The Day I Decided to Make a Hitty Doll

It was a rainy Fall day in 2013.  I went to my friend Sarah's new fiber studio in the next town over.  In awe of her new space and time, I looked around.  My eyes couldn't take in all the colors and designs fast enough.  I saw quilts, beads, color charts, a retro yellow chair ... and ... wow ... wait - just - a - minute ... What's that I see over there?

Dolls!  Lots of them. Whimsical fabric dolls, a magician, a mermaid in process, antique replicas, miniature furniture, even a doll with her own little doll in tow were all there for me to ogle.

I just had to see and learn more.    

Sarah, in her never-ending generosity, offered to teach me how to make a doll.

She introduced me to Gail Wilson's Hitty doll kits.  I joined Gail's kit of the month club.  First up was to make my own Hitty.  Here she is.  She's on a chair that I made (with mini rushing) a month later.

  

My Hitty is just 6.5" tall, just like the original Hitty now housed in the Stockbridge, MA library.  My Hitty's head, arms. and legs are made of paper mache clay.  Her body is made of fabric and stuffed with merino wool.  Her undergarments are made of batiste and mini lace which I hand "dyed"  (Gail actually has us use diluted acrylic paint).  Her dress is made of tiny print cotton fabric.  He necklace is made from real (tiny) coral beads.

And Hitty comes with a delightful little story.  Here's an excerpt from Gail Wilson's website:

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HITTY

Hitty is a small wooden doll, about 6-1/2", who presently lives in the Stockbridge Library, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She is believed to have been about 100 years old when she was found in an antique shop by Rachel Field and Dorothy Lathrop in about 1929. Rachel and Dorothy wrote and illustrated (respectively) such a charming story of the way they imagined Hitty's life, that not only did the book,Hitty ~ Her First Hundred Years, win the Newbery Medal for children's literature (1929), but Hitty became beloved by all from that time to this. The book has been republished many times (it is still available and I highly recommend it) and there has developed an enormous following for Hitty and all of her things. Many people make Hittys, most of wood, some of cloth, some porcelain. I chose papier mache to be in keeping with her sculpted look (especially her hair), but I wanted to make a kit of Hitty, so it seemed ideal to draw upon my many years of mold making, and make a doll that not only was myHitty, but one that others could make too and still be recognized for who she is.

Click here to order the soft-cover book thru Gail's site. [$6.99 plus tax & shipping]   

I especially like the part of the book when she ends up in a crow's nest.  Read the book to learn about her authentic coral beads.

Anyway, I had such fun making my first Hitty.  I will keep her for myself forever.  I made 3 more "from scratch" before Christmas.  I gave the green-dressed Hitty to my sister and the red-dressed Hitty to my Aunt Nancy.  I've kept the blue dress Hitty because her expression doesn't look childlike enough...

Where is blue-dress Hitty's mouth???? LOL

I enjoyed making these dolls and I will make more.  Stay tuned.

And until next time - keep on creating!

Lynn

P.S. Don't forget next Friday's Simply Colorful Fiber Cast will be LIVE from Orlando somewhere.