Toys are vital to children. They are their work tools, their learning devices, their companions in the journey of childhood, the comfort that only an imaginary creation can give.
Since these are particularly special children to me, I felt called to create two toys for them for Christmas this year. This was not a terribly hard task, I've been sewing for over 40 years and have raised two daughters. Never having been rich, we had many a home-made Christmas, so I have had my share of toy creation.
When I began to dig for resources up popped a partially finished Raggedy Ann doll, apparently abandoned by myself some time past. So, for the little girl, I decided to finish and personalize her. It is my old-fashioned belief that every little girl needs a Raggedy Ann to share her secrets and troubles. I had one, my sister stole her. I made them for my daughters and then again for my sister as a grown up. I have made them for my grandchildren, one Ann and one Andy. As my granddaughter wisely observed, Raggedy is much easier to sleep with than Barbie. I just don't see Barbie or Bratz as being sympathetic or good overnight friends who can share dreams and chase away nightmares. For these jobs, Raggedy is unsurpassed.
I completed Raggedy with little difficulty, so I made her a quilt to keep her warm in her journey north. Then I turned my attention to the next project.
My heart told me to make a teddy bear. He's a 6 year old boy. What 6 year old child can't use a fuzzy companion to accompany him through the changes he will be facing with home and storm after-effects?
Okay, so I got a little over-confident. I don't use patterns all of the time, especially when creating animals or puppets. So, I bravely marched into my sewing room and picked up the delicious, mink-like, brown faux fur that had simply jumped into my cart when I was at Joanne's. Then I turned my eyes upward and said, "Okay, Jim Henson, if you are hanging around I could use some inspiration to create a wonderful creature for Tyler."
Be careful what you ask for.
I tore its face off twice, all the while feeling it was going in the right direction. I spent two days hunched over the sewing machine, fur flying. Yes, it really was flying. When I finished I looked at what had been born and said "huh?"
I went as far as to send a photo to my toughest critic, my youngest daughter, and ask if this particular creation should be tossed and replaced by a store bought variety. This guy was a strange animal. He really does resemble a muppet.
Her response, which I shall forever treasure was, "Mom, you made an aardvark. Send it."
An aardvark? I didn't even remember looking at a photo of an aardvark, ever. So, I promptly googled aardvark images and, lo and behold, he was an aardvark. So off he went in the mail, appropriately adorned in blue ribbon, with Raggedy to hopefully be received with a loving and imaginative heart. I think my animal creation days may be behind me, not dolls, ever, but animals, maybe.
If I do venture down that lane again, I will at least, be a bit more explicit when I ask for Master Jim's guidance. For now my sewing machine is resting under the guise of being broken. It quit the day after the aardvark was born.
Happy New Year - BLD
