Making Rag Dolls
Some of the simplest dolls to make are found in kits found in craft shops and online. The kits usually provide the front and back parts of a cloth doll, along with hair, clothes, and accessories. You just have to cut the parts out, join them together, leave a hole for stuffing and then stuff the doll with your choice of stuffing. The kits are a very excellent pick as a rainy-day project for a young girl.
For those who have a little personal knowledge, there are lots of other kits to choose between. You could make a china or porcelain dolly by purchasing a mold for the head and then crafting the torso. There are even clubs online where one can visit with other seamstresses and get tips concerning how to finish the project.
For Halloween and folk holidays, apple-headed dolls are an ever-popular pick. The faces and at times the hands are sculpted apples that were dried in a dehydrator or at low temperataure in the stove. The procedure is slow, but the finished result can be spectacular looking. The drying step causes the illusion of wrinkles and other facial features. Not every apple will turn out as you had planned, with some work at it a bit you can get the hang of it. Making rag dolls could be the oldest tradition passed from mother to daughter.
During Colonial times and before, most families did not have the money to buy toys for their children. By using scraps from about the house was the only choice. In keeping with the spirit of "recycle, reduce and reuse", one can keep scraps of material from every garment that you make. In time those pieces can put together to make a remembrance quilt or a variety of separate dolls.
However, you do not need to use scraps for sewing cloth dollies. One can begin by buying a pattern or creating your own if you have a little talent. Plain white or beige sheets are a great choice for the torso, although the bed sheets maybe a little thin. If you use poly-fill stuffing, the thinness of the sheet might not be of importance, but different kinds of stuffing would show through the sheer fabric.
Your rag dolly can have clothes stitched on or you could sew the legs, arms and torso in the same material the head was made from. That way you will need to make the clothes separately, but then the clothing can be changed from time to time. There're several other kinds of dolls to make at home. One can try 1 kind or try all of them. Doll-creating is a very enjoyable pastime.
About the Author
JoAnn developed her love for sewing as a child in 4-H. Over 40 years later she is a sewing fanatic who enjoys sharing her passion for fabric crafting with all ages. Author of seven hard copy sewing books and several e-books that explore many sewing applications, JoAnn seeks to encourage each of you on your sewing journey and instill in you a love for the exciting world of sewing doll clothes. Visit her online at http://www.sewingfordolls.net
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