Sunday, September 25, 2011

Our First Doll


A few days ago, I was surfing around on flickr and came across a picture that Graceposted of the first doll she made for her family (isn't she adorable? I am not positive, but I think that Grace may take custom orders if you are interested) and it started me thinking about our first doll, Nico.  
I made Nico for my older daughter, K, when she was about 18 months old.  I felted an old cashmere sweater that my dad passed on to me for sewing because it had a few moth holes in it.  Following the instructions from a Weir kit, I formed the head and made up the patten for the body myself (I knew I wanted to make a soft doll instead of a fully formed doll because she was so young).  I spent a few late nights before Christmas sewing and resewing until the doll seemed right.   
Late at night as I was sewing the doll, I had visions of K running to the doll on Christmas morning, squealing with glee, and never letting the doll go.  Christmas morning came and K was far more interested in the box I packaged the doll in than poor little red doll.  Over the next few weeks, I played with the poor little red doll every once in a while and K showed interest in him when I played with him, but most of the time he sat in the corner.  A few months later, K refused to go to sleep and she kept saying "Nico, Nico."   I was completely baffled...Nico is K's older cousin.  So I explained that Nico was probably getting ready for bed at Nico's house and maybe we could visit tomorrow, etc. K kept looking around the house and finally I had the sense to ask "who is Nico?"   She looked around until she found the little red doll.  Grabbed him, took him to bed with her and snuggled in.  
K slept with Nico on and off until about four months ago.  My younger daughter, T, was having a very difficult time transitioning from our bed to her crib.  One night K told me that Nico was for T to sleep with now.  Now T uses Nico as a pillow every night as she falls asleep.  
Nico has spots all over him (despite giving him a bath a few times a year) and a few holes that I need to mend.  He is so well loved.  Despite the cool welcome he received, he has a very special place in our family.   

No comments:

Post a Comment