Introducing the Pockets!

Finaly, some pictures of the little project that Brenda of Brenmoss babies and I have been working on!
I'm really pleased to introduce the pockets for the pocket toys :)

 These sweet dungarees have the Munchkin snail embroidered onto the front pocket, with the teeny bee tag on the side, they also have 2 side pockets for extra pocket carrying too! The front pocket can carry 1-2 Munchkin toys comfortably.

 There will be slots available at the upload each month, custom made by Brenda, If you'd like to order a Munchkin in the pocket I will custom make that too, and they will be sent together.
The Prices will be up to age 5:
 £35 plus postage for the shorts with a MM doll of your choice
£38 plus postage for long dungarees with a MM doll of your choice

Without a Munchkin doll (I know some of you have a few already ;))
Shorts: £28 + postage
longs: £30 +postage

Colours available are up to you! a range is available!

 Currently its just the snail embroidery we have ready, but I am open to suggestions of what you would like to see next!

We'd like to thank Boo! designs for the beautiful pattern, and Elephants and Daisies embroidery designs for turning my logo into an embroidery pattern! I'd like to thank Brenda for working with me, please check out her page: Brenmoss.Babies she makes the most beautiful children's clothes!
also my little model's shoes are custom dyed by Bamboo Hearts!

Also I have to add, my sweet small girl whenever I try and take pictures of her NOT looking at the camera, she won't stop smiling for me, but if I wanted a smiling picture? always the opposite!

Do you see what I see? (learning from the process)

I was a uni drop out. I took my first year at Chichester University studying Fine Art. I didn't really want to be there, I wanted a baby(!) but my first munchkin took her time and so I was left with a year in which my choices were, go to uni, or get a job. I chose the uni route, and studied my first year, passed, but aside from the lovely people I got to meet, I didn't really enjoy it terrifically as most would at uni. I found it very prescriptive, you do as they want or they fail you, and the first year very much focussed on the process of making art, rather than the more conceptual side which is totally me (I love to work with meanings, rather than making art for 'nothing') I went hot with rage when I spent hours on a painting, only to be told that it wasnt what they wanted, they wanted something process based. I spent 4 minutes with a scrunched up piece of fabric dipped in paint, stamping it all over the paper....and they loved that. I resisted all I could avoid this 'learning from the process'.

Anyway, there is a point to this ;0)
When it comes to doll making, it turns out, it is a very process based art. My first dolls, so basic and not well made, and then from each evolving to how they are now. I'm finally at the point now where I can say, I like the dolls I make, they are made well enough to withstand toy testing, and visually I've got to the point where I cringe at the early dolls, the faces are now more defined and I easily recognised where a face is not 'quite right' and a head will end in the reject pile.
  I do get asked quite often, 'don't you get bored of making the same things over and over?' and truth be told, sometimes I go a little crazy and feel like I'm a factory, but each doll is made with love in the end.... it is actually in the process of repeating and repeating the same thing that new directions appear, not only has my work improved from the starting point, but it evolves all the time and new ideas and processes begin and I find myself somewhere new that I wasn't expecting.
Just when I think, I couldn't possibly think of another idea, working with the process takes me somewhere new. Sometimes these ideas just don't work out, but bring me to something else instead.
So maybe those Uni lecturers were onto something after all...
And although I don't normally post pictures of half made dolls, here is an exception, these are apple heads and leaves. but can you see what they could possibly be with a few little additions?

If you haven't a clue, think sea creature with a shell ;) 

The never-to-be-seen dolls

I feel very lucky to be a doll maker. Specifically a pocket doll maker though I'm sure big doll makers have these special moments - but there is something magic about a tiny doll made with love, that no one ever grows out of.
I make dolls for children, and oh! the places they travel, and the hard play adventures and flights they go on (in more ways than one!)
Some say dolls 'long' to be played with, that that is their purpose in life. When it comes to mine, I'm not so sure.  Making dolls to be loved by children is special, I adore the looks on their faces on receipt of these hand sized friends, the sweet scenarios, the pocket travelling!...but making a doll that lives with an adult - that is something more, something that touches my heart.

These tiny pocket sized adult presents, they go places too. They may or may not travel. but they have places to go.

Sometimes the doll holds memories. A reminder of something from the past which held joy - someone's favourite. A colour, a flower. They could be sprayed with a scent. Sometimes these dolls are carried in handbags and are never alone. They might sit in a kitchen or on a shelf to watch the world go by. And they are always 'there' for a smile.

Some dolls are for Christmas! Every year lovingly unpacked and hung up to watch the joy in the house - how lucky they are! I do love Christmas dolls for this reason, the thought of the tradition and years of loving and memory keeping is wonderful.

Some dolls end up in boxes. People might say, why make a doll just to be put in a box? but boxes are filled with love, and sometimes with pain. These dolls hold that pain, they stay for support in grief, in release, and in hope, and they are always there safely tucked away until they are needed. Sometimes them just being 'there' is what is needed. A recognition from a friend. These dolls might just look like they are taking space in a box to any other, but they are doing far more than that.

Every so often I come across a situation where I just *feel* a doll is needed, sometimes the person comes to me -  not necessarily for the doll I am thinking of. More often its not a direct friend of mine, but through something else a situation arises and I just *know* that a doll is wanted there.

And sometimes, its not one, but two dolls.
A doll for two different places. The same pieces of fabric taken, divided, and sewn into two dolls.
 An angel to watch over a baby in SCBU, a baby to stay with Mummy while she can't be with them. A doll for the hope and the praying, and safely holding the memories of first moments and the joy. Perhaps tucked into a baby box when they're finaly home, but a reminder for years ahead of moments past.

And sometimes a doll to go to heaven, and a doll to stay here on earth. Some might wonder does it make me sad for my hard work to be put in the ground? burnt to ashes? to be left to fight the elements?  No, never in a million years. Its an incredible privilege to be asked to make something like this. Its heart wrenching too. I have loved and lost in my life, I have grieved, and I am a sensitive person, I feel empathy deeply and will often cry for and with others - even strangers.  The never-to-be-seen dolls are the most important of all.

 No other fancy high paid job for an important firm could tempt me away from this work tonight - creating something to be part of a life and a memory. Its incredibly special. This is more than fabric and stuffing, this is love.

Taking care of your munchkin munecas

Defluffing

Munchkin Munecas are made of velour, which is a lovely fabric but picks up fluff like nothing else! If they make their way under the sofa (especially on a laminate floor!) You can guarantee they'll need a good defluffing. 
The best way to do this is to run your hand under the tap, and with a damp hand, run it against the pile of the doll fabric (so the opposite way to smoothing it). All the fluff will collect at the bottom and you can pinch it off easily and it saves a full on bath.

Washing

Usually a baby wipe will clean up a doll fine, but occasionally the dolls will need a wash for one reason or another. As they are wool stuffed, if they go in the machine they may shrink so its best to hand wash, you can use a little liquid soap and gently wash the affected area.
Gently squeeze the doll out (but do not twist) and then reshape, and leave to dry in the sun or on the radiator.

Flower bags/beds can also be hand washed, or low temp machine washed as they have no stuffing. Line or radiator dry, no tumble dryer.

Pink Cheeks

Munchkin Muneca dolls have cheeks which are rouged with beeswax crayon, which does fade with time. To bring them back to life if they've faded, you can buy a red beeswax crayon (www.waldorfdolls.co.uk stock them) and take a little piece of fabric (or work direct if you want to) and rub the crayon onto the fabric, you can then rub the crayoned fabric onto the cheeks of the doll.

Ribbons

All Ribbons on my toys come heat sealed to stop them unravelling. Rarely you might find that the sealed part comes off (curious fingers!) and the best way to deal with this is to act quickly and to carefully take a lighter and melt the ends again. Ribbons on bags that have unravelled completely can be replaced with 3mm ribbon threaded through with a safety pin. Ribbons on toys (spider, and snail) will need a little more surgery. 

Examining

As with all toys I do recommend examining the toys regularly to check for any issues, all my toys are made to the CE standard and will withstand normal play, but what is 'normal'? ;) if you spot any loosening stitches get in touch on the facebook page and I'm more than happy to do some doll hospital work if required.

Colour Me Munchkin

Perhaps your little ones might like some colouring in on a rainy day? Feel free to save this picture to your computer, and print it :) It hopefully should print well on an A4 piece of paper.

Please note - you're welcome to print as many as you like but copyright belongs to Munchkin Munecas and please don't copy to your website - refer back by link instead :)

an update!

Well now, who's been slacking at blogging then? that would be me!
I have been awfully busy sewing though, the bugs are literally flying out(or crawling, or slithering!) and I'm rather shocked at how well they have been selling (especially as, my initial thought was... they don't have any arms! who'd want to buy something without arms ;)) my biggest problem is actually I cant sew fast enough to keep up! thankfully I've met some amazing customers who have been happy to wait for their orders.

The garden babies collection has expanded to butterflies, caterpillars, flower babies, strawbabies, dragonflies, spiders, ladybirds, bees, and the latest addition, the snails, who are due soon :) as well as the flower bags and leaf bags which are great for storage and play as well. in the pipeline I have a little bee skep(at least i think that's what my dad said they were called) but its taking its time as its not as easy as i thought!!
 who knows where they will take me next, do we have any suggestions?

 I shall leave you with a few pictures,
much love,
Suzi x

finaly did it! and pricing rambles

So, I made it, my trading standards man came back from his holiday, and tried not to groan at me on the phone (what... you again!? lol I'm joking obviously) and  is happy that I'm using due diligence.
and so, thats it, job done. my technical file is now actually looking more file like, and 20 bundle babies are ready to go.

except that I detest pricing anything up. DETEST! I'd honestly rather give stuff away than put prices on things because of the pressure to get it right, right for people to buy, and right so that I'm not losing money.
This has now been made much harder by the massive postage hike! £2.70 just seems  SO much more than £1.58. I cant include postage any more in my prices, which I hate.

If I were to go by some of the calculators on-line, they'd be priced so high no one would buy them - the thing is with them being so tiny they don't look much, but with the costs of the materials, and packing (like labels which I need to have now) and postage that's enough!  to get anything for my time (and each doll can take up to an hour to complete, depending on detail) the price goes higher and higher, (imagine If was charging minimum wage... £6 an hour for time alone!)  I either earn money by selling lots with a low price, or one or two with a high price. I hope with pricing them at £5 plus postage, they will sell, if not, I'll have to rethink.
 If I  were to put a low price on them, they might sell but it devalues the handmade market such a lot... all those one of a kind pieces deserve the money and respect they get. I'm trying to be fair. I want them to have homes and be loved, but I also don't want to be paying out of my own pocket to sell! makes no sense!

Anyway, since the CE mark has been sorted I feel a little lost!! my muse has vanished of course as now i'm actually allowed to make things its not so driven! lol!

think it must be time for bed!