can we talk waldorf dolls pretty please?

[ehmom]

i'm thinking about getting dd a waldorf doll for her bday (april, she'll be three) or christmas. she has a corolle babydoll. so, i want more of a girl doll that looks like her. i 've looked over the page at joy's waldorf dolls, but i would like to shop around. also if anyone is willing to post pics of their dolls so i can get a better idea of how they look irl. what size and tye of doll would you suggest? thanks so much!

[brittone2]

Are you looking for other sites? The ones at www.whereswaldorf.com are very cute.

No experience yet other than the very simple bunting baby I made DS a year or so ago. I think a lot of the dollmakers, especially the custom places, usually have great suggestions for size, etc. I've read things in the past about the right ages for one that can be dressed/undressed, posed, etc. but I don't recall off the top of my head.

[AugBaby]

We purchased ours from Joy's. I've gotten a kit from Magic Cabin, from Where's Waldorf and from Joy's. I've only purchased dolls that are already made from Joy's or from our local Waldorf school.

Where's Waldorf hasn't been making custom dolls for well over a year, maybe two. Periodically they post a few dolls in very very limited colors and sizes that you can try to be the first to purchase. They were very nice to deal with, but I've never seen one of their dolls in person and it doesn't seem likely that I ever will!

I can't speak highly enough of Joy's quality. It's a hefty hefty sum to pay for a doll, but once I saw one in person I was sold. There are usually co-ops but I haven't seen one advertised lately. She does require that you order by October for a holiday doll.

It isn't that hard to make one yourself if you aren't a complete perfectionist. I think the hair is the hardest part and you can always buy just the hair from Joy for your own kit. That being said, if you decide to make your own, I found her DVD on making dolls to be invaluable.

My dd is 26 months old and her button doll is the perfect size for her. She's in the 75th percentile for height. I really like that she can make her doll sit on a chair or sit in her sling.

As I mentioned in a different post, we also have the Baby Jess doll and she's just too big and too heavy for my little one. She's perfect for her 6 yo sister, though :-)

I'll see if I can figure out how to post a picture.

Good luck with your choices and ask if you have more questions.

[Sandy]

Marisa received a Kathy Kruse Waldorf doll named Sue Li for Christmas and it is beautifully made. I asked Marisa what the doll's name was and she said Misa which is our nickname for her. I guess she thought it looked like her. I will see if I can get a picture of her with the doll and post it Kathy Kruse has a it's me collection. Here is a link.

http://www.blueberryforest.com/kathe...s-me-dolls.htm


If you scroll down you will find different sizes.

HTH,
Sandy mom to Alexander Thor 3/16/02
& Marisa Mia 4/23/05

[punrocker]

IIRC, from the last co-op with Joy, she recommended the "Little Love" doll for 2-3 year-olds. It's a good size (13") that the child won't outgrow, and sturdy enough for that age range. She's since replaced it with the "Little Friend" style. I bought a Little Love boy for my son when he was 2.5 years old.

I've read elsewhere that 12"-14" dolls are generally recommended for 2-3 year old children. When the doll's head rests in the crook of the elbow, the bottom would ideally be cupped in the child's hand (as an adult would hold a baby)

Here are some of the links I found, when I was trying to decide on a doll size:

http://www.liveandlearn.com/corolle/....faq.html#size
http://www.thesouthern.com/sp_sectio...number=084&s=6
http://www.lodinews.com/hgg2004/100_doll.php

Joy recommended the Button Baby and Button Children dolls for ages 4 and up. The limbs can sometimes pop off the body, which is disconcerting for a younger child.

Also, she said that most children don't usually get into dressing dolls tilll about age four, so you may want a simple outfit for the doll.

I'll see if I can find pics to post later.

HTH!

[corrie23]

There's a really helpful blog post with everything about Waldorf dolls (where to buy dolls, patterns, supplies, how to make your own, free tutorials, etc.)

http://crunchyparent.com/?p=118

It is meant for making your own (which you could totally do by April and make it look however you want). Even if you don't want to DIY, the post talks about, and has links for Joy's, Magic Cabin, Dancing Rain Dolls, Sarah's, etc.

For a three year-old, I would probably suggest a simple limbed doll from maybe 12" up to 16" but probably not a button jointed doll just yet. You could, but they're easier to break.

HTH

ETA: I just re-read the above post and they link to another post which is for a fair trade Waldorf doll-making group in Peru, which sounds really cool and the dolls are beautiful. I don't think they do custom though.

http://crunchyparent.com/?p=113

[jessicallyn]

Several months ago I bought my daughter a custom waldorf doll from Steinerstorehouse.com. We both love it. Handmade in the USA. Just lovely. I wish I knew how to post pictures!

Look at their website. Look under the heading of "one-of-a-kind" dolls, they will show a variety of dolls that are already made, but they will custom make one for you. We started with the 10 inch Mary "Sister" doll as a template (right size, right kind of hair, very Waldorfy) and ordered one to look more like our daughter. We got to choose hair color, type, skin tone, eye and hair color. You can even tell them if you want "blush" on her cheeks, or even dimples. We also had a choice of clothes - since DD was only 1 and a half when we bought her this, we ordered the doll with the velour pants and tunic top. Very soft and cuddly. Since your DD is older, you might want to buy the doll with some of the dresses and pinafores that are available.

I am very happy with this doll. It seems to be holding up well to a toddler's rough treatment. And dealing with the company was very pleasant, even though my order got delayed in the Christmas rush.

I would suggest, though, to order soon so your DD's doll gets to her by Christmas!

Good luck,
Jessica

[corrie23]

I just checked out that Steinerstorehouse.com (it's a beautiful site btw). Their "Peru" Waldorf dolls are from the Q'ewar site I mentioned above, and those one-of-a-kids dolls look like they're from Joy's Waldorf dolls. They're exactly the same as Joy's dolls and have the same names e.g., button baby, button child, baby Jess, heavy baby, etc. It looks like maybe they just rep. dolls from other dollmakers or something. I'm not sure if their prices are more or less that Joy's but the Peru dolls look to be priced considerably higher than ordering direct from Q'ewar.

HTH

[jessicallyn]

I think you are right that the Steinerstorehouse.com doll I bought was made by Joy's. It was actually a few dollars cheaper at Steiner, though. And for some reason, the doll I modelled mine after at Steiner was, in my opinion, more Waldorfy in expression than the ones on Joy's own site, which was what I was really after - no blush, no dimples, no smile, just sewn eyes and a perfect dot of a mouth. Though it would be hard to go wrong on either site!

Jessica

[jessicallyn]

I think you are right that the Steinerstorehouse.com doll I bought was made by Joy's. It was actually a few dollars cheaper at Steiner, though. And for some reason, the doll I modelled mine after at Steiner was, in my opinion, more Waldorfy in expression than the ones on Joy's own site, which was what I was really after - no blush, no dimples, no smile, just sewn eyes and a perfect dot of a mouth. Though it would be hard to go wrong on either site!

Jessica