Making dolls an exercise in creativity

Every so often I get a yen to make dolls. I don’t know why. As a child, I never played with dolls all that much. Dolls were such a bother. They had to be carried around and that interfered with my propensity to investigate and learn the world with my fingertips. Or the doll had to be wheeled around in a carriage and that put a crimp in my desire to run toward things. Sometimes a doll was more responsibility than I wanted.

Yet, I have a trunk full of rag dolls I’ve made over the years whenever my creative impulses propelled me in that direction.

One of the things I like about making a rag doll is that the cost to make it is very little or nothing, depending on what I have on hand for supplies.

The dolls I like best are the ones I concoct from my own crude patterns, which I draw on a sheet of 81/2- by 11-inch paper folded in half lengthwise. These dolls are usually “folksy” in style with simple embroidered features and clothing that is rough around the edges. I often dip the fabrics in tea to brown them up a little and I like the cloth to be a bit crumpled. I leave edges to ravel and sew big, mismatched buttons on the clothes.

I like to stuff these dolls with fine sawdust to give them a pleasing weight and make them sit well on a shelf – until into the trunk they go.

Most often, the dolls I make are not intended as playthings. Nor can they be construed as “art.” At best, they are a personification of my creative impulse to employ a variety of needlework skills – sewing, embroidery and pattern-making.

Making a doll, I have found, requires certain things. It needs to be sewn by machine, otherwise the seams won’t hold up against the pressure of stuffing. Curves at the neck or waist need to be clipped so the shape will be true when it’s turned. If the stuffing is fiberfill, a knitting needle or a chopstick makes a good “tamper.” If the stuffing is sawdust, a funnel is a handy tool to have around.

Mohair yarn makes good hair for dolls, but for dolls of a crude variety, I make a row of French knots along the seam line at the top of the head. Sometimes, I paint on the doll’s hair with craft paints.

Recently, “Toys to Sew,” by Claire Garland, came across my desk. It fed my interest in doll- and toy-making. It’s a delightful little book containing instructions for dolls, animals and doll clothes. A doll featured in the book is a whimsical creature with long legs and appliqued felt eyes. Her clothing includes a faux fur-trimmed vest, socks and a poncho. Her male counterpart sports a Hawaiian shirt, a red raincoat or a navy blue turtleneck sweater. A ballerina, a pirate and a fairy angel are other versions of the doll.

Children who love stuffed animals will delight in a handmade pink elephant, a crocodile, a traditional teddy bear, a puppy, tiger and monkey crafted from socks, and a T-rex dinosaur of red felt – patterns moms who sew will have little difficulty working with.

A bevy of little felt bears in waistcoats rounds out the book. Patterns and templates, which need to be enlarged on a photocopier, are included. Machine sewing skills are necessary to make the toys.

To learn more about the book, call your local bookstore or local library.

Snippets

Visit marthastewart.com to find free directions for making small rag dolls.

A compendium of free cloth doll patterns and tips for making them are available at www.clothdollconnections.com.

A By Hand reader from Patten e-mailed to say that those who want to learn more about the Japanese art of sashiko will find nearly 100 patterns and lots of how-to information in “The Ultimate Sashiko Source Book” by Susan Briscoe.

Stitches from the Heart, a national organization based in California, needs volunteers to knit, crochet or quilt blankets, sweaters and hats for babies in need. The items are donated to hospitals throughout the United States. Patterns are available. Donated yarn is needed for senior’s and children’s knitting programs. For more information, call Kathy Silverton toll-free at (866) 472-6903 or e-mail StitchFromHeart@aol.com. The Web site is www.StitchesFromTheHeart.org.

Call Ardeana Hamlin at 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.