I've decided to use this blog to introduce everyone to my collection, and I decided to start with the Hittys I have made for myself. So, please meet Bitty Hitty Polly, the very first doll I carved. She was begun in 2007 during the Hitty gathering in Guthrie, Okla. She is named for the Pollard Inn, a historic bank building turned hotel, in downtown Guthrie that was our HQ during the event.
She was carved from a blank of pear wood given to me by Sara Cole. I finished her the following year when I decided I really needed to have some guidance. So I signed up for a personal enrichment woodcarving class through the local community college and taught by Bonnie Quate. Thanks to Bonnie, she turned out pretty well for a first doll.
About the carving class: I was the only one attempting to carve dolls. Most of the others worked on various animals and birds or on walking sticks. It was a new thing for them, and I even tempted several into making their own Hittys. (They turned out much better than mine.) It has been fun sharing the experience with them. They must think so, too, because after the college dropped the class in 2009, we decided to continue meeting as a club. If there is a club or a class in your area, I highly recommend taking it. You'll learn a lot, and possibly make some new friends!
Back to Polly, I should mention the dress she is wearing came from a colonial-style cloth doll that I got in Williamsburg, Va., during the Friends of Hitty 10th Reunion in 2004. It fits her to a "T" and seems to suit her.
What I like about all the dolls I've carved, rudimentary though they are, is that they all have a personality -- maybe not the one I was striving for, but, hey, little surprises are fun!
Next time, you'll meet Hitty #2, another Bitty named Vada.
2 comments:
She is a lovely Bitty!
your Hitty dolls are wonderful. If you ever want to swap one, I do some lovely knitting for Hitty
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