I didn’t really play with dolls much as a child. Sure, I had dolls, plenty of them. I found the most joy making things for my sister’s dolls. I remember sitting with my Nana, going through a special box of clothing she had made for my mother and aunt’s dolls when they were children. I loved the different fabrics, colors, and textures. I used to spend hours making “clothing” for my sister and cousin’s dolls from scraps of beautiful fabric in Nana’s basement as the other girls played nearby. First, I sewed them by hand, and as I got a little older, Nana taught me how to use her giant, avocado green dinosaur of a sewing machine. My first efforts were a sight to behold….all “original” and could only be worn once, as I frequently had to sew them onto the dolls to get them to fit right!

When my first daughter was little, I did what most parents do, I got her a doll. The doll was cute to look at, but the plastic smell just about overpowered me, and I worried about what it might do to my precious little girl. So, I started looking for something less toxic for her to play with. I had no idea how little there was out there to choose from. My husband shared my frustration, and suggested that I try making something myself. The little light bulb went on over my head. Where to start? Then I found out I was pregnant with our second daughter, so everything else went on to the back burner while I enjoyed the trials of pregnancy and life at home with a small child.

When it was time for our oldest to start school, I knew I wanted to start her out with something different. I found a Waldorf School in Georgia; however, it was not practical for our family as it was too far for me to drive two times a day with a new baby (we happily wound up at a Montessori School that we will be forever grateful for). However, I was very intrigued with their philosophies about letting the child learn naturally, and surrounding the child with natural materials to learn and play with. The first time I saw a Waldorf doll, I was hooked. I knew this is what I wanted to make for my girls.

“What is a Waldorf style doll?” That is a question I get a lot these days. To put it quite simply, a Waldorf doll is a simple doll. They help put the imagination back in to playtime. A Waldorf style doll is a breath of fresh air. I only use natural materials for my dolls. I like organic, pill resistant cotton tricot for the skin, it is soft to touch. I use pure, carded eco-wool for the stuffing. The sheep are treated kindly; they live on fields where pesticides are not used. The dolls have a wonderful natural smell and will warm up as they are held, loved, and played with. The best ones have the simplest faces. A child can look at the doll and decide for themselves if the doll is feeling happy or sad, grumpy or silly, and so on. This encourages a child to bond with the doll, and it will become a special friend that is played with and treasured.

I am working on a new hybrid style doll that I have nicknamed the "Ragdorf" (trademark pending)... it encompasses all of the attributes that I love about each genre of doll and I look forward to making many more in the future.