Heads will roll!

I opened the bag. I ripped it in half on purpose… there would be no turning back. And then I realized that there was far less to be frightened of in the big bag than I thought. It was 90% wool roving, 10% other supplies. I can do this!

With my newfound swagger, I dove into step 1. The head form. In Waldorf Doll making, the head form is made from a loosely woven muslin tube, stuffed with wool roving.

Getting this just right was one of the things that kept me away from the doll kit. I thought that I would fumble with the tying and my stuffing would be lumpy. What reinforced my belief that this step would be difficult was the fact that the company I bought the kit from sells the head forms already made. But you know what? It was fine. I read the directions carefully and just went step by step. They were awesome. The illustrations were very helpful too. And it didn’t hurt that I had watched the dollmaking video all the way through before I even started. I think that helped a lot in keeping me from getting confused on the steps.

And then, voila! Little Finn has a head! Well, the start of one anyway. And, if can I toot my own horn, it looks a heck of a lot like the picture in the directions. Go me! Once I got into the directions of the kit I bought I was pleased to find out that this kit supplies dental floss to use for shaping the head. In the video tutorial I watched, the head was shaped with dollmaker’s string that had been soaked in water. The wet string didn’t look too difficult but the dental floss was really easy to work with and pulled tight in a snap. I was a bit concerned about it’s longevity, but I assume that the good people who assembled the kit know whereof they speak.

The directions for this doll did not include making a nose. Some Waldorf Dolls have noses, some don’t. I really wanted to do a nose so I used the instructions on this page and it was a cinch. I am a bit concerned that I made it a little too small. But, I’m sure it will be fine. The idea is really just the “impression” of a nose anyway.

So, this is where I am, the next step is to stretch the knit fabric tightly over the head and secure. I will write about that and more on my next post! Talk to you soon!

Cassandra