Hazel the Deer or maybe the Fox or...

I rarely sew dolls. Well, almost never, I should say, but this lovely design of Hazel the Deer designed by the sweet and very talented Megan of Dolly Henry was almost irresistible.

When I finished this doll, my Little One insisted that it was a Fox even though it was supposed to be a Deer. After a whole day of debating he convinced me and I thought it was rather sweet. The next day, when I referred to Hazel as a Fox, he corrected me saying that she was actually a Deer. But now he believes that Hazel is a Squirrel. :-) No matter who my Little One wants her to be, she is a sweetheart and very easy to sew. I especially enjoy working on her head and face. It's a lovely combination of linen, wool felt and pretty fabrics.

Megan's pattern is really well written and has plenty of photos and explanations to help you whizz through the process with ease. I really enjoyed the friendliness and sweetness of the language she used in her pattern, I almost felt like we were having a little chat with Megan while she was guiding me through the sewing process.

In one of her posts Megan wrote that you never know how your doll would look like until it's completely finished and she is so right. I look at my Hazel and I can tell that she is quite a character, full of personality and attitude. Just look at that high pointed nose! I almost feel like she is unhappy with me for something I did. Maybe she is a bit sulky that I did not knit her a little cardigan I promised her? But I added a small pocket on her dress. Pockets are important, you know. When I was little, a dress or any other outfit never would pass my quality control test if it did not have a pocket. :-)

On December the 12th, beautiful Miss Hazel is turning 1 year old and Megan has a brilliant idea to celebrate this special occasion by holding a Miss Hazel Pageant. How fun is that! You can find all the details here: Dolly Henry. I have entered my lovely Hazel of course, but I had to add a few special touches to her outfit  - a pair of socks and a cape. The patterns for the dress, socks and cape are provided in the patterns as well.

Megan, thank you so much for this wonderful pattern! I thought that maybe once Hazel is finished, I would gift her to a little girl I know, but I simply could not part with her, so as my Little Man. She lives in my sewing nook and gets an occasional cuddle from my Little One and plenty of smiles from me. Happy sewing and doll making! Larisa xox