My Story part 2

For me dressing my children resulted in inventing and designing children clothes I couldn’t find in the shop. Often knittings, often checkered. I also loved all time classics like the “Mao-jacket”, the blue colored working mans’ gear. For my son and my daughter the designs have always definitely been gender neutral, with exception of the special birthday dress I made for my girl, each year.

*Some designs for children clothing I made*

*My daughter Lois, beginning of the 90tis, with the inseparable doll I made for her brother Mickey, who is two years older and by than preferred Lego cars.*

Illustrations coming to life

Motherhood was also an excellent opportunity to take up my search for children‘s books. My picture book illustrations became dress-up clothes; princesses, witches and knights, gingerbread houses and picture book dolls.

My daughter Lois is a born actress. The moment she puts on a costume she becomes the part. Her princess is a prudent one. Red riding hood is always very sad in her opinion. — *My daughter Lois is a born actress. The moment she puts on a costume she becomes the part. Her princess is a prudent one. Red riding hood is always very sad in her opinion*.

*Princesse Lois with her best friend Princess Maria*

*The costumes I make these days are smaller.*

The start of selling dolls

My creative talents were in high demand at the Rudolf Steiner elementary school my children attended. The school also offered me the opportunity to improve and extend my handcraft skills. After having made many dolls for my children, nieces and nephews, I started selling my first dolls to a wider public (mostly parents at school).

*Carnaval at school (left my son Mickey) and some costumes I made.*

With this nativity I kept up a livelong tradition that started in my childhood with the collaboration of my mother and me. Each year she specially asked me for help putting up the nativity. In our catholic family the story was the essence of Christm… — With this nativity I kept up a livelong tradition that started in my childhood with the collaboration of my mother and me. Each year she specially asked me for help putting up the nativity. In our catholic family the story was the essence of Christmas, rather than decorating the tree. The school of my children revived this feeling.

And of course the Dutch presents event on the 5th of december Sinterklaas (and Zwarte Piet who isn’t supposed to be black any more. At that time it wasn’t an issue yet, and btw. ‘pietjes’ in Dutch Steiner schools always were ‘roetveeg pieten!).

Perfecting my ideal doll

Now that my children are no longer in need for my dress-up creations, I am concentrating on perfecting my ideal doll, which I’ve been working on for the last decades. The Aldegonde Ceelen doll is the embodiment of everything - and more - I love and love to do: Drawing and coloring; Fashion and design, textiles and prints, styling; sewing, knitting and felting. And last but not least: Children. They are my big inspiration to bring picture book characters to life.

I pour it all out into constructing the dolls, the dolls’ wardrobes and dolls’ dress-up creations. I even fashion and produce their little shoes. I never went that far for my own children.

About the maker

Aldegonde Ceelen is an Amsterdam based doll maker and designer of miniature clothes. Her dolls are one of a kind and free-standing - like statuettes. They are made entirely of natural materials. (Aldegonde graduated in book illustration at the art academy of Maastricht and has an MSc degree in art history from the University of Amsterdam.)

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