Introducing the 16" Baby Pip

Scarlet Elfcup is proud to welcome a big baby into the Elfcup family...a baby pattern, that is.

Last week, you were given a sneak peak of Scarlet Elfcup's newest pattern presented in a custom creation of Pip & Goosey Mae. Today, I am proud to introduce to you the 16" Baby Pip, a large 16" doll pattern. Out of character for a Scarlet Elfcup doll comes a doll of the large variety. It has been a very long time since I've made anything larger than an 8" doll. My hands are so smitten with the tiny dolls that I can't seem to leave them and had it not been for Little Pip who came to life for a little girl I really love, I think I would want to say that there wouldn't be much room for dolls of the large variety in Scarlet Elfcup's world. But, I should know by now that we never say never. So, here we are...enter the 16" Baby Pip. 

The 16" Baby Pip features a sitting doll that spans an enormous 16" (40 cm) long. The doll is designed to be big, long, lanky, limber and extra floppy. The 16" Baby Pip represents more of a fun, floppy doll than it was meant to represent any realistic features of a true human form hence you'll find that the arm length and legs are longer than the usual proportions found on a real baby or infant. The body is made extra slender in order to create a long, lanky, limber form. Therefore, the torso will nearly fit the circumference of the fingers and thumb encircled around the chest of the doll....just perfect for tiny toddler hands to wrap around.

The doll's seams are double stitched as usual. The Baby Pip has details that include shaped feet (left and right distinguished), hands with thumbs, buttocks and a belly button. The leg proportion is extended a tad to give a long lean structure for the doll and it features the curved knee in order to allow for a very open sitting position, similar to that of young babies.

The Baby Pips will come in a wide array of options in order to suit the needs of all ages. So, they will range from classic Waldorf facial features to heavily sculpted facial features. The hair will also span widely from mohair yarn, suitable for play by little ones to wefted wigs made from suri alpaca or any number of fleece locks, suitable for love by little ones at heart.

The 16" Baby Pip....a big doll suited for play, hugs and snuggles and the one qualification that I like to keep for myself...a doll that still fits in the palm of the hand.

Pip and Goosey Mae

Pip has a goose named Goosey Mae. Pip loves Goosey Mae. Pip doesn't go anywhere without Goosey Mae. But, mostly, they never go anywhere anyway because home is the best and happiest place. On the usual occasion you'll find Pip and Goosey Mae in their backyard, resting in the shade, on the lawn, watching the birds and the bees and the squirrels go by. They like to look at picture books. One day when Pip can read, she's going to read great works of poetry to Goosey Mae...fun and interesting reads such as Mud and Galoshes. Oh joy! Sometimes they even take naps on the lawn, in the breeze, in the shade. It's the best kind of heaven. What more to enjoy in life than this?

I'm going to try and contain my emotions here while talking about Pip and Goosey Mae. In fact, I'm not even sure where to start.

First off, Pip and Goosey Mae are made for a very special family....sweetest family I ever did meet, without having ever met in person. Pip was created and designed whole heartedly for one tiny precious tot that I have had the great pleasure of watching her grow day by day through amazing photographs her mama takes of her. It's been a year of watching this beautiful sweet child grow and change because that's how long I've known this family....essentially since the beginning of Scarlet Elfcup. How lucky I am that our paths crossed.

When I was asked to create a baby doll for N, I was so thrilled. I haven't made anything larger than an 8" doll for nearly a year, I think. I have been so smitten with the 6" Wee-Bee Mini Elfcups that I just didn't think that I would ever go back to making anything much larger than that.  But, when this request came up, I was so excited to be able to make something for N that I had to reconsider the larger doll. In doing so, I took a rather simplistic design that I had of a 14" doll....my first and only large doll pattern that I created last year....and decided that I would reconstruct and change a few things to make it more interesting....not for me, but for little N. So, now I present to you, Pip.

Pip is the first of Scarlet Elfcup's newest line of dolls, the 16" Baby Pip (yes, this new doll pattern will be named after Pip herself). The 16" Baby Pip will be formally introduced in the next couple days. For now, we focus our attention on Pip herself. Pip is a floppy doll. I think that some of my favorite toys were the ones that flip flopped the most. Somehow, I always did and I still do gravitate toward extra floppy things. They're just more fun to hold and throw over your shoulders, under your arm, around your neck. So, I wanted to create something extra limp and relaxed for N because extra limp and relaxed are my favorites and I want my favorites for her. Pip is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made extra flimsy and floppy for easy movement and changing of clothes. Pip's body construction is extra long, lanky, limber and narrow. Her torso is constructed very slim so that tiny hands can wrap all the way around her. And finally, here's the bit that I needed for myself....a doll that can still fit in the palm of the hand....Pip still does! :)

Pip stands approximately 16" (40 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  Her locks are made of mohair yarn tied into two adorable pigtails. The wispy look and the color of the hair were meant to reflect that of little N's very own wispy baby locks and beautiful brown hair.  She has a classic Waldorf facial structure with only one minute element of adornment...a dash of embroidery above her eyes. Otherwise, her facial structure is created with the simple beauty of a classic Waldorf doll in order to allow N lots of room for imaginative play. She has embroidered facial features. Her cheeks, nose and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax.  She has a belly button and a bum.

Pip comes with an enviable wardrobe, created for the youngling who enjoys changing of the diapers and dressing of the dolly.

An Easter outfit....yes, yet another knitted bunny hat. I guess Easter has been on my mind for the past month considering that almost every doll I've created since the end of February has had a bunny hat of one kind or another. When she goes home, Pip will attend a birthday party dressed in her best, a sweet cream, pink and linen dress lined at the hem with cotton lace. The dress opens fully on the back with two snap on buttons. Underneath she'll sport a pair of linen bloomers lined with elastic lace. Her shoes are hand knit with a chunky Malabrigo merino wool yarn. Her bunny hat is hand knit with a Malabrigo merino wool yarn held together with a suri alpaca, merino and bamboo blended yarn by Blue Sky Alpacas and reverse stockinette stitch knitted to give the warm fuzzy look.

A play outfit. The top is made from corduroy and a beautiful lightweight floral cotton print. The top opens fully on the back with snap on buttons. Her precious but simple bloomer pants are made from a 100% lightweight cotton. An outfit perfect for running around in the sun.

A brand new, store bought, clean and laundered onesie with floral print made of 100% cotton. A pair of dolly stockings and a pair of dolly socks made of a cotton and synthetic fiber blended material. Two pairs of diapers made of 100% cotton, lined with a polyester/polyamide material to give a fluffy, bulky look to the diaper and sealed with velcro.

Pip comes cuddling Goosey Mae. Goosey Mae is a very personal creation, made because N's mama often refers to her as "goose" or "goosey mae." Sweet Goosey Mae is needle felted with 100% wool roving and stands 7" (18 cm) tall....made just for N and her mama.

Pip and Goosey Mae, everyone.....made just for sweet precious little N and her sweet precious amazing mama.

There's An Old Scottish Saying....

"A pretty face suits the dish-cloot." (Would you like a translation?...A pretty face suits the dish cloth.)

If Peigi fusses over what to wear, this is what mama always responded with. It basically means "if you've got a pretty face, it doesn't matter what you're wearing." Often, this didn't help Peigi's immediate needs. But, nonetheless, it always worked to quieten her.

Peigi is of Scottish descent, adorned with long dark brown hair and bright blue eyes.

She has a brother (yes...remember this little cutie...Mr. Ivor?) whom she loves. He loves cars and she loves unicorns. Peigi may be a fussy character when it comes to outfits, but when it comes to hanging out with her brother, she'll do anything with him. In fact, she's the only one he can count on to sit with him for hours on end, playing cars, pushing them back and forth, rolling them here and there...only Peigi....because Peigi adores her brother.

When she's not tagging along with her brother, Peigi likes to ride her unicorn. She has big fantasies about living in their world, riding in the skies and being amongst hundreds and thousands of their kind...all of them pink! Yes, it would be lovely to live in a world where everything is pink because she loves pink.

Peigi is a Wee-Bee Mini Elfcup doll. She stands less than 6" (15 cm) tall. She is made with all natural materials. Her doll skin is made with premium quality cotton interlock imported from Europe. She is firmly stuffed with bio-wool.  Her seams are sewn twice for reinforcement.  Her locks are made of mohair yarn tied into two sweet braided pigtails.  She has embroidered facial features. Her facial structure is sculpted giving her a sweet little face with an itty-bitty chin, round chubby cheeks and deeper set eyes. Her cheeks, nose and various body parts are blushed with red beeswax.  She is a sitting doll with sewn joints that are made flexible for easy movement and changing of clothes.  But, with some posing, she is also able to stand. She also has a belly button and a bum.

Peigi comes wearing a sweet floral top made of cotton and a mohair-silk blended yarn. Her shorts are made of 100% cotton. Her beanie is made from pre-washed, clean, repurposed 100% cashmere. Her shoes are hand knit with a 100% alpaca yarn.

Peigi comes galloping in the winds with her unicorn hobby horse. The unicorn is needle felted with 100% wool roving and the hobby stick is made of wood. The unicorn is for decorative purposes only and should not be used as a toy. Peigi is recommended for ages 5+.

Peigi.....a little girl of Scottish descent who adores her brother and loves unicorns and the color pink.



Scarlet Elfcup's One-Year Anniversary - A Message of Gratitude For Your Kindness

It is Friday, March 20, 2015. It is the vernal equinox. And it is the one-year anniversary of Scarlet Elfcup. It has been an incredible journey. I'll repeat what I've said in my "About" page because it is the core of what Scarlet Elfcup stands for....bringing Scarlet Elfcup to life has not only provided an outlet for creativity but also a home for the gratitude I feel for all of my inspirations, and most importantly, the connections I am making with amazing people from all around the world.

Scarlet Elfcup has given me a place to meet and connect with incredible individuals from all over the globe. Through Scarlet Elfcup I've found a community of people who share in the love of many things....it may be a love for handmade goods, a love for dolls, it might be a love for craft or a love for Waldorf, a love for toys, a love for fabric, yarn, fibers and on and on. It is a lovely world to be a part of. Thank you for this.

Scarlet Elfcup has also truly been a place of dreams and imagination for me...a vessel by which to bring forth the adventures and playfulness in my own world....hence Scarlet Elfcup's mantra "Dreams, Imagination, Adventure, Playfulness for All Ages." It is here that I can drift to times and places in my past, present or future and find beautiful memories of people and places that have entered and gone, gratefulness for who I am today and what I have been given in life, and excitement for what the unknown brings.

Here, I will also repeat what I said in my "About" page because again, it is the essence of Scarlet Elfcup. With Scarlet Elfcup, I've found my place in the world of craft....a place that brings together some of the things that I love....yarn, paper, fabric, photography and books. I invest in this endeavor not only because I love the art of weaving words and images together to tell a story, but because, in doing so, I find myself looking more deeply for the beauty in life and consequently finding it in more places.

The existence of Scarlet Elfcup has been made possible not only by the people who love and support Scarlet Elfcup creations but also by the people who've provided inspiration for homegrown handmade dolls....these women are mothers, business owners, crafters, artists. There are a few significant individuals that I would like to send my deepest gratitude to. It is because of these individuals that Scarlet Elfcup came to life and continues to thrive and grow. 

Brandy Fortune from Pixie Purls, author of Just Like Me Knits - this is where it all started for me. At the end of 2013, while looking for more knit projects, I accidentally came across this book and it changed my entire course of interest. It was through this book that I discovered the beautiful world of Waldorf dolls/dolls made from fabric and it is also where I discovered the makers behind the dolls. One particular maker, Fig&Me, would be a pivotal inspiration. So, thank you, Brandy, for creating this sweet sweet book full of fun knits for the little ones and the little one's little one.

Fabiola Perez, maker behind Fig&Me - it is through Fabiola's blog and her incredible creations that I hopelessly fell in love with the making of these fabric dolls. It was through following Fabiola's own journey that sparked the fire in my heart to dive headlong into this beautiful craft. And this in turn, has had a profound impact on my personal life. Fabiola's creations are nothing less than magical, beautiful and soulful. Fabiola, herself, is also a person full of gentleness, kindness and wit....a creative genius and a savvy business woman. I have told Fabiola all this before and I will continue to tell her for as long as Scarlet Elfcup exists...that my gratitude and respect for her runs wide and deep and I'll always remember that.

Karyn Maizymoo, knitting needle wielder of Maizy Moo Knits - not only is Karyn a charismatic maker of children's and doll's clothing, she is also one of the nicest, kindest and funniest people I've met yet through Scarlet Elfcup. Anytime I need a good laugh I go over to Karyn's nest. Karyn not only runs a successful business of making the most beautiful hand knits for all manner of dolls, but she is also someone whose generosity and thoughtfulness is always meant to boost somebody else's creations or makings. I am grateful to have crossed paths with Karyn.

Now, for the last gift of the week....Friday's gift.....Skye. As the final token of thanks to all for your support, Skye is being given away for FREE. She is the last and final gift of the week....on this day, March 20, 2015 to celebrate with you Scarlet Elfcup's one-year anniversary.  

If you are interested in giving Skye a home to go to for Easter this year, please complete the form below. On Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 9:00 PM (PST) a drawing will be made from the pool of comments submitted via the form and a name will be drawn. 

Announcements will be made on Sunday, March 22 to reveal all the winners of this week's giveaways. Good luck. Thank you and good night.

The form has been removed. Winners will be announced on Sunday, March 22. Thank you for your participation.