I hope you have already had a chance to make a Felt Kitty Friend. This variation is a little more complicated than the basic version, because the arms, legs and body are all separate pieces. Using pipe cleaners instead of wooden pieces for structure makes the doll more flexible. (Thanks to Betsy-TN from Hittygirls for this idea!) I have also included instructions for an embroidered face. Flexible Kitty Friends take a little more time to sew than Felt Kitty Friends, but the result will be a doll that’s a lot of fun to play with. The two Flexible Kitty Friends pictured with Kitty are named Chloe and Maxine (Max for…
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Kitty’s Christmas Surprise
Mabel tells Kitty that she has a surprise waiting. She wants Kitty to come along with her. Kitty says goodbye to her friends at the Christmas party and leaves with Mabel. She is excited to find out what the surprise is! (Read the first part of this story in Kitty’s Christmas Party.) When they arrive, Kitty’s friends Maeve, Shannon Rose and Hitty Sis are waiting for her, dressed in their best holiday outfits. Kitty admires the lovely screen decorated with antique Santas. “Is this the surprise?” she asks. “No,” they all reply, and Shannon Rose and Maeve carefully move the screen away. Kitty is speechless! She has never seen such…
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Kitty’s Christmas Party
Kitty is hosting a Christmas Party for her Kitty Friends. Sharleen, Olivia and Jordan are happy to accept her invitation. David is visiting his grandparents in Florida for Christmas, but he did send a photo of a recent trip to Universal Studios Orlando. He loves all the Jurassic Park rides, especially the newest roller coaster with a Velociraptor theme: the VelociCoaster. Olivia admires the “Merry Christmas” banner, and Sharleen likes the poinsettias. Jordan is more interested in the pile of presents in the corner! Kitty explains that she has planned a fun afternoon, and she will start by reading from two books by Charles Dickens. Naturally, A Christmas Carol needs…
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Tutorial: Jordan’s Holiday Sleepwear
Jordan loves Christmas, and he always wears Holiday Sleepwear to celebrate the season. He loves his comfy Sleep Shirt and Sleep Pants. Cozy felt Slippers complete the outfit. He can hardly wait to wake up on Christmas Day and open his presents. Download Jordan’s Holiday Sleepwear Pattern Here! I am looking forward to seeing all the Kitty Friends and outfits that you create. You can join the Kitty Friends Facebook Group and share your photos and stories with other group members. Jordan’s Holiday Sleepwear Instructions Materials Stretch knit fabrics for shirt and pantsFelt for shoesNeedle for hand-sewingSewing thread to match fabricStraight pinsCraft scissors for cutting out patternSmall embroidery scissors for…
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Tutorial: Olivia’s Holiday Outfit
Now that you have made your own Kitty Friend, you will want to dress her appropriately for the holidays. Olivia’s A-Line Dress, Tights and Shoes showcase her style brilliantly. I chose a festive print for the dress and a solid color for the tights. Her shoes have metallic braid accents. Download Olivia’s Holiday Outfit Pattern Here! I am looking forward to seeing all the Kitty Friends and outfits that you create. You can join the Kitty Friends Facebook Group and share your photos and stories with other group members. Olivia’s Holiday Outfit Instructions Materials: Cotton or cotton-blend fabric for dressStretch knit fabric for tightsFelt for shoesNeedle for hand-sewingSewing thread to…
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Tutorial: Felt Kitty Friend
If you would like a Hitty-size doll of your very own but don’t have the time or skills needed to carve one, why not give this simple to sew Felt Kitty Friend a try! The materials are inexpensive, and you can make as many as you like. You can vary the hairstyles and hair colors to make each doll unique. I am developing some clothing patterns which I will post soon. But you can get started making the dolls right now. If you want something a bit more challenging, try the tutorial for Flexible Kitty Friends. Download the Felt Kitty Friend Pattern Here! You can share photos of your finished…
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Tutorial: Mini Quill Pen and Inkwell
This is a fun and easy craft tutorial to make a quill pen and inkwell for a Hitty doll. You can use any kind of bird feather, as long as it is at least 2” long. You can buy them from craft stores or simply collect naturally shed feathers from birds in your area. Materials: Feathers, 2” long or largerSmall metal bead caps or round drum-shaped ceramic beads (about 8-12 mm high)ScissorsOne foam packing peanut Many types of bead caps or round ceramic beads can work for the inkwells. Use whatever you have available, or purchase new beads from a craft store. I got mine from Hobby Lobby. Take the…
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Kitty at the Book Fair
Fall is here, the season of school book fairs. Kitty attended one recently to promote A Tale of Two Hittys. Here are some photos from the event.
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The Dickens Dresses
A Tale of Two Hittys begins in the year 1868. During the era, little girls wore bloomers, petticoats, a chemise (loose cotton undershirt), stockings and boots with buttons or laces. Depending on the age of the child, she might have to wear a corset. The dresses were often elaborate with lots of trimmings. For outerwear a little girl needed a coat, and the coat of choice was a paletot (pronounced “pal-uh-toe”). The paletot was a woman’s or girl’s jacket, usually worn over a skirt with a crinoline or bustle. Now, if you remember in the book, Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, Rachel Field describes Hitty’s Dickens outfit: “the watered-silk dress…
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Meet Kitty
Anyone familiar with the real Hitty doll knows that she has a wooden body with feet carved like boots and painted black. No one knows exactly where or when she was carved, but some people claim that dolls with similar boots have been found and dated to the mid-19th century, not 1827, when she is supposedly carved in the book Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, by a traveling peddlar. I believe this may upset some die-hard book lovers. However, for me it is simply a fascinating mystery! In 2021, I purchased a small doll on ebay. She is only 6″ tall. She has a shoulderhead (meaning the head, neck and…
