Rag Doll Page 1, Craft Tales

Overview:

This is a 16" rag doll that features several variations. She can be made with either knotted knee and elbow joints, or string tied knee and elbow joints, rag hair or yarn hair, and two different faces. She can be made as a decorative shelf sitter or a rag doll for children. The head/body pattern is a template, which requires the assembly of different pieces of fabric and face preparation before it is cut out. The hands and shoe patterns have a 1/8" seam allowance included in them. The arms, legs and skirt are rectangles and have no pattern. Pattern available on the last page of instructions.

Materials:

You will need several scraps of fabrics and trims in your choice of solids, prints and colors as follows:

· 9"x 13" fabric for the hair

· 10"x 9" fabric for the hands and face

· 10"x 8" fabric for the shoes

· 18"x 13" fabric for the dress

· 8"x 9" fabric for the legs

· 25" ribbon for waist

· 10" lace or trim for socks

· 6" Bias trim for collar

· 40" embroidery floss for shoelace

· Polyester stuffing

· Weighting material - omit for child's doll

· 4 Chenille stems - omit for child's doll

· Thread

· Various fabric pens and pencils

Cutting:

Lay the pattern pieces on the fabric with the arrows on the straight of the grain and cut them out as specified below. All of the rectangles for the arms, legs and skirt are also cut on the straight of grain. There are several instances in which the cutting instructions state: Do not cut out. This refers to the piece as being part of the template that requires more assembly and sewing before it is cut out all at once.

Back of head and rag hair: Cut the piece of hair fabric as follows: one piece 5"x 4" for back of head, and one piece 9"x 9" torn into ½" to 1" wide strips for rag hair. The strips should be torn rather than cut in order to give the "ragged" look. After cutting, the strips can be pinned together on one end with a large safety pin, hand or machine washed and then dried in the dyer with a towel to further accent the ragged edges. Should the fabric not tear properly, cut the strips, and then fray the edges. Do not cut out the back of the head, it is a template piece.

Optional yarn hair - If you prefer yarn hair instead of rags, omit the 9"x 9" piece of material and substitute about 12 yards of yarn for the rag strips. If you do not have a scrap of material the proper color to match the yarn for the back of the head, you can "dye" muslin to the correct color by using a few drops of craft paint diluted in a tablespoon or two of water. Wet and wring out the muslin, then dip and swirl it in the diluted paint. Let the muslin drip-dry. This method does not make the fabric as stiff as just painting it, and allows for easier handling and sewing.

Hands and face: Cut the piece of hands/face fabric as follows: One piece of muslin 5"x 4" for face pattern, and one piece 10"x 5" and then folded in half for the hands pattern. When folded, this piece measures 5"x 5". Cut out two hand pattern pieces on this doubled material (this equals four hand pieces). Transfer the "sew to here" mark on the pattern to the fabric. Do not cut out the face, it is a template piece.