Bestest Friends

Last night I took a break from sewing and dove into another thing I like to do: painting. I made a collection of painted wooden dolls for my girls almost two years ago. I call them Bestest Friends Dolls. They still love them.

I have probably two dozen of these little girls in various stages in a drawer in my sewing desk. I pull them out when I want a new project. They're made of a single wood turning. I hand paint them using non-toxic paints and finish them with a non-toxic varnish.

One thing I love about these girls is that each one is completely different from another. Though some are similar.

I love the rainbow of color on their dresses and the varied hues of their faces. Each is diverse, something that's hard to find in a lot of mainstream toys.

The new three I am almost done with only have eyes, not mouthes. My girls aren't too sure if they like this or not. I think it's great, that way they can decide the feelings of each as they play.

They're by no means perfect. It's tremendously hard to paint teeny on rounded surfaces, but I did my best and am pleased with each for their own reasons. It makes me happy to give my kids the variation in their toys. I hope it will blend into their lives. That they'll see the beauty in every person. That, while they might not look the same as them, they'll grow up to have a bestest friend.