Ned of the Navy - Male Doll Challenge

This is Ned of the Navy. He was my entry for the "Man of a Decade" male cloth doll challenge at dollnet.com .

Here is his backstory:

He is a young man of the 1940s. At 17 in 1945 Ned dropped out of high school and joined the Navy. The war ended when he was in basic training so his aircraft carrier was refitted to transport the troops home. (His story is my Dad's and he is named for a friend who served in Vietnam.)

This year's Gypsy Doll Challenge's theme is "The Renaissance Gypsy".

I made a guy this year. He is now in Houston waiting for the show which is the first week of November.

He is the gypsy prince, Aden with his pony, Dawn Treader.

I sent the name, Dawn Treader, in with my insurance paper last summer but since that time I read a series of books with a Gypsy prince named Aden as a minor character so the pony became my Dawn Treader.

I used the "Dude for All Seasons" pattern by by Mary Ann Kaahanui and Bonnie B. Lewis for Aden and the horse from Susan Barmor's pattern, "Joeiel."

I didn't shrink the "Dude" pattern enough so the perspective is off but I love the pony even if he is too small. I'd never made a painted cloth animal before and I had fun.

I got carried away and even made sculpey arrowheads to make my own arrows.

I only make five or six dolls a year though so I had fun and I am always learning so much.

Dolls I've made so far in 2011

I haven't been on here since last October. I haven't made many dolls since then but here is what I've made so far...

I made baby Easter Lilly for the babydoll challenge at FOCD this year. I crocheted her dress, booties and headband flower, this was a first for me. I also wove her little Easter basket.

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I used the same Darlene Rausch pattern from Soft Dolls and Animals magazine to make Riley for the Cloth Doll Artistry Baby Doll Studio Nursery Rhyme Challenge. He has a bit of an attitude...

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In July I made a doll for the Hoffman Challenge. I made a pretty fairy doll named Ariana. She didn't get packed right or her base was too heavy because she didn't arrive in the best of shape. I have fixed her wing and hair and she is sitting up straight again.

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The doll I made for this year's Evergreen State Fair in Monroe WA (the closest town to us) is Hope. She is a pioneer doll, I made her clothing from leftover fabric from Alex's trek costume.

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I now need to get busy and make my doll for this year's Gypsy Challenge. This year's theme is "Renaissance Gypsy".