Is "Can't Find" the Same as "Lost?"

Years ago I made my daughter a flat, cloth baby doll.  Primitive, soft, cuddly.  Play-worthy.  I created the pattern for the doll, giving her bent baby legs and arms, a round belly, wide-set baby eyes, and little knots for hair.  About six or eight years ago I sewed two more of the dolls for my nieces.  And now I can't find the pattern.  I've been searching for two weeks.  I'm trying to decide whether it's lost or whether I just can't find it.  (Are they the same thing?)  I've looked high and low and it's nowhere to be found.

After searching for baby dolls at several stores -- soft ones with movable arms and legs -- that are quiet (because what mother with a newborn needs another crying baby that's a doll her two-year-old plays with?) and not finding one, I decided to make my granddaughter a cloth doll.  And now here I am at this crunch time before Christmas and no pattern.  I was pleased that my daughter still had her "Lizzie," as she called her, and I was able to use her to make a similar pattern.

It was harder to create this pattern because I was more aware of body proportions of infants.  I consoled myself with any inaccuracies saying that babies grow and this doll could be a toddler, right?  And little children have great imaginations that can change the age of a doll from one minute to the next.

The doll's arms and legs are attached, she has eyes, part of her hair is stitched, and she has one diaper with another in progress.  I'll finish the hair and add her mouth tomorrow.  Then my next challenge will be to make a dress pattern and sew it.  At two, my granddaughter doesn't need lots of clothes for this doll (and it's always by guess and by gosh whether a child will like a toy or not, so maybe she won't want more clothes for the doll).

I'm having fun but I would have enjoyed it even more if I weren't pushed for time.  All in all, having surgery in November is a very bad idea.  I'll have gifts under the tree but our only decorations are lights in the windows, a wreath on the door, and a Christmas tree in the family room.  I'll get out the Nativity tomorrow and that will have to do for Christmas this year.

I hope you're having a wonderful Christmas season, rich with blessings.

I'm linking this post to WOW at Esther's Blog.

--Nancy.

P.S.  "Can't find" is not the same as "lost."  I just found the pattern for the original doll and her clothes and it looks like the clothes will fit!  Hooray!

P. P. S.  Quilting has been set aside momentarily....