The Weird Dolls

“Dolls are safe companions.”~Louisa May Alcott

I’m back! Not that I was really gone, but I have been having technical issues on my end. I’ll spare you the boring details. Although technology has been giving me trouble, sewing has not! So let’s dive back in to what I’ve been up to!

I decided to participate in a local craft fair that is coming up. I wasn’t sure what to make. Dana mentioned that she loves craft fairs, but when it comes to herself she’s frugal. However, when it comes to little Alice, she’s not! So I decided to focus my sews on things for children. Especially with the Christmas holiday coming up.

I had recently picked up this pattern. Yes, I am still adding to my pattern collection. If I see an old one that is amazing, OR ones like this one, that are cheap, I pick them up. I couldn’t pass this one by for $1. So I got to work on, what I considered to be, weird dolls.

First I had to decide on a skin color. I wanted them to live up the the “weird” that I had mentally labeled them, and chose this really light blue for the first doll.

I laid out all of the body pieces.

The doll dress has lots of ruffles and ribbon. So I decided on this mermaid fabric with a sea shell ribbon.

I embroidered her face and got her felt hair base on. She also has muslin “under clothes”. At this point I hadn’t taken any pictures of that process but never fear, I have four more dolls to make!

I pinned her arms in so they wouldn’t get stuck in the side seams when I put her back panel on.

All I can say in defense of myself is that it was a new pattern, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, and I was in the zone! So voila! She was finished! The pattern demonstrates how to do the hair, but I made up my own style.

For doll #2 I picked the same blue for the body but different hair and a different dress.

Here is the pinning of the front hair piece on felt.

I hand embroidered the eyes in a color that coordinated with the hair I had chosen, and the dress fabric that I had chosen.

For her mouth I used tacky glue. I used double sided fusible tape to hold her hair in place.

With her muslin “under clothes” in place, it was time to pin the darts that are on the back of her. This makes it able for her to sit down. So yes, I had to sew her booty.

Pinning on her legs.

Arms and legs, both in place!

I had the fabric picked out but couldn’t decide on the first ribbon color. I went with green, what would you have gone with?

The green ribbon was in place, I pinned the first ruffle on the dress which also has a ribbon. For this I chose a pink gingham ribbon.

This is the yarn I chose for her hair.

I decided to give her the pom pom look. I used the green ribbon as an accessory.

Then there were two dolls!

BUT for a craft fair I needed more. So I laid out the hair, body, and dress for doll #3. I thought using this pink was taking a risk, but they are “weird” dolls, so I went with it.

Pinning and cutting out the muslin “under clothes”.

The back piece of the felt hair base.

The easiest way for me to transfer the face onto the fabric was to use an old piece of carbon paper. I love good ol’ carbon paper for crafts! I would suggest to anyone in the craft world to have some on hand!

The inside seams of her dress. I zig zag stitched the raw edges after I ironed the seams open.

Blink and you missed it! Or rather, I got in the zone again and didn’t take pictures! But here she is, while I was trying out a new hair style.

Braid in the back? I thought, “yes”.

With some little bows for her hair, she was #3!

Poor #4, she got this far before having a picture taken. She was waiting to get stuffed.

With yet another hair style, and a rosette and button for her hair, she was done!

One more to go, just because I had decided to make 5. I have no idea if any little girls will like the “weird” dolls.

Poor #5, she really didn’t get any pictures! But, I used a lot of the leftover elements from the other dresses. I was really enjoying putting the dresses together with whatever scrap was on my sewing table.

She got a different hair style as well.

And then there were 5! I wondered if little girls would like them.

Then my niece Lauren came to my house. She took one look at them as was mesmerized. Of course I told her she could have one. She named them all, but took home Isabelle, pictured again below.

Lauren also took a stuffed dog for Isabelle, but that’s another sew and another post! Lauren said if they didn’t sell to let her know! HA!

I think Lauren’s reaction was a hint that they will be popular. She was so happy with her! Now I need to make another one, but at least they’re a fun sew!

As for me, onto the next!