Ye Ole Rag Doll !

I think my love affair with Rag Dolls started when I was just a very little girl! My older brother won a beautiful big Rag Doll at a school fete (By naming it - I think he cheated... the dolls name was Hermine.... see what I mean, he could NEVER have guessed that name by himself!) And he promptly presented me with Hermine (he loves me so!), I remember the JOY and LOVE I felt for her, it was instant! I have kept her all these years and finally gave her to Little Madame a few months ago. She instantly fell in LOVE with Hermine too!

I love making Rag dolls, seeing them come to life,  become little people, so to speak.  I always make the faces last..... Then I really have to talk myself into giving them away to deserving little girls. I agonise, will they love them like I loved Hermine, Will they Take Care of them..... It is agony! (mmmmm Drama Queen - I know!) But I really do put my  heart into making them.

Hermine - My First Love!

 

A Raggedy Annie Doll

A Sweet Rabbit and Doll



These Are Sold In My Friend Carol Clarks Shop!

I love trying out Different Dolls and really love the creative process of dressing then and accessorising each and every doll, finding the perfect flower to match a dress, or a beautiful bow for the hair...... So you can imagine my absolute excitement in finding this Gorgeous Book called Tilda's Summer Idea's. It has the most beautiful Dolls in it, her web site is gorgeous too, this book is also on Amazon, go have a look here

 

My New Book

My Chosen Girls

I have a little secret, the one  and only thing I dislike about sewing, is the cutting out of fiddly little pattern pieces, these dolls however,have just 2 pattern pieces, so I really like these sweet little dolls. I needed to use  flesh coloured fabric for the bodies and as you often cannot find fabric like this here, I simply reverted to an old dancing trick.... I made a big pot of tea, (No I did not Drink it) and soaked calico fabric in it for about 3 hours then tumbled dried it and VOILA- flesh coloured fabric! Cutting out  was easy and quick and so was sewing it up!  Even turning it inside out was simple..... I was beginning to think it was just all to easy, rag dolls are NEVER that simple....





Cutting Out

So Far So Easy!

 

Stuffing them - Piece of Cake! Making their little dresses(2 squares sewn together and a ribbon through the top, and pull tight) Piece of Cake! Sewing on the hair(I used the same method as I did for the Princess and Pea doll)Piece of Cake!  BUT then came the little buns on either side of her head! Now in the book they use a specific Yarn, but you cannot get it here! I tried and tried, and tried AGAIN! All my Wednesday Girls tried, but no one could get those buns right! Later in bed(seems I get all my best ideas, as I am about to go to sleep - Strange? Yes I think so too!) Next day I popped down to the Craft shop and looked for a few beads that had big opening, for woollen hair to thread through! laid the wool over the bead , then tied a bit of yarn around the bead AND Voila! Princess Leia buns!(Star Wars - for those of you too young to know who she is!) SO CUTE!!!!Piece of Cake (when you know how!) I embroidered eyes and used a baby bud and blusher for the cheeks - so hair and make up done - Yeah I know you get it.......... Piece of Cake!

Hair Attempts!

Different Stages Of Sweet Doll Making

Sweet Little People

Dresses Done

Hair And Makeup Done

All Done!

I LOVE THEM!!!

 

 

So they are now all done and I absolutely love, LoVe, LOVE them, they are so sweet and unique! Each and every one has their very own little personality! Let me say it again, I just love them! I have packed them away with all the rest of the things I have loving made, ready to been given out as Birthday or Christmas presents to sweet little girls, Well.... That is if I can possibly part with them....... xxx