Sweet Creations: German Dolls

Sweet Creations
Discovering the Artists behind handmade

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Today I am so excited to introduce to you Ulla Seckler of germandolls! I am quite the fanatic for waldorf dolls! They are just my favorites and this beautiful doll is no exception! When I saw this baby in Ulla’s Etsy shop I just knew she had to be little Miss Libby’s! All of the love and care that goes into the making of Waldorf dolls is what makes them oh so special! I love that I can give something so darling and sweet to my baby girl that I know someone else has already put so much care and love into! Below Ulla will share her wonderful story of how she started creating these beautiful dolls. Any of Ulla’s beautiful creations would make for such special birthday or holiday gifts! I hope you will head over to her shop to take a peek at all that she has made!

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Guten Tag! My name is Ulla Seckler. I am a German immigrant living in beautiful Colorado in the United States. I was born and raised in Germany. I moved to the US in 1996. Living your life and raising a family in a foreign country is like being on an endless roller coaster ride of emotions. Creating art and making toys has helped me immensely on this journey.

Growing up in Europe, the Old World, I had a lot of handmade toys. Some of them were made by my grandfather in his wood workshop. Other precious toys came to me through a local toymaker. But most of the toys I played with were made by my mother who was a great knitter and seamstress. My 4 sisters and I always wore matching outfits handmade by my mom. Our dolls were just as perfectly dressed.

After I started a family of my own in the US, I was concerned my children might grow up without the same quality handmade toys I had when I was little. I saw how many toys here were made of plastic. Who wants to hug and cuddle a plastic baby? I started making Waldorf style cloth dolls after I had children of my own. Naturally, I had to dress the babies and make doll clothes for them. Some patterns I use have been handed down in my family. Others I created from scratch, inspired by my daughter’s play. My daughter has always been fascinated with little babies. When she was a toddler she would strife to pick up younger children. I came up with the idea of my trademark pocket dress with the miniature doll because of my daughter’s need to constantly nurture little ones.

Doll Making has provided me with a perfect outlet for my artistic sensibilities. I used to be an oil painter but didn’t want to expose my children to toxic chemicals. Changing media from paint to fabric made perfect sense. I adore the smell of the natural wool stuffing used in traditional German dolls. It feels good to work with products from nature that are not harmful to children or our planet. If a cloth doll breaks it can be stitched and repaired. Broken plastic babies go to the landfill forever.

Sewing has helped me stay in touch with the Old World, my German roots, yet at the same time enabled me to connect to people in the New World. I live in a small town in the US where you can find many fine crafters and quilters. It’s always fun to talk to folks about sewing. Winning the title of the Weld County Overall Champion in the Department of Sewing and Home Decorating with one of my dolls was one of my proudest sewing moments here.

When I first started making dolls I made dolls for children in my extended families. Once I ran out of nieces and nephews who needed a doll, I made dolls for friends’ children. After that I just kept making them because I loved it so much. They began to take over the house. To the great frustration of my family there was never a place to sit down. It was gently suggested to me that I sell a doll or two on the Internet. This is how my little business started.

It has been over a decade since I began making dolls. I still enjoy creating dolls very much. It gives me great pleasure when I receive photos and lovely notes from people who tell me how much their child loves a doll that I made for them. I greatly treasure the strong personal connection to many of my customers and fellow crafters I have made over the years.

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I have enjoyed selling my handmade dolls on Etsy since 2007 and more recently on Indiecart:

http://www.germandolls.etsy.com

http://www.indiecart.com/stores/germandolls

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What’s your favorite sweet treat?: My favorite sweet treat is called Nougatring. It’s a ring-shaped treat you can buy in German bakeries. The bottom is made of a shortbread-type dough over which is a layer of light chocolaty nutty ganache. The ring is then covered with dark chocolate and decorated with hazelnuts. I would always buy one after going to the dentist as a kid. Can you tell I was a stubborn child?

Which do you prefer milk or dark chocolate?: I prefer dark chocolate because it is so rich and flavorful. But I would never turn down a piece of chocolate no matter what kind…

What is your favorite time of day to create?: I love the early morning hours when the house is quiet and everyone is still asleep.

What’s your favorite holiday?: Christmas, no Easter. Well, I love both and cannot decide. I very much miss the Christkindlmarkets in Germany though.

What color describes your personality best?: Blue

Favorite Etsyshop: Sara’s shop www.woolies.etsy.com because they remind me of the toys my mother used to make.

What makes your life sweeter?: Watching my kids grow up. I also love putting the finishing touches on a doll – styling the hair and dressing a finished doll.

What advice would you give someone just starting out selling handmade?: It’s hard work selling on Etsy or on-line. You must have a unique product and keep reinventing yourself. Keep your shop fresh. I believe good photos are key. It is awesome to have a professional photographer like Lindsey take photos of your work.

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