A Nameless Rag Doll

I have yet to name this doll, but I imagine it being something befitting of a girl of the mid-nineteenth century. As a girl of that era, she wears a pink calico frock, muslin pantalettes, and a muslin apron. Her hair is one plait made of the type of yarn intended for washcloths and the like. I quite like it in this context -- it's endearing, but without the frizzy wisps that acrylic yarn unwinds into!

I've actually gone and hemmed everything quite neatly this time...

And the French knots I used for her eyes have stayed!

She's such an endearing creature; yet I cannot think of a name!

Past Workes: Meet Clara

Meet Clara. She may have a few rips and tears here and there, but that's precisely what gives her that primitive charm. As any proper girl of the early- to mid-nineteenth century should, Clara wears a quilted sunbonnet to keep from getting sunburned. She wears her favorite brown checked dress so often that it has a bit of a tear in the back and the elbows are nearly worn through. She doesn't mind, though. When the fabric wears out in places, she can just stitch a patch on the afflicted region, as was necessary with her apron. She's quite proud of her petticoat, since it's the first garment that she stitched all on her own. She can't wait until she can let the tucks in her dress and pantalette hems down herself, given her newfound needlework prowess.

Clara was my second Gail Wilson project. I sewed her from the "A Doll for Disney" kit, and she was a delight to make! At about 16 inches tall, she's my favorite size doll to make. Gail Wilson's detailed instructions made Clara come to life without much trouble at all. I found that the antiquing methods, none of which I'd tried before, really gave Clara a unique patina. As I sanded her clothing and cut holes in her bonnet and the toes of her shoes, I wasn't destroying her, but rather, I was letting her story shine through.

I especially loved the way her hands came out. I painstakingly stitched her fingers, and they were greatly emphasized by the antiquing methods. So, I made her a little cloth bird to hold in her hands.

A few years ago, I got a fantastic doll cradle from Colonial Williamsburg. It fits Clara pretty well, so I made her a ticking pillow and quilt to go with it. Since I'm not much of a quilter, I don't have any batting at my disposal. So, the quilt just has a front and a back. I find that the lack of bulky batting makes the quilt better for a doll scale. Also, I hand stitched the quilt, so it probably would have been harder to hand stitch batting.

Cora, a 19th Century Reproduction Rag Doll

This is Cora, a doll that I picture as being the companion of a little girl living on the prairie in the mid-1800s. Cora is an original design and was made without a pattern. She was hand-stitched and is stuffed with natural wool roving, which gives her a nice, weighty feel. Her sweet countenance was hand-embroidered and needle sculpted. Her braids are made of English mohair that

I dyed myself. She wear

s a calico bonnet to keep the sun from burning her fair face. A sunburn would be unsightly! She also wears a green calico dress with long sleeves and a hem that reaches her ankles. Over that, she wears a simple muslin apron and a shawl. Under her dress, she wears pantalettes that she tries very hard to keep neat and clean; however, the dusty prairie makes this a trifle challenging! Her legs are made of blue and white ticking, so she has "stockings" on at all times. Also, unlike most of my other dolls, Cora wears shoes. Cora quite enjoys wearing her little boot-like shoes. She says they make her feel like she's a fancy girl from the town where her little mistress' papa brings the crops to market.

A Jane Eyre-Inspired Rag Doll

This is Jane, a rag doll inspired by the Jane Eyre miniseries. She's an original, OOAK design. Jane is entirely hand-stitched and stuffed with natural wool roving. She's wearing a bonnet that's been sewn to her head, a muslin apron and pantalettes, and a blue-checked dress. The dress was inspired by mid-19th century frocks, and it has two rows of tucks along the bottom hem. She's available on Etsy!