By, Cassandra George Sturges
Hello dollings, a doll is never just a doll. It is the
embodiment of an emotion seeking the right words. Every doll and doll maker is
a storyteller. I am sharing my Jewel Sock Rag Doll Pattern with you for free --
but she comes with a heavy spiritual price for me as a doll maker.
Ever since I started making dolls, in my mid-late forties, I worked tirelessly to make my dolls as close
to human as possible. My dolls have beautifully constructed lady-parts,
areolas, butts, buxoms, with hand-sculpted nipples, navels, and wire armatures.
Even my male dolls are anatomically correct. My dolls have poseable fingers and
toes with fake polished nails. I glued on fake eyelashes and spent hours making
eyes that take 24 to 48 hours to dry. I sculpt my doll’s noses, and sew their
lips separately before sewing them to my doll’s face. Let’s not even begin to
discuss the 8-10 hair weave job for my life size dolls.
I have cried myself to sleep like a 2-year-old because I
couldn’t get their fingers perfect. People say they like my dolls. Some people
say they love my dolls. However, no one has ever asked me how much my life size
dolls cost or asked me if I could make one for them. I mean I don’t know where
they would place the doll in their home—or what they would do with it--but that
is not the point of this rant.
~~~
I used to make fun of people why cry on those cooking
competition shows who cakes fall or meals fail to turn out right when they lose
a cooking competition. I realized one day that the shows wouldn’t be nearly as interesting
if they didn’t care passionately about what they were doing. Why would anyone
bother to watch a show where people were nonchalant about their craft? Right?
I guess the point is that we shouldn’t bother doing something if we can’t muster up
the energy to do it with all of our heart or not at all. I love it when Iyanla
Vazant says on her show Fix my life, “Just let your heart break.” Now I know these
people have way more serious issues than over cooked chickens, and doll
patterns that rip just as you make your last stitch. Nevertheless, the point is
to be passionate about your life because this is what makes your life rich and
juicy and worth living.
~~~
Back to my original story…
I posted a picture of Jewel - this simply made, easy,
inexpensive Sock Rag Doll and people want to purchase her. Why? You can make
her yourself if you’ve got 30 minutes to spare. I don’t understand why people
like this sock rag doll? My daughter
–in-law, saw the prototype for the Jewel Sock Rag Doll with the upside
down T shaped felt nose, and fell in love with her. She
said that she loved how unique and whimsical the doll look. She has never said
how much she likes any of my other dolls. Did she not see the Jungle Beauty Goddesses sitting in the living room, huh?
I am feeling…hurt…insulted … embarrassed.. . Misunderstood?
I don’t know the word—I don’t think I have ever felt like this before. Let me
first tell you why I created Jewel.
One night, I was wondering aloud to God, if I should
continue to make cloth doll patterns, DIYs, and Tutorials for my Authentik
Beauty Handmade Dolls and Crafts YouTube Channel. I surmised that no one
cares and it takes a lot more energy to make dolls on camera than in bed or
while watching television. Feeling disappointed, I had decided that I would
make cloth dolls only for myself. As I was turning my computer off, I received a
notification that Blessed Jewel—a subscriber on my YouTube channel had
commented. “Cassandra, You got me checking in everyday looking…” I took a
picture of her message with my phone…yes …and cried like a 2-year-old.
Her timing could not have been more perfect. I said to
myself; if I have an opportunity, I want
to let her know how much she inspired me to keep making doll tutorials. When she asked me if I could make a pattern
for a sock rag doll for children in the hospital—I promised I would after I
finished making the Geraldine
the Sock Mermaid doll tutorials.
It took everything inside of me not to give Jewel sculpted
fingers, wire armature, or sculpt her nose. I kept thinking make it child
friendly and easy to make. It will be over before you know it. I drew basic
doll eyes for her and decided to make her pupils with felt. Jewel has felt
lips, and I decided to use the bead that was sitting next to my computer from
my Shaka
Bead Jointed Doll Tutorials. Why not it’s sitting right here. I liked it
better that the felt upside down T nose. While I am finishing Jewel—she tells
me that she is lonely without her boyfriend Julian who wears an Afro. I am
like… girl how old are you?
To my surprise more and more sock rag dolls used this as an
opportunity to manifest on the earth plane. Wisdom and Timeless Beauty came
through. Other sock rag dolls want me to teach people how to use gemstones,
herbs, and oils for various types of healing and personal development dolls. I
don’t know if I am going to make these type of videos yet. My head is still
spinning.
My ego is deeply bruised
lamenting, “the masses like McDonald’s not fine dining. People want hotdogs not
caviar. Open yourself up to simplicity. Open yourself up to whimsical. Let go.
Being a doll maker is not about making the perfect doll. Perfection is not in
the execution of the doll—but the emotional and psychological feelings that
inspire joy, ease, and grace. People want to smile.
Okay. Well then! While making Jewel the Sock Rag Dolls, I
was listening to Khalid’s
song , “Location,” heard it for the first time while driving to Walmart at
3:15 AM in the morning looking for a pair of men’s socks. I have been addicted
to this song ever since. I didn’t know the song was so old.
Any who, while you are making sock rag dolls using Jewel’s
pattern—listen to this song. It has such an old school groove. It reminds me of
when I was a size seven, braless, goddess. I really wanted to say Scarlett… I
have always been a little bit of a bad girl (;
I hope you enjoy this Jewel Sock Rag Doll pattern and if you
so feel inspired make some dolls for your local hospital.
“I know there is a doll inside of you who is just dying to
come to life—but only you can breathe life into her. Thank you so much for
listening.”
~~~
Greetings
Dollings, in this sock rag doll tutorial, I am
going to show you how to make my Jewel Sock Rag Doll pattern step by
step. In the YouTube videos, I am going to show you how to trace the
sock
rag doll pattern onto the socks, and how to stuff the doll pattern
pieces step by step. To make this handmade sock rag doll you will
need a single pair of knit men’s socks, Mountain
Mist or Morning Glory Fiberfill, a doll needle, upholstery thread,
gesso, paint, yarn, buttons, felt, and sewing machine or sewing
needle.
Cassandra George Sturges
No comments:
Post a Comment