If there is one thing I have learnt about myself this summer is that I seem never to throw things away. I am a hoarder. This has been exceedingly useful during a summer learning about pioneer living. It has meant that we have spent almost no money on a really, really exciting and learning rich summer. This has been because I kept a cot in the shed, clothes from all five children in boxes littered around our house and leather from our old sofa in a black bag in the cupboard. It’s no wonder we feel there is not enough room for the humans in our house!
At the beginning of the week I attempted to turn two very old, stained aprons into a rag doll for my littlest girl. It was to very much be a rag doll with an emphasis on the rag. I wanted to turn something that really needed to be thrown into something that would once again be useful. I knew it would not be a pretty rag doll, but as Gary said they were called rag dolls for a reason!
I wanted to not only make the rag doll but also clothe it using the remnants from the aprons. I’m almost embarrassed to post about this, and I’m sure there will be seamstresses everywhere cringing, but this is what I did:
First A4 and I dyed the aprons using coffee grains as a natural dye. This turned the rather grubby aprons even grubbier, but they looked slightly skin coloured so I was fairly pleased:
Each apron had a pocket, which I cut around and turned inside out. I attached them together in pairs. I stuffed them to make a circular type rectangle. I sewed some scraps to make into legs and arms. I chose not to stuff these. Anything that makes life a bit easier, right? I also tied some material around the top half of the rectangle to separate out a head and body. This is my rag doll before stuffing:
After stuffing I rather haphazardly drew her a face using fabric pens and then started the laborious process of sewing on her hair. I thought it would take an hour or so at the very most, and then I would move on to the dresses and all would be finished by the weekend. Not so. It took me at least six hours to do the hair, and really it could still do with thickening a little, which I may or may not do tonight. Anyway, here is my slightly thin on top rag dolly, who A4 has named Raggy most probably on account of its complete likeness to a rag:
Yes, I made Raggy into a ginger nut just like her new owner!
Now, she won’t be remaining in her current immodest state. I have dyed the left over aprons using experimental natural dyes. I have finished the mustard (literally) coloured doll’s apron and the dress will hopefully be completed tonight (especially if I choose not to add any more hair). I’ll pop a picture of her in my Little House post tomorrow.