, so I can start fresh in a couple of days. I also have been thinking of making more dolls for children and I happen to think the more simple dolls are better for them. We can’t forget Christmas is coming in a couple of months, so is always good to start getting Christmas presents for our children, especially because of the post office craziness. And last of all, I need to make some dolls that people can pay in full and not in payments. I am always happy to make payment plans for my customers but at the moment this is our only source of income so I need to be a little more practical.

So I want to introduce you to Viviana and Valeria. Two 12 inch very floppy baby dolls made with children in mind. To make it easy, Viviana is the cute red head little baby and Valeria is the sweet black baby doll. They are not only different in colors but I wanted to make a little experiment with them. They are made with two different kinds of doll skin. Viviana is made with DWE (De Witte Engle) and Valeria with Heavy Weight Laib Yala. They are both fabrics specifically made for doll making. I do have a favorite doll skin but let me tell you what I like about each one of them.

Viviana, my red head beauty, was made with the last big piece of DWE left in my fabric box. This fabric, being an interlock, has good elasticity and makes for somewhat chunkier babies. It also makes the skin look smoother and very much baby like. So it is easy to understand why most doll makers prefer this fabric to make baby dolls.

Valeria, my gorgeous black baby, was made with Laib Yala Heavy weight, a jersey fabric. By looking at it you can already see that Valeria is slimmer than Viviana. This is mostly because Laib Yala is not as elastic as DWE. You can also see the grain of the fabric a little more than the DWE, so the skin is not as smooth. This doesn’t really bother me because is a doll and in the end I do want it to look like is made out of cloth.

Nevertheless Laib Yala is my favorite fabric to work with and I will tell you why. This fabric to me is much stronger, holds it’s shape more (I guess because it doesn’t stretch as much) and it like never pills. I know everyone thinks none of these fabric pill that much to begin with, but I see a big difference between how much DWE pills and how much Laib Yala doesn’t. I know the babies look chunkier and maybe cuter with DWE, but after all aren’t most newborn babies real skinny anyway? Plus if I want a chunkier baby I can always make the pattern a little wider. So, there you have it I prefer Laib Yala over DWE but they are both great fabrics for doll making so you can pick any of them and still make the cutest babies.

Now let me tell you a little more about Viviana. Viviana is a cute little girl that is actually full of energy. She sometimes do things she’s not supposed to and it seems like she knows it too because of the way she looks at you afterwards. Still what are we going to do, she’s still a baby and we just need to teach her with patience and love. Viviana is the most playful of the sisters and surprisingly she loves to share her toys with everyone. I guess she understands that if she shares people are going to want to play with her. She’s a sweetheart and she always has the cutest little smile.

Now Valeria is a little more serious. Well at least at first. She’s just very attentive and a true observer. Her eyes are always full of wonder and sometimes she watches you so closely that if you make a sudden move she will startle and then do a little nervous laugh. Valeria is very attached to her baby bunny, that is the one thing she can’t sleep without, so is you adopt her you better keep an eye on it and don’t loose it.

Valeria and Viviana where made as toy dolls suited for children 5 and up that do not mouth their toys. They would love to be birthday or Christmas presents. They are natural fibers dolls, filled with clean wool. Their heads have been made in the traditional Waldorf style with some needle felting to make them firmer. Hands and head have been sewn to the body with a sewing machine, so they are extra strong. Legs and body are one piece. They both have a mohair yarn crocheted cap. Valeria’s is black wild loop mohair and Viviana’s is red wild brushable mohair. They are securely hand sewn to their heads. Their clothes all have velcro closures. These dolls are pretty floppy and fun to pose.

They will each go home with the following clothes and accessories:

• A footed sleeper with velcro closure. (Easier and safer for little hands)
• A handmade diaper with velcro closures
• A handmade pair of cloth booties
• A handmade hat
• A little traveling friend

If you would like to see more photos of them you can check them out here in their album.

If you would like to see a video of them getting dressed you can see it here.

Each doll is made to be as sturdy as possible. However, small children’s play should always be monitored. Never leave a small infant unattended with a stuffed toy.

Each baby’s adoption fee is 180 USDollars plus shipping. Shipping to Mexico is free and 13 USDollars for the rest of the world.

There is a new, priority shipping option, it is 30 USD for the US and Canada. Priority shipping to other countries would need a revised quote. If you would like priority shipping please let me know before hand so I can adjust the shipping price.

If you would like to adopt any of these babies, make sure you comment on this post stating the name of the baby doll: Viviana for the red head girl and Valeria for the black baby doll. If you want them both go ahead and write both names. If there is more than one person interested I will draw a name. I will take entries for these two sisters until tomorrow Tuesday September 1, 2020 at 4pm EST.

By commenting you agree that you are 18 years or older. Please do not comment on behalf of someone else, that is just not fair for others. Once a family has been chosen I will send a PayPal invoice that is due upon receipt.

Thank you for coming to say hi to these two cuties. I hope you are already getting some crisp fresh air in your part of the world.

Read you soon.

Hugs,

Aubrey