Search Results for: dolls

Another custom order completed

I really enjoy the challenge of a custom order. Matching requested colours, combining my style with the customer’s style.

This one is for a little girl with big blue eyes. The cute fabric for her dress is from Retro Mummy.
I have to tell you about the hair. The customer requested a “deep honey” colour which was somewhat challenging to find. At The Craft Circle I found this handspun wool that has the most gorgeous
warm, earthy tones of brown and gold. It suits the doll’s warm skin most beautifully.

Alright, enough gushing about dolls!
On the home front I’ve had 2 sick children this week so not a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to next week doing Easter crafts and preparation. Easter is such a special time, I love the closing of Lent, the beautiful Masses of Holy Week and the joyous celebration of Our Lord’s resurrection.

Have a great weekend!

Crafty Mamas get together

by Kelly 12 Comments

There were only a few of us but we had a great day. We met at Nat’s quaint and lovely home where she has an upstairs room devoted to sewing (yes, we were jealous!)

Above you can see Nat and Claire hard at work on their dolls.

Zofia and I marvelled at Nat’s beautiful sewing machine- computerized and so quiet and smooth.

Nat took to doll making like a duck to water.

Claire made a doll for her eagerly awaiting daughter.

We all determined it was a lot of fun and something to definitely do again.

Many thanks to Paul for his enthusiastic help with the children, he did a brilliant job.

Doll making tips

by Kelly 2 Comments

I certainly don’t consider myself an authority on making dolls, but here are a few tips that experience (and repetition) have taught me:

* Wash your hands thoroughly before starting. This may seem obvious but even the natural oil from your skin can affect your skin fabric, remember – your doll will have been held a lot before she is completed!

* Use quality materials. Costly, yes. Worth it? Yes! This includes your threads.

* Use small stitches. Whether you hand or machine stitch your dolls you don’t want them coming apart at the seams.

* I like to keep all my work tidy, even the parts that won’t be seen. It helps to develop quality workmanship and good habits.

* When embroidering facial features don’t pull the thread tight, just let it sit comfortably on the surface – no puckers.

* I use doubled quilting thread for sewing on limbs It’s particularly important when making dolls for children that the doll is strong.

* Sink stitches back into the body when finishing for tidiness.

* If your dolls legs and body are one piece, double or triple stitch the groin area, as it’s vulnerable to coming apart or ripping.

* For corners (around hands, feet, etc) use the stitch, stitch, turn method.

* Don’t rush! Enjoy the process and take time to be careful. As you become more practiced you will also get faster.

Hope you find something helpful there!

Baby knot doll

by Kelly 8 Comments

The sale of a few dolls lately has allowed me to be a bit adventurous and make up some new designs. This is my first knot doll, you just have to see it and hold it to know how cute it is! There is a little bell inside for a rattle.

I’m so loving this Hilco knit, it’s mighty expensive but gorgeous to sew with. I’d love to be able to afford to make the girls some clothes out of it one day, I know it would feel beautiful to wear. This little one is in my Etsy shop now.

Looking back over this week it’s a wonder I got anything done at all. The baby has chickenpox (making a good recovery now) and the other 3 came down with bad colds.
There has been a great deal of tomato harvesting and cooking, breadmaking, and a first time success with yoghurt making (I’ll share how soon). There has been homeschooling, piano lessons, Ash Wednesday, breastfeeding and piles of nappies and laundry.
And amongst all this I managed some sewing!!

My giveaway ends tomorrow, don’t forget!

Until then…………………

A new Lil’ Mim in the shop!

by Kelly 4 Comments

I’m on a roll with my dolls at the moment! This little lady is ready to attend a tea party.

Her cape and shoes are made from a beautiful raspberry hand dyed wool felt. The wool felt is from Winterwood. I made some cute little beaded clips for her hair.

Her hair is made with alpaca yarn, I love it, it’s so soft! Her pettiskirt and matching sleeves are a tea party print from Retro Mummy. Her body suit is a navy and aqua spotted knit from Crafty Mamas.

She is in my Etsy shop now.

Lil’ Mim giveaway!!

by Kelly 45 Comments

Here she is – the first Lil’ Mim I made after drawing up her pattern. I’m so darn pleased with my Lil’ Mim dolls that I’ve decided to celebrate by giving this one away. As I’ve previously mentioned, I plan to put out a pattern for this doll and some cute Lil’ Mim stitcheries when I can manage it.

This doll is 10 inches tall, made with cotton tricot and Hilco knit, stuffed with carded wool and her hair is a beautifully soft cashmerino aran. Her hair is styled. Her dress and pettiskirt are removable.

To enter please leave a comment. For an additional entry please blog about this giveaway with a link back to here and mention that you have done so in your comment.

The winner will be drawn randomly on Saturday 20th February.

Lil’ Mim

by Kelly 7 Comments

I have a new design and here she is! I created Lil’ Mim from a character based on one of my girls. My first thought was to launch a pattern for this type of doll, but I’m coming to accept that I can’t always do what I want all the time, in other words – the pattern will have to wait, I don’t have the time at present.

Did I mention she’s available in my Etsy shop now?

She is a smallish doll at 10 inches, simply because over the years I’ve discovered I like to make smaller rather than larger dolls.

I will be making a bunch of these in various colours and styles, I really love the pattern and feel it is the most “me” design I’ve come up with so far.

I have the prototype doll that will feature in a giveaway here next week, she is quite different to this one in her colourings.

My family and I are going away for part of the weekend (hooray, what a treat!!) so I won’t be around for a few days.

I hope your days until then are filled with many blessings.

Lil Mim has SOLD – thank you!!

Today is….

by Kelly 4 Comments

Enjoying the cooler weather and baking homegrown zucchini loaves. I must give you the recipe, it’s fantastic!

Feeling thankful for the overnight and much needed rain and bountiful harvest from the vegetable garden.

Watching new personalities emerge from lovely dolls.

Roasting and grinding coffee, filling the house with a beautiful caramel scent.

Making another batch of homegrown tomato relish.

I love a cool day after a hot spell.

Topsy Turvy doll

by Kelly 11 Comments

I had a friend as a child who had a topsy turvy doll, the lovely doll was very popular and I was very jealous! I decided to design one and make her for one of my girls (the one who loves dolls!) for Christmas. It was tricky figuring out the initial design, but with a bit of good old “winging it” she turned out fine and dandy. Do you know how they work? They’re attached in the middle (no legs) with the long dress covering one head so you only see the opposite head. Turn the doll and skirt over (upside down) to reveal the other doll! I love them, what do you think?

PEG DOLL TUTORIAL

by Kelly 3 Comments

To make your own peg dolls you will need:
* Wooden pegs, unpainted, unvarnished (available from craft stores)
* Acrylic paints (I used Jo Sonjas)
* Wood varnish (I used a satin coating)
* 12 inch (30cm) chenille sticks, various colours
* Yarn or wool felt for clothing.
* Pigma pens (optional)
* Craft glue

The first step is to paint your pegs, as you can see I mixed up a variety of pinks, browns and whites for the skin colour. Wait until the first coat is completely dry before painting again. Once again, allow to dry.

Now paint the legs, from the centre slit down to the tips. Allow each coat to dry before doing the next. You can make the legs spotty, stripey, plain, whatever you like. Then paint the tips with a darker colour for the shoes (I used black). Paint on hair in different styles. You can paint on the face if you have a fine paintbrush, but I drew mine on with Pigma pens. A word of warning – the varnish seems to smear the pen, so avoid varnishing the face, or leave to dry for 48 hours first (I don’t like to wait!)

When completely dry, coat the pegs with varnish and stand to dry. Coat again. You can use either a matt, satin or gloss varnish depending on the effect you want. Allow to completely dry.

Push a chenille stick to the top of the split in the peg. It should have fairly equal amounts on each side, but you can trim them later so don’t worry too much.

Taking the chenille stick from the front, wrap it around the body of the doll twice, winding up towards the head. The last wrap should go around the back of the head and stick out at a 90 degree angle to the doll. You can see I’ve also bent the other stick at an angle so it doesn’t get caught in the first wrapping.

Now take the chenille stick from the back and wind in the opposite direction, around the body twice again, and around the back of the neck as before. Trim the arms if they are not equal or readjust your winding.

Put a small dob of craft glue at the back, just underneath where the arms cross. This is not essential, but helps to hold them in place.

Now for the clothing. To make a knitted dress: Cast on 12 stitches (4 ply) on size 4 needles. Garter stitch (you can do stockinette stitch if you prefer) until the dress is the length you want, I think one of mine was 10 rows for a short dress, 15 for a longer one. Cast off. Wrap the dress around the doll, letting the arms stick through. Sew up at the back.

For a wool felt dress: Cut a piece of wool felt 2.5 inches x 3 inches. Holding this up to the doll, mark where you want the arms to come through. Make holes on the marked places with a seam ripper or metal skewer. Pull the arms through, wrap dress around and sew up at the back. There are lots of little embellishments you can do to make really pretty little dresses.

Another idea is to wrap the arms with embroidery floss, I might do that next time.

Now, I think every pretty girl needs a place to rest her head, watch this space for the next installment!

P.S. I would appreciate any suggestions for improvements for this tute, or any errors. Thanks!