Goddess Doll Progress

She is now stuffed and stitched up and still waiting for her hair. I haven't been able to pin down a knitter yet. I am going to visit my very smart sister tomorrow. She used to knit very well some years ago. Maybe she will remember how it's done and maybe she will do a little knitting for me.

I thought I'd jot down a few notes about how I make my dolls. First I take my fabric (cotton, of course) and fuse it to a heavy weight interfacing. I do the same with the muslin faces. Next, I sew the face to the body. (The face is drawn and heat set before it's attached in case I goof up). Then I add beads and other embellishments. All this is done on a flat surface.

When the front is completed, I cut out a piece of felt that co-ordinates with the colours of the front. The felt shape is larger than the actual shape of the doll. I hand stitch around the perimeter of the doll from about one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch from the edge, leaving a small opening for the stuffing. Once it's stuffed, I stitch up the opening and then trim away the excess felt.

The first dolls I made, I sewed right sides together and turned them inside out before stuffing. I hated, with a passion, doing it that way. If I only had the option of doing it like that, I would not be making dolls. So the method described above works best for me. I don't have a problem with fraying edges because the fusible interfacing pretty well keeps the edges in tact. If I were to start selling my dolls, which I may do once I have worked out all the bugs, I would add extra insurance by finishing the edges with a blanket stitch or some other decorative stitch or by applying some paint or Podge.

I have to learn how to embroider and paint and grrrr, knit. :) All these swaps I have joined are giving me a great opportunity to try out new things.

Yesterday, I almost completed two fabric ATCs. They just require a finish around the edge. And the most fun thing I started was my "It's So Ugly, It's Cute Dotee" doll. What a hoot that was. You're supposed to use three elements in it that you consider ugly, whether it's fabric, beads, ribbons, lace, whatever. Things that you bought in the past and later wondered "What was I thinking?" A good excuse to use up some of the useless stuff in the stash. I will try and finish her up today and post tomorrow or Monday. Lot's of fun.