The EllaRoo Doll

First, a huge thank you to Forsyth County Woman magazine for the charming article highlighting The Ella Zoo and the EllaRoo dolls in the February 2018 issue. I am grateful for the support they have shown me and other local artists.

In addition to finished dolls, we now have an You+Me Doll kits available at the S2dio Design Etsy Shop and local retailers. The kit includes complete instructions but here you can find the instructions with pictures! 

EllaRoo Instructions

  1. Trim Doll Face fabric only along the printed dashed outline.
    Do not snip the dotted lines into the corners yet. This will come later.
  2. Turn the Doll Face fabric over onto your work surface so the wrong-side is facing up. Using a ruler and a pencil, mark a line ¼” from the trimmed edge. This is your stitching line.
    You will be able to see the printed doll art through the fabric. The stitching line should fall in the middle of the doll outline.
  3. Place the Coordinating Calico fabric right-side up on your work surface. Smooth it out flat. Place the Doll Face right-side down on the Coordinating Calico fabric.
    Make sure the Doll Face is in the center of the Coordinating Calico fabric, right-sides together, wrong-sides out.
  4. Pin the Doll Face to the Coordinating Calico fabric along stitching line using straight pins. Trim the Coordinating Calico fabric to size using the Doll Face as your pattern.
    Do not cut into the Doll Face fabric. Do not snip the dotted lines into corners yet. This will come later.

    Although my grandmother taught me to pin perpendicular to the stitching line, I later learned to pin parallel. Either way, all pins should face the same direction. If you choose parallel placement, pin so pressure foot encounters the sharp tip of the pin first.


  5. Time to Sew! Plan to leave a 2″ opening on one side. Stitch along the Stitching Line around the doll making sure you stop 2″ from the start of your stitching to leave the gap.
  6. Reinforce stitching at corners. Clip rounded outie curves, notch innie corners, and trim your seam allowance making certain not to cut your stitching!


  7. Turn the doll right-side out through the opening.
    You may need to use a drumstick, chop stick, or other long blunt object to turn the legs, arms, and hair.



  8. Time to Stuff! Stuff the legs, arms, and hair using your stick to pack the material firmly. Find some great pro tips here.
    Clip old clothes and rags (pale colors only) to use as traditional rag doll stuffing or purchase polyfiber filling from a craft store.

  9. Stuff the rest of the body. Pack the material firmly, shape the doll as you go. Stuff to full capacity.
  10. Finally, keeping the seam allowance folded into the interior of the doll, hand stitch the opening in the side closed with an invisible stitch, whip stitch or other stitch of your choosing.

The EllaRoo doll was designed in partnership with illustrator Valentina Felce. Please be sure to check out Valentina’s amazing, illustrated art dolls at BlueRaspberry Designs.

Two, Because We’re Twins

1 Comment

Our children present an interesting mirror to us. We might catch glimpses of our younger selves in them, reflect upon our experience at their age, or imagine our parents’ experience now that those shoes are on our feet. The Ella Zoo is as much about being a parent as it is about the antics and attributes of a growing girl.

My first born, my beautiful little Ella, gave birth to my motherhood. As a new mom, I learned alongside her, slowly pulling myself up to my parent stature. Although now it seems obvious, one of the things that took time to realize was how a unique aspect of my and my husband’s childhoods would influence our parenting. My husband and I are both identical twins.

No, my twin sister did not marry my husband’s twin brother.

And yes, I assumed a question and answered it.

Because I expect questions whenever it is revealed that we are twins. For example, my husband and I are also often asked, Did you have twins? (No. Our two children are both singles.) But when we were younger, in reference to our siblings, it was always: Who is taller? Who was born first? Who is smarter?

Comparison was not only inevitable— people marveled at how incredibly alike my sister and I were—but also necessary in order to tell us apart from one another.

I was taller. She was thinner. I was better at sports and art. She was better at math and history. I was older, by five minutes.

I love being a twin. But I am also an individual.

Born of this experience was my desire to be recognized without being set apart as less than or greater than my sister. Surely there was something about me that might simply be me. And so by being identical, I learned to value difference.

It was not something I expected to draw upon to parent my two very different children. But eventually I realized, though more direct for twins, comparison was inevitable and frustrating for all children. As a mother, I needed to remember to offer what had been so important to me: to allow ample freedom for their changing natures, recognize their emerging selves, and celebrate them as masters of their individuality.

That was how the child in me became the most suitable mother for my children.

Chicken or the Egg

How could any mother put one of her children first?

In the time since I published my book, the question I most often hear is, “Are you going to write another?” My answer is immediate and honest, “Of course I am.” The second half of my response is admittedly crafted for social ease and so is both brief and inadequately simple, “After all I have two children. I need to write one for my son.”

Sometimes, mothers gasp. Admittedly, I have written a love story of a book dedicated to one child and not the other. There’s a reason for this, of course. It may have a little to do with Ella being my first born, but my transformation from designer into author involved more, just as the transformation from woman into mother involved more than pregnancy and birth.

Which is why, following one of the many insights gleaned from parenthood—learning to put myself first on occasion—my second book now in progress will be a novel.

But, my first book will always be uniquely special. The Ella Zoo is my favorite love story. Not the girl meets boy variety where over time two once unknowns become closer and closer until they are one. It is that story in reverse. How a woman finally meets the one she’s always known she would love but the child, who was once literally one with the woman, grows increasing independent until one day, she leaves home. The ideal motherhood is the immense joy of witnessing the creation of a successful adult. And it is the most miraculous love story of all time.

Now, after a few gasps, I’m ready to share a revised and much longer second half of my response. Briefly, although about Ella, The Ella Zoo is much more. It is about motherhood and so, while there will be a third book to dedicate eventually, my first book was always equally about my son and the attention he received that too often my beautiful, strong and fiercely independent daughter once did not, not as obviously.

Follow my blog as I share my parenthood story behind The Ella Zoo and my first borns.

With Love and Immense Gratitude

Today, as I often do, I sent The Ella Zoo to a mother who’s eldest daughter is almost off to college as a thank you gift for some kindness she had done for me and my family. In this case, it wasn’t a personal friend, but the First Lady of the United States. I’m not sure if Michelle Obama will ever receive the book or my letter, but I hope she will know how grateful we women and children are for her positive message and especially for bringing her show of support directly to our swing state.

 

Dear Mrs. Obama,

We are counting down the days until this bitterly contentious election year is finally over — 4 more days — with hopes that Thanksgiving can bring us together again, maybe.

In truth, I’d like to recoil, as any one naturally would, from the tumultuous currents now coursing through our embattled state. But this is too important for myself and my children. And so, I have gladly volunteered and faced what I could. But it has not been without fear.

Of course, I have voted already. After I saw you and Hilary at the rally, I immediately headed downtown and cast my ballot early. I want to thank you for bringing your elegant leadership, positive encouragement and, most importantly, for your shining example of support. I will point to the rally, I will show my children, how a popular friend can make a tremendous difference when she steps up as an ally to face a bully. If I have anything to look forward to, it is that when we look back at this terrible time in our nation’s history, we will have your family as examples of steadfast grace despite a barrage of ugliness. The Obamas have shone particularly bright at this difficult but necessary period of growth and change.

Please accept this small but heartfelt gift. It is a book I wrote, designed and self-published and it is my hope that, with it, I may in turn offer a positive and meaningful message for you as your beautiful girls grow and mature.

With love and immense gratitude,

"This is one of those books that children will keep and pull out as adults, re-reading with new appreciation when they are older."

A Rewarding Loss

Bolstered by my recent back-to-back wins, I entered The Ella Zoo into another national Indie Book Award. This time, because there were no specialty book or design categories, I entered in the Children’s Book category, a first. And this time, I did not win. I have faced my first loss.

Thankfully, I received written commentary from one of the judges (see below). And now, having had time to work through my disappointment and reflect — I expected it. Still, after receiving the review, I realized, I was still honored by the judges!

Clearly, when judged on its merits, The Ella Zoo is a well-received book. The Ella Zoo had received the highest marks in all criteria used to evaluate book entries in its category, except two. In these, it had not received low scores, instead it had received NO scores. It had been disqualified. And I’ll be honest — upon reflection, this was not surprising.

In the early stages of writing and developing my book, I had shopped The Ella Zoo to a number of publishers. And as many writers do, I received impersonal form rejection letters but also few more descriptive, insightful dings. It became clear that I was taking a few risks with my book. The Ella Zoo simply didn’t fit easily into standard genres and reading levels. Despite some favorable reactions and interests, there were risks that publishers were not willing to take, primarily related to:

  • Character My main character changed. Unlike Charlie Brown or Lily and Her Purple Purse, she looked different on EVERY PAGE, vastly different. Not only did her clothing change, but also her size changed because her age changed and her interests changed. In terms of publishing criteria, my character was not well developed. However, my key interest in my collection of poems was that my character evolved. I wrote poem after poem enthralled by my daughters changing appearance, changing interests and our changing relationship — it was that evolution that captivated me. In recognition of this risk, I added her most-loved doll (his name is Papoo) into the illustrations so there would be one unchanging element, an identifying accessory. But otherwise, I was steadfast in my determination that my character evolve, as all children do.
  • Age My story uses poetic forms and vocabulary that are “old.” Even though it had children’s book appeal it did not fit into a children’s reading level. However, while I was raised on plenty of nursery rhymes, my mother also read poetry by Wordsworth, Lord Byron, Eugene Field and more to me. I was enthralled by their soft rhythms and deeper mystery. Because of its musicality, I believe poetry is ageless, or certainly can be when a parent reads it to you, full of understanding and intrigue. If the parent is engaged, I know the child will be engaged and inspired. This is an ideal book to share between parents and children.

I understood these risks. However, I adamantly believed they were key to my poetry collection. And so, while I revised my design and story to include elements to engage readers of all ages and address these issues, I remained steadfast in my belief in my story and that the merits of the risks were worth it. This is why I made the decision to self-publish my “family book.”

So please, do me this favor. If you believe in its merits too, please share a review on my Facebook page, on Amazon or on Good Reads or simply share it with your friends. I could use your support to help The Ella Zoo find its audience!

Below is the complete commentary I received from Judge 4 of the 23rd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.

THE ELLA ZOO by Elizabeth Dimmette Coyne is a delightful book of poems illustrated with verve that is sure to be appreciated by children and the adults they love. This is one of those books that children will keep and pull out as adults, re-reading with new appreciation when they are older, I think.

The production values of this book are lovely. Choosing a black and white motif with a hint of red actually makes this book stand out among other books on today’s market. This reminds me a little of Shel Silverstein. The back cover copy is clever, and it’s great that we learn where to buy the book.

“The Pellegrine” is one of the more interesting poems, in my view. It made me chuckle. Moles are quite odd and I still am not crazy about them even though I am long past childhood myself. Thank goodness for dermatology! That aside, children certainly can strip one of vanity very quickly. Thankfully they can also build you up even more quickly.  Of course, the other poems were also cute and witty. I enjoyed the collection in its entirety, along with the delightful illustrations.

I very much appreciated the notes inside from both the author and the illustrator, along with photos of both. This is a warm and personal book, sure to be cherished by friends and fans alike. Nice work!

Feeling Accomplished

1 Comment

I’ve been working on The Ella Zoo for 12 years. Granted, I really didn’t know it was going to be a book until 10 years ago. But still, it’s been a long, persistent path to get…to get to what? Near the end here, after the final poem was written, the illustrations complete, the book designed and then printed, I realized I wasn’t really sure what would mark the finish line. While there was real satisfaction in holding a printed book in my hand, it was my intent to share the book, to find its audience. Once produced and published, it was not time to pop the cork yet. A long road still lay ahead. The question was, at what point would I stop and celebrate my accomplishment.

That opportunity came on May 27 at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. The Ella Zoo was selected as a finalist in 2 categories. Although I could receive my awards in the mail, I elected to drive to New York City and accept my medals in person at the gala reception. A road trip was the perfect way to commemorate this long journey and to arrive at a moment of celebration.

But, with only 2 weeks notice and all of our funds invested in starting a new business not to mention self-publishing and self-marketing my book, I could afford neither guest nor airfare. I would arrive solo. Still, I was more than willing to toast myself to the best of my ability.

Well, I needn’t have worried. The minute I stepped in the door, veteran author and previous award winner Christina Paul walked right up, clinked glasses with me and offered the warmest most sincere congratulations I could imagine from a stranger. She tucked me under her wing, recommended I grab a chair with a good view quickly if I didn’t want to spend the evening standing and offered to take photos for my social media and blog posts. Everyone was like that. It was a tribe of kindred spirits, ready to celebrate ourselves each other’s accomplishments.

I sought out some of the authors in my categories. I met Maria Knier author and illustrator of The Bezert and her husband. I was curious to find out more about their journey. Her website mentioned she had set the book down for many years before picking it up again and finally publishing. I also met Akiko Yabuki, author of Ishi: Simple Tips from a Solid Friend and had a chance to take a closer look at her book. I knew immediately, Ishi was ideal for my son and other children on the autism spectrum. She kindly inscribed the title page to my son and we exchanged books as gifts to each other.

I heard publishing war stories, tales of the advantages and trials of self-publishing, tips about twitter and so much more. Seldom have I attended a gala where I felt so warmly and enthusiastically received. The Awards Chairperson didn’t even blink an eye when, after she draped my medal around my neck, I leaned in an exclaimed, “selfie!” It was a fun night, a night to discover comrades who had also taken up the pen, a night to celebrate an independent path but I hardly found myself solo in this moment of accomplishment. We shared it, all of us.

Selfie with Marilyn Allen, Literary Agent and Catherine Goulet, Founder and Awards Chairperson

Selfie with Marilyn Allen, Literary Agent and Catherine Goulet, Founder and Awards Chairperson

At Next Generation Indie Book Awards Gala with other authors celebrating together!

At Next Generation Indie Book Awards Gala with other authors celebrating together!