The Dolls are Headed Off on Their Adventure

Well, I have been finishing up the dolls for three different clinics at Children's Hospital. The finishing work has been more tedious than I expected. It is just the little things like hand sewing on all of their hair, finishing the embroidery on all of their faces and closing the turn out(stuffing opening). It has been worth it though because growing up none of my dolls looked like me--none had the significant scar that I had. I hope a little child might come across one of these at their clinic appointment and it might make them smile. Being little and having to go to CFA (Cranial facial Anomaly) appointments can make for a long day--since on and average a cleft affected child will need to see--genetics, plastic and reconstructive surgery, ENT, audiology, dental etc. When I take Beech in for his routine CFA apt, we are there for hours in one exam room...it is a long day. And on the appointments where a child has to be assessed for a surgical procedure, well that can be scary and my hope is these dolls might give a little one a smile and some comfort and these types of appointments.

Here they are before they head off  to their new homes...

 Aprils Dolls for Speech Pathology. April Johnson, Speech and Language Pathologist was head hunted over to LPCH from the Midwest. She is highly respected in her the CFA clinic. She has worked with Beech for a few years. Her assessments are careful, thought out and very detailed. Since speech was a significant issue for Beech, we feel SO fortunate to have her in our lives. --thank you dearly April!

These are a set of mice for April too. I feel that some kids might respond more to animal dolls rather than "people" looking dolls. This is Mosie and Jules Mouse....named after my mom and husband!

This little gal is for my friend Elena over at the CFA clinic.I first met her when Beech was born. She is an amazing force at the clinic because she helps parents prepare for their childs surgery. She educates them on what the surgery will be like pre and post op. She also helps parents learn to care and feed their cleft affected child and she is available to answer their concerns and questions--I do not know how she does it all? I embroidered a unilateral scar on to her. She is wearing a pillow case dress and her yarn hair is tied back with sweet pink ribbon. She also is taking some of her mice friends with her too.

I love this little set because the muslin on them is natural and so soft. I also like the cupcake fabric on Mosie!

Last is Michelle's dolls. Michelle Brown works on the CFA team as a psychologist. She helps consult and also works directly with parents and children to prepare and process child and adolescent issues related to autism, clefting and life in general. She has helped our family so much in working with Beech on going to elementary school as a celft affected child and also she has done a lot of play therapy with him prior to his surgeries. She has been a gift!

Here they are all packed up and ready for their little journey!

A new project

When I was spending lots of time at home recovering from my surgery to remove a cyst in the bone in my face and to revise my cleft lip and palate, I also got some sewing in too. I found my way back into my studio(my happy place) a few weeks after my surgery. It was funny because I did not have any sewing plans for that day. However, without much thought I grabbed a spare piece of muslin and started to tinker around. What I ended up with was a doll, made out of muslin...So then I decided that she needed a dress and I cut a mini pillow case dress out for her. Well, when the evening came, I sat in the chair in my studio and I began to embroider a face on for her and when I finished her eye, nose and mouth I just stared at her. There she was with her blond, rag doll hair and little dress and I saw myself as a little girl. BUT, she was missing something and before long I concluded that it was a small scar above her lip---that is what was missing. So, I embroidered that on too.

It was strange to see her sitting in my studio as the days marched on while my face was recovering. However, oddly enough her little hand embroidered scar just looked like a part of her, as if had it not been there...it would have felt like something was missing. Strangly enough, this little doll helped me too. Maybe it was the process of it or what I ended up with or her simpleness as she possessed the same scar as me. Whatever it was, the process of creating her was the equivalent of checking the closet and learning there really is no "boogy man".

I have never been thrilled that I was born cleft affected. Partly because of all of the surgeries I have had to have and partly because...it is always there...you can not hide it. But, seeing the simple, sylph of a scar on the little doll did help because it made me see that it was a part of her, had it not been there something would have been missing from her character. --it was a small, but significant part of her make up.

Since then, I have made some friends for her...all cleft affected of course...