Foxes and Bears, Autumn is here!
Pardon the excitement but you probably already know how much I love the Fall and how it seems to seep deeper into my work than any other season of the year. Therefore, my working hands have now given us some lovely Wee Babies to cuddle and play with this season. Let me show you.
Waldorf Wee Baby Doll: Josy the Bear. Natural Fiber Art Doll by Fig and Me.
Waldorf Wee Baby Doll: Louise the bear. Natural fiber art doll by Fig and Me.
I have a small “wee” gallery of these precious dolls, that over the years have flown to all parts of the world and have been warmly welcomed for nature walks, long bedtime stories and offered cups of hot cocoa. Such is the life of these cozy friends.
Back in 2010, when I made the very first doll of this design, I never imagined the long journey ahead of me. I guess it might have scared me then! But little by little, over months and then years, the little dolls morphed, changed sized, became more of what they are now and happy to say the changes are always welcomed.
Just last week, one of my lovely doll mothers suggested I made them in a monkey version. I never even thought of it! To be honest, my brain always veers into simplicity. I like very simple design, I think it speaks more clearly, but I think I may try my hand at concocting a monkey version as well, who knows, they might become my favourite!
Waldorf Wee Baby Fox Doll, natural fiber art doll by Fig and Me.
Wee Baby Fox Doll, wearing a hand knit cowl. Natural fiber art doll by Fig and Me.
Waldorf doll bear, natural fiber art doll by Fig and Me.
People get slightly annoyed with me sometimes because now I only make the bunnies and lambs in the Spring, the foxes and bears in the Fall and the deers and reindeers in the Winter. They ask me for bunnies in October or bears in April. But this is the way (giggles). I like to create them when the season is there for me, to imbue my hands and inspire me even more.
Truth is I used to make them more often, quite regularly actually. But, nowadays the big dolls are very bossy and so they only give time to make them randomly. So for the last few years I make two or three families per year. One in the spring, one in the Fall and one in the Winter. I hope that is more than enough to satisfy your Wee Baby lust, hehehe.
In this ocasion, we have more foxes than bears. That is because I happened to discover a very large dress made entirely of cashmere in just the right shade proper for foxy children. On the other hand, the bears wanted to be pink and that sweater had a lot of decoration (which will be used later in life on doll clothes) so we were left with very little fabric to be able to make the bodies for these precious forest children.
Wee Baby Fox Doll, wearing a hand knit cowl. Natural fiber art doll by Fig and Me.
Wee Baby Fox Doll: Benedict. Natural fiber art doll by Fig and Me.
Knitting for dolls: wee baby fox doll. Natural fiber art doll by Fig and Me.
Though I published the pattern, in case you want to make your own Wee Baby doll, you will find it includes instructions to make the bunny, with options for cat and bear ears. But the fox or the deers are not published. I have been meaning to add those pdfs to the pattern but the big dolls as I said, they are pretty bossy and Patreon keeps me very busy too. Hopefully I will get around it one of these days.
Knitting or sewing for them is fun because it is pint-sized. This time around I tried a new knitting stitch pattern and then discovered the differences between making bobbles with a crochet hook or knitting popcorns for them. I think I like the knitted popcorns better. In a pinch and if making a lot of bobbles, it definitely saves time to use the crochet hook.
Knitting for dolls: wee baby fox doll by Fig and Me.
Wee Baby Fox Doll. Waldorf-inspired natural doll by Fig and Me.
The Wee Babies of Autumn 2021 will become available for purchase via my Bigcartel store on Tuesday October 12th at 1 pm EST (Toronto). I have put two of them on ‘Coming soon’ so you can read about them, but I will keep the remaining dolls hidden until the time is right. Price is $110 USD plus postage ($15 Canada, $12 US and $20 International. Taxes and duties may apply and are not included).
If you want to welcome an autumnal wooly child, this is your chance. If you missed them not to worry, there will be more next year (if I find suitable material for foxes of course) and not to forget the reindeers and deers will be ready somewhat in November.
Now I leave you with this beautiful poem:
“Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.”
