Alkelda's Profile

Bio

My name is Farida Dowler, and I am a musical storyteller for young children in the Seattle, Washington area: http://faridadowler.com

I am also the mother of a daughter in a Waldorf school. I create dolls for stories and nature tables. In the Waldorf tradition, a nature table is a spot in the house dedicated to representing the changing seasons.

The name Alkelda is Old English for "healing spring." St. Alkelda's feast day is my birthday. Once upon a time, Alkelda was my moniker on Saints and Spinners, my song and storytelling blog: http://saintsandspinners.blogspot.com

My chief inspirations for doll-making have come from a number of different stories. The picturebook Goldie the Dollmaker, by M.B. Goffstein, and the Russian fairy-tale of Baba Yaga and Vasilisa are two stories in particular that have resonated with me. I am also a fan of The Story of the Root Children, by Sybille von Olfers and The Flowers' Festival, by Elsa Beskow.

If you are interested in teaching yourself embroidery, here are some book recommendations:

-Doodle Stitching: Fresh & Fun Embroidery for Beginners, by Aimee Ray (who has a shop on Etsy: http://littledear.etsy.com)

-Stitch Sampler by Lucinda Ganderton

Female, Born on March 28