Hooking on Hump Day for Feel Better Friends

Hi everyone it’s Cindy here. Today I’m joining the Hookin on Hump Day blog hop to tell you about my most recent Feel Better Friends (FBF) doll that I made.

Emmalynn

Emmalynn is a 9 year old girl with epilepsy and some other health issues. She recently received a VNS device that helps control seizures.

Emmalynn is pretty in pink

Emmalynn’s mother said that her favorite color is pink and that she is in and out of the hospital a lot. She hopes that a doll would be a great comfort for Emmalynn when she is having testing or when she is admitted to the hospital.

Doll and accessories for Emmalynn

I noticed in the pictures that were sent to me that Emmalynn was often accompanied by a stuffed Teddy bear so I decided her doll needed one too.

A perfect bear for a doll

I found a cute little Teddy bear pattern from AmigurumiToGo.com. Emmalynn’s bear has lighter colored paws and nose so I made that adaptation to the pattern. I love the way the bear turned out and think he is the perfect size for the doll.

Every doll needs a bear for a sidekick.

To go along with her fancy dress I made a pair of “Mary Jane” shoes for the doll.

Cute little Mary Jane’s for the doll with her pink socks.

The hair for this doll was made using Knit Picks Shine sport weight yarn that was first hooked into the scalp. I then styled it as close to Emmalynn’s hair as possible.

The last thing I did was to try and simulate this doll having a VNS device. I started with a small piece of wood that I covered with muslin and then sewed into the chest of the doll.

I also added scars where the surgery left scars on Emmalynn.

VNS scars on the doll

A VNS device is sort of like a pacemaker for the brain. The wood piece that is in the doll doesn’t really stand out but it can be felt just below the scar on the chest.

Emmalynn loves her doll

According to Emmalynn’s mom, “My daughter Emmalynn loves her Feel Better Friend! Thank you so much! You did an amazing job! And to make her teddy also. You made my little girl so happy!!!!”

Making Feel Better Friends dolls has been a great way to use my crochet skills for charity work. Right now FBF is in need of more volunteers to make dolls. We are an all volunteer organization and recently the number of requests for the United States reached a point that the leaders have had to shut down requests for the USA so we can catch up. If you would like to help please click here to learn how to become a volunteer.

You should stop by the Hookin on Hump Day blog hop to see some of the other projects people have posted.

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Hooking on Hump Day – A “Feel Better Friend” for Rylee

Hi everyone it’s Cindy here. Today I’m joining the Hookin on Hump Day blog hop to tell you about my most recent Feel Better Friends (FBF) doll that I made.

Rylee’s Mini-me and “Extras”

Rylee is a 15 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy who recently received a feeding tube. She loves music, camping, fart jokes, crowns, jewelry, feather boas and her favorite colors are pink and purple. Her mom writes that, “She knows that we don’t have one (a feeding tube) and she doesn’t like ‘being different’. She’s sad and she looks at her f-tube and just cries. She needs a ‘friend’ that looks like her.”

Mini Rylee showing her feeding tube port

One of the things a FBF crafter does is to try and make the doll as much like the child as possible so the Mini Rylee has a feeding tube port (also known as a G-tube). G-tube ports look a lot like the valve of an inflatable toy so that is what I used. I found a package of 12 inflatable emoji beach balls on Amazon for a reasonable price and started from there (I receive no compensation for the Amazon link and include it for others to use).

How to insert a feeding tube port (inflatable toy valve) in crochet doll

I included two outfits for the doll. The crocheted dress you see above was adapted from a pattern for a barbie doll. I also made an outfit of pants and a t-shirt and to finish off the outfits a pair of purple and white sneakers.

The hair for this doll was made using Knit Picks Shine sport weight yarn that was first hooked into the scalp. I then styled it as close to Rylee’s hair as possible.

Rylee and her mini-me wearing their crowns

Since Rylee loves crowns I made matching ones for her and the doll. I found a pattern that included sizes from adult to newborn. I made the adult size for Rylee and the infant size fit the doll perfectly. I used Caron Simply Soft in white with Red Heart Shimmer in Snow held together to make both crowns. The Shimmer yarn gave the crowns a bit of sparkle. Then I added a few “jewels” to spruce them up a bit more.

According to her mom, “Rylee loves her doll! The crown and book were hits too. She squealed with delight, she was so excited!” The book she is referring to is Walter the Farting Dog. When I saw that she enjoyed fart jokes I knew I had to get her that book. My Walter included a note with the book for her too.

G-tube pads

Another one of the extras I included were some G-tube pads for Rylee with a matching one for the doll. I found some pads similar to the ones above on Etsy and knew I could make some just like them with my embroidery machine. They are made from 3 layers of absorbent cotton with flannel on the back for softness.

Rylee and Joy wearing matching G-tube pads

Rylee’s mom said, “Rylee named her ‘mini me’ Joy. Our moto is Choose Joy and we say that a lot to remind ourselves that God is good and we can choose our attitude. Thank you for bringing us a little Joy!” So far each of the dolls that I’ve made have had something new to work into them. I enjoy the challenges these dolls give me and I think Rylee’s smile is all the thank you I need.

Making Feel Better Friends dolls has been a great way to use my crochet skills for charity work. If you know of a child with medical problems that you think would benefit from having a Mini Me to help them you can visit the Feel Better Friends website to request a doll. I am assigned to the northeast USA but I think you can request a specific crafter if you would like.

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Hooking on Hump Day – A “Feel Better Friend” for Noah

Hi everyone it’s Cindy here. Today I’m joining the Hookin on Hump Day blog hop to tell you about my most recent Feel Better Friends (FBF) that I’ve made.

Noah is a 6 month old boy with clubfoot. Clubfoot is a birth defect where one or both feet are rotated inwards and downwards.

Noah sitting with his boots and bar

The treatment for this involves surgeries and requires Noah to wear a pair of boots that are held apart by a bar. This treatment is supposed to last for about 4 years. His mom was hoping that having a little friend that also had to wear a set of boots and bar would help him on this journey.

Noah with his best friend Beans

Here is my version of the boots and bar. The boots are crocheted and the bar is made from plastic canvas that I covered in grey yarn by needlepoint. I sewed the boots to the bar and the straps of the boots have Velcro on them to close the straps so they can be taken on and off.

Noah lives in the Buffalo area and is a Bills and Sabres fan so I made a shirt for the doll with each of the teams logos. I didn’t want Beans to feel left out so I made a couple of matching bandanas for him and included a squeaky fire hydrant too.

I’m glad I have a sewing machine that can do embroidery. With the software I have I was able to digitize the logos I needed and make them as small as I could to fit on the doll clothes.

The most rewarding part about making these dolls is to see the pictures I get from the family after the doll has arrived.

Noah gives his Mini Me a hug

In this next picture Noah is checking out the dolls boots and bar that are just like his.

Your boots look just like mine!

These Bills fans are ready for next season

Even though the Sabres aren’t having the best season a boy and his dog can still root them on.

Noah’s mom was very appreciative and sent a lovely email thanking me for making this doll for her special boy.

Making Feel Better Friends dolls has been a great way to use my crochet skills for charity work. If you know of a child with medical problems that you think would benefit from having a Mini Me to help them you can visit the Feel Better Friends website to request a doll. I am assigned to the northeast USA but I think you can request a specific crafter if you would like.

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Hooking on Hump Day – Some “Feel Better Friend” Dolls

Hi everyone it’s Cindy here. Today I’m joining the Hookin on Hump Day blog hop to tell you about the first two Feel Better Friends (FBF) that I’ve made. If you remember I did a previous post about the process of becoming a volunteer with FBF.

My first doll was for a “Little Boy M” that I can’t tell you much about or show any pictures of by request of his family. He is just under two years old and according to his bio loves dogs and cats.

I decided to make him a stuffed dog to go along with the doll.

The stuffed dog pattern is called “Patchwork Puppy” and is from the Crochet World April 2012 issue.

One of the things I found out since I did my test doll was that instead of making crochet eyes there was a machine embroidery that I could use. I love the way the eyes turned out and it’s so easy to make any color I need.

The hair for this doll was made using Knit Picks CotLin DK weight yarn that was first hooked into the scalp. To get the finer look to the hair I separated the strands of the yarn using a tapestry needle.

One of the challenges I had with this doll was that I wanted to sew his clothes so I could make an outfit similar to the one Little Boy M was wearing in the pictures I was sent. I downloaded the patterns from FBF but they were a bit too big for my doll. After a few attempts I finally had a pattern that would fit. The embroidery on his t-shirt is copied from the picture I had of Little Boy M.

I can tell you that Little Boy M and his family were very happy with their Feel Better Friend doll and his Patchwork Puppy.

My next FBF doll was for Viviauna a young girl with a variety of medical problems. I have permission from her mother to post her pictures.

Vivauna

Vivi’s doll

One of the challenges I had with this doll was that it is my first with a wig.

The elastic band holds the wig on.

My first attempt at the wig didn’t work out so well. The crocheted cap that I hooked the hair in became misshapen and I had to pull it all out and make a new cap. This time I made the cap a bit smaller and also put the hair in a little looser. As you can see it turned out great on my second attempt.

The reason this doll has a wig is because Viviauna is having surgery on her scull that will require all her hair to be shaved off. Along with the cute jumper I crocheted I also made a head band for the doll to wear when she has her wig off. I also added a scar like the one Viviauna will have after her procedure.

An ear to ear scar

To complete the items for Viviauna I added a head band for her to wear after her surgery.

Vivi’s doll with accessories

A few days after shipping off the doll with her accessories I received some pictures of her with her new friend.

I think her smile says it all.

Making Feel Better Friends dolls has been a great way to use my crochet skills for charity work. I already am well on my way to completing my next doll for a little boy. If you know of a child with medical problems that you think would benefit from having a Mini Me to help them you can visit the Feel Better Friends website to request a doll. I am assigned to the northeast USA but I think you can request a specific crafter if you would like.

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Hooking on Hump Day – Becoming a “Feel Better Friend” Volunteer

Hi everyone it’s Cindy here. Today I’m joining the Hookin on Hump Day blog hop to tell you about a new volunteer organization I’m working for. In the October 2017 issue of Crochet World Magazine they had an article about a non-profit organization called Feel Better Friends (FBF).

According to their website, “Feel Better Friends are handmade dolls stuffed with love and well wishes, crafted by volunteers and donated to children battling cancer and other illnesses.” I’ve enjoyed making amigurumi crochet figures so I thought this would be a great way for me use my crochet hobby to help others.

In order to become a volunteer for this group you have to create a test doll. The first thing I had to do was find a child to make a doll for.  My grand nephew is a bit young yet and I don’t have any other young children in my family. I finally remembered one of my friends that I get together with to crochet and knit had a 2 + year old grandson. Jan was more than happy to let me make a doll for Chase.

Meet Chase

I went over to her house one morning to meet Chase and take some reference pictures. He is a typical 2 + year old boy that is full of energy and exploring everything. I needed to pick up some yarn to match his skin color but everything else I needed I had in my stash.

After a few weeks of work I had the Chase doll done.

One of the things that took the longest was putting in the hair. Chase has a nice full head of hair so I wanted to give his doll the same. Each strand of hair was looped through the crochet stitches. Then I had to trim it like a hair dresser to get it to the right shape.

When I first handed the real Chase his doll his eyes got very big and he could tell it was just for him. I think you can tell by the look on his face that he liked it.

Chase, Grandma Jan & the Chase Doll

After giving Chase his doll I submitted pictures to the FBF volunteers in training Facebook group and was quickly admitted to the approved makers group (you don’t have to be on Facebook to volunteer though). I’m already working on my first official FBF doll for a beautiful little boy. Do to privacy concerns I probably won’t be able to tell you much about my future subjects but I hope to continue to show you the dolls.

If you enjoy making amigurumi and want to volunteer your talents you might want to give the Feel Better Friends a look.  They make dolls for children all over the world and currently have a fairly lengthy waiting list. I look forward to bringing a smile to the face of lots of children that just need a hug and need someone to hug when they might not be feeling very well.

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