MatushkaMatryoshka

In the fall of 2013 I made some wee felt matryoshka dolls as brooches/christmas decorations. They were purely made for my pleasure -- I've always loved matryoshkas, those kitschy Russian stacking dolls that hold so much charm in their layers.

And like the good crafter I am, I posted them on social media to share with friends and colleagues. The response was instantaneous -- friends wanted them as christmas gifts! By the week before Christmas, I'd made over 70 of my "Littlest Felt Matryoshkas."

I spent 6 weeks sewing and sewing and sewing little felt matryoshkas, personalizing them with the eye and hair colours of recipients and using a birth flower or other object of interest as the belly emblem. And thus my new identity as the Matryoshka Lady was born!

Matushka Matryoshka = Mama Doll (approximately!) in Russian. That's the name I gave the larger dolls I also started making. These art dolls have also become popular and are so enjoyable to create with all their space for detail.

So welcome to Matushka Matryoshka, a place for my felt matryoshka dolls, and any other fanciful embroidered creatures or things I come up with.

Cheers!
Susan Kendal