Creating a Cloth Doll Part 1

Since I have been making a bunch of cloth dolls lately I thought I would show you the beginnings, the basics.

As you see in the photo at right there are a variety of body shapes and sizes you can create. Your imagination can run wild with the possibilities. Three of the dolls have been dyed using Jacquard fabric dyes.

The fourth doll was created with a fun printed fabric. The design was cool starbursts so I used some embroidery thread to accent them. Yarn was separated and braided to create an interesting hairdo. Then metallic blue beads were sewn through the hair and onto the body. I’m not sure she is completely done yet. More beads or embroidery may be called for.

The green doll is a fairy design and the one I will use today. I started with a sketch. I usually sit and watch the tv and sketch out ideas for new dolls. Right now I am designing some fun small stump dolls for Mother’s Day that I will put into my Etsy shop.

After the sketch is satisfactory I use it to create my pattern pieces. I usually lay lightweight paper or tracing paper over the sketch and transfer the drawing to a bunch of smaller pieces, separating the arms, legs and head from the main body.  I keep in mind that the finished doll will actually be smaller in size than the sketch. This is because of the stuffing, it pulls the seams in toward each other. The body takes shape but reduces its size. To allow for this I draw my pattern just a tiny bit bigger than the sketch.

After I am happy with the pattern I cut out the pieces and lay them on the fabric. It is important to lay them far enough apart to allow for seam allowances. (at least ½” between each piece so you have a ¼” seam allowance outside the stitching) Pins are put in specific places to remind me where to leave openings for stuffing and to be out of the way when I stitch. Though sometimes I have to remove them during the stitching process because they get in the way of the foot.

The stitching is done around each pattern piece. This is a slow process because you want to keep everything as precise as you can. Setting the stitch length to 1.5 or 2 slows down the machine and makes it easier. Small stitching is also important because you are dealing with small doll bodies. You want them to hold close together when you fill the body parts with stuffing. Gaps in stitching look bad and cannot be easily hidden if you want the ‘skin’ to show without clothing.

Once all the pieces are sewn they are cut apart using pinking shears. This makes your work when turning a little easier. Curves have to be cut close to the stitching if you don’t use pinking shears. And even then you may have to snip some spots around fingers, wrists, necklines and around the feet.

There are two options for leaving a hole for stuffing the arms and legs. You can leave the hips and shoulders open or you can stitch around them to shape them and leave a side seam open about an inch. Either way you will hand sew the seam once the piece is stuffed. Some patterns call for sewing all the way around and then cutting a slit in the upper arm and thigh but for me this weakens the fabric and also has to be hidden somehow later on. I like to do the side seam, or shoulder and hip because they are not as hard to disguise.

For me the head is an important piece and gets extra work. On the back piece I stitch a rectangle around where I will slit it for stuffing. This keeps the slit from unraveling and stabilizes it. It stretches and can rip when trying to put stuffing in. Then I put the pieces together and stitch all the way around. I start at the top of the head and end there, overlapping the stitching. I will cover the top of the head with hair so I know the double stitching will be hidden. This gives the chin a nice smooth stitch. Then cut it out with the pinking shears. Use some small scissors to snip the slit in the back (fold the fabric to get a good spot). To accomplish this I use a washout pencil to draw around the pattern and then draw the rectangle. After sewing the rectangle I lay the pattern over the pencil marks and sew it together.

  

I turn the head, stuff it and then do the face (before sewing it to the body). I do the face early because I want to make sure I like the face for the doll. Plus, if I mess up the face I can make a new head and try again. If I sew it on before I do the face I might have to spend more time removing it from the body and possibly damage the body in the process. Sometimes you can create a cool face but it might be wrong for the doll you are trying to make. I have a bunch of heads waiting for bodies. I also like to experiment with different styles and ages.

When you are satisfied with the face you can attach the head to the body. Stuff all the body parts and then attach them to the body. I recommend sewing the legs first, then the arms and lastly the head. The neck is fragile and you want to keep the face as perfect as possible.

Turning the small hands and feet or fingers, is sometimes difficult. Take your time. There are turning rods that help with the process. But I also use a pin to work the tips out. You have to be careful not to pull the threads or poke holes in the fabric. Again, take your time when turning. It will be worth it.

The arms and legs can be sewn rigid so they don’t move, or they can be stitched through to allow them to move. The blue doll’s body is all one in one. The arms are not separate from the body. You can also do this with legs. The drawback is that the doll has less real dimension. It is all dependent on what type of doll you want to create. I am never satisfied with just one style. I think I get bored easily and like to try new things.

After the doll is stuffed and sewn together it is time to dye it, stamp on it, paint it, sew on it. Or whatever you want to create a unique and beautiful creature. Dye and fabric paints require heat setting after they dry, so I throw the dolls into the clothes dryer on medium heat for about a half hour.

Then it’s time to put on hair and clothes and embellishments. Next time I’ll show how I sew on the hair and start dressing the dolls.

You don’t have to make your own patterns. Check out the books at your local book seller. There are dozens of great patterns. You can also find some great sites on the web that offer free patterns. If you type cloth dolls in Google you will find a bunch of patterns for sale. Most of the doll artists sell patterns for some of their dolls.

Doll making is fun. It allows your imagination to go totally wild and create whatever clothing and hairstyles you want. I get to combine my sewing, painting, drawing, collage, and so much more to make just one doll.

  

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

Mermaid Art Doll Part 2

This is the second part of making the Mermaid Art Doll. I have been working on the doll for the last couple of weeks.

Once all the dye was set in the dryer I started putting on some beautiful sheer brown/green/blue fabric. I wanted a unique look so I pinned it into folds along the side of the body, over the chest and up onto the head. I added some to the head and around the face. This step took more than eight hours over a three day period.

 

Once that fabric was done I added the yarn hair along the front and sides. I had separated the yarn strands to give it a better effect as hair. Then I twisted it into interesting curls and added more sheer fabric to create a really unique look. Embellishments to the hair came later.

The velvet tail was sewn but not completely. I only stitched part of the way up the sides so I could add stuffing and to let me hand stitch the velvet around the sheer fabric. At this point I was hoping my vision would actually work out. (You don’t always know as you work if the ideas are viable.)

The inner tail wasn’t as flexible as I thought due to the wire. But I did get the velvet tail up over it and started adding stuffing and then hand stitching the seams. It took me a couple of hours to pin, hand stitch, and stuff the tail. Even after stitching the side seams and around the sheer fabric I added stuffing before finishing up the top edge of the tail. The stuffing was inserted through that top edge with the hemostat and pushed around until I got just the right look and feel. (When I add sequins and beads the stuffing and velvet tail will be fully secured to the underbody and nothing will shift in the future.)

Once all the stitching on the velvet tail was complete I decided to add more sheer fabric on it. It took another three or four hours to add it, but it looked right once it was done.

Then it was time to add the sequins, beads and more. Black sequins were stitched all over the doll and on the fabric on her head. I added strings of black beads to her hair and tiny green ones to the sheer fabric areas. The sequins and beading took a week.

 

More yarn was separated to look like sea plants and then attached to her hand. A couple of shells were sewn on the yarn. Then a polymer clay clam shell was added.

Then I made a polymer clay starfish that I decided was perfect in her hair.

Then I darkened the facial features and add more color to her eyes. I also used Prismacolor pencils to add some peach color to her face and other areas on her body.

The last thing I did was to make a tiny seahorse for her to hold. I used the last of the small green beads as accent. This little thing took a day to finish. Turning the nose and tail were tedious. But it was worth it.

She didn’t quite turn out the way I thought she would. But I like the results anyway. 

This doll is now available on my Etsy site for sale.

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

Mermaid Art Doll Part 1

Looking at photos of art dolls on Google images is very inspiring. I get so many fun ideas. One photo

of a doll by Virginie Ropar inspired the idea for another mermaid doll. Her doll was not a mermaid, but the designs on the legs were exciting. So I mulled it over for a couple days, designing in my head, making sketches to help me when it came time to actually work on the doll. (I have dozens of sketches and go through them every so often to help with design)

This new mermaid was to be different from the last two I created. Those were modeled on the idea of a real mermaid. This one would be more dark and powerful. I toyed with the idea of black leather for the tail, but I didn’t have any in my stash of fabrics. Then I found a small piece of some awesome dark green velvet. That brought a whole new set of images.

I already had a pattern for the last mermaid doll so I used that one. I didn’t have to do any math or thinking, I could just get started cutting out body pieces and start sewing.

I cut the main body pieces out of a nice cotton fabric. I like to create the body with a tail from the cotton because it gives the body stability. I then create the outer tail that slips over the inner tail and hand sew it on.

I sew the body pieces together, stuff them with polyester fiberfill and then sew them together. The head is done separately from the body to begin. I sew it, stuff it and then do the face, before sewing it on the body. I like to be sure I like the face before attaching the head to the body. It saves a lot of unnecessary sewing. I lengthened the tail a couple of inches because I planned to put in wire to allow posing.

Once I have the body assembled I use Jacquard Dyna-Flo Fabric Dyes to add interesting skin color. I work on getting the torso color to flow into the tail color, in this case to match as close as possible the dark green of the velvet. I keep the tail fabric nearby to compare. The velvet tail, the hair, and all embellishments will come later.

I let the dyes dry overnight. Then the doll went into the dryer on a medium heat for about thirty minutes to set the dyes. Then it would be time to add the tail and other fun stuff.

 

Here are the tools I use in doll making, besides my sewing machine. I have three pairs of hemostats to stuff the bodies. Pinking shears are valuable for cutting around curves to make them easier to turn. The turning rod and copper tubes are for turning fingers and small things.

In my next post I will show you the rest of the creation of this mermaid.

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist