The Sasha Celebration dolls, started with an idea in Janet Myhill-Dabbs head. She knew that I could cast the doll heads and asked me to take on the mammoth task of casting 30 heads for this years Sasha Celebration weekend. I took up the challenge and it was all going along so  nicely until Parcel Force managed to smash a number of them in transit. I re-cast the broken heads, no mean feat when you work full time shifts and you are also co- hosting another immanent Sasha Event. To make sure the last of the heads arrived intact I personally delivered them to Janet.

Janet sourced some fabric for the dolls and I lent her my  original course doll pattern. Tricia Jackson, Anna Dollmum and Petrana sewed 10 bodies each. Janet’s husband Billy made the soles for the dolls feet.

Janet covered the heads in fabric and painted the faces. There were 3 types to choose from, but you could choose your own eye colour and whether or not you wanted to add freckles, which gave each doll an individual look.

 

 

Janet and I put the doll kits together.

 

 

The first part of the dolls which were  completed Friday night and this  was to place the polystyrene ball into head, place some stuffing strategically into the head, trim the fabric and sew it shut.

Next morning we started again with stuffing the bodies, then adding the arms and legs.

The last thing we did was to attach the wigs to out dolls and dress them.

Ruth’s doll

My doll was based on my favourite studio doll that lives in Zurich Museum.

 

The other Sasha Celebration dolls.

Plus these two,they missed the original line up as  their owners did not want to show them, as they did not have their outfits yet.

 

Both of the outfits for the dolls that Ruth and I made were made by Ruth Hartley of Ruth’s dolls. Ruth Hartley also takes on commission work , so don’t be scared to ask if there is something specific that you would like made. The link to Ruth’s site is below.

http://ruthsdolls.uk/

Lastly it was outside for the group photo.

At the back from left to right we have, Madeleine Foong, Janet Myhill-Dabbs, Diane Pilkington , Tricia Jackson, Me, Anette Hecker, Lee Moore, Hernie baarslag-voorham, Jane Woodward, Liz Sockett, Sarah Golden and Clare Wolff , Alice Hendry, Petrana Arhangelova .

Middle row from left to right, Ginger Mullins, Cathy Himmel, Jocelyn Rose, Anna Dollmum ,Janet Marsh, Anita Fox, Fiona Hinchcliffe, Alison Burke, Florence Gadkol, Brigitte Scwhitter, Peggy Livingstone, Leni Simons, Gillian Buchanan .

Front row from left to right, Beth Himmel, DDD, Ruth, Lucy, Maria Newman, Jane Sweetman. Pam Winter-Turner  and Shelley Cuff.

Missing from the line up Teddy, Jennie O’Donnell, June O’Donnell , Jonty O’Donnell and Diane Duke and Joni Jacobs.

 

The out takes.

 

 

 

 

Sunday it was time to head home with a very happy little girl.

I would like to say a great big thank you to Alan Hincliffe for taking the so many great photos and shooting the videos .

I would also like to thank Kendal Hackney for the original course doll head that I was able to create a mould from.

Thank you to Janet for the last 5 years and happy to know that what Janet. Tricia and I started together will continue next year.

Thanks for looking……………..