Arabian Gulf
“Mothers Need Hugs, Too…”
This doll owes her gorgeous veil to a good LLL friend in Mississippi. I found the gold spangled fabric in a box of scraps she had given to me. Imagine that you are peeping through a window into a house. If the mother were on the street she would be completely veiled like the mother from Saudi Arabia.
The Arab Gulf has a special family connection for me. One of my aunts served for many years as a nurse-midwife in a maternity hospital in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. She gave the mothers LLL materials in Arabic.
Argentina
“They Grow Up So Fast…”
When you think of Argentina, you think of the gauchos. So I thought this doll would not be hard to dress. But have you ever seen a picture of a gaucho’s mother, wife, or sister?
Even National Geographic failed me here. This mother’s costume came from scattered images in at least a half-dozen books. She is more of a stereotype than an authentic representation. But what she has to say is the important thing: little ones do grow up so fast!
Australia
“Marsupial Mothering Just Comes
Naturally . . . “
When I think of Australia, I just naturally think of marsupials.
This LLL mother proudly represents “marsupial mothering.” She must be one of those radical nursing mothers!
Her freckles make me think of my red-headed brother, who always “freckles” instead of tanning. She must be descended from some of the Scottish convicts who were shipped off to Australia many years ago!
Austria
“Momma, Can I Take Him Home?”
This doll reminds me of Julie Andrews in “The Sound of Music.”
Little boys and turtles seem to find each other in every part of the world, much to a mother’s dismay!
Bahamas
“Summer Fun for Number One…”
I had a cute copper bucket that I wanted to use, so why not pour water on a toddler’s head to while away a summer afternoon while we wait for the birth of child number two?
Barbados
“Pattycake, Pattycake…”
I copied this dress from a picture of a Barbadian woman sitting on a log with all of her worldly possessions wrapped in a bandanna at her feet.
The idea for the activity came from hours of playing “pattycake” with my younger siblings and my own two boys.
Belgium
“Preparing for Leadership…”
This doll represents another link in the chain of mother-to-mother support that LLL stands for! She is reading the French version of “Becoming a La Leche League Leader.”
Her bonnet was copied from pictures of Brussels’ lace makers. What better way to advertise your craft than to use plenty of lace on your bonnet and your baby’s clothing? And what fun it was to copy this tradition!
�Brazil
“Dreams of Pele
and Soccer Teams . . .”
Soccer was the most unifying quality
I could find about Brazil, which is a large diverse country.
Since my dolls look best with traditional costumes and not soccer uniforms, I searched for pictures of mothers from the various populated regions. This one seemed to be the most interesting type of costume I could find.
An autographed soccer ball from Pele, a happy little boy, and a proud mama. What more could you ask for?
(By the way, did you know that Pele was a breastfed baby?)
Canada
“A Friend in the Night…”
Canada is a large diverse country with a multi-national heritage. It would be rather hard to portray all of that with one doll!
For Canada, and for other countries with diverse populations, I decided to portray a common experience of motherhood.
Which one of us has not paced the floor for long hours of the night with an unhappy baby on our shoulder?
Colombia
“Welcome to Your La Leche League Meeting…”
This doll representing Colombia was my third re-do! Out of almost 50 dolls, that’s not too bad!
I was working from a black and white photo at first and later I saw a color photo that showed the very distinct traditional color schemes so I started all over again!
This mother’s sandals are braided raffia; some of the other dolls have crocheted raffia sandals. This mother is holding a Spanish version of the first LLL meeting handout.
Denmark
“Wheee…”
My mother was impressed with the bright clothes used to dress the babies in Denmark.
This baby inherited its suit from a t-shirt made by my mother that was worn, worn, and worn again by my two babies!
“Flying” was another of our favorite games, as long as my arms held out!
England
“Turn Around and She’s Grown…”
As soon as the engagement of Prince Charles and Lady Diana was announced, I knew that the English dolls would depict a bride and her mother.
I love weddings and bridal gowns! I found some beautiful pleated lace trim at the fabric shop. Like all brides, this one is beautiful! She has one of the prettiest faces I’ve ever done!
The English dolls mark a special rite of passage for a mother; the time when a mother passes her light and wisdom on to the next generation.
France
“Twins in Trouble - Headache #537…”
These twins are dynamite! Mother only turned around to get the rolling pin and look at the mischief they have gotten into!
Do all little boys go through the summer with scraped and bruised legs? Mine certainly did! This mother’s red bow indicates her Catholic heritage; if she were Protestant, her bow would be black.
Gabon
“Mother and Baby Together at the Market…”
This was a common pose in the books I searched in my research. Nursing a baby is an accepted and normal part of a mother’s workday in Gabon and many other countries.
Germany
“The First Day of School…”
The idea for this pose came from an article in my son’s “Weekly Reader” about the first day of school in some parts of Germany. The children are “fortified” for the traumatic experience with a huge paper cone filled with candies, flowers, and little toys.
I’ve had the fabric for the mother’s dress for a long time, just waiting for the right place to use it.
In the area of the Black Forest in Germany, black hat pompoms indicate a married lady.
Ghana
“To Market, to Market… Mother and Baby Together…”
The Ghana doll was the first African doll I made. She presented the same problem that all the other African dolls did—finding small scale printed fabric that looked like the bold bright cloth used by African women.
I found a picture of a mother in a pose almost identical to this one, except the mother was carrying a huge water jug.
Jewelry findings and wooden bowls from the craft store add to the atmosphere.
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
“Bedtime’s the Same All Over the World…”
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is so small no one photographs it, apparently.
The closest I could get were photos of the Belgian province to the north, where this costume came from. The mother’s skirt is made from scraps left over from a shirt I made for my husband.
Greece
“Pony Boy, Pony Boy…”
I found this mother and her little boy in two separate color pictures. Then I went searching for the trims for the mother’s apron and the hem of her dress. I used some black chiffon that my sister had given me years ago for her dress.
In the picture, the little boy was wearing quilted boots so my little boy doll does too. Playing “Horsey” was another of our favorite games when my boys were small!
Guam
“Time for a Change…”
This was one of the last dolls I put together for this series.
I learned a lot of tricks from the other dolls!
This one has the most elaborately posed baby. I realized that I had shown almost all aspects of motherhood except the most common and frequently repeated task of changing diapers!
Guam was settled by a mixture of Spanish and Filipino people and their national costume resembles the butterfly-sleeved costume from the Philippines.
Guatemala
“Life Is Better When Mom Is There…”
This doll was dressed twice! After searching and searching for color pictures of Guatemalan women, I found the one I wanted to use after the doll was dressed!
Well, I knew the original costume wasn’t right, so I went back to the sewing machine. Sometimes I could not find the right pattern in a fabric so I would create the pattern I needed.
This baby’s sling is an example of that. It is made from black dotted fabric and I added the lines with a felt-tip marker.
Honduras
“Baby Goes to Market, Too…”
I must have looked at hundreds of pictures during my research for this doll. I found one that showed a group of women crossing a river on their way to the market. All of them had bundles on their heads or tied in their rebozos.
One older woman had turned to offer a helping hand to a young girl with a tiny bundle wrapped in her rebozo.
Something about their interaction convinced me that the young girl was carrying a newborn. Thus the pose for this doll was born.
Hong Kong
“Mother’s in the Kitchen…”
One of the first things I made for my soon-to-be first son was a May-Tie baby carrier from the directions in the LLL Baby Carrier Packet.
Here on the Hong Kong mother it has an added sun shade.
The Chinese also use an interesting seatless coverall for the toddler who is not yet potty trained, but I never did figure out how that works!
Iceland
“I’m Nursing My Baby, too…”
We learn by doing what we see others do.
My mother breastfed her dolls because her mother breastfed her younger sisters! I remember watching my mother nurse my youngest brother, but most of the feedings I remember were by bottle. I bottle-fed my dolls.
But I breastfed my sons with the help of LLL. This young daughter has obviously been observing and learning from the best “role model,” her own mother.
Indonesia
“Moving Day…”
This mother has one less thing to worry about on moving day.
It seemed so convenient and natural to pose the dolls this way, then later I heard an Indonesian Leader describe the use of a shoulder sling and a standing nursing position that was common in her culture! I was delighted!
Remember the fabric in the Dutch mother’s jacket? Here it is again used in this mother’s skirt.
Ireland
“Peek-a-Boo…”
Woolens, tweeds, lace, and green come to mind when I think of Ireland. A favorite pair of pants, now unhappily moth-eaten, contributed to this mother’s shawl.
Peek-a-boo seems to be another of those universal games used to entertain babies in all parts of the world! Mothers and babies always enjoy it!
Israel
“Do Not Disturb…”
This “sabra” mother has paused in her work to take a “nursing break,” a practice that needs to be encouraged!
I found the fence in my son’s toy box. This doll took shape while I was attending a La Leche League meeting, so she was well indoctrinated.
Italy
“I Think We Can Fix Your Doll “
Where do children go when toys get broken and life gets tough? To mother, of course! And mother does her best to make things better.
This costume came from an old UNICEF publication that my mother found when she was cleaning out a closet. This doll insisted on looking to her left in spite of all my efforts to turn her head the other way. Maybe she could see the damage better in that light!
Japan
“To Market, to Market…”
The fan print fabric on this mother’s kimono was a lucky find on the sale table at a local fabric shop.
The May-ties used in Japan are often beautifully padded and quilted. I have even seen photos of an overwrap that fits over the May-tie to keep baby warm.
I crocheted the mother’s shopping bag, and made the “getas” out of balsa and soutache braid.
Kenya
“ When Toddlers Need Comfort…”
Toddlers need comfort everywhere, and mothers are there to provide it.
The Kenyan national costume has a very interesting diagonally draped skirt under a peplumed blouse. Would you believe that both of these items came from the same piece of fabric? Too bad it doesn’t work that way on full scale clothing!
Korea
“Wash Day Is Done…”
The Korean version of the baby carrier looks like a modified belt.
Tradition reserves bright colors for babies and children. As persons move through the various ages and stages of their lives, their clothing colors become paler and paler until one reaches honored old age and wears snowy white clothing.
This doll’s costume with a high-waisted skirt and a short jacket is a natural for breastfeeding.
It looks like this mother could use a nap after doing all the laundry by hand!
Marshall Islands
“Someone’s Come Between Us…”
I made this family grouping just before Father’s Day in 1981. It is my way of saying “Thank you” to my husband for all his love, patience, and sense of humor.
And it is my tribute to all the other husbands and fathers the world over who make the adventure of motherhood possible!
Mexico
“Siesta Time for Toddler and Mother…”
The hallmark of a Mexican mother is the rebozo she uses to carry her baby. It is an ancient tradition, using a type of shawl that dates back to the Mayan and Aztec cultures. I found this mother’s rebozo in a remnant box and her skirt in a quilt supply shop. One of the advantages of nursing a toddler is that you both get to take a rest together!
Morocco
“Mother’s Helper…”
I found the costume books by Ruth Turner Wilcox to be most helpful in many instances, but particularly for this doll.
The only photo I had showed a mother who was seated. Wilcox’s drawings showed the woman’s costume full length.
I found that photos were great sources for poses, color, and atmosphere; but drawings were more helpful for cutting and construction details.
Please note this mother’s Moroccan leather shoes.
Netherlands
“Motherrr…”
This boy is one of my favorites because he reminds me of my older son at the same stage when he was totally embarrassed by female “mushiness.” But when he gives his mother flowers, what else does he expect?
In my research, I found that coral beads play an important role in traditional dress in the Netherlands. Different areas use different size beads, more or fewer strands, and round or square clasps that close in front or back.
There are endless variations, yet many similarities and connections as well. For instance, you will see the fabric in this mother’s jacket again when you see the Indonesian doll. The Dutch colonized Indonesia and imported many things from there, including local fabrics.
New Guinea
“Bath Time ...”
New Guinea is definitely a hot country. I could not find any pictures of babies with clothes on, so I put this little one into a wash tub that I happened to have, and the pose was set!
If you see this doll up close, you will notice she has the ritual facial scars that are considered a mark of beauty in this part of the world.
New Zealand
“ M.A. - Mastering the Art of Mothering…”
I wanted one of the dolls to say something about being “just a mother.” I chose New Zealand because it has a strong, active LLL organization.
This doll portrays a mother proud of her career, and growing in knowledge and skill. She is a Master in the Art of Mothering! And she has a pretty cute credentials too!
Norway
“Dreaming of Motherhood, Planning for Baby…”
I have more family associations with this doll because my mother’s father’s family came to the USA from Norway in the 1860s.
This costume is from the Setesdal region; its flowing lines are rather unique among the usual tightly corseted costumes of Scandinavia. It is a natural for pregnant women!
Unfortunately, there were no LLL pamphlets in Norwegian, so this mother is learning about nipple care from the Danish pamphlet.
Okinawa
“Bang Go the Pot Lids…”
Pot lids are potential noisemakers for every child no matter where they live! Often this brings heart-stopping results!
My nine-year-old neighbor immediately recognized the horrified expression on this mother’s face, but it took a little longer for her to figure out the cause.
Panama
“At Work or Play, Mom Is Not Far Away…”
These dolls were dressed twice. My first attempt at a “pollera,” the national women’s costume, just wasn’t fancy enough to convey the idea of 36 yards of hand-embroidered, lace-edged ruffles.
The flowered headdress also intrigued me. I thought it would be an interesting challenge to try to create it. It was! As I added yet another strategic pin, I hoped with all my heart that I was not giving some poor mother in Panama a headache!
Puerto Rico
“Christening Day…”
With apologies to all the mothers in Puerto Rico, the song that ran through my head as I worked on this doll was the song from “West Side Story” about Puerto Rico! In fact, that song pops into my mind whenever I see this doll!
I posed her at the baby’s christening because I know that religion is very important to families in Puerto Rico, as it is for me. To me, religion and motherhood go hand in hand.
Saudi Arabia
“No! I Want to Go This Way…”
National Geographic came to the rescue here. It is not permitted to photograph women in Arab countries. This was not very helpful to my research!
Fortunately for me, National Geographic published a timely article on Saudi Arabia that included photos of women both veiled and unveiled. This pose was captured from the photo on the first page of the article.
Scotland
“The Beauty and Serenity of a Highland Madonna…”
When I first saw a drawing of the ancient Arisard, the woman’s plaid costume, I knew I wanted my Scottish doll to wear it!
It has more grace and dignity than the usual costume copied from the man’s kilt. And it is so useful, combining blanket, raincoat, and nursing shelter all in one outfit!
The mother’s hair ribbons are traditional in the Highlands. To me
this doll captures the beauty and serenity of the nursing couple, so I call her the Highland Madonna.
South Africa
“Weighing In and Having Fun…”
Sometimes the pose determined the props but this time the reverse was true.
I found a cute ceramic scale at a craft show and decided to use it. I don’t know how it is at your house, but my boys dissolve into giggling fits whenever I want to weigh or measure them! This mother’s child is not quite so hard to weigh, but he is certainly having fun.
Switzerland
“Schöni Geburtstag, Grossmüti…”
Another part of a mother’s life cycle is watching and enjoying her grandchildren!
This grandmother is receiving a gift of sausages and cheese for her birthday.
Her bonnet is from the area of Germany near Bern. The originals are made of boiled and starched horsehair lace. They caught my eye at the very beginning of my research. The chain-laced corsets intrigued me too, although they look very uncomfortable.
Taiwan
“Toddlers Nurse in Their Own Way…”
Toddlers all over the world have been known to nurse in a variety of unique positions!
My boys were often very active when they were nursing, sometimes playing with their feet as this little girl is doing! Sometimes I had to hang onto my eyeglasses!
Trinidad
“A Nursing Break in the Flower Market…”
This mother took shape during President Reagan’s inaugural parade in Washington DC in January 1981. We were watching at a friend’s house and I did not have all of my supplies with me, so she started out without a nose!
I had fun combing my favorite craft store for her earrings, the flowers, and the flower holders. The resulting pose speaks for itself!
United States
“There’s a Meeting Here Tonight…”
La Leche League began in the USA and so did I. It started with the making of the mother’s sweater; it is made from yarn left over from one of my second son’s toddler sweaters. It was the very first thing I made for the Mothers Around the World collection.
Then it was just a matter of picking other fabrics to go with it. I knew she had to have LLL blue somewhere! I like her driveway lamp; the top is an acorn cap.
Virgin Islands
“Storytime…”
After weeks of searching for pictures of the Virgin Islands, the National Geographic came to my rescue with an in-depth article with plenty of photos.
The article mentioned that parents in the Virgin Islands stress the importance of education for their children. And so this doll was born!
Zimbabwe
“Time for Winnowing…”
For Zimbabwe and South Africa, I chose to portray mothers from the majority group. But it was hard to find pictures of women from Zimbabwe. There were plenty of pictures of Victoria Falls, but none of women!
This mother, who is sifting or winnowing her grain, is borrowed from Malawi.