Custom Tasha Doll from GBBO

 I was so excited when I saw that the Great British Bake Off has a Deaf baker this season.

Tasha looks like a very sweet and talented baker. I am very hearing impaired, so I love seeing the representation.

I decided impulsively that I wanted to make a custom doll of her. I wanted a blue eyed Joss mold with dark blonde hair.

I was really lucky. I was able to find a blue eyed Joss mold for sale.

This is the doll that I used as a base for Tasha. She has a straightened Caroline wig. I think she has modern Rapunzel vibes in this picture!

I found the perfect wig available at Zazou wigs. It was the last wig in this color.

Here's my first picture of Tasha the doll! With a picture of real Tasha next to her for comparison.

I need to make her a beige apron.

I look forward to watching this season of GBBO and cheering the real-life Tasha on.

I also look forward to spending time with my adorable new doll!

One thing to be aware of is that Tasha speaks British Sign Language. It is a totally different language than American Sign Language. I think it's sad that different English-speaking countries have different sign languages, which further isolates their Deaf speakers. 

Pattern review: Eden Ava Couture Hawaiian Sundress

 I bought an embroidered top at the thrift store, and I could immediately envision the doll dress that I wanted to make with it.

I used the Eden Ava Couture Hawaiian Sundress pattern. It matched very closely to the dress that I had in my head, and it was easy to use.

The difference is that I made the bodice an inch longer, in order to utilize more of the beautiful embroidery. I also made the neckline a V to echo the embroidery.

The material of the blouse was difficult to work with as it was thin. It turned out very well, though.

I love this dress! I wish that I had finished it before summer ended. I had a very busy summer, however, and I ended up getting COVID at the beginning of September.

This dress cost me very little because I bought the blouse at the thrift store that sells clothes by the pound. It probably cost me less than a dollar. If only all my doll clothes were so cheap!

Caddie Woodlawn

 I recently re-read the Caddie Woodlawn books by Carol Ryrie Brink.

I also got to visit the Caddie Woodlawn House in Wisconsin! It was amazing!

It's a real house, it's free, and there is free admission. It's 35 minutes from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Wayside Cabin in Pepin. I highly recommend it!

I am itching to make Caddie's white Fourth of July dress with a  red, white and blue sash.

The book illustration shows the dress looking a lot like Meg's Ball Gown By Keeper Dolly Duds.

Caddie is in the center. The dress on the left looks more 1850s to me.

I bet that the real dress was much simpler, especially since Caddie's mother knew that there was a good dress that the dress would be ruined.

I think that I might make more than one version of the dress. A book illustration one and a more practical one.

I am itching for a day to sew!

I also want to make a a 1830s doll wardrobe like Mrs. Nightingale's doll Adelaide.

Two Coats for Claudie

 I just realized that both American Girl and I made green coats for Claudie.

This amuses me.

Here is the green coat that I made. I used the Keepers Dolly Duds pattern that is available at Pixie Faire.

The snowflake on Claudie's nose in this picture kills me. So cute.

Here is the coat that AG made! 

It's a different shade of green, and a different style coat. They both work well for Claudie!

Here is a bonus picture of Phryne Valancy wearing the same coat.

I will have to take a side-by-side comparison photo when it's winter again!

Favorite AG Dolls

 I really should downsize my American Girl doll collection.

I am reluctant right now to sell even the dolls that I am not very bonded with, just because AG keeps making changes like putting an imprinted star on the dolls' foot.

Some dolls, however, I would never part with.

My two childhood dolls are Anne and Felicity. They are so special. They aren't going anywhere.

I am very careful with them and their collections. Each has a dedicated wardrobe that they don't share.

Anne, in particular, as an original Girl of Today #6, is super rare. She sold online recently for a thousand dollars. That makes me even more careful with her!

Fun Fact: Anne is named after Anne of Green Gables.

Samantha is the doll that I wanted as a kid and couldn't get. She's the first one that I bought as a newly minted adult.

Mara Frances is the first custom that I made, and she has such character. She always makes me happy.

I am also very attached to my Create Your Owns. They are all Jess molds. I love the Jess mold and I like to see more variation that AG makes with this mold.

Danielle is the first CYO that I designed (of two.) I love her! She has glasses and hearing aids.

Aurelie was the first CYO that I got at MCM!

Nadia also came from MCM.

As did Fern.

And Steffi.

Phryne Valancy is a 1920s CYO that I designed myself.

I adopted Cora from the mom of Super Inky!

I really want to do a group photo of my Jess mold CYOs some day!

I am also super attached to Girl of the Year Joss Kendrick. I really love her face mold, and I love that she is hearing impaired like me.

I am also falling more and more in love with Claudie lately. She has the sweetest face.

These are probably my top dolls, but they are almost all special to me in one way or the other. 

More Summer Photos

 Here are some more summer doll photos.

These photo feature the historical dolls! Well, some of them, anyway. I spent hours taking doll pictures and still didn't get all of the dolls changed and photographed.

That's certainly a first-world problem to have. It's not really even a problem- I spend as much time on the dolls as I find enjoyable. There's no point in making it into a chore.

Do you think that Josefina grew these flowers in her mother's garden? I certainly do!

Samantha is enjoying life at Piney Point.

I am always so careful with Felicity's sash in her summer gown. I try not to get any creases in it! I am also super careful with her doll.

Caroline is also enjoying the garden. 

Nanea is having a picnic! I love her lunchbox, and was glad I had a chance to use it.

It's really hard to get her to hold her sandwich!

Kit is on the lookout for news stories.

Summer Photos

 Summer is going by way too fast. I did manage to get some pictures of my dolls enjoying the sunshine while it lasts!

I was pleased to find these Madame Alexander mini dolls of Elphaba and Galinda at the thrift store. I knew that they should belong to Kavi!

I thought that the green blouse and the purple shoes were a nice nod to Wicked as well. 

I wish that AG would release a dress that Kavi would wear when her grandmother takes her to see Wicked.

Both Sylvie, my custom JLY 32, and Steffi, one of my CYO Jess molds, enjoyed some quality time with their dolls. (Here is a link to the post where I customized Sylvie.)

Mara, my custom Kaya, climbed a tree. (Here is a link to the post where I customized Mara.)

Angelica, my JLY 26, found some flowers that perfectly match her dress!

They are forget-me-nots, and I grew them from seed. Definitely growing some more next year.