Latina Crafter on Etsy Designs for la Familia

When I first began discovering the world of blogs – more specifically, craft blogs – I was pleasantly surprised to discover quite a few creative Latinas. I don't really know why I was surprised. I mean, haven't Latinas been finding ways to bring beauty to their homes and families for centuries? I think of all the huipiles, arpilleras, mantones, mácrame, etc, that I have seen over my 30 somethin’ years and am in awe of such talent, imagination and patience!
I still routinely scour the web trying to find other Latinas displaying and discussing their creations and ideas. So for all of you creative mámis out there, I have decided to feature Mia Zamora Johnson of Owlishly. As with many of us, Mia's interest in needlework began as a child when her paternal grandmother taught her how to crochet some of the basic stitches. But, as is often the case, Life got busy and time went by. Mia was busy with school and getting a degree and then marriage and so on. She didn't pick up another crochet hook until the birth of her first child when she designed and crocheted a baby blanket for her son, and then again later for her daughter.
(Isn't it funny, amigas, how our passage into motherhood suddenly sparks the voracious flame of CREATIVITY for so many of us? It is as if once we have created life, this giant monster that has been sleeping inside us, awakens and erupts out of our fertile bodies and demands that we begin a lifelong pursuit of inspiration, beauty, and art.)
Then, in 2006, an amigurumi doll caught her eye. Mia decided the time had come for her to learn how to read patterns so that she could make the stuffed doll for her daughter. After teaching herself from a book and making a few dolls, she decided that she could translate her own ideas and design her own dolls.
Mia says that she has always had a problem with the scarcity of ethnic dolls, so the first ones that she designed were a careful representation of her culture. Mia’s husband is Caucasian, and if you check out her etsy store, you will find that most of her dolls are tan (like Mia and her daughter), with a few lighter ones added (to represent her son).
Mia only sells crochet patterns from her etsy store, but she includes pictures of the finished products, so that you will have an idea of how each doll will look. There are so many adorable little dolls, and some are downright hilarious (check out El Ciclón Panzón Luchador/Mexican Wrestler!!), but by far my favorites are the Sarita Amigurumi Mexican Doll and El Rayo Azul Luchador, both of which are shown above.
And be sure to check out her craft blog, also Owlishly, which features a lot of her work, including pieces other than crochet.