Review: Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love

This is part II of Hillary Lang’s blog tour. See here for part I, the giveaway! — Kim K.

Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love
by Hillary Lang
STC Craft, 2010

If, like me, you’re one of the legions of longtime fans of crafting blogger/goddess Hillary Lang and her influential work at Wee Wonderfuls, then you’ve no doubt been wanting to get into her oh-so-inspired brain for a long, long time. So you can imagine the enthusiasm, the anticipation when I heard the good word that she was working on a book. Of course, in the back of my mind, I knew that it was quite likely that the book would never, could never live up to my over-the-top expectations, and that I was setting myself up for disappointment.

{ Wes the Giraffe is one of several animal stuffies that have made Hillary Lang’s new book well worth the wait. }

Lo and behold, Hillary Lang delivers with Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love, authoring a book that is every bit as good (and better) than hoped for and proving that sometimes hype is in fact justified. The book, a beautifully-packaged hardcover meant to stand up to years of use and generations of re-use, captures the magic of what makes Lang’s work on her standard-bearing blog so special. She draws on vintage childhood classics, re-imagining them with a contemporary freshness and rendering them very accessibly. If you’ve never done yarn hair before, Lang unravels that mystery for you; likewise countless other seemingly intimidating doll-making techniques, like hand-embroidering faces or sewing doll clothes.

{ Hansel and Gretel, the wooden spoon puppets inspired by a 1970s craft book. }

Offerings include several animal stuffies, various styles of girl dolls, a few boy dolls, an animal backpack, and even an apron and a doll quilt — and virtually all are standouts. Tops on my personal list of favorites are Margot, the topsy-turvy doll; Betsy, the “paper doll” pillow (my daughter’s request); Eddie, the shaggy-haired boy; and Hansel and Gretel, the wooden spoon puppets. But you can’t go wrong in making any of these heirloom-quality dolls, thanks to Lang’s thorough instructions and sharp eye for detail, or in giving as a gift. If you can bear to part with them, that is!

{ Eddie, a doll just begging to be made for the little boy in your life! }

So treat yourself to Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love, a book whose tagline should perhaps instead read, “Proof positive that great expectations often reap great rewards.”