Dollmaker’s Notebook | (Re)Weaving the Ancestor
Spirit taking shape: Communing with the ancestors and spirits of place.
This October marks three years on my doll-making journey - and to honor this anniversary, I’m weaving a new version of my very first doll.
The Ancestor was part of my doll-making pilgrimage with Julia Inglis of Sacred Familiar and watching wool take shape to form a vessel for ancestral connection was so special.
My first Ancestor doll was simple by instruction: it was to be faceless and unadorned. It was a wonderful lesson on how to craft the body of a doll. We were guided to connect with our ancestors by making a doll that reflected the simplicity of materials they would have used to create their own dolls (a simple doll made of sticks, for example).
Following a teacher is an interesting thing, because even if we follow our own intuition during the process, we’re often doing so within a particular set of guidelines. Those guidelines limit our craft in ways that may feel comfortable and “safe” at first, but can start to feel constricting over time.*
As I’ve come more fully into my identity as an Intuitive and as a doll-maker, I’ve shed so many old stories. I’ve learned that I don’t need to follow a teacher or guide and override my own knowing. I’ve learned to trust myself and follow my instincts. I’ve learned to listen to the whispers of Spirit and the Ancestors without needing to check their messages against someone else’s beliefs.
The time of the Ancestors
How are you connecting to your ancestors this Samhain?
This summer, I began to feel the gentle tug to craft an Ancestor doll that steps outside of the structure of that first doll-making course. I want to create a doll that honors my personal relationship with the Ancestors. And what better time to begin than as the daylight starts to wane and we turn towards the darker half of the year?
I started working on the Ancestor’s heart (the herbs wrapped in wool and carried inside the body of the doll) over the Autumn equinox and I’ve continued working slowly - first heart, then head, arms, and body - building it up a little more each day. I’ll continue working on her through Samhain and beyond. The ancestors remind me that time isn’t linear and I don’t need to rush. She’ll come through when she’s ready. All I have to do is be present with the Ancestors and listen.
Bringing this doll forward in my own time, in the quiet stillness of these Autumn mornings, has been deeply nourishing. This time, I’m working in full collaboration with my ancestors, creating the doll that represents them as they walk beside me.
A few notes on my “why”
(And some practical doll-making advice.)
My first handcrafted spirit doll, the Ancestor, created on Samhain 2022.
Re-weaving the Ancestor, October 2025
I wanted to add a little more detail to this story, for those who may be curious about why I would choose to recreate this doll.
I have two primary reasons for reweaving the original doll. The first is related to her longevity and the second is related to the physical representation of the doll as a reflection of my personal relationship with the Ancestors. I’ll go into more detail about these below.
In 2022 when I was taking the course with Julia, I felt I needed to make each doll during the week it was assigned. I believed I had to “do it right” - which in my mind meant I had to do it as quickly as possible in order to stay on schedule - rather than taking my time, trusting my own knowing, and working slowly. That belief was part of my ‘school indoctrination’ that tells us to follow a set schedule or we’ll get behind. It also points to the belief that I needed to follow the teacher exactly or I was somehow “doing it wrong.” Both are part of an old story that I needed to release.
In practical terms, speeding through any 3d needle felting project creates issues with durability. If you don’t take your time ensuring each layer of wool is firm from the start, you risk ending up with a doll that feels solid on the outside but whose center is filled with air. This can’t be fixed after the fact, because the felting needle is meant to work the outer layers. No matter how much you felt the outside of your doll, the inside will remain loose. Over time, dolls with too much air inside of their bodies begin to lose shape. Thus, if you want your dolls to last, it’s really important to create a strong body by taking your time from the start.
I now work much more slowly, ensuring that my dolls are firm and can withstand the test of time. They can even withstand a fall into a creek and come out looking better than ever, ha. (Though, for the record, I don’t recommend tossing your dolls in a creek...)
The second reason I’m recreating my original ancestor doll is that, while I love the idea of the Ancestor as faceless and without adornment, my own ancestors are asking for the doll to be bigger and to have some kind of adornments. I’m still not sure what that will look like (I’m listening as they share with me), but I know they want something different.
In the second image above, I’m holding the base form of my new Ancestor doll, which I spent several weeks crafting. I could have done this faster - but part of the process this time around has been to listen to the Ancestors and to work the wool according to their instruction. And they are on their own time. (If you work with the Ancestors, you probably know what I mean.) This slow pace means I’ve been able to connect in a more meaningful way to her - and to my lineage.
For me, connecting to my dolls is key. Now that her base form is complete, I’ve been spending a lot of time with her outside. On walks, we pause and sit, communing with the Ancestors and Spirits of place. When I’m home, she sits on my ancestor altar. I sit with her every morning while I drink my coffee. I will often pour a cup of coffee or tea for my ancestors and we sit together in the morning quiet.
As I said above, slowing down and creating this doll in an intentional and intuitive way is such a nourishing experience and I’m excited to see how she turns out. I’m looking forward to sharing more of her with you as she comes forward.
Sending so many blessings your way, friends.
*I have many thoughts about teachers and courses - and knowing when the time is right for those versus when it’s time for us to trust our knowing and, like the Fool in the Tarot, head out on our own journey of exploration and self-discovery. I’ll share more in an upcoming post.