During the Christmas season of 2007, I began making sock dolls from the book,
Sock and Glove by Miyako Kanamori. I made sock rabbits, dogs, cats and monkeys for adults and children in the family. My sister encouraged me by giving me
Plush-O-Rama by Linda Kopp. Since then the whole world of doll and stuffed animal-making has opened up to me. Of course I do have a large collection of vintage stuffed terriers and a Steiff animal collection that began in childhood. Stuffed creatures have always appealed to me.
Rosa Pomar's dolls are consistently the ones that impress me the most. She has now made 800 of them. I can tell you why I like them so much. First of all they appeal to children. They are not trying to be different. They are just naturally themselves and unique without any affectations. She seems to have developed several prototypes. The most common one, I think, is one she calls a kind-of-marsupial. It can be seen below in a Japanese print as she belongs to me! I think the flower eyes and stylized embroidered grin across each of her dolls is her signature, her stamp of individuality. You definitely know a Rosa Pomar doll when you see one. I have seen imitations and they are obvious.
She also makes a basic baby doll with pom-pom fringe hair and no arms that seems just right for a newborn infant. And she makes two other creatures regularly that are reminiscent of a monkey and rabbit. My grandson, Dexter, has the monkey seen above. He is sitting with a crib mifflette of mine that attaches with velcro to the canopy of his crib.
Her dolls are exquisitely made, of the finest craftsmanship imaginable. One of my friends swore that the details were machine sewn, but I protested that they were hand done and after examination with a magnifying glass, she finally conceded. You have to look
very hard to see where she sewed up the hole where the stuffing was inserted. She uses the tiniest of stitches and is a seamstress with unflagging standards.
People who have never made a stuffed toy may not know how hard it is to stuff one. It is the hardest part of the process for me. I have made fifty dolls now and am still a beginner in this department. Rosa's are stuffed better than any I have ever felt. They are just right, not too full, not too soft and never ever lumpy.
Rosa's dolls have inimitable style, are made from the finest and well chosen natural materials and establish the highest level of craftsmanship for doll makers. I suggest everyone should have at least one. But beware! You have to watch
her blog/shop vigilantly for the appearance of an available one. That is not a problem as her blog is fascinating, even if you cannot read Portugese. You will be competing with me, since I am on the lookout for a rabbit type doll.
I am trying very hard not to imitate Rosa, and yet I cannot resist using some of her well thought out techniques. In my research on dolls I have found many imitations of Rosa's dolls and many other dolls that have some of the same features, though I do not know if they came from Rosa or some other older source. A group of Guatemalan dolls I saw had some striking similarities, but I don't know if these creators had referenced Rosa Pomar. Sometimes a good idea just comes of age and then takes off on its own from many locations.
I just finished these two monkeys today. The green monkey is made from barkcloth from the forties or fifties. The arms and legs are circa 1900 French shirting remnants. The monkey on the right is from all Japanese fabric, Yuwa for the body and Melody Leaf for the arms and legs. I think they have a different character than Rosa Pomar's monkeys, but I used her brilliant technique for creating arms and legs that are floppy and allow the monkey all kinds of creative positions.
The owl is the third one I have made, this one from the same Yuwa Japanese fabric. He is fashioned much like the first owl I made featured in a previous post. I am still fooling with his talons for optimum effect.
I repeat that you really should visit
Rosa's website to see what she is up to, what is in her fascinating shop and if she has any available dolls, because they are simply the BEST.
I had two good long hikes today, but forgot my camera. Urrgghh. When I got home, Capped Man was waiting for me. I think his cap looks like a fez. I only ordered him yesterday from nonchalantmom's flea market. This fantastic service makes my head spin. T thinks he/capped man is Chinese. I think he is from a different Asian country but I defer to T in such matters since he has lived in several Asian countries. We both agree he is cute as the dickens. Little Hippo agrees.
