Making a Rag Doll

Video HERE

We've had a rather hectic month so my plan to make a Dotty-Daisy Box has been put on hold once more... Instead, to harken back to a simpler time, I've decided to make a tutorial out of one of the first things I ever made - back when I was about 9! - Obviously with more finesse!

A rag doll is, by definition, made of offcuts and ends left over from other projects. However, as I intend to sell these I cannot use really old or pre-used fabric for the doll or the stuffing, so I am making the bodies out of sturdy new-ish fabric scraps and fire retardant stuffing.

You could, of course, use a sewing machine... but I think that the whole point of doll-making is to do things by hand - and I'm certain that I could not handle all the tight curves on the machine. If you decide to make a huge doll, then the process should be easier on the machine. 

I have - by accident - made a lookalike of an old school friend and I was tempted to name the doll after her, but I think this time I will ask you to give her a name. I'll pick one at random at the end of April and the winner will get a prize!

You will need:

A Mug*

Scrap paper

Pencil

Ruler

Scissors

Plain and patterned fabric scraps

Lining/padding

Pins

Thread

Needle

Fibrefill or other Stuffing**

Dowel or Knitting Needle***

Yarn

Flat white sequins

Method:

1. Make your template. The diagram above indicates the rough proportions that I like to use.
2. Use the template pieces to mark out and roughly cut the fabric**** choosing a mixture of fabrics if you like, or patterned for the majority of the body and plain for the face, palms and soles of feet.
3. Pin together the face pieces and pad with lining before sewing down the front along the nose.***** Sew together the little crease in the back of the head, then sew the back to the front.
4. Sew the palms to the inner arms, then sew the arms together.
5. Sew down the legs to the feet then, if you want to you can set in the soles, or add then after stuffing.
6. Sew the shoulders and sides of the body, leaving openings for the arms and neck.
7. Trim to about 1/4" (7-8mm) - depending on the size of doll and fabric, use pinking shears if necessary. Clip the fabric around any corners being careful not to cut the stitching.
8. Turn everything through being careful to push out the ears, nose and thumb with the end of your *closed* scissors.
9. Stuff the head, arms and legs. Remember to tease out and open up the stuffing before using to get an even density. Be sure to push stuffing into the toes and palms.******
10. Set the legs into the bottom of the body, being careful to keep the length even - or go for a wonky effect if you like. Then sew into place either stitching through all layers to create a waist or just around the leg for an open joint. Set in the arms and sew. *******
11. Stuff the body quite firmly, being careful to blend in the hip and shoulder joints if you've left them open. Make sure the shoulders are well-filled to help support the neck.
12. Push in the open end of the neck and sew into place.
13. Decide on the colour of hair you want - I usually go for a selection of matching and contrasting colours - and pick out some yarn of the appropriate colours. Using a folder or notepad unroll strands of yarn until you have enough to cover the head.********
14. Double-up the yarn to find the centre, then sew each strand individually to the doll's head. I usually begin with a pair of parallel lines of yarn along the centre of the head, then one that goes all around the head seam, behind the ears. Larger dolls look better with another line between the seam and central parting, but that's entirely up to you. I usually put a few stitches in the ear as I work my way around.
15. Squeeze a thin line of glue along the stitch line to stabilize and child-safe the hair. Braid together a few leftover strands of yarn then sew along the seam line to create a neat headband-style effect. Trim and style the hair as you like.
16. Use pins to position two sequins for the eyes and the ends of the mouth then sew on the eyes and lips.*********

*Any circular shape will do, bear in mind your final doll will be around 5x the width of the cup from top of head to feet.

**If you're making a prototype then stuff with whatever scraps you have, but bear in mind that mixed scrap will not stuff as evenly as fibrefill and you could end up with lumpy limbs.

***You will need some kind of tool to push the stuffing in to the ends of your arms or legs, anything without a sharp point is usable - I used to use an unsharpened pencil with a rubber on the end.

****I prefer a very rough cut, with at least 1/2" (15mm) allowance. It can be difficult to work with some fabrics, they fray and unravel easily, so a larger allowance helps things to stay stable as you work. The smaller your doll the finer your fabric should ideally be.

*****This will add extra support to the face shape, but if you're going for a flat head then it is not necessary.

******I don't like a really stiff stuffing - as it were - I use enough to make an even fill. Don't pack in too hard or you'll end up with a peas-in-a-pod feeling. Roll the pieces between your palms to even out the packing.

*******Remember to push the needle through the body at the end of construction to hide the loose end inside rather than have it visible or accessible.

********It is difficult to estimate how much you'll need. I make a bundle of about 400 to begin with, then cut more as needed.

*********If you want you can use safety eyes instead - or buttons.

This was a great project, really simple and quite repetitive which was rather comforting. You can see that I've decided to make a whole range, so I have plenty of work to fall back on when 'spring' decides not to attend the shed. Now, I need to think about some clothes... come back next week for that tutorial.