The Pueblo peoples are Native Americans living in the Southwest, mostly in New Mexico. Pueblo is a Spanish word meaning “village,” and there are 19 pueblos in New Mexico, each with its own unique culture and traditions. You can learn more about them on the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center website. This off-the-shoulder dress, called a “Manta,” is a typical style for women of the Hopi and Zuni Pueblos. Traditionally, it was made of dark colored wool or cotton blankets. Some of the blankets had fancy red woven borders. Here is one example in the National Museum of the American Indian: Other blankets were white with elaborate multi-colored borders. Here is…
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Tutorial: Paper Fortune Teller
This antique-inspired paper fortune teller comes from an activity in The Girl’s Own Book by Lydia Maria Child, published in 1833, and if you read my post about Fortune Teller Dolls, you know that they were popular during the Victorian era. The original illustration from The Girl’s Own Book is below. Notice the stylish harem pants and turban, reflecting the influence of the Ottoman Turks which was so fashionable at the beginning of the 19th century. You can see the book here:Read on Open Library (pp. 79-80) Here is how the doll was meant to be constructed: “This is a toy made of about a quarter of a yard of…
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Tutorial: Charming Necklaces
These cute little necklaces are so simple to make. You can look for tiny charms in craft stores. I found some in Hobby Lobby, but you could also repurpose some vintage jewelry. Materials: Small jewelry charmsSize 10 cotton crochet thread (black or other colors)ScissorsFray-Check For the necklace cord, you can use crochet thread in any color you like. Black works well. Cut a piece of the crochet thread, about 8” long. Thread charm onto the middle of the thread and tie to secure charm. Put the cord around the doll’s neck to check length. Tie the ends together at the back of the doll’s neck. Use a square knot. Clip…
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Tutorial: Maxine’s Ice Skating Outfit
Maxine loves winter sports, especially snowboarding and ice skating. She is currently practicing both a long and a short ice skating program, so she needs a couple costumes to wear. This pattern for a Flexible Kitty Friend will make a Bodysuit and Circle Skirt with appliqué decoration (which is glued on to make things easy). Add a pair of ice skates made from felt, and Maxine is ready to impress the judges! Download Maxine’s Ice Skating Outfit 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…
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Tutorial: Kitty Friend Stand
One of the best parts about Kitty Friends is that they love to be photographed. However, it can be difficult to pose them sometimes without a stand. Some Hittys also have trouble standing up by themselves. I love my Michael Langton resin Hitty, but she is very top-heavy. Fortunately, I found a simple way to adapt some inexpensive doll stands purchased at Hobby Lobby. This tutorial will give specific instructions to adapt stands for Kitty Friends and a Michael Langton resin Hitty. However, you can use the same steps with customized measurements to fit your own dolls. Materials: Small metal 2-part doll standPlastic drinking strawPiece of 1/8” wide elasticNeedle for…
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Tutorial: Flexible Kitty Friend
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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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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Tutorial: MICRO Mini Book
My Hitty dolls loved the Mini Books I made for them. However, Kitty has mentioned that they are a little too big to fit on Hitty size bookshelves. So I decided to make an even smaller version, which I call the MICRO Mini Book. The finished size is a mere 1 1/4” x 1 1/2”. One benefit of the smaller version is that I was able to fit TWO books on one double-sided page. The instructions below are written for a single book, and I recommend making one at a time. That way, if you make a mistake, you can correct it for the second book. Print out the .pdf…
