Angel Wings

These soft but firm cloth quilted wings make any doll or stuffed animal into an angel. They fit most any size creature, tying on with attached silver or gold ribbon that loops through plastic rings to hold them in place. Dolls and bears shown are from my older brother's childhood, my daughter's childhood, and my granddaughter's (present) childhood and are not for sale. Wings: $10.

Sleepy Sheep

These Sleepy Sheep are the same size as the Sleepy People, filled with millet, made of nubbly stretchy cloth which moves wonderfully when handled. The sheep's faces, ears, and feet are velvet stuffed with polyester fluff. Perhaps the silliest item I make, they make many people laugh outloud. $18.

The Blessing Doll

Letting the doll represent whoever needs help, tie a ribbon with a gold angel on it around the part of the body that needs blessings. Place the doll wherever you will see it frequently, to remind you to send the needed blessings. Doll is 8" high, muslin, stuffed with fiberfill. $15

Pieceful Bears

These charming cuddley pieced bears are 14" tall, stuffed with fiberfill, eager to be played with by child or adult. Sometimes I make them out of vintage cloth, such as the brown one pictured here. $24

The blue bear is just modeling the quilted angel wings. You order them separate from the bear for $8, and they fit almost any doll or stuffed animal.

Matroyshka Dolls

Inspired by the Russian nesting Matroyshka dolls, these 8" pillow-type dolls have their babushkas, hair, and aprons machine appliqued onto them. They are stuffed with fiberfill. I have hand painted their sweet faces. Limited edition. The ones you see here are the only ones I will make: they take too much time! $18.

Laurel Burch cats

Made of soft flannel cloth designed by Laurel Burch, these cats are backed with sensual velour and filled with millet so they are soothing to hold and feel. 3 1/2" to 5" depending on the cat. $4

Padded Purses

Soft, padded purses for change or credit cards, 3" by 4 1/2 inches. No two alike. The inside and outside cloth and button are chosen to complement one another, sometimes in an amusing way. Opening the purse is a surprise, since the inside cloth is different. Appeals to many ages and both sexes of children depending on the print of the cloth. Each Padded Purse comes with a penny and a little gold "confetti" angel inside, the penny for good fortune, the angel for blessings.

CHRISTMASY ITEMS

Though all my toys make excellent Christmas presents for under the tree or in a stocking, I have some that are particularly Christmasy.

Sleepy People in Christmasy velour (nice and soft!) and filled with millet (makes them move lazily, gently) and hand embroidered face, feet and hands of felt. 9 1/2" long not including hats. $14.

Sleepy Santa, shown here accompanied by Sleepy Red Hat Lady and Sleepy Wizard, is of red velour with white yarn beard and hat tassel, green felt mittens and black felt boots. Filled with millet like all my Sleepy toys. $20.

Peace Dove Ornaments; hand sewn, whipstitched, of white felt, stuffed with fluff, these doves have gently curved wings. They come in a pair to drape over a branch of your Christmas tree ( though I have been told of several which fly dangling from rear view mirrors or from chandeliers). Not just for Christmas, they spread peace all year long. 2 1/2" in length. $7 a pair.

Hospice Items

Two Hospice houses have bought and are using my goods, and are very pleased with them.

They use the items pictured above. . . .

Hands to Hold: The size of an actual hand, these velour Hands to Hold are two different colors, one on each side. They are filled with millet, which moves flowingly. The combination of velour and millet means the Hands are soft and comforting to hold, with the fingers draped between your fingers, or held however it is you want to hold a hand. Excellent for people who need to be holding onto something, good for exercising cramped or sore hands, soothing to the touch, comforting to the heart.

Large sized Soothing Heart: soft and soothing velour on both sides, 8 1/2" across, filled with a combination of millet and cedar shavings, millet for movability and cedar shavings which keep the heart from being too heavy and smell good in the process. This Soothing Heart can sit in a lap or tray and be kneaded or stroked or just held. $9.

Large sized Soothing Star: soft velour on one side, attractive cotton print on the other. 4" across, palm sized. Easier for hospice people to work with than my usual size Soothing Star. $4.

Also (not pictured), a Corduroy Square: 8", soft corduroy on one side, velour on the other, filled with a combination of millet and cedar shavings (see Large sized Soothing Heart, above). Like the Large sized Soothing Heart, it can sit in a lap or tray and be kneaded or stroked or just held. $9

ORDERING, POSTAGE, AND HANDLING

I try always to use already-used mailing envelopes and boxes, so you don't have to pay for those. I do not charge for handling because it is so much fun to handle my stuff! : )
Postage has gone sky high. I try to charge you what it will actually cost me to send your order, no more, no less, but it is hard to set standard rates because the post office figures things by zone or not, depending on the weight. E-mail me what you want to buy and I will estimate for you the postage cost. A few true-to-life costs:
100 Soothing Stars to Concord, NH: $6.50
to California: $16.80
4 Sleepy Cats (or Sleepy People, or combination thereof) to Concord, NH: $4.80
to California: $8.25
2 Hands to Hold to anywhere: $2.60
Up to 20 Soothing Stars, anywhere: $2.55, or 2 Hands To Hold, or 2 Sleepy People.
My e-mail address: AllisonJoyful1(at)netzero(dot)net (You can interpret that. . . Someone warned me that if I print out my e-mail address here I will get all kinds of spam!)

HAND PUPPETS

Hand puppets have long been favorite toys with children and adults alike. From my childhood I remember one particularly memorable performance by my younger brothers and me of CinderAlleyCat, when we even made costumes for the puppet actors. I loved puppets when I was little, and I still do! When I was the mother of young children I noticed that sometimes a puppet on the hand of a child could say something to me that the child couldn't, and needed to.

I make many more hand puppets than are shown here. Here you see (in color) a furry Wolf ($18), a fluffy Sheep, and a Wolf In (removable) Sheep's Clothing ($25). In black and white you see a corduroy Lion, more Sheep, a grey flannel Mouse (standing in front of a therefore invisible tweed Raccoon), a tweed Silly Bird (your hand moves it's felt mouth), and lying down to the right an unrecognizable-in-this-photo white corduroy Unicorn with a golden horn ($20). I also make a velvety Black Cat, a corduroy or velvet Rabbit, a furry Polar Bear and Brown Bear, a furry Snow Leopard, a corduroy Tiger, a velvety Horse ($18). Most of the puppets are $14. Exceptions as marked above.

FINGER PUPPETS

FINGER PUPPETS are great fun for children ages 4 and up. They can talk to each other, act out nursery rhymes, sing "Old MacDonald Had A Farm", be actors in any number of plays thought up by the children who use them, divulge things to a parent that might not otherwise be divulged. My finger puppets are made of felt (except the sheep, which are some nubbly cloth), mostly hand sewn. Faces are hand embroidered. Nothing is glued on, everything is sewn. Shown (left to right): duck, black sheep, dog, chicken, zucchini, horse, sheep, owl. Also available: black cat, dragon, unicorn, wizard, Santa, reindeer, lion, tiger, rabbit. Most are $4.50. Horse and reindeer are $6. Dragon, unicorn and wizard are $9.

KATIEKATS

The design for KatieKats was taken (with her permission) from a paper handpuppet made by a 7 year old girl named Katie. Her puppet had horizontal stripes, so all KatieKats do too. All of these have plain velour backs and striped fronts and are filled with millet. Some have woven cotton fronts, others have velour fronts, all have machine embroidered faces. Katiekats delight all ages, even old people. They are a good handful, can be used as beanbags, companions or soothing toys held in the hand. 5 1/2" tall. $7.

BEANBAG RABBITS

These happy smiling corduroy beanbag rabbits are somehow reminiscent of the 1950s, the time of my childhood. Each holds a hand appliqued felt carrot with embroidered greenery. Their faces, too, are hand embroidered. Filled with "small white beans" (that's actually what the bean package says!), they sit up due to their white pom-pom tails. About 8" tall including ears. $12

PEACE DOLL

Her arms are a pocket that cradles a removable white felt dove, so she holds peace in her arms, near her heart. Her clothing is Indian, African, Guatemalan, Indonesian, or reminiscent of same, so her skin is dark. Her face is simply hand embroidered, and she has a crescent of Persian Lamb hair. Stuffed with fiberfill, she is 8 1/2" tall and costs $15.

CLUTCH BALL

CLUTCH BALL - The best baby gift, in my opinion. Of interest to a baby visually before he or she can also clutch it and wave it around gleefully and chew on the sections. Later on, it can be thrown and caught easily. Good from birth to about age 4, and occasionally beyond. Sometimes these are so beautiful people buy them to give to adults as works of art. Made of cotton cloth in 12 sections, stuffed with fiberfill. I am constantly making new different ones - ones of bright colors, or 1940s prints, or with butterflies, with stars. . . One of my standard ones is of patterns of cloth that remind me of the four elements: earth, air, fire, water. Clutch balls are about 7" in diameter and cost $24.

POCKET FRIENDS

POCKET FRIENDS. Cotton print on one side, velour on

the other, filled with millet. Most about 4" tall. Pooch (dog) 2 1/2".Their tag says,

"Sometimes you just need a friend. . .

Someone to hold on to

who is comforting,

is always nice to you

and asks nothing of you.

This one can go anywhere with you In your pocket."

Pocket People - originally made for being secret comforting friends for children, I soon learned from my child customers that they also frequently play with these little friends in the same way I used to play with dolls - acting out stories with them, moving them around to interact with one another. Pocket people come in both sexes: male and female. You choose. $5. Pocket Friends can of course also be bought as couples or "families"(with a dog) OR with:

NEW! - a baby for the Pocket People! Has attached ribbon loop, which can loop over the head or head and shoulders of a Pocket Person (mom or dad) to hang in back (like a backpack), in front (as in a frontpack),or side. VERY cute. Designed by my almost 12 year old granddaughter JLynn. $5.

Pocket Pooches - nice in all prints, but most popular in checks and plaids, when they look rather 1940s and 50s. $5

Pocket Angels - an especially nice gift for people of all ages who might appreciate a small guardian angel, or a reminder that they might well have a larger guardian angel. $6

Pocket Turtles - an especial favorite of little boys, which I find amusing because it's a traditional tale that boys carry (real) turtles in their pockets. $5

Pocket Bunnies - (no photo) - somehow humorous - perhaps because their feet turn out? $6

SOOTHING STARS

Soothing Stars and Soothing Hearts. For comfort or calm put one in your pocket and feel it when you need to. Cotton print on one side, velour on the other, filled with millet, it moves soothingly and smoothly under your thumb. About 3" across. An excellent stress reliever for all ages. Gentler than a worry stone.
$4 each

SLEEPY CATS

SO soft. I always try to sew these so the "nap" of the velour faces downward, so petting the Sleepy Cat is like petting a real cat. These are great presents not only for children but for cat-loving adults. Also of course a great substitute for a live cat in cases of allergies or laziness of the owner. The facial features and foot pads are of a somewhat 3-D non-toxic paint, a contrast to the softness of the velour. Sleepy cats measure 9 1/2" in length outstretched paw to outstretched paw.

$14

SLEEPY PEOPLE

Charming millet-filled friends in velour nightcap and sleepers sleep in many positions. Their hands hold onto each other or onto their ankles, or the hands or ankles of another Sleepy Person. A favorite with both sexes and ALL ages, adults included even up to age 96. They measure 10" from toe to tip of hat.

Felt hands, feet, head, hand stitched with overcast stitch. Faces hand embroidered with running stitch. Many colors, stripes, prints available. Skin color of tan, medium brown, or dark brown - you choose. Very therapeutic. Children take these to bed with them; adults frequently keep them on their coffee tables to entertain company, or on their computers to cheer them up. One customer buys them in pairs to give as (very popular) wedding presents!

In addition to living in people's homes, Sleepy People are found on desks of school counselors, on the desk of at least one second grade teacher for children's use, even in psychiatrists' offices.

Not recommended for children under 2 because for chewers the felt hands and feet are so tempting they can get enthusiastically chewed or gummed into disintegration. (See Silly Baby Dolls for a great doll for 2s and under).

$14

A HAND TO HOLD

So often we need a hand to hold and no one is there. My Hand To Hold is a comforting, life-size velour hand filled with millet, which allows it to drape nicely in your hand and move satisfyingly as you hold onto it. The two sides are in contrasting colors of soft, sensuous velour: tell me what colors you want. This is great to hold, stroke and intertwine with. Adults love these. So do children. Even teenagers. Its tag reads:

* Hold it in your hand, its fingers between yours, for comfort or soothing, or just to "get a grip." *Feeling lonely? Hold it between your palms, or go walking with it in your hand.

* Need comfort: Lie on your back with the Hand on your chest.

*Does your mate's driving terrify you as you sit in the passenger seat? Grip this for release.

*Need a friendly, comforting or encouraging hand on your shoulder? Put it there!

*Have Heartache? Place the Hand on your heart, your hand over it.

*Does a friend or relative "need a hand"? A Hand To Hold is just the gift.

*Want to 'give that boy (girl, etc) a hand' in congratulations? Wrap them up a Hand To Hold!

Hand To Hold: $9. Hand To Hold with heart in palm: $12. Child size Hand To Hold: $7.

ABOUT SOOTHING TOYS FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN

My hands

Soothing Toys for Adults and Children, helpful to everyone in these difficult times. We all, no matter what age or sex, can use soothing, and from what I know of my sales, perhaps a third of my toys end up in the hands of adults.

Though all my toys are soothing, the ones I refer to as "Soothing Toys" are the Soothing Stars and Hearts, the Sleepy People, Sleepy Cats, Sleepy Sheep, the Hands To Hold, and the Pocket Friends. All these toys have millet and velour as components, which is part of what makes them comforting.
About millet, with which I fill most of my toys: Millet, being almost round, moves fluidly and evenly, and makes the toys filled with them very sensuous and comforting to both adults and children.
About velour, which is at least one side of most of my toys: Velour is a soft, rather heavy, slightly stretchy cloth. Its softness makes it comforting, its weight gives it substance, its slight stretchiness contributes “give”, adding to the sensuousness of the toys. Depending on the fiber content of the velour, it is more thick or less, more stretchy or less, more silky or less.

About recycling

My mailing materials are recycled. Much of the cloth I use is recycled. Some of my cloth is given to me by friends (and sometimes even people I don’t know) who know that I sew, and who would like to see their scraps (or lengths they’ve had in their closet for years) utilized. Much of my cloth is from old or cast-off clothing. All of the velour I use was formerly shirts or dresses or pants. I like using it – it puts me in touch with all the women who for centuries have made quilts of whatever is around.