My Rag Doll + GIVEAWAY

I have been, since two Christmases ago, somewhat obsessed with doll clothing.  I spent an entire holiday season bringing together an awesome collection of hand-made vintage Barbie clothing via eBay for our seven-year-old as her Christmas gift, and the following year (this past Christmas), she received an American Girl doll.  Between the two, I spend more time than I’m likely to admit thinking about doll clothing–how to make it, how to make it so SMALL, and what wardrobe staples the various dolls might require for their busy schedules.

So when I was asked to be part of the My Rag Doll blog hop, I was pretty excited.  I generally avoid doing too many giveaways here on the blog, and I legitimately want to ensure that every book or product that I review is something I really like and think is well-made and worth investing in; since I had already agreed to do two other book reviews this spring, you KNOW this book has to be pretty great for me to have added it to the list.  And it so totally is.

The author, Corinne Crasbercu, is an accomplished fashion and costume designer who also works as a stylist for Marie Claire magazine.  She has a keen eye and a very clean style, which I love.  The whole book feels very European–sweet and innocent, but also sophisticated and chic.  These are the type of dolls I remember growing up with–I was born in Germany and lived there until my fourth birthday, and my earliest memories (like my Kindergarten doll) are of beautifully crafted toys, handmade with care and love.  These dolls are those toys, all dressed up for our own children.

The book includes patterns for the doll, with instructions for making a blonde, brunette or a red-head (I think we can all guess which one is my favorite–ginger FTW!), along with all the sweet outfits to dress them in.  And oh!  Are they dear!

Gah!!  Can you STAND it???  Totally precious–without being too twee, you know?  These are cutesy-gooey dolls, these are sweet and classic dolls, and their outfits are perfect for re-telling old tales or making up fresh new ones.  I suspect they would even be awesome for puppet theater.  My kids would be ALL OVER that.

As the owner of quite a large selection of sewing books, I can honestly say that I can see this one becoming a title I’d take off the shelf over and over, and use again and again: my girls are of the perfect age for making a zillion variations on these sweet patterns, and my oldest is likely to have children of her own before our littles truly outgrow their doll years (the oldest and youngest are 15 years apart, after all–though the thought of having children at home and being a granny at the same time makes me want to think about something else super badly).  I could easily riff on these designs for another 15 years, and never exhaust the possibilities.

And you, sweet people, have the opportunity to win a copy!  Simply leave a comment here before midnight on April 23, 2014 and you could win a copy of My Rag Doll.  The patterns are clean and clear and easy to use, and the designs are so classic and lovely.  I know you’ll tab and mark and wear out the pages sewing with it.  Winner will be chosen at random from all the comments left by the time the giveaway closes.

Follow More of the Blog Hop!

For other stops on the blog tour, along with more details from the book and more chances to win a copy, check out these lovely blogs:
Sun 13th– Kestrel Makes
Mon 14th – Dolls and Daydreams
Tue 15th – Follow the White Bunny
Wed 16th – Whipstitch
Thu 17th – A Spoonful of Sugar
Fri 18th – Feeling Stitchy
Sat 19th – House of Pinheiro
Sun 20th – A Stitching Odyssey
Mon 21st – iCandy Handmade
Tue 22nd – Shimelle
Wed 23rd – Heather Bailey
Thu 24th – Emma Lamb