evil doll

For the pilot entry on this blog, I am proud to present an exciting find sent to my by my Aunt Becky. This gem was discovered at a church-sponsored junk sale in Southwest Missouri. (I added the dagger because the expression on her face seemed to call for one.)

These sweet little dolls crop up unexpectedly in a variety of tacky crafting scenarios, not the least of which is the quintessential toilet paper cover. This gal is one of the more innovative and simultaneously mysterious applications I've encountered.

The long skirt with the drawstring at the bottom suggests that this was created to cover something; most likely not a bottle, since the drawstring would be superfluous. The piece of yarn tied eerily around the neck is the only clue that the krafter intended this item to be hung somewhere.

The most intriguing part of this design can be found on the doll's thoughtfully constructed apron. The four pockets are embellished carefully with cross-stitched category labels and decorated with tiny cross-stitch flowers. The categories are delightfully nonparallel: "Pets", "Dairy", "Cereal", and "Snacks". What is the unifying theme here and how do the pockets figure into this theme? Is this a dual plastic bag holder and coupon sorter? Are the apron pockets mini receptacles for tiny pets, small cheeses, and a miniature snack? (And aren't those two categories somewhat redundant?) We will probably never know, but feel free to kreate your own theories.



Materials: purchased plastic doll head & torso, navy blue lining fabric, light blue floral print cotton fabric, lace, cross stitch fabric, yarn, buttons, foil [not part of original design]
Technique: sewing, cross stitch, foil molding [not part of original design]
Provenance: Southwest Missouri