I finished them! I’m still in my pajamas and have barely moved off the couch all day but I finished them! These are a couple of very ambitious projects but I’m so happy with how they turned out!
A captivating gang of 24 huggable, lovable creatures to sew—from classics like Margot, a topsy-turvy doll, and the button-jointed teddy bear Bjorn Bjornson, to irresistible Evelyn, a wool felt inchworm decked out in mod glasses and a kerchief, and Koji, a fiercely cute spiked softie monster. There’s something for everyone here—from kids to grown-ups and from beginning sewers to advanced dollmakers. Published by STC Craft, August, 2010.
That is so awesome!
I cant wait for the pattern! I LOVE HER HAIR and tippy toes! SO BEAUTIFUL!
she is beautiful!!!!!!!
Oh my goodness!! My daughter’s hair is in rags right now for dress rehearsal tonight and I really really need to make this for her. It’s perfectly wonderfully amazing.
Oh, my, how darling! i just love her, great work!
oh!
wow, she’s lovely and the nutcracker! eeeeek!!! i love the ballet shoes. inspirational!
your book is a fave at our house… my 2.5 year old dolly-loving girl requests *let’s read my special book now* a few times a day
Oh my god! She is amazing!!! Seriously, I can’t stop looking at these pictures – so, so beautiful!
she’s really sweet Hillary! i’ve been waiting to see how that hair was going to turn out…and it’s adorable!! what i’d really love to make, is that nutcracker…cute!cute!cute!
you’ve just sort of described my dream day: pj’s, couch, sewing, dolls…
your Clara & Nutcracker are awesome! so awesome.
She turned out so amazing!! Gorgeous – can’t wait for the pattern.
Beautiful!
They are so perfect. My daughter would be so thrilled. I will have to try my hand at this. Wish me luck! Thank you so much for so generously sharing your magnificent talents.
She is perfection.
How fantastic, I can’t wait to make one!
I am in awe! Those perfect little shoes…This has got to be your most stunning doll ever.
HOLY FRACKEN’ CRAZY-AMAZING! Ahem. To say that you’ve outdone yourself would be an understatement. Amazing.
Gasp! Sigh. Must find more hours in each day.
That is absolutely beautiful! I love her hair, the Nutcracker, her shoes, everything!
I am finishing up a doll that we were going to name “Clara”, but my daughter settled on Noelle. I’m glad we changed the name!!! There is no way mine would compare with your Clara. Gorgeous! As always.
(Here’s a link to the one I’m working on http://bybido.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-creative-space-christmas-doll.html)
Totally and completely adorable!!!!!
Hugs,
Joy :o)
Good lord, woman. She is stunning. And you have outdone yourself. Bravo!
Clara is just the most perfect little doll I’ve ever seen. The hair, the shoes, the little eyelet dress! And her little Nutcracker is so perfectly nutcracker-y! Amazing.
I would have adored this doll as a kid (okay I still do). I loved the nutcraker, and your Clara is so beautiful!
I’m simply gobsmacked. Such a fantastic pair they are.
So many considerations about the perfect details and they are so carefully and beautifully accomplished. Once again you have shown us all what a brilliant artist you are. :))
Swoooon! That is so fantastic! Love.
That is simply fantastic!
Beautiful!!! I want to make that doll hair!! I can’t wait for the discussion. 🙂
Amazingly beautiful!!!
You must be so happy and satisfied after what must have been lots of hours of work. *applause*
Beautiful!
Argh, I’m not sure I can take the cuteness – I want one for myself, let alone my children! How many sewing hours left till Christmas?!
Well done! I love how she turned out. All the curls, lace, the detail on her shoes, are just precious. What a rewarding project.
She is really beautiful! What little girl (or for that matter big girl) wouldn’t love her!
I’m in, now I just need some time!
LOVE IT!!!
oh. my. gawd. you’ve done it again!!! brilliance!!!
Perfection! Love it 🙂
Oh Lord! They beautiful Hillary.
WOW!!!!
Love them soooooo much. I cannot wait to see your instructions. I know what I’ll be doing for the next 16 days!!
She’s so lovely!
Oh my gosh… they’re adorable. Your long hard work payed off. What an accomplishment. I made five jars of spicy red-pepper jelly yesterday (a lot of work and dishes). It was my first attempt at canning. I finally finished the dishes today and then tasted the results of my labor. Yum, well worth it.
OH that is just beautiful! And heck I just spent an 11hour marathon sewing up a blanket for a client I think I can spare it for this too…lol
Oh Em Gee…..
She is just amazingly beautiful! And while I could swoon over her hair forever – I also love the fact that she’s wearing toe shoes 🙂
Oh my goodness, Hillary. Clara is just lovely! Well done!
I usually don’t comment but I had to come out to say how truly amazing that is! Love the ringlets and that little nutcracker!
Clara is amazingly beautiful! What I would give to be able to see my daughter’s delight at receiving this beauty. I’m in awe of your abilities.
Oh, my! They are just.perfectly.beautiful!
she is utterly gorgeous! My little Nutcracker dancer has long since grown up but this doll is so beautiful I’m tempted . . . .now only to find jammie sitting time.
Absolutely precious. This project will be one of the first I tackle in the New Year.
Her hair really is amazing – I can’t wait to hear how you did it! Your book just arrived at my house this morning in the mail and I am SO flippin’ excited! I’m going to make my little girl the topsy turvy doll for Christmas and I have my youngest boy looking through it right now to tell me if he sees anything cool that he likes 🙂 It’s just a beautiful book – better than anything I expected!
Wow, my mouth dropped open. She is so incredibly beautiful!
I’ll be out looking for the yarn tonight in anticipation of this cuter than ever Clara.
Hope I can pull it off in time for my little ballerina’s Christmas.
JoAnn, I used Lamb’s Pride Yarn…
http://www.brownsheep.com/lp.htm
If you want to come over and see her before embarking on this project feel free!! You can see our ginormous leaning Christmas tree too 🙂
Oh my gosh, Clara is my granddaughters favorite! At almost 3 she knows the story, I’m ready to curl up and sew. This is amazing work!
I want to make one for me and everyone else I know!!!
Too wonderful! I wish I knew a little girl to make dolls for. Maybe I need to just hoarde her away for “someday”. . .
I love so much your blog!
I added it on our blog, for sure french people will like it…!
Thank for all this nice things.
Kind regards,
Elise
amazingly beautiful!!
So beautiful! I love it!
Outstanding!! standing up and clapping here.
the girls are FREAKING out. you are a crazy genius! the toe shoes kill, as do the nutcracker. and clara is perfect.
Absolutely awesome divine little Clara. You are incredible!
She is absolutely amazing! Clara and her Nutcracker look so perfect, you did a super job on them.
Oh my gosh – how cute is she?
I may have to start making dolls now….
(My Beloved Spouse shakes her fist at you!) 😉
If you use acrylic yarn you can do the wrap the yarn as tightly as you did and bake the needles and yarn at 250 for 10-20 minutes. The curls will be less tight but will be quite sprongy.
Oh my! So beautiful!!! This week I saw the ballet for the first time and I loved it! Both Clara and the Nutcracker are perfectly in synch with the feel and atmosphere I got from the ballet. 🙂
Ambitious is right! These are amazing. Congratulations on a job well done.
She’s beautiful!! I love her so much!
Hillary – you’re sending me right to making another one of your incredible doll inventions. You never cease to amaze me, you are one talented doll/pattern/maker. Off to buy your pattern! I can’t let this one pass!
That might just be the prettiest handmade doll I have ever seen.
She is just beautiful!! She is on my list to make. Right now I am in the middle of making “Eddie”. Love him too!
Wow how beautiful!! I’m going to have to check into making this!!
This is just gorgeous!
My name is Clara and so I love finding Clara’y Nutcracker things! All your dolls are so pretty but of course this is my favorite now! Really stunning and the Nutcracker too is amazing with the detail 😀
I’ve asked for your book for Christmas and now I’ll ask for this pattern too So I can attempt it!
<333 lovely job!
Oh, wow! Gorgeous, and those ringlets really turned out perfectly.
Oh, wow. Just wow. When you first posted your progress on the ringlets, I have to admit I thought that Clara might end up with dreadlocks. I was so wrong. She is perfect!!!
SO so amazing and DARLING!!! Just to die for!
This. is. so. CUTE! Seriously I am amazed at all of the incredible detail! You are amazing, like seriously.
Wow!! It’s absolutely adorable!!! Wonderful!! What a great work!!!
I’ll I can say is, WOW!
Just wanted to say thanks for posting your little odyssey here.
I’ve been eying this series of posts for weeks and when a copy of your book turned up under my Christmas tree, I decided to give Clara a go this year — for next Christmas. (I have no illusions about my abilities so I figure if I start now, I may actually finish by next Christmas.)
I have a little ballerina who will be delighted if all goes well! And again, many thanks (I decided it would be best to send my thanks now before I’m up to my eyeballs in ringlets and white glue and wondering what ever possessed me…)
~Michelle
I LOVE this doll! However, there is no way that I am talented enough to make it. Is there any way you’ll make a Clara and Nutcracker embroidery pattern? I’ve ordered several of your embroidery patterns to make my girls’ stockings and softies, and I’d love to make Clara and Nutcrackers for them for next Christmas.
what a beautiful set of dolls, how do I get the pattern for clara and her nutcracker? thanks, diane smith at leapyr44@suddenlink.net
Hi Diane, see the next couple blog posts for details…
http://www.weewonderfuls.com/2010/12/clara-how-to-part-1-ringlets/
Hi Diane,
Is the nutcracker pattern still available for purchase?
Thanks!
Mel