Owie Dolls: Christmas Presents 2018

The girls did get handmade presents this year! I can't remember when, but at least two years ago now, I made an expensive spur of the moment purchase of an Owie Doll Kit from Take and Make. You can't get the kits any more, but Owie Dolls are designed by my fav blogger Leir from Ikat Bag, and you can still get the pattern for the dolls from her website.

Anyway, it was so expensive (shipping to Australia makes me cry every time), that I almost couldn't bring myself to actually make it when it came. It was probably some form of denial that I had actually purchased something so expensive, and then paid even more expensive shipping costs. Sigh. So I put it in the cupboard telling myself I'd wait until the girls were older and make them for Christmas then.

Hello 2018. Busiest year we've had yet, just when I thought nothing could top 2017 and the Big Travels we had then. This year, we've been to Bundaberg seven times total, talked to builders, planners and who knows who else to start a renovation on our house, went camping for a long weekend with friends, celebrated 10 years of marriage (with a trip to Cairns!), Steve went to San Francisco for work, Sophie lost five teeth, Rachel got our first pets and I started looking after even more children. I feel a little bit like this doll after all of that.

Christmas rolls around and we are ready for a break. And of course, three weeks before Christmas I decide that this is the year to make the girls their Owie Dolls. Never before have I felt the time pressure of a deadline, even when I made these Bags from Santa two days before Christmas in 2014. Obviously they were much less involved. Owie Dolls were an entirely new level of sewing, even if I did have some soft toy sewing experience up my sleeve.

Finish them I did though, thanks in part to my parents who took the girls for half a day so I could finish all of the extra bits. Whew.

These dolls have short hair, because I couldn't be bothered making long hair, and I also wanted some gender diversity in the dolls we have. Their heads/faces seem a little wonky to me, probably because I can't sew straight even after all these years, but the girls don't mind a bit. They love them. Especially the bandaids, that they can Velcro on and off to their hearts content.

They have leg and arm bandages, an arm sling, head bandage, eye patch, reversible hospital outfits (including modesty pants), and slippers. So far they have been in numerous accidents and needed lots of care and attention and it looks like they will be getting loads more. I'm glad the expensive purchase was worth it in the end.