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Saturday 4 April 2015

D is for...

Dollmaking - Cloth


Many years ago now... I think I was about 12 maybe a little older... I decided I wanted to make myself a doll. Now I've been searching and searching through my mother's books and I can't find the book I used then but I found all sorts of other books. I'm talking about the cloth dolls you make using a calico. They are pretty and simple and special because they are hand made. I love what I made then and I will make another with better made clothes eventually.

What is Cloth Dollmaking? 

I'm talking about the dolls made using Calico or other plain fabrics. They have become quite a fancy craft. For years before plastic dolls like barbie became the popular toys, before plastic became easy to get we had to make our own toys. Hence the cloth doll. I've noticed in the last couple of years they seem to be surfacing a lot more and they're getting fancier and fancier.

There are some specific off shoots, with Raggedy Ann being very popular since the book in 1918. But also the Waldorf dolls are a very cute faced doll. Just searching Cloth Dolls on pinterest/google search comes up with hundred of links.

Maybe you remember watching the Raggy Dolls show when you were growing up, maybe not but I know I loved those dolls. I used to watch the TV show all the time.

Some Examples

Here is the little cloth doll I made when I was a kid. I still love it but I might need to make a better outfit for it.



Now the doll above is a Waldorf doll. I found this picture from a lovely place called Sarah's Waldorf Dolls. Check it out she has a blog explaining how to make them but it doesn't look like she's very active anymore .... I will have to do some searching....

Where can I find out more? 

If you want to know more about Waldorf dolls you can check out the site above. Her blog still has some interesting stuff.

In my search for more information I found this website full of free patterns to download to make your own cloth dolls.

Also I know you can find a tonne of books around. The book on the right we've had for years but the book on the left I found at a second hand book store.



Happy Stitching,
Caitlin

P.S. Join me in 2 days ( so Monday) for E is for ...



3 comments:

  1. I am trying to visit all the crafty blogs at the A to Z challenge! Your post reminds me that my mom made me a number of cloth dolls when I was little (and outfits for them too!)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great blog and post! Enjoying your A to Z Challenge. http://musingsfromacrafter.blogspot.co.uk/

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  3. My sister and I had a number of cloth dolls produced as kits by Oxfam in the 1970s. We used them to perform Aladdin!
    Here is some information about the dolls-
    http://vintageruralretro.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/vintage-oxfam-make-your-own-dolls-trip.html

    ReplyDelete

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