MAKING A PRIMITIVE DOLL STEP BY STEP
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Getting Started! Gathering Annie makin supplies.
Makin Cyndy Ann stuff!
I wanted to show the muslin before I machine wash and dry it. The piece on top has been machine washed and dried and tea-dyed and hung out to dry. I give detailed instructions of how I tea-dye with each pattern. The tea-dyed piece on top is actually darker that it looks it the picture.
This is the cut out pattern waiting for the dots for the features to be punched. I take a large needle and punch the dots on the pattern, just big enough for a mechanical pencil point to go through.
The back of the pattern after the dots have been punched.
Pin the pattern piece to the muslin and cut out. Using the mechanical pencil, put the pencil point through the punched hole on the pattern and make a dot on the fabric.
The dots and then the dots connected. The face is transferred.
ADDED 5-28-07 I was asked how the face transfer would be on the outside after sewing and this is if you are wondering that too. After you mark the dots and connect them, lift up the top marked layer of fabric and turn it over and place the marked side down on top of the other body piece so that the marked side is on the inside when you sew. When you turn the piece it will be on the outside.
Now you can do the face anyway that is easiest for you, I just love this method, it will be the same every time! These doll making techniques may not be the fastest, I admit, but the results are great! Do whatever works best for you! Of course!
Cyndy Ann is ready to be sewn together. Now just transfer the legs the same way as the face and pin the whole annie together and stitch with a very small stitch on the machine.
I always line up the edge of my pressure foot with the edge of the fabric and this is how much seam allowance I use. Now, Cyndy Ann has been stitched together and the seam allowance has been trimmed, leaving extra on the bottom for turning in after stuffing.
Now she is turned and ready to be stuffed.
There are several tools that can be used for stuffing. These are my favorites. My homemade stuffing tool and believe it or not, the screwdriver that came with my sewing machine! I stuff pretty full on most dolls, put it all depends on the end result that you are wanting. There are different stuffings that give a different look and feel to the annie. With each annie you make, stuffing will get easier and you will know your favorite type to use!
To blush the cheeks, just dip the tips of the brush in the paint and then pounce the brush on a scrap of muslin to remove the excess paint. Lightly apply "blush" to Cyndy's cheeks. Next I use a 3/4 inch button to draw the circles for the white eye backgrounds. TIP: Do not draw these until after stuffing, if you draw them before stuffing they will not be perfectly round, they will get distorted during stuffing!
Using a 3 inch doll needle enter at the back of the head at the eyebrow. Have a knot in the end of the thread and pull it just through the muslin on the back of the head.
Stitch the whole face with one piece of thread. Exit at the top of the head and take a stitch to secure thread and bury the ends. Pull thread slightly and cut, the end will go back into the stuffing and will not show. TIP: I used black perle cotton size 8 on this Cyndy Ann. I also use black or dark brown linen thread, black embroidery floss, black crochet thread and even black cotton quilting thread. They all look great and give different looks, just whatever you like best. Try them all, JUST HAVE FUN!
Next do the same for the nose, enter on one side stitch back and forth and finish the same way as described above. TIP: When stitching the nose back and forth, don't just go right under the fabric, go down with each stitch and try to get a little stuffing with each stitch. This will make the nose more secure and the stitches will hold better and not be loose. I used linen thread on the nose, but crochet thread or perle cotton works great, so does embroidery floss.
Next I paint the circles for the eye backgrounds. I use a dry paint brush, just a little paint, excess removed, just go around and around like you are coloring inside the lines. You may want to apply more than once if you do the dry brush method. This helps to avoid messing up.
I use these 4 hole black matte buttons and try to sew them on secure, but NEVER use them for an annie intended for a small child.
To sew the hair on, I use a 3 inch doll needle threaded with strong thread that matches the hair. Go through and then back around and through the same place again to form a loop. I cut the thread and leave the ends about 6 inches long.
Make a stitched loop with these 6 inch ends everywhere the hair bundles will be.
I make all 5 bundles. I slightly spread my 4 fingers and wrap the yarn loosely around them 5 times. Slip bundle under the loop, pull thread ends to tighten up loop really tight. Tie two or three times. I always bury the thread ends and then trim.
The hair sewn on.
After sewing and trimming the seam allowance on the arms and legs, I use hemostats to turn the pieces. (Just reach in all the way to the end and grab and pinch the fabric and gently pull it through.
This is how I sew the arms on. After I sew the first one on, I go through with the needle and do the other arm. I use a tea-dyed color perle cotton size 8 or cream colored crochet thread.
Here are the legs. On the left you can see how I use the connect the dot method to get both shoes exactly alike. I paint the outline of the shoes first with an old nubby small paint brush that I have lots of control over. Then I fill in with a bigger softer one. When they are dry, I sand lightly with a piece of very fine sand paper. Then I paint the socks. PLEASE go lightly with the sand paper or you will make holes.
Here are the brushes I use. The top one is stiff and nubby.
Sew the legs on like this with strong thread. TIP: I used the perle cotton size 8, It is smooth and glides easier through the many layers
After I have cut the dress out of fabric, I gather the skirt pieces to fit the bottom of the dress tops and pin them on.
Then I stitch the bottom and top pieces together so I have a front and back now. I put the two pieces together with right sides facing each other and pin it together so I can stitch them together on the machine.
The bloomers are cut out and pinned and ready to be stitched. And now here they are, seams trimmed, legs turned up 1/2 inch and hemmed by hand in linen thread. Waist is turned down 1/2 inch and has a hand stitched drawstring of perle cotton. (or cream crochet thread)
Here is the little dress after I have Stitched it together, trimmed the seams, turned up the bottom hem twice, sleeves once and hemmed by hand. I wanted to show you a close up of how the neck is turned in and a drawstring is hand stitched all the way around and it lays really nice and smooth with these tabs for turning in. (You have to look really close to see the tabs)
The dress ready to put on Cyndy.
The bow is just a scrap, sewn on like the hair bundle were.
Credits:
All and full credit for anything I have or anything good I am able to do goes to one and only one:
Jesus, sweet Jesus!
My Lord and my Saviour and my God!
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