Ya’at’eeh! I am Melanie L. Begaye, a Dine’ seamstress. Following in my mom’s (Sylvia C. Begaye) creative footsteps, I create Dine’ dolls that are for both the young and young at heart. My dolls are inspired by the happy, carefree memories of my childhood growing up on the Navajo Nation. All my patterns are of my own design. I use a mix of velvet fabric, cotton fabrics, flannel fabrics, felt, wool, and Pendleton. When crocheting, knitting, and weaving, I utilize a mix of acrylic yarn and hand-spun Navajo churro sheep wool. The dolls’ jewelry and ornamentation are hand-painted. I just have to be careful that when I paint my dolls’ faces, I’m in a good mood as it may manifest in a grumpy looking doll.