Louie Louie Bebe

A for Apple

First week at school. A lot of tears are shed, but I can spot the hope, the excitement, the curiousity, under the tears.

A for Apple,B for Be strong, son.

 

 

 

It has been longer than I care to admit. Shameful, I know. I had all these wonderful ideas for blog posts, and they all dwindled away when facing the harsh reality: I don't have enough time to write.

So, instead of going through the motions just for the sake of blogging and easing my conscience, I will do the honorable thing.

No, not that honorable thing. The other honorable thing: A picture post.
Ready?

This is a little display of the chaos in the studio right now.

I really love this doll. She's ready for the Upload.

 

Almost done...

 

 

I planned a RTG doll Upload for this weekend, but I doubt that I'll be able to make it. It has been rough here this past week.

The dolls are nearly ready, but their clothes aren't, so I will have to postpone the Upload for next week.

Sorry!

 

Alone again, naturally

Anne's doll

 

 

It has been a while since I took the time to post here.

The last few months have been unbelievably busy and productive. I found an assistant, lost an assistant (to a long trip to Australia!) and now I'm searching again.

Having an assistant was wonderful and now I really dread the thought of having to do everything myself again.

The studio is a jolly mess again. Undressed dolls stare at me in dismay; Piles of fabric to fold, ribbons to roll back and tuck away, patterns lurking in the shadows of the heaps of 'stuff' on my cutting table.

Meanwhile, the weather has changed and harsh, cold winds are blowing.                                                      I sit here, wrapped in an old cashmere shawl, stitching dolls, knitting wigs, embroidering shoes, doll faces, embelishments, while the radio plays softly and my dog lightly snores.

Bliss.

   

 
    

What I really have to do, one of these days, is take a few photographs of my studio.

Just, not today.

 

 

 

 

It is a lovely, spacious room, with 5 french doors overlooking our huge, old blackberry tree.

The branches and leavs of the Apricot tree, brush against the windows when the wind blows.

Just,

not today.

 

 I have imported the lovely pink wallpaper from the UK.

It was incredibly expensive but I love it. It has a calming effect.

The white net curtains are very plain, in contrast with the beautiful curtain poles, curtesy of

Restoration Hardware.

The shabby armchairs are the result of one hectic afternoon, years ago, in a flea market, on a very, very hot day.

Much like today.

 

 I need three tables. Four, even.

One for my sewing machines,

One for the computer and for when I sew by hand,

One for cutting and packing.

That one, leaning against the wall, was my husband's desk, way back when,

and when I finally find the time to restore it, it will be my son's desk. It has 9 drawers. Perfect for keeping treasures.

 

 

 

What I really need to do, is be more organized. Put things back in place. Fold fabrics when I am done cutting them. Hide the patterns so that my son does not feel the urge  to demonstrate his newly found cutting techniques.

I have to roll the silk ribbons, return the wool to its box, organize the wool in the drawers, so it does not get dusty.

And tangled.

I have to do that.

Just,

not today.

 

Cha-cha-changes...cha-cha-changes

It has been awhile. You may think I am lazy and undiciplined, (who, me?!), or you may think I do not care about this here blog, or you may think all sort of wild and crazy things about me. But you'd be wrong.

I have been stitching myself to oblivion. I have been up all night, and busy at work all day. My kids are fed up with the 'doll business,' my husband started making all these hmmmpsss and grunting voices, my sister called and said she may need to interview new sisters, and all because I have been good and working in my pink studio on new dolls.

 

But first of all, I owe you all a big, big thank you.

I took your comments on Agnes to heart, and styled her hair, and she is so pretty now, that I am tempted to take her off the listings and keep her.

What? you think I don't need a doll ? If poked, will I not shutter? If tickled, will I not squeek?

(I will not, mind you. I do not squeek.)

So, without further ado, here's Agnes:

Bangs and all.

 

 

I loved the way she looked before, but I love her even more, now.

The bangs were indeed a great improvement.

 

Thank you!

Work in progress : 18" doll

I have just realized most of my clients are under 6 year olds.

Shocking, isn't it? Perhaps I should offer free candy with every purchase, instead of a 10% discount. I have reason to believe this will boost up my sales considerably.

 

It has been a little busy here lately. I list new items almost daily, cut, sew, design new items, take photos, edit photos, reply to mail from buyers and clients and suddenly it is lunch time and I take a power nap and spring out of bed moaning and groaning to pick up the kids. Usually instead of two kids I pick up 3 and they all play outside until the sun sets in the west and it gets too dark to play, or the mosquitoes are too fierce and we all go inside the house and have some popcorn infront of the t.v (the kids) with a book (moi.)

 

Around 8-8:30 p.m the house is quiet. The little elves are sound asleep and I can start the third portion of my day.

If I don't get lured and sucked it by the computer, I am usually most productive in the evenings.  I thought I would show you what the dolls look like before they become dolls, but I cannot find the camera so this will have to wait. I can share this with you, though.

 

 

 

When a doll is in this state, I know I am nearly done.

 

Hanna - Waldorf Doll looking for a home

Hanna is one of the new dolls. She is so delicate. I absolutely love her. She has soft brown hair: lovely big curls and there is something so pleasant about her complexion. 

She is named after two of my beautiful aunts. Hanna is wearing a lovely dress made of Imported Japanese cotton in a dreamy floral design. It is off-white, cream, and the flowers are pale pink with a hint of moss green leaves.

  

Who is Louie?

When my sister and I were little, I used to make clothes for our dolls.

We had an old armoire in our bedroom and my mom took out the doors and we made it into a doll's house.
I made furniture for the dolls from scraps and things I found.

An old cigar box was decorated and turned into a bed, a shoe box became the wardrobe- with real doors that opened and closed, a candy tin was a perfect dining table.
I made clothes for the dolls. My mother taught me how to sew and I used to spend hours drawing pictures of fancy clothes for the dolls. 

   - - -    - - - - - -

After a long career as a fashion/custome designer, I finally found my passion on a cold winter evening, at my sons' Waldorf-education kindergarten.
Parents were invited for a doll making extravaganza. We all sat on tiny wooden chairs and made little star/bunting dolls for our children. It was a lovely, fun evening and it could have well ended at that but then, someone pulld a waldorf doll out of nowhere and I took one look and fell head over heels.

 

I spent the next couple of weeks glued to my computer, frantically trying to figure out how to make these dolls. I ordered every book I could find and bit my fingernails with anticipation.
But by the time the books arrived, I was already making dolls.

 

I love making dolls.

It is a long process and my fingers constantly ache from the pulling and tugging and sewing,

but I love to see how people react to my dolls. I am constantly thinking about new dolls, searching for better techniques, different material, but in the end, the beauty in making waldorf- inspired dolls is the simplicity of it all.
A bit of natural wool roving, cotton thread, embroidery floss and a bit of mohair wool, and voila!~ A doll emerges.

 

I work at home, in a lovely, spacious studio adjacent to the children's playroom, which is where quite a few of the dolls/toys end up, smudged in chocolate and bananas, after enduring some, err, affection from my 3.5 years old daughter, Sophia.
She likes to 'test-drive' my dolls and if I am not carefull, I will end up with nothing to sell. :-)

 

Thank you for reading and thank you for visiting Louie Louie Bebe.

Buy Louie Louie Bebe, support HandMade 

 

Visit Louie Louie Bebes' fan page on facebook, for more about the creative process, trials and tribulations:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Louie-Louie-Bebe/281117348872

 

 

One track Pony

Goodness. I am such a one track mind woman.

All I can think of is dolls.

Well,

not really.

However.

New doll, I believe she is called Katia. Don't ask me why. She's just a Katia that way.

Here she is, modelling a few dresses.

 

   

 

 
 
 
 
  
And then there is this little guy. I believe his name is Albert. Something about its eyes that say "Albert.'

Tell me if you think I got it wrong.

 

   
 
 
 
  
 

Grace, Faith and Hope : New Waldorf Dolls

 

Grace was the perfect model.

I had fun posing her.

 

 

 

 

 

Elza and I reorganized the studio yesterday. It involved a lot of folding, rolling, labeling, purging, clearing and more folding, even, and a lot of moaning, groaning and sighing. A lot of sighing.

Naturally, Elza did most of the folding, Bianca, (our terrier) did most of the rolling, I did most of the labeling and most of the moaning and yes, I absolutely excelled when it came to sighing.

I am an excellent sigh-er;

Ahhhhh.

yes.

I have had years of practice.

 

Now the studio is so tidy, it absolutely terrifies me.

It is the blank page syndrome.

Luckily, I have orders to finish, which gives me no choice but to work, work, work. I am quite sure that at the end of this week my studio will revert to its' normal, chaotic state.

 

To be continued.