Doll attempt #1

I have been seeing these dolls in magazines and the Internet
and think they're the cutest dolls ever!

Now I know I don't have a daughter to make a doll for,
but who says I still can't make one?

So I decided to give it try.


I made this doll a while back
and I thought I'd blog about it now.

On a piece of paper, I drew a body, neck and head, then arms and legs.

After I was satisfied that the pattern was good and ready,
I traced her onto a white scrap of fabric.

I cut out all the pieces:
2 pieces of the body, 4 pieces each of the leg and arm.

I sewed together the 2 pieces of the body,
leaving openings at the shoulders, at the bottom and at one side.

I sewed together the arm pieces, leaving an opening at the "shoulder".

I didn't have any toy stuffing,
but I did have plenty of cotton balls and decided to use those.

After stuffing the arms
I sandwiched them inside and between the 2 body pieces
(where I left the opening at the shoulders)
and stitched them into place.

Then I sewed together the leg pieces, leaving an opening at the "hip".

After stuffing them,
I also sandwiched them inside and between the 2 body pieces
(where I left the opening at the bottom),
and sewed them in place.

After turning her right side out,
through the side that was left un-stitched,
I stuffed her with more cotton balls.

I then hand stitched her side closed.

I decided the doll was way too white and needed a "tan".
So I gave her one by boiling her in coffee.
Which gave her quite a nice "tan".

After getting her tan she needed to be washed and dried.
So I threw her in the washing machine and then the drier.

And this is what I got.

Mistake 1) The neck turned out to be too long
and I had to shorten it after all the pieces were already sewn together.

Mistake 2) The hips turned out pointy.

Mistake 3) The arms at the shoulders were odd.

Mistake 4) I used cotton balls to stuff her.

Thaddeus found her and started playing with her...
"Did you find a doll?" I asked him. "Yes! And she's sad... she's crying."

Do not use cotton balls to stuff toys..
they become limp after being washed and dried.

Mistake 5) I should have stained the fabric first...
instead I stained the doll after she was stuffed and sewn together.
Which I then had to throw her in the wash and dry...
Making mistake 4 apparent.
So in a way this was a good mistake :)


To be continued...