More Sock Dolls

Two more sock dolls I was commissioned to make these by the lady who takes recycling classes at my local community center.
They are slightly easier to make than the previous one.




The second one is a penguin but I didnt take a very good photo he came from a book of sock dolls I did quite like him he was no bother to make. He is waiting for a fish now and the girls for a boyfriend. I might get around to the boyfriends sometime.

Sock Doll

Do you like my sock doll she has go to bed eyes and hot lips well sort off. She is made from a sock cut up the middle from the toe to almost the heel sewn from one side of the cut around to the other making a horseshoe shape this forms the legs.Turned the right way and stuffed gather the top of the sock after cutting of the elastic top and that is the head. A scalf or ribbon can be tied around the neck area mine has a jumper cut from a leg warmer that has an elastic top this forms the neck. Next from another sock cut from the top of the sock down to about the heel for the arms sew up and stuff sew arm to body before dressed or after the jacket is made. There are better instructions on the internet with pictures if you search for sock doll. The eyes and lips are made from felt. She is now asking me for a boyfriend. I was inspired to make this doll having looked at the blog Doll Stories by Netamir. Her dolls are made from old jumpers and socks they are really good. As I dont have a supply of of old jumpers and I dont knit I made the clothes from my supply of old teashirts and fabric stash. If you click on the title it will take you to Doll Stories.

Bog Baby

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This is the Bog Baby I made from my own pattern from the book of the same name by Jeanne Willis. I made it for my granddaughter who is a teacher to take and show her class. Its a great book about a little bog baby found in a pond its a picture book with a story for the younger school child.
I drew the pattern out on paper not hard to do the feet and eyes were felt the wings lutrudor the tail plastic bag all bits found in my left over bag its only about six inches tall and fits in a margarine tub

Funny Things Softies

I liked making these haven't named them yet they come from the magazine Stuffed by Denise Litchfield. I love this Magazine but its so expensive to buy in the UK its cheaper to buy a book its around £18 to order online unless anyone knows where I can get it cheaper the same with Art Journaling.

Henny Penny Softie

Henny Penny already for my Easter Craft Stall
These were fun to make again the idea came from the same mag made by Christy Silacci mine are not quite so random as hers. I always start off with the intention of doing the frayed thing but it always ends up neat. I made the pattern myself and went from there with the embelishments.
I will do a black and red one if I have time

Dolls from Sew Me Love Me

Do you like these dolls I have named them Freddie Fox and Harriet Hound. They are great character dolls from the book Sew Me Love Me by Hsiu-Lan Kuei. I will make one or two more when I find time. One thing I liked was some of the dolls could be made from old jumpers without having to felt them although I havent tested these yet. I don't have very many all wool jumpers and the one I did try in the washing machine just wouldn't I even boiled it in a saucepan apart from the fact it stretched a bit it didn't felt. I must be doing something wrong. I bet if I put a new jumper in a hot wash by mistake it wouldn't be wearable well that's life.

Rag Dolls from Sew Hip

These dolls are very cute not a word I use very often. The pattern comes from Sew Hip it was quite an easy one I love their little faces and the rag hair I will try this on other dolls it was just small strips of fabric sewn onto the head in the middle and a knot tied with the ends. It was a good pattern the only alteration I made was attaching the arms properly through the body the doll maker in me wanted to do it the usual way.

King Penguin Workshop

I attended BQS on Saturday which is a local group meeting about four times a year this was my first time but I did know a lot of people there from my Embroidery Guild and Church. There were several workshops to choose from I made a penguin that I turned into a king with his crown as he had a hole in his head but the end he sat on was of course perfect. We had several sale tables and enjoyed our lunch together with a lot of chat. In the afternoon we had a talk by Ferret and her partner showing us some beautiful quilts the art quilts of naked ladies were wonderful almost like photos. Her nick name Ferret comes from biting someone as a baby. A good time was had by all and I look forward to going again.

Stuffed Striped Cats

I have been looking at Becky's Blog artofzinkibaru she has a delightful book she has painted with the story of two cats going on holiday to France and wait for it the cats are gay. I was so taken by Becky's painting of the cats I had to start making them.

This is how they came to life.

I first made a pattern cut it out in a course calico sewed up and stuffed them forgot to take that photo.

The first one I taped up and painted the blue and red stripes but when I took the tape off they didn't always come together. I dont seem to be able to think things through from the start but learn as I go along.

By the time I came to paint the next cat I had realised the better way would be to paint the cat all over first and then tape and paint the second colour for the stripes.

I used acrylic to paint them with here they are all tidied up waiting for their faces. The painting of the stripes took me twice as long as the sewing and stuffing. The tails are just tubes of calico with one of those arty pipe cleaners in and hand sewn on.

Cats for Becky

Having painted the faces I didn't want to part with them I shall have to make myself a cat but it wont have stripes maybe I will stamp some flowers on mine.

I did learn one or two things from making these cats mainly from Becky's Blog the word anthropomorphic which I had to look up means with human like characteristics and I found the lovely cats of Rosina Wachjmeister I might just buy a print or poster to put up on the wall. If you don't know her just put her name in search. Also the hearts of Jim Dine the American pop artist The names of the cats are Molly and Rosie and if you click on the title at the start of these postings it will take you to their very own book.

Ballerina Doll

I did enjoy making this doll the clothes are from my pattern the skirt is a circle of material with net underneath to hold it out with little felt shoes. I have had to hide her from my granddaughter as I want to take her to the craft fair if she doesn't sell she will have a home to go to.

Ooooops did I slip or did I do it myself

A Few Cloth Dolls

I haven't been blogging very much but I have been sewing I love these Annie dolls they come from a free pattern at Oh Sew Dollin which can be found in my links I did try to put it in this post but lost it all because I didn't do it properly I'm sure its quite easy to do but I don't seem to get the hang of it

I thought I might try selling my dolls at a craft fair this season so far Ive only tried my church craft stall. The local community center may be having one before Christmas and as I'm on the organising committee I should have a go. I did find another local one but by the time you have all the insurances they ask for an awful lot of dolls would have to be sold to even cover the cost

I thought I might call her Comfort she is made to love and be loved. She comes from a pattern in the magazine Sew Hip but I have changed her arms and legs making them shorter and stuffing them instead of leaving flat I also changed the face I don't always like dolls with the closed eyes. I wonder sometimes what the designer thinks when a pattern gets changed.

Tilda Dolls

Do you know the Tilda Books by Tone Finnanger who lives in Norway. I came across her books a few months ago I particularly like her dolls I have Springtime Crafts from which these are from I have her latest book Sew Sunny Homestyle that has an angel and several others based on the same pattern. These are the bunnies I think they are cute and I don't usually like cute bunnies hedgehogs teddies etc. I love the hats. In the book they are all made from linen which is on the expensive side so I have made them all from cotton some of which I have dyed.

These are the good witches a tradition in Scandinavia at Easter.
I like these as they are a bit different quite easy to make but the photo could have been better

Fashion Doll

This is Fashionable Freda the doll who likes fashion. The pattern comes from Mimi Kirchner and her felt dolls take a look at her lovely dolls on her website, see my links. I made mine in cloth being the cheaper option. I did adjust the pattern by making the arms longer and cutting out two for each arm I shall thin these the next time the hands were quick and easy to do.The clothes are my own patterns I was inspired by the book Fresh Fruits by Shoichi Aoki it is full of photos of Japanese girls dressed up in all sorts of fashion taken in Tokyo on a street closed to traffic on a Sunday. All sorts of combinations much wilder than mine I must try harder next time.

New Doll Finished

Here she is all finished. I have called her Rosy May her colouring is not as bright as the photo shows she is a more faded pink-peach colour. I have decided to give her as a birthday gift as she has turned out quite well.