USA 2022 - Sasha festival part 1

The much anticipated Sasha Festival 2022 had finally become reality.

We arrived in Syracuse, New York State on the Wednesday before the Sasha Doll Festival after 2 days of travelling and visiting friends (including Dorisanne and her daughter Jeanne) in the USA. We soon spotted a few doll friends in the hotel lobby and enjoyed a quiet dinner in the hotel restaurant after a busy day. 

The festival didn't start officially until the Thursday afternoon so we had a leisurely morning getting settled before going to festival registration. Soon I was helping JoAnn set up the Susanna Lewis doll raffle prize while Fran set up her 'Baby's first Christmas' raffle doll nearby. I contributed an abacus I had made from parts I had left over from the SCW workshop in 2018 to Fran's raffle baby ensemble. I had brought the Shakespeare Dream Coat, a print out of the blog post and JoAnn had printed out the picture of the original wearable art by Susanna Lewis to display on the table with the coat (later she also printed out a picture of the embroidered quote on the inside of the coat). My Reuben (Caleb) wore black and modelled the coat in the display, standing with his face to the wall for the next 3 days.

JoAnn and I had so much fun setting up the display, which was one of 6 Raffle dolls at the festival (usually they have about 3), there were some wonderful donations to the Susanna Lewis doll reflecting Susanna's life and likes, at the last minute I made a miniature festival name tag for her about of some thin card and a spare piece of ribbon I had with me to go with her shirt, shorts and glasses outfit that the raffle doll wore for the first day (the outfit was based on a photo of Susanna at a previous Sasha festival). 

The completed Susanna Lewis tribute raffle doll display, with Susanna wearing her usual festival clothes of shirt, shorts and nametag

The Shakespeare Dream Coat, plus some wonderful other outfits inspired by Susanna's clothing style in the Susanna Lewis raffle doll collection

Susanna the Sasha doll in memory of Susanna Lewis, fibre artist and Sasha doll expert

Some knitwear for Sasha (pink and green set, plus the red dress with white blouse) made by Susanna Lewis and donated by her daughters, also the pale blue dress made by JoAnn as a copy of the dress Susanna wore one Christmas as a child

We had some food then joined the 'meet and greet' which was the first 'event' of the festival, at 6pm. This was held in the same large conference room as all the raffle and auction displays were set up in. The theme of the Festival was 'Christmas in July' with the theme for the 'meet and greet' set as 'ugly Christmas sweater'.

Our dolls (l-r) Edmund, Russell (our SCW Charity doll), Louisa, Melanie and Florence in their 'ugly Christmas sweaters'

People had brought their dolls dressed in fun Christmas clothes, some of them even dressed up for the occasion themselves. We caught up with friends we'd made at the 2017 festival and met some new friends (people I had previously only communicated with via the online Sasha groups).

Some Sasha dolls (and friend) in their Christmas wear

A Meowy Christmas sweater on this lovely Sasha

Santa's little helper

Another fun 'ugly Christmas sweater' worn by this Gregor looks like it has taken this Sasha by surprise

Red knitwear and an ice skating sweater on this Gregor and Sasha

Lots of decorations on this girl's sweater

Gingerbread and ribbons on this boy's sweater

Dark warmth and a Christmas tree sweater for these two

A later Gotz girl with repainted eyes wears her Christmas tree sweater proudly

A sweet little dress and hat on this little Gotz Esther toddler

The sweater girl rocks her gingerbread man dress

The famous Curly had his hair done in red Christmas bows by his friends, even his gavel got a bow.

This girl wears a wonderful printed Christmas pinafore dress while the toddler sports a knitted Christmas playsuit

After the 'meet and greet' we returned to our room to redress some of our Sasha dolls in readiness for the 'Dress a Sasha' competition the next morning.