Both these dolls were some of my early experiments in soft toy making.

I’m happy with the fox, but I made him in super cheap polyester felt because I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on nice materials for my prototype. So, he hasn’t worn very well and has a lot of pilling. I named him Gary the Arctic fox and made up a jingle: “He’s the Arctic Fox with nary a care, cuz it’s Gary O’Clock somewhere.” My husband added another verse: “Time stops for no man, but the clocks point to this fox.”

I’m also happy with this human doll pattern and its hair, but the face is obviously a total disaster. There are so many problems with the embroidery I’m not even sure where to start. So it’s a pretty strange doll. It looks flustered.

Anyway, both dolls were helpful to test out my patterns and then I sort of tossed them in the toybox. But recently they’ve both been getting a lot of use from my three-year-old.

As I watch her play, I realize that a major reason she likes them so much is that their legs and arms move. One of her favorite games is to make them “walk” along the edge of the couch and then fall to their death (and then, spring back to life and claw their way back up the couch ala The Exorcist).

It’s also easy to hold them with one hand and manipulate the arms in different ways–to clap, wave, shake, etc. Because the arms and legs are stuffed so firmly yet attached so that they’re floppy, they’re really fun to play with. They’re also supremely “fling-able” and fun to flick around by one arm.

My daughter could care less about their features or the poor felt quality. She isn’t bothered by their nakedness. Other children with finer tastes might feel differently. But it’s been an interesting lesson for me in terms of function and beauty being in the eyes of the beholder.

Adult dollmakers often make very fussy, fancy dolls. Dolls that, at 12″, have wardrobes that definitely cost more than mine (we’re talking Liberty of London fabric and mohair sweaters…). These dolls are beautiful and swoon-worthy but there’s something to be said about a doll that really only serves the child, like these little weirdos.

I’d like to make some more of these simple rag dolls. I do think they need clothing, but it doesn’t have to be fancy.

Here are some of Gary’s fox doll cousins (Terry and Larry), in (left) linen and (right) up-cycled wool fabric.