Category Archives: doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making

December 7, 2011 · 3:39 pm

One of a kind woven art doll-Green Empress and a mini studio tour

Over the last couple of years, I have been weaving a series of tapestries and one of a kind art dolls.

Green-Empress-art-doll-by-Noreen-Crone-Findlay-copyright

I am calling this series, ‘Woven Women’. I made a little video mini tour of one corner of my studio, showing ‘The Green Empress’.

The Green Empress brings together many of my favorite fiber techniques: Tapestry weaving, inkle weaving, small loom weaving, crochet, wire work, tatting and punch needle embroidery.

My plan is to eventually have enough ‘Woven Women’ for a one woman show. I don’t have enough of them finished yet, but I am working on it!

Here are some more photos and the video tour that shows The Green Empress:

Green-Empress-art-doll-by-Noreen-Crone-Findlay-copyright

Her face is punch needle embroidery and her crown is tapestry weave.

Green-Empress-art-doll-by-Noreen-Crone-Findlay-copyright

Her hands are heavy gauge wire, wrapped with cotton thread. They are cupped so they can hold small objects.

Her arms are inkle bands and 2 inch Weave it Squares, stitched and shaped and layered.

Green-Empress-art-doll-by-Noreen-Crone-Findlay-copyright

Her feet are a combination of 2 inch squares that I wove on my vintage Weave it loom, with Inkle weaving.

I just kept stitching and shaping until I was happy with her feet.

Green-Empress-art-doll-by-Noreen-Crone-Findlay-copyright

I crocheted wire in an open work mesh to shape her body and skirt.

They, I wove miles of inkle bands (woven on my Schacht inkle loom) through them.

I also wove in tatted lace, too. The skirt is about 24 inches wide, but is folded and stitched.

Green-Empress-art-doll-by-Noreen-Crone-Findlay-copyright

This closeup shows a small panel of punch needle embroidery , tatting, inkle weaving and the copper wire armature.

Green-Empress-art-doll-by-Noreen-Crone-Findlay-copyright

Close up of one eye and part of the crown. You can see that I love Byzantine art, as there is a definite influence here.

And, here is the link to a mini studio tour, with my wonderful husband playing one of his compositions (with our small dog in his lap, as small dog insists on sitting in Jim’s lap when he plays and practices!)

18 Comments

Filed under crochet, doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, weaving & handwoven, Woven Women tapestries and woven works

Tagged as 'Woven Women' by Noreen Crone-Findlay, art doll, crochet, crocheted wire, doll, doll making, dolls, hand weaving, hand woven, inkle weaving, knitted dolls, Noreen Crone-Findlay, one of a kind wall doll, punch needle embroidery, small loom weaving, tapestry weaving, tatting, Tottie Tomato, wire work, woven dolls, Woven one of a kind art doll by Noreen Crone-Findlay

November 22, 2011 · 9:58 am

Monster dear and snuggly bunny on the Lily Speed-O-Weave loom

I am a dyed in the wool doll maker. No matter what loom or fiber arts tool I am working with, it doesn’t take long for me to wonder how I could use it to make a doll.

So, it’s no surprise, that as I was designing projects for my new book on the vintage Lily Speed-O-Weave loom, (that’s a link to my website to see more) I had to come up with some fun dolls and stuffies.

Lily-Speed-O-Weave-monster-designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay (coppyright)

Monster Dear was inspired by a book that my daughter loved when she was a very little girl.

It was about a monster who was afraid of the dark. She loved him, so of course, I had to make her one.

This is a new version of ‘Monster Dear’. I think he’ll chase away bad dreams!

And, a ball of squishy soft yarn inspired me to make the snuggly Bunny dolly:

Lily-Speed-O-Weave-Snuggle-Bunny-designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay (coppyright)

I’ve always loved rabbits and bunnies, so I’ve designed and made countless versions of them over the years.

These two fuzzy friends delight me. Ah, the joys of yarn- it’s endless!!!!

1 Comment

Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, Loom & looms & small loom weaving

Tagged as dollmaking, dolls, Lily Speed-O-Weave loom, soft toys, stuffies, toy making, toys

November 18, 2011 · 8:32 pm

Knitted Matroushka Doll Backpack, bag and keychain pattern

The Knitting Today magazine blog has just posted my pattern for darling Matroushka Doll bags for you to knit up for yourself or someone you love.

Knitting Today Matroushka Backpack designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay

Knitting Today Matroushka Small Bag designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay

Knitting Today Matroushka Keychain designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay

Matroushka bags designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay

Here’s the link to the pattern: Matroushkas

Happy knitting!

My mother’s pincushion

My mother has unwillingly had to let go of her lifelong passion for needlework.

Because of health challenges, she is not able to handle independent living anymore. Reluctantly, she has moved out of her condo and into a different living situation where she gets the support and assistance that she now needs.

Most of her possessions are now being lovingly shared out among her kids and grandkids and nieces and other kith and kin.

There were a couple of things that I really really wanted to have…..

She was a spectacularly gifted embroiderer, and so I really wanted to have some of her threads.

The other thing that I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelly wanted was a pincushion doll that I had given her when I was a child.

When I was a little girl, I saw the most beautiful thing I could have ever imagined…. it was a pincushion of an Elizabethan Lady….

I would go into the shop, and visit the Lady, and stroke the velvet skirt, and be filled with longing.

I decided that I HAD to buy it for my mother to show her how much I loved her.

So, I asked the lady in the store if I could pay for the Lady in stages, and she agreed to that. I don’t know if she had ever had a child make such a request, but she was so kind about it!

Every week, for weeks, and weeks, I would take my allowance in, and give it to the shopkeeper. She would then bring ‘The Lady’ out, and I would cradle her in my hands… and then sigh, and hand her back….

Eventually… the little bits of allowance added up and up, and – ‘The Lady’ was mine!!!

She was swathed in tissue, and placed carefully in a box, and I secreted her away until Mother’s Day.

I don’t know if my mother knew how much effort went into buying her ‘The Lady’, but I think she felt the love and excitement that I had in presenting her with my treasure.

And now, ‘The Lady’ has come home to me…. and some day, she will be gifted to my daughter…. with love…. always with love….

20 Comments

Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents

Tagged as family treasure, pincushion

May 3, 2010 · 9:23 pm

Menopause Fairy and 5 peg spool knitting on 4 pegs

Recently, I noticed that -horror of horrors! – that there was a link to a dead file in my pdf pattern for the Spool knitted Menopause Fairy. Here’s the link to the pattern in my etsy shop: LINK

So, I completely re-built the pattern, and added all the information that was missing, and made it all ‘oh so pretty’.

😀

And, one of the things that I needed to do to make the Spool knitted Menopause Fairy do-able is to make a video on how to turn a 4 peg spool knitter into a 5 peg spool knitter.

So, I shot the video and here it is…. I love doing the impossible, don’t you? LOL 😀

8 Comments

Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting

Tagged as spool knitted Menopause Fairy Doll, video tutorial on how to adapt a 4 peg spool knitter into a 5 spool knitter

April 29, 2010 · 9:30 pm

This week 2 profiles and Friendship Fairies

It’s been a busy week in the studio!

I have been working away on a new design for some adorable little spool knitted dolls.

They are ‘The Friendship Fairies’. They’re spool knitted dolls that are a celebration of wonderful friends and relations, teachers, students, co-workers…. you name it- if there is someone who makes you feel like the world is a better place because they are here, then that’s who the ‘Friendship Fairies’ are meant to celebrate. The pdf is available for purchase on my website at Spoolknitting .

Several months ago, (sorry about the bold face type… I can’t seem to get it to stop doing that!) I was asked to share some photos of my studio and to answer some questions about where I work. It’s been really hectic, and it took me a long time to get it done, but the post has gone live. This pic is a photo of the alcove where I shoot my video tutorials. Hmmm… you’d think that I could have straightened the lampshade before I took the pic…. oops… anyhow, here’s the link:

noreen-crone-findlay-studio

Cherie Burbach also posted an interview with me this week. It’s here: Cherie’s Interview

Lots and lots more has been cooking up in the studio, so I’ll be posting more about it as it all ripens…

1 Comment

Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting

Tagged as designer profile, spool knitted Friendship Fairies

March 15, 2010 · 12:05 am

Tottie and the Teddies Take Tea

Tottie Tomato is always up for a tea party. Today, she’s sipping tea with a group of teddy friends.

Some of her teddy friends are really tiny. One little mischievous fellow decided to go for a little dip in his teacup, which raised a few eyebrows. Other than that slight social faux pas, the tea party was a great success.

What’s the story behind Tottie’s tea party today?

Well, the other day, a lady asked me if I still had copies of my Crocheted Teddy Bears book. I checked on my shelf, and realized that I did, but only had 2 copies left and that I had tagged it to transpose it into pdf format.

So, I spent the day and evening working on re-building the book as an eBook.While I was working on building the pdf’s, I wondered what had happened to the original teddies from the book. I had crocheted a really enormous one, and knew that I had given that one away, as I just don’t have room to store it.

I knew I had several of the tinier teddies from the book scattered around the studio, but it took some searching to find them.

Some of them completely eluded me, but I just remembered that there is a collection of them in my workshop boxes, so I will have to see if I can lay hands on them.

I love crocheting teddies with unusual materials. Do you see the teddy bear that I crocheted from wire?

He’s the one who’s whispering secrets into Tottie’s ear. Because he’s kind of see-through, I put some precious objects inside him, which then makes him even more special.

I have stitched pins on the backs of the other really tiny bears, and I wear them as pins.

A friend made me the naughty little one in the teacup, and spool knitted a cord onto it to turn it into a fine little bookmark.

So, you see, teddy bears can do more than just sip tea!

They can do all manner of important things.

But, when you think about it, really, all a teddy bear REALLY needs to do, is to just be him or herself.

A lesson that we all could learn from, yes?

PS: If you are interested in the pdf patterns for my crocheted teddy bears, they can be ordered from:

crocheted teddy bears

Tottie and the spool knitted doodle doll

Do you like to doodle? I do. I always have.

A friend mentioned that she’s been using

her doodles to inspire her in her

crochet design, (I’m going to be writing more about

this soon, with links)

and that got me thinking…

Why not doodle on wooden dolls?

So, I got out my Faber Castell artist pens

(link to where my husband bought them for me

for Christmas: pens

and did a little doodling on

a small wooden peg doll body.

Here’s the front of the doll body,

and

here is the back.

Because the doll is

tiny,

and this pic

is wildly blown up

it looks much coarser

than in real life.

I varnished the doll

body after I doodled on it,

and then

made little

wooden

hands and feet.

I varnished them

as well,

and then

drilled tiny

holes with a

very fine

drill bit.

That’s so I

could sew

the spool knitted

cords that

I made with

Cordelia cord maker

Link to Cordelias

for the doll’s

arms and legs

to the hands

and feet.

For the legs,

I spool knitted

a cord that is

6 inches long.

As you can see,

the cord goes

through the body.

I drilled larger

holes through the

body for the arm and

leg cords.

For the arms,

I spool knitted a

cord that is 4 1/2 inches long.

The hands and feet

are stitched to the

arms and legs,

and then the extra yarn

is wrapped around the

wrists and ankles,

stitched through

and woven into the

arm or leg.

Here’s the Doodle Doll,

cuddling with Tottie Tomato’s

puppy, waiting for Tottie to pour tea….

Tottie is a little distracted,

because she’s busy admiring

the new Cordelia cord maker

that I just made, with a

portrait of her on it.

Tottie is pleased with it,

and has suggested that

I put it to work,

making another Doodle Doll

to keep her new friend company.

I will have to do that,

but first, we ought to pour tea….

Happy Girl’s Day! It’s Doll Festival Day

Today, Tuesday March 3, is a day to celebrate little girls and to wish them hope and protection.

In Japan, today is the day that elaborate displays of precious dolls are created….

Paper dolls symbolizing things that are unhappy are placed into boats and set afire, to take away the unhappiness…

And, little girls are invited to have marvelous teaparties with their friends and their dolls.

I wish I had known about this when my daughter was little, because we would have teapartied heartily!

It’s never too late to have a happy childhood, so I say:

Get out your dolls and have a teaparty!

Make some paper dolls that symbolize some kind of unhappiness that you are ready to let go of, and then burn ’em.

I am going to celebrate by sharing a picture of one of the new dolls that is in my just about to be released book:

‘Spooligarumi: Cute & Easy Spool Knitted Dolls & Toys’

Here’s the Fluffy Bunny Spooligarumi Doll – Perfect for celebrating Doll Festival Day:

spooligarumi-pink-fluffy-bunny-275

My new downloadable pdf book: Spooligarumi: Cute & Easy Spool Knitted Dolls & Toys

is now available from my website .

All text and images on this site are copyright protected and not to be copied or shared without Noreen Crone-Findlay’s permission

9 Comments

Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting

Tagged as crafts, doll, doll making, dollmaking, dolls, spool knitted cords, spool knitter, spool knitters, spool knitting, Yarn Crafts

February 12, 2009 · 10:05 pm

Tiny Spool Knitted Angel

spool-knitted-tiny-angel-plain-1000

When I am feeling sad and upset, I find it really helps if I make some Angel dolls.

This week has been a corker, with the death of our beloved old horse, among other challenges.

We have done a whole lot of soul searching, and have decided that we just can’t handle having horses anymore. So our dear little girl horse that we adopted a year and a half ago is going to go back to live with her momma and birth brother. She’s going to be well and truly loved and cared for.

This has been one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make in a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng time, so believe me, I really have been needing to find comfort. (And yes, I certainly do pray, and meditate, so those are the source of great comfort, but making angels is also a HUGE comfort.)

So, in the interests of invoking Angel Energy for ourselves and for everyone else, too…

I have designed these sweet little, easy to make spool knitted angels.

I began with a design that I had developed a few years back and have re-fined and polished it. I am really happy with it now.

You can make the little angels very quickly and easily and can make them truly one of a kind by changing the yarn (handspun would be perfect)