At some point – well after I’d made these two – I decided to change how I construct the arms. Now each doll is worked in one piece: starting with the legs, then the body, then the arms (which are incorporated into the body), and finally the neck and head. That makes them properly “baby-proof.”

Even with this new construction, I try to keep the spirit of the originals alive—the little people with their wild hair-do, sticking up in every direction, untamed and full of character. That wild hair-do gives each doll a mischievous, playful energy, like they’ve just run through a whirlwind or been caught in a gust of wind. It’s what makes them instantly lovable and full of personality, even before you add a face or a story.