Appalachian Felted Dolls from The Colonial Needle Co.

Back from TNNA Trade Show

georgiabrickoven — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:16:15 +0000

This past weekend was a blast! The Colonial Needle Co. with Chris, the ”Felting Queen” in tow, attended The National Needlework Association (TNNA) trade show in San Diego, CA. We were there to introduce Appalachian Felted Dolls to shop owners and distributors, and let me tell you, they were very well received.

Chris spent much of each day demonstrating just how quick and easy it is to make one (or more!) of these little dolls. Just before show time, we decided to expand each kit so that each doll could be even bigger and better than the original design. Each kit now has enough materials to make a single 9″ doll or two 7″ dolls. That idea came about when a friend with two daughters requested a single kit that could make a doll for each of her girls.

Hint - it's the doll to the right.

Here’s Chris at the show. Can you spot the new doll on the block? Actually, Chris took advantage of show customer requests to make 4 new dolls. Look for them to become available in the next few months.

Haiwassee and Son

georgiabrickoven — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:10:01 +0000

I hope you will enjoy seeing a picture of my most recent creation, Hiawassee and Son. The Appalachian mountains were home to several Native American tribes. Hiawassee is a Cherokee name meaning “Meadow”.

Hiawassee and Son

My Hiawassee is dressed in felt “buckskin” decorated with dyed “quills and beads”. She and her son lived before English settlers introduced the Cherokee to woven cloth which was quickly adopted because it was much cooler to wear than buckskin.

Hiawassee carries a “bark” basket filled with foodstuffs that she has gathered while carrying her son on her back.

Calling all needle felting enthusiasts!

georgiabrickoven — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:24:19 +0000

Hello Needle Felters and Doll Lovers. Welcome to the Appalachian Felted Doll blog. These ladies are made in the style of the old-time corn husk dolls that were loved by so many Native American and Frontier children of a bygone era. Today, instead of corn husks, I’ve used felt & wool fiber to bring these dolls to life. Each doll is available as a kit that includes everything you need to make your own. You can also add your own personal touches such as lace, beads or other embellishments.

I’ve started with two fairly typical folk dolls and two that are not so typical. I will (hopefully) add a new doll each month. Please come back often to see who’s new! Each doll has her own page (look at the upper right corner of this blog) that gives her history, construction tips and design alternatives. I’ve also included a page that gives step-by-step photos of Basic doll construction to supplement the instructions included in each kit.

A prayerful Sister goes about in the garden.

Retail and wholesale inquiries are welcome. Contact The Colonial Needle Company if you would like to carry Appalachian Felted Dolls in your shop or to purchase a kit for yourself or a favorite little girl.