Rag Doll

She's finished - finally!



I did get a teeny bit side tracked since she was first delivered, what with Easter and those walks and then there was the picture quilt, but she is finally finished - ta da!


And as I had hoped Tabi loves her, who wouldn't?


I sat up late on Monday night snuggled under a blanket and in front of the fire to surprise her in the morning.


I'm so glad I did. I left her peeking out from behind a cushion and the squeals of delight and hugs when she found her was more reward, more heart warming, more memory making smiles than the actual thought of buying and then making her that went behind it.


I do have to confess I did find her a little bit tricky to put together as the instructions are from the 70's so all is assumed that you know what your doing. Okay, as if I would of known back then even at my age now what I was suppose to do! Plus my stitching doesn't seem very tight even though I know it is strong, it just doesn't look very aesthetically pleasing, to me anyway - Tabitha doesn't care she's got a new dollie that she loves and that's all that counts.


The feelings I had though making this doll were such strong ones of being five years old again and my first year at infant school - that's when there use to be two intakes of little ones a year. None of this get them all in, in the one go even if they are only four on the 30th August it doesn't matter that they are still so little! I know some children seem more than ready for school and possibly even need it, but the ones whose birthdays fall at Easter or after always seem far to young - to me anyhow.


The infant school I went to was the most idyllic school I could of wished for. Such a lovely old fashioned little school in a gorgeous village called Headley in Hampshire sat on the village green where the teachers weren't afraid to give you a hug or scoop you up if you had grazed your knee. The headmistress was lovely and always had time for a chat with treats of raisins to put a smile back on your face - none of this make an appointment with my secretary! This is the place where I found my love for all things creative from sewing and drawing to helping out with costumes and sets for the school play and my total fascination of nature. Last time I looked the school had become an antiques shop - of sorts - and the infant and junior school are now amalgamated into one, that's the real shame of little villages these days though if I could move back there I would do so in a shot, but I doubt that we could ever afford to.


Anyway, where was I 'oh yes' - sorry! When I was five at my first year in infant school I won, yes little old me, won the school raffle, I couldn't believe my named had been called out, I remember just sitting in the assembly awestruck until a teacher had to actually come and tap me on the shoulder and coax me to go and collect my prize. I was presented with the most gorgeous rag doll that I'm guessing a parent had made, she was so beautiful I absolutely adored her. Though I haven't a clue what happened to my doll, but whilst I was sat sewing little Tabi's I did wonder if it was a Clothkits doll just like the reproduction of their first doll I was now making for my daughter - in my head I'd like to think 'yes'.



Tabi loves her rag doll and that's the best compliment I could receive. One more to go a matching Clothkits reproduction for her sister - maybe next month, well it is only a couple of days away!


Have a lovely day - I don't want to jinx it, but the sun is smiling!