Fawn: natural fiber art doll ready to play

Fawn is a natural fiber art doll by fig&me and she is ready to find a home.

Yes, she is finally ready. I know I take long time from the moment I introduce a doll to you via Facebook or Instagram…or even mention them first in my newsletter, to the time they are actually all ready for their final show time. But, such is the life of this doll maker. Some days we make progress quite fast, other times I need to devote myself to other adventures, let the dolls rest, trusting the time will serve both of us well and I will eventually finish them.

With Miss Fawn the story is no different. Let me tell you a little about the inspiration behind Fawn and Macha.

I am a long time lover of historical fashions. I have always felt very curious of why humans dress the way they do, how varied our attire is and most importantly: how awesome and brilliant old time clothes are. I spend many hours every month drooling over antique dresses from virtual museum collections and have hundreds of snapshots of vintage patterns. I guess the dressmaking part of my dollmaking heart really dreams about making such clothes one day.

Obviously the dolls do have an opinion. While I may want to dress them in such “shenanigans” (as they like to call them) and do resort to questionable bribes, they always have the last word on this or that. I may want to quilt a silk petticoat and they tell me “no way, I want it linen, and with pretty pink flowers!”. I may suggest “stays” and even an old-fashioned linen slip, to which Fawn replies “but with cashmere ribbing and funky different fabrics”.

I never win.

But every now and then they indulge me. Like the cartridge pleats I have been dreaming so hard. They even let me use my favourite wool plaids sometimes though my daughters may raise teen eyebrows at my choice of fabrics, I persevere in suggesting all the things that tickle my heart. Yes! wool plaids, floral linens, coupled with repurposed fabrics, leather ribbon and plant dyed chenille. I mean, how did I get so lucky with this one?

Fawn’s heart does not belong to the sewing machine, the hand-pleated techniques of yore or the allure of wool felt beads. She couldn’t care less about buttons, waist-to-skirt-ratio measurements or seam treatments. Her heart belongs to the forest. To the WILD.

Fawn loves moss green.
The smell of young spruce tips.
The sound of an early spring creek.
The chatter of birds and chipmunks.
The velvety hug of a snowshow hare.

She loves to watch the sun through the dancing canopy.
The crack of silver birch and the song of poplar leaves in the wind.

Fawn dreams of the forest. Of writing stories about its magic, its power, its medicine.

I really hope one day Fawn makes her dreams come true, because mine did. I dreamed of one day creating dolls like her, and here we are. 12 years later, here we are. My dreams keep growing and so Fawn’s too. She dreams of forest green and I dream of fabrics. She dreams of pinecones and milkweed and I dream of beads and embroidery thread.

It’s funny how our lives met. She dreamed of coming into being and I was the chosen dollmaker. Thank you Fawn!

Fawn, my forest folk lady, is a 16” tall natural fiber art doll. She is made with cotton jersey and stuffed with wool. She has a small pouch of glass beads in her torso for added weight. Fawn is very firmly stuffed or otherwise needle-felted. Her eyes are embroidered, her lips coloured and her freckles hand-painted.

Fawn’s hair is mohair weft sewn to a wool cap and it can be styled in many ways. Her head is full of movement due to a sweet design that allows her to move her head side to side, up and down, and tilt in all directions.

Fawn is wearing nothing but my pride and joy. She has a simple linen slip with knit ribbing as collar and cuffs. Over this dress she wears her line “stays” with a stomacher. The stays have leather ties throughout and was top-stitched by hand with embroidery thread.

Her cartridge-pleated skirt, the most bouncy and beautiful thing I ever saw, is made with wool plaid and closes at back. It is full length and very, very puffy.

She also wears tall lambswool boots with elastic cord as ties, underwear and a hand-knit red wool shawl.

Fawn also wears her fawn bonnet, as one does. The hat is made with plant-dyed cotton chenille, lined with linen-cotton canvas in deep rose, with lambswool antlers and wool-felt beads on the cotton-twill ties.

She likes to wear her hair in braids and loves to go to bed early, so she can welcome the day with rested eyes.

If you would like to give Fawn a home, please enter your details in the form below. Her price is $1450 USD plus shipping ($50 to the US and Canada, with tracking and insurance. International will need a revised quote based on method of shipping). She is a doll suitable for children 8+ or adult collectors that can handle her with the care and love she deserves. We will leave this e-form open for 3 days, hoping to find a loving home for Fawn. On Sunday at 7 PM EST we will delete the form and choose a person at random to bring her home. A Paypal invoice will be sent then and is payable upon receipt. Fawn will pack her things and head home that coming week. Our only request is that you fill this form if you are personally interested in bringing her home, and not on behalf of someone else.

THIS LITTLE DOLL HAS FOUND HER HOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE LOVING HEARTS THAT OPENED THE DOORS OF THEIR HOMES TO HER. SHE READ YOUR LOVELY NOTES AND SHE WAS SO HAPPY TO READ THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD IN THE WORLD AND SUCH LOVING DOLL PEOPLE OUT THERE. TO THOSE THAT LEAVE EMPTY HANDED, SHE WANTED TO GIVE YOU COURAGE AND TATTLE THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF DOLLS COMING TO FIND HOMES THIS SUMMER. SHE HOPES YOU TAKE ONE OF THEM HOME WITH YOU.

Thank you so much for your support and your willingness to adopt one of my wool children. I can’t quite believe I am still making dolls after these many years and that is because of people like you, that support the work of my hands. Thank you once more for being here. <3

Fawn and I still want to head into the forest, to surprise a bunny or two (hoping for no mama bears encounters) so perhaps we will publish yet more photos of this lady on Instagram or Facebook. If you are entering for her we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, as your willingness and support keeps our doll dreams coming.

For now, I will leave you with this freckle face. See you soon!