Ealhswith, a little natural fiber art doll, ready to play
It is about time my dear, that you venture into the wide world, and find a family to take care of you. But first, let’s reminisce about your latest adventures, shall we?
In all the years I’ve known Ealhswith (giggle, giggle…) she has always struck me as a very shy child. When I enter the room, begging for a warm bite to eat, she scurries quick as a flash behind a curtain, tattered edges from her fretty fingers.
A glance every now and then in her direction, and I can see a big green eye peeping out from the security of her corner. Truth be told her tresses always give her away.
We’ve tried to convince Ealhswith to wear her hair in braids, but she doesn’t like it. We thought she would show the same attitude towards her little doll Flossy, who sports the wildest mane of hair you ever saw.
Ealhswith however, practices a much stiffer discipline when it comes to hairstyles on her doll. With something akin to religious fervour, she braids it every morning, only to brush it into a pouf of epic proportions every night. Then they go to bed.
It is Autumn, and though the mornings may find the plants clad in an icy frost, Ealhswith heads out first thing. Tucking her long cotton socks under her long linen bloomers, she ties her boots and goes outside. I think she really likes inspecting the garden, that’s what I’m told. To hear the newest gossip.
In the evenings, same story. She loves to watch the sunset and usually plays outside until the sun starts to set. She does not like to be surprised outside when it’s dark, so she always start walking home as soon as she sees the dusk coming.
Ealhswith, a natural fiber art doll by fig and me.
The air is so moist, you can whiff in the air stews being cooked and woodstoves on. Her tummy must rumble!
The sound of leaves under her boots keeps her company, just like the crazy crows who are always arguing about something these days. Ealhswith scolds them with a stern look, shaking her little finger.
She is always pleasant to the squirrels though, I think she likes them so much because they wear brown, one of her favourite colours.
Before she goes inside the house, she takes a very good look around the garden. Picking a few crabapples from the floor and making tiny piles. “For the squirrels” she says “or the bears”.
She giggles thinking of these exploding puddings made of offerings to the wild life. Her whiskered friends must look so kindly to her. Food provider. Shelter builder. Friend.
It is Autumn and Ealhswith is now ready to find a family. As all my dolls she has a purpose and a bright future: to bring joy wherever she is headed. To entice others to live a bit more gently. To be soft, like her.
To play with dolls.
While the world may be full of anguish and pain, her job is not to dwell on it, but to soften whatever blows life may bring. I have filled her with promise, with optimism, with gentleness.
I have sewn her dress with hope, and crochet her boots with a peaceful heart. Caressing her hair puts me immediately at ease. Knowing that if I can find time to sew strands of doll hair, someone else might also have the time to play with her. To decompress.
It is all like a magical ferris wheel. Isn’t it?
If you would like to bring Ealhswith and her little doll Flossy home, please fill your details in the form below. Their price is $1500 USD plus postage ($50 to the US and Canada, around $130 International but it depends on where you live. I can provide a revised quote). She will be offered, as all my dolls, lottery-style. That means you enter your details and at the end of the allotted time, she and I choose an entry at random. That person gets invoiced via Paypal (invoice is due upon receipt). Only people interested in bringing her home please, serious entries. The form will be active until Sunday October 18th at 6 PM EDT (Toronto time) at which point we will delete and pick a name at random. Please if you enter for the, don’t forget to check your email then.
-Little Ealhswith and Flossy have found a family to belong to. We are very pleased to be sending them to this “new to Fig&me” home. Thank you so much to the kind hearts that opened their doors to them. I hope to have a few more dolls before the year ends. xo
A description of Ealhswith follows the form. So just keep scrolling.
Ealhswith is a 16” tall natural fiber art doll, made in my Petite Fig style. She has a fully articulated neck and no wire armature. She is entirely sculpted and stuffed in wool. Parts of her are sculpted and others are stuffed. Ealhswith has the body proportions of an 8 year old child. She is younger than my traditional 18” Petite Figs.
Ealhswith has embroidered eyes in green cotton floss and hand-painted freckles. Her rosy cheeks have been blushed with red beeswax. Her hair is made with the softest mohair weft and sewn to her head by hand. Her hair is very stable and can be washed, brushed and styled, but by gentle hands.
Ealhswith wears a pair of white linen long bloomers, edged with cotton lace and elastic waist. A long brown cotton dress with 3/4 length sleeves, trimmed with repurposed lambswool knit and a bib made with pintucks. Her dress closes at back with sewn-in snaps. She also as a cotton apron made with reproductions of antique fabrics. Her wooly boots are made of alpaca/wool and her socks are made of cotton knit.
Being the joyful autumn child that she is we worked on a beautiful wreath for her hair. We used wire, covered in fabric and attached several wool felt flowers, needle felted mushrooms, wool felt leaves and a little nest, made with a silk cocoon and filled with beads. Svarovsky crystals adorn the mushrooms.
Flossy is made of cotton muslin, dyed with tea, and she measures 6” tall. Her face is hand-painted and her hair is also mohair weft, albeit much finer, also sewn to her head. Flossy wears her most favourite and only dress. This dress is made with same antique reproduction fabrics, and cannot be removed. The dress is trimmed with a wool felt collar and pocket. Flossy approves.
If you are entering to bring Miss Ealhswith and her doll Flossy home, we wish you the best of luck and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support. For supporting our work and the noble tradition of handmade natural dolls.
Thank you so much for coming to read about them and visit our blog. See you soon!
