Meet Dot, my fourth Hitty

I finally carved a basswood Hitty.  Her name is Dot because she looks like a doll who loves to have a lot of fun.  I named her after my sister-in-law Dot because she is such a happy and fun person.  No matter the circumstance, she always has a smile ready for anyone.

I discovered that basswood is a joy to carve, and so much easier to work with than spruce.  It also sands to a much nicer finish.

I discovered how to get big fat childlike cheeks finally as well.   I wanted fatter cheeks so that my Hitty would not look as old as Maggie and Velma Hittys do.  I discovered that when carving the hairline back to the middle of the neck, one has much more wood to work with for the facial features.  My other Hittys have hairlines that come to the edge of the front of the neck.

I found a 7 inch figurine on eBay that had the perfect shape for what I was trying to achieve, and used it as a 3D model to determine placement for the facial features and hairline.

The figurine was a great find!  I would recommend a 3D model of some sort for anyone who wishes to carve dolls, it certainly makes a huge difference in the end!