How to make a cuddle doll - Part 2

Ok - as promised, here is the next part where we see the doll coming together.

Now we ready to stuff the legs. I use a combination of wool batting and Merino wool knops to get a soft, cuddly stuffing.

The legs are then gathered at the waist and sewn onto the body. Then the feet are made by running a small gathering stitch around the 'ankles'.

The arms are then sewn with neat stitches onto the legs.

Now it is time to make the hands. The hands are sewn on the sewing machine with a stretch stitch and then trimmed to shape.

The hands are now firmly stuffed with more wool and tied with lined thread.

Next the hand is rolled in a length of wool batting and this is used to stuff the arm.

The hand is sewn in place at the sleeve.

We are nearly finished! For this doll I wanted to experiment with some embroidery stitches for sewing on the hat. Here I am using herringbone embroidery stitch. 

Here is the finished doll. I hope you have enjoyed reading about the way the doll is made. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in attending a workshop or have a request for a special doll in mind.

I have one more workshop before Christmas, starting on 6th November.

Best wishes

Sam

How to make a Waldorf Cuddle Doll - Part 1

In this post I am going to explain how to make a Rainbow cuddle doll. I love rainbows and I love cuddle dolls, so putting the two together has been something I have wanted to do for ages.

I will do this post in two parts, as I think it will be rather long. I have tried to take photos as I worked through each process.

The first step in making this rainbow cuddle doll is to dye the fabric. I took a good quality double raised flannel and cut it into strips the correct length to make the hat, arms and legs. 

This shows the fabric during the dying process being dipped into the second colour - blue and yellow into green.

This is the fabric after dyeing, drying on the washing line. It is in the same order as the doll (and a rainbow). Red/orange will be for the hat, yellow green for the arms, dark green, blue purple for the legs.

The next step is to make the head and 'heart' of the doll. The heart is the part the child will hold onto when they cuddle the doll. This needs to be firm but not as firm as the head.

I start by making a tube which is gathered and secured at the top. This tube is then filled with sheep wool. The top is stuffed very firmly to make the head and the bottom, less so to make the heart.

The tube is then secured at the bottom and linen thread is tied around to form the neck.

The face is then shaped with more linen thread.

Now it is time to sew the body. This is made in two parts - the arms and the legs. They are made from a simple rectangle shape. Above I am marking out the feet and getting ready to sew.

I also sew the arms leaving a gap to put the doll's head through (sorry no pictures of this). I also cut the other side of the arms so that the head can fit through.

 Next, I am going to embroider the face. I usually do the eyes first and then the mouth, making sure they form an equilateral triangle.

 Here the face embroidery has been done and I have tried a hat on for size.

Ok  - in the next 'How to make a Waldorf Cuddle Doll" post you can see how it all comes together.

best wishes

Sam

Brynja for me

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The last few winters I have tried to knit at least 1 item each for my little family (admittedly Fil only gets gloves or a hat).
Usually, I start with the kids and by the time it is my turn Spring is on it's way and the project is put away for another year.

This year I decided to start with me!

I made the Brynja by Helene Magnusson. The 10 ply merino knitted up really quick and the thought of doing the lovely colour change pattern at the top kept me motivated through the second sleeve.

getting ready to Steek

This project is knit in the round and then the front is cut open (called Steeking) and a knitted border added for the button holes.

starting to cut

My kids were very entertained by the idea of me CUTTING the knitting I had just completed. I have come to love it  - and it adds some drama to the making of a cardigan!

Fil made me some lovely wooden buttons. He strung them up so the oil could dry.

So, here I am in my new cosy cardigan and still plenty of knitting time until Spring.

I am planning to knit something for Evie next. Apparently she wants exactly the same so we can be matching! I'm not really one for matching clothes but I guess that is a compliment in many ways.

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As for Steeking - I have already started my next 'Steeked' project - a blanket.

Joining in with Matariki Crafting at Tartankiwi.

Mid -Winter Crafting

Winter lantern Festival

I have been doing quite a bit of mid-winter inspired crafting lately.

I would like to show you is this lantern that I made with Theo. He was home from kindi for 2 weeks whilst unwell and as he recovered we found the chance to craft together.

He missed out on making a lantern at school, which is a yearly tradition ending with an evening lantern walk - so we made our own. A quick look through Pinterest and we were all set.

 This is what we made.

We used vegetable oil to make our water colour paintings translucent, then I did lots of folding whilst Theo claimed he was hungry! A bit challenging for a small boy - fun for me.  A very good and detailed tutorial is here

Then we had to be very patient and wait for the glue to dry until the next stage! time for a snack.

We then stuck the base and spent time shaping the lantern - sorry too busy folding to take photos!

We were quite pleased with the result and they are nice and sturdy. The addition of a 'twisty' for a handle and we were ready to go.

Lantern in use at the festival.

New doll

Hello! this week I bring you a doll I have just put the finishing touches to  - like hand sewing a rolled hem on the top of her t-shirt as it is so tiny!

I have made both girl and boy dolls and have read a fair bit recently about boy dolls and boys playing with dolls. In our house this is just normal and the gender of my children's dolls seems quite flexible at times!

However, for this doll I wanted to make a girl doll who wasn't quite so 'girly'. Maybe on reflection I was inspired by the changes in my own daughter who now prefers trousers and most other colours to pink.

Anyhow, I think she turned out quite lovely. What kind of doll would you like to make and who for?

Doll love

I love making dolls.

Here are a few of my favourites that I have made.

I discovered this type of doll through attending my local Steiner Playgroup. The dolls at playgroup were different, made from natural fabrics with simple features. I bought a book on dollmaking and made my first doll for my daughter's 3rd birthday.

What I discovered when I made my first doll was that there is much more to a doll than merely fabric and sewing.

As the doll is formed it starts to take on a personality, a character. I was genuinely surprised by this and totally fell in love with making dolls.

However, it is when you give the doll to a child, the real magic begins.

Evie and Lily

When I make dolls, I make sure I have time and am not rushed and therefore have only started regularly making dolls for others fairly recently now my children are a little older.

I usually have an idea as a starting point but stay open to the character of the doll coming through. 

Sometimes the finished doll will be quite different from the idea that first started.

I currently have some dolls looking for good homes, either at our Felt shop or you can visit some in person if you are local at a very special little shop called Forest Folk.

Doll Making Classes

I am very happy to have the opportunity to share my doll making skills with you in 'Doll Making Classes' held together with the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School craft group. 

"It is a beautiful thing to craft a doll with your own hands, sew it together with love, then make a gift of it to your child with these words 'I made this for you!'"(Sara McDonald, Magic Cabin Dolls).

If you are interested learning doll making then please get in touch - all the details are below. There is a limit of 6 places this time. All proceeds go to the school.

 

For more details and to book go here.

Best wishes

Sam

Hello Ello

My daughter Evie loves the doll I made her for her 5th birthday. She is called Lily and really is part of the family.

This is Evie and Lily in London recently when we went for a visit - yep, Lily goes everywhere.

Naturally, my son Theo has been anticipating having a doll like Lily of his own. He already has a few but not one that you can dress and undress.

When recently I started making dolls again, Theo brought me some doll skin fabric from my stash. "Let's make a doll Mummy."

Well, how could I resist?

So, over the next few weeks we worked on Theo's doll together in that funny hour or so after lunch and before we go and collect Evie from school. I made the head myself first as this is not something that is recommended to do with young children, and we did the rest together. I sewed and Theo helped in the way 4 year olds do. ahem.

This is the story of how Ello was born.

First we covered his head in skin fabric. Theo started to play with him straight away, before he even had a body! He chose the beautiful colours for his eyes and red wool for his hair.

Then we carefully cut out and sewed the fabric for the arms and the body and weighed out the wool to stuff the arms.

We stuffed the hands first. Nice and firm.

Then we put the arms on the top of the body - my helper carefully took out the pins.

Next we stuffed the body with wool.

The head and are were then put into the body of the doll ready to be sewn up.

Theo asked me frequently if the doll was ready yet? No, not yet - soon.

Then one morning (soon after) Theo awoke to find his new friend wrapped in a blanket at the end of his bed.

"I cradled him in my arms Mum, and he is called Ello"

Pattern Making - Toddler doll

There have been a few late nights in my little sewing studio lately. I have been working on a new pattern for a toddler doll.

I made this doll (above) a few years ago for a friends toddler. She wanted a doll that had clothes but at that age they are not quite big enough to dress and undress a doll so a 'dressed' doll is more practical. I did however put a little hat on this one and underneath the hair has tiny pig tails - very cute.

Anyhow, I have been meaning to make more dolls like this and develop a 'toddler doll'. So recently I have been in the studio doing just that.

I had kept one of the pattern pieces I had used before - the trousers, but not top, so I had to make a new one. The first doll came out too thin. It is important to get the proportions of the doll correct. I have since read that some doll makers recommend making and stuffing the body first and then make the head to the right size. Something to think about.

My second pattern turned out a little too, err cuddly! I like cuddly, but the proportions again, not quite right and satisfying for the child to play with. More cutting and tweaking, working out new ways to make the doll so it is stronger and long lasting. This is one of my favorite parts of the process.

So here she is - one of a new design of toddler doll. Cuddly but not too cuddly and the body is in proportion.

This doll and a few other friends you will find in my Felt shop here. Thanks for stopping by....

Sword and Shield

Sometimes it's the kids who come up with the best ideas.

Fil made some wooden swords and shields for Theo's recent 'Knights and Dragon' birthday party. Nice and small and light weight for the kids and not too pointed...

After the party the kids had the idea to paint them. They love painting wood and often come in from the workshop with bits of wood to paint.

We painted them with some poster paints and used sponges and rollers to get some good effects.

Theo gets very absorbed in his painting and often paints himself too! Great fun.

We have some lovely new swords and shields freshly out of the workshop for you folks too at our shop. 

Have a great week.