Rag Dolls

I realised yesterday that I need to have a bit more of a systematic approach to my blog and the posts! Reading through previous posts, I saw that I had given one a title including the word dolls - and nothing about dolls in it, so I'm going to rectify that right now!

This photo on the left was taken last summer - during Cowes Week. I had made this rag doll for my niece - Maisie; this comes from another Step by Step workshop, this time the tutor was Julia Davis, one of the owners of the shop. The pattern was very easy to follow - and the bloomers extremely easy to make (so much so I've made lots of pairs, and adapted them to trousers). Julia suggested sewing the bloomers to the doll, but I knew that I wanted a rag doll who could be dressed and undressed - and then came the decision to make a rag doll for Maisie - and clothe it too! I've not made clothes before, so this was another new challenge for me. The clothes that the doll is wearing here is a dress that I invented - I changed the style of the skirt (it has a sort of kick-pleat affair at the back, but starting from the bodice), the sleeves were straight rather than being gathered. She has a pair of red bloomers, and a red petticoat under the dress. I also provided her with another pair of trousers and another petticoat. The additional petticoat has a waistband attached. I saw great potential in making dolls clothes, and so set about buying (yet more) fabric that would be suitable for clothes - making something a bit more glamourous. I've started on some ballgown / party dresses in satin - gold with holographic spots, pink with holographic spots, lilac / lavender, and lavender trousers in satin / silk type thing. I'd like to make a jacket with a chinese collar as well, but haven't got quite that far yet. This year for Maisie's birthday I sent down some more clothes for the doll:

I was particularly pleased with this dress. No, I didn't cut and sew all the strips onto black fabric - the fabric came like it already (thank goodness!). I used red broderie anglaise for the sleeves and bodice, and put shirring elastic round the edge of the sleeves. I added a belt, and both the belt and the bodice have press studs to do them up. I also made bloomers and trousers to go with the outfit (I think I sent them both down, although I could be wrong!):

With the bloomers I added shirring elastic around the bottom edge (but a little bit up), to give the appearance of old fashioned bloomers - all that is missing is a little mop cap! (or is it a mob cap? I'm too young to know!)

I love the look of broderie anglaise - it's so feminine and pretty.

The hair for the doll was made from wool, and it was chunky, with 2 'strands' of darker wool, and 1 of the lighter. I spent time unraveling the lighter wool, which gives the wavy appearance. The darker wool has not been wasted. I've used it on my own rag doll (the one made at the workshop), and her hair looks a bit like dreadlocks - it's quite thick.

Going through my photos of projects, deciding which pictures to upload and show on here, I have realised that I don't have any photos of my first rag doll - or any of the clothes I've made for her; I'll remedy that later.

Thanks to Kath for the comment on the last post - and Kath - I will CERTAINLY show pictures of the box I'm currently making, but you are going to have to wait about a month for the photos. It is a policy of mine not to show pictures of WIPs (works in progress) if they are being made as a gift for someone. I only post photos of such projects once the recipient has received the gift! I remember a pupil saying that he had seen my official wedding photos (he was the nephew of our photographer), and I was a bit put out by that; it didn't help that he shouted it out in a lesson!

I've posted a question on facebook - doing a bit of market reasearch, as to how much people would be prepared to pay for a handmade A4 memory box. Any followers or others reading the blog - I'd like to know what your view is on this. How much would you be prepared to pay for a memory box like the ones shown in my earlier posts? Each box is an original - no two will EVER be the same (even if I tried to make them so, I wouldn't manage it!)

Until next time, happy sewing / quilting / crafting

Branching out

Now that I have a bit more time on my hands, I'm taking advantage of my room. Nathan (stepson) is getting married 3 weeks today, and I'm making him and Vivika a memory box. The colour theme is black, purple and silver - our church won't know what has hit them - and I don't think Nathan and Viv were prepared for our church! Anyway, I've got 3 panels on the go for their box - a different colourway to those I've done previously, but great fun! I'm getting better at using the sewing machine as a pencil to write names, although the pesky rayon / metallic thread has been playing up.

A question was posed to my DH last night - how much would people pay for one of these boxes? I've posted this question on my facebook page, and wait with anticipation (and trepidation (is that actually a word?)) for the answers. Today I thought that I would share a couple of wedding projects with you, - but not projects that the recipients have not yet seen (fair's fair!). The first one is a book - hand made - put the papers together, sewed them together, made the cover as well. Th e cover is made using a technique I learned at a Step by Step workshop. The title of the workshop was 2 inches textured, and I did the workshop in February (I think) this year - I had to pull out of the workshop last year due to family bereavement; there was no way I was going to miss it this time around! The lady who runs the workshop is Vinnie Cable - a very talented lady; I believe she is an accountant by day, and textile artist the rest of the time. She doesn't just use fabric, she uses all sorts of materials in her work - including plastic, tyvek, sweet wrappers, foil from round wine bottles, the tough plastic that you find as pouches of chocolates (e.g. Roses). The technique is one that I love - I've made about 5 or 6 panels using the technique, in different colours. The great thing about it, is that you get such different effects and looks from the number of times and ways in which you cut, rearrange and sew the panel. This book used the panel I made at the workshop. Others used very different colours, but I had a specific idea in mind - something for my sister's wedding - so I wanted white, ivory, cream and gold. To look really effective and give it that 'zing' - you really need to have a way out colour in there - but I was quite happy with how mine turned out - and it gives a chance to use some of the more difficult fabrics (silks, stretchy, velvet, lace). I was also able to use some bits from the panels I made for my step-sister's memory box. I know that I am biased, but I think mine was the best looking one there!

Us quilters are a versatile lot, and having made a memory box for my sister, I used part of the panels for something else. This has now prompted me to seriously think about expanding my crafting repertoire further, and I've made the necessary steps and bought some (most) of the tools and materials necessary. I'm extremely reluctant to throw anything away - and I keep the 'remnants' of the box panels - for use in something else in the future. Caro and Stu's wedding (my sister and her DH) provided an ideal opportunity: cards. I was really quite impressed with how this turned out, and it is special because it is a link with the memory box I've made them. It's also a form of recycling - reducing waste, re-using materials. I now want to start creating a line of wedding cards, and general purpose cards. All I need now is a stamp to show who made it - either that, or I need to create some sticky labels. I have started to look into marketing these things - cost of materials, where to sell, how much to charge, - and the website www.etsy.com is one of the places to go to find similar things, and get ideas.

Having bought some card making materials, I had an idea about how I could use the stampers. I know that I can ink them, and print the design on paper; browsing TV channels brought me to Create and Craft tv - and I saw how the stamps are used with angelina and fusible film. That is really what prompted me to buy the stamps, but the other day I had a flash of inspiration: I have some pebeo setacolour paints, and I could use them to colour the stamps, and stamp onto fabric. Create and Craft channel - one of the best and worst channels I could have found; best because you see people creating and using the items they are selling, answering questions that people ask about how to use the tools and materials; worst - because there are so many items that you think you would quite like to have....seeing the Cuttlebug machines makes me wonder whether they would work with fabric as well....? Also makes me think that the Accuquilt system might be required!

Before I go to continue with my box making, a couple more things to share; two quilts (wallhangings) I made last summer for my classroom - great thanks go to Block Party Studios for their wonderful hand printed panels. These hangings seemed to go largely ignored by the pupils in my classroom, but when they came up to my desk, the hanging was handled, and they were suitably impressed when I told them that I had made them both!