The Making of an Olivia

So practically since we've brought Olivia home all those weeks ago, my mom and I have wanted to create an Olivia doll. Yup. You read that right. A plush doll based off my lovely little dog. I finally got hit with some inspiration about how it should look and because I'm a college grad and have no job still I decided I could make these dolls en masse and sell them on ETSY. And thus, the project began. 

First we (I) traced Olivia's face and head shape onto paper to make a head pattern. Then my mom and I drew out a body and legs. We made separate pattern pieces for the blaze on her face so it could be sewn in white onto a black head, and the same for the socks on her back legs. This first doll was to be our prototype so we just used some cotton fabric my mom had in stock instead of the nice black and white micro fiber we bought for the final products.

some of the pattern pieces
Left to right: back legs cut out, body pattern, blaze pattern,
front legs cut out, and socks cut out

more pattern pieces

head pattern and the head and blaze cut out

face almost done

final product
it's more attractive in person... I swear

from the back. can you see her little
nub tail? it has wire to make it bend

I bet most will be relieved to know that this is not what the final Olivia will look like. Proto(type) Olivia didn't turn out quite how we envisioned, although we both like her and think she's cute non-the-less. The finished Proto has a little fabric heart in her chest that says Proto Olivia October 6, 2013. Ever since I was little, and before Build-a-Bear made it part of their thing, my mom and I always put a heart with the date the stuffed animal was made, when we made one together. I couldn't help but do it today too.

Proto 2 is in the process of being put together. I'll take some pictures tomorrow and post them so you can watch The Olivia Doll evolve (if you're interested).

I have to say that this woman helped to inspire us in the making of The Olivia Doll. My mom found an article in a magazine about her and cut it out. While her dolls are a little pricey at $98 they look really well made and probably worth every penny for the amount of labor and love she puts into them: Walnut Animal Society