Doll face ...

I'm not sure what possessed me, but I decided today that I had to make a Waldorf-style doll.

I Googled some basic directions and I got started.

Now, I'm not for certain, but my instinct tells me that the people most likely to make their own dolls will use organic materials such as wool, cotton and yarn.

I used an old sock, an old nylon stocking, some new 100% polyester knit in the color of "nude," and stuffing from the cheapest pillow I could find at the Odd Job. (I think I paid a total of $11.27 for supplies.)

First thing I did was take a couple of handfuls of pillow fluff and shape it into a ball. I stuck the ball inside of the (toddler sized) sock and tied off the sock near the stuffing. I added more stuffing and made a second lump (for the neck).

I tied a piece of string around the center of the head (eyebrows) and another string crossing the first (from forehead to chin) to give the face shape.

It kinda looked like this:



That bump a little off center and to the right is supposed to be a nose.

I covered the head with the toe and ankle parts of a white stocking (from Ittybit's old dance gear) and tied it again near the neck area.

Out of the knit fabric, I made a one-seamed tube sock-like thing and fit it over the head.

I folded some more of the knit material and cut out these basic shapes along the folded edges:



I know what you are thinking ... You can't believe I went to art school can you?

Neveryoumindthat.

After I had sewn the pieces, leaving the wider of the short ends open, I stuffed them with filler and set them aside.

I made a little pillow sack (about 2" square) and filled it with rice to weight the bottom. I filled the body pillow with stuffing and set in the rice. Next, I hollowed out a little of the filler material and inserted the head and neck. I sewed them closed.

Of course, then I had to seam-rip the thing back open because I had put the head at a cockeyed angle. You might want to check it before you sew.

This is the general idea:



Once the head was secured to the body, I folded over the ends of the limb parts and sewed them to the torso with embroidery thread and a large embroidery needle. (I sewed both arms and legs at the same time by passing the needle through the body.)

When I was done, the whole thing kinda looked like this:



The hair was pretty fun.

I wrapped a CD case with two layers of yarn and put a piece of Scotch tape along the top (front and back) and then cut the bottom.

I sandwiched the strands between a piece of tissue paper and made three passes down the center with  sewing machine.

I pinned the wig to the center of the head and sewed it on with similar colored embroidery floss.

I made another wig and sewed it on as if it were hair parted on the side.

This is what it looked like when I tied the second wig to the first:



Honestly ...

I'm having a bit of trouble believing this is the first rag doll I've ever made.



Of course now there's the matter of a face ...

... and some clothes.

Blank. Stare.