Dolls-hand made ones
There are a lot of things you can create with old clothes and fabric. You need a lot of imagination and time. So...
1.
You take an old blanket. They are usually two-ply and mine was furry on the one side and fleece on the other I cut an opening and reversed it. I knew that the furry part would be the hardest and it kept fraying and gave me a headache but I soon managed it! The fleece was easier because it does not fray at all.
Then I used an old jumper from my daughter's stack.
3. Then I sew the body and left a cutting in the middle of the body. Otherwise putting it on would be hard. I then added a "belly" using leftover fleece fabric from an old scarf.
remember that you need 2 pieces of fleece to create an opening and a belly. Sew them around the opening so it does not fray...
4. Add buttons or zipper. I had only two large buttons so I used them and created a simple type of "frog" tie to make sure everything fits nicely and nothing would bother my kid when wearing it (or sleeping in it more likely!)
5. The leftover pieces were used to make the hood. I used a hood from a jacket to trace on the blanket and sew together. Then I sew the hood on the opening of the body. You can make adjustments as you go. If the opening is too small, cut more. If it too long, sew back. You cannot go wrong!
I have been trying to figure out how can some amazing doll artists create so many wonderful dolls. As a crafting person I have realized that it takes imagination and patience. I started with the Tilda dolls. They are fabric dolls that have simple shape and the magic is with their clothes. They are easy to make because there are alot of patterns and you can even make some of your own. I had bought quite some books from their creator, Tonne Finnanger, a Norwegian artist but you can also find thousands in Pinterest. I feel it is fitting to suggest the original books that I purchased from Amazon.
You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tildas-Studio-Over-Fresh-Projects/dp/1446301583/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1532094057&sr=8-6&keywords=tilda+books
Of course it has a wide selection of more books but I still prefer this one and I whole heartedly suggest it.
My Tilda dolls were created using scrap fabric. The body was made from old T-shirts in nude shades and the hair from scrap knitting yarn. As for the clothes, you can guess, they came from the same fabric used to make cushion covers and bed sheets. The shoes and boots were created using adhesive fabric sheets (from Tiger shops) and foam make-up buds that my
daughter no longer needed.
So, take a look at the result.
It's not professional but it wil do
just fine for me! I have created
7 dolls so far. I still have three
that are not for sale.
My next option was combibing what I had learned from the Tilda dolls with a new type of fabric dolls thaat were more simple ones. I have also used fabric (mostly scrap ones) like in the Tilda ones in nude shades and a variety of farics for the clothes.
The boots came from an unexpected place (Tiger shops)
and are actually erasers in the shapes
of boots. Quite funny!
The hair came from toy stores
(Jumbo) and are hair bands
that cost very little. The most
expensive hair extensions cost
as little as 4 euros and can
make more than 3 dolls with
a single extension kit.
The rest are on your imagination!
My mum also loved these.
I worked while we were
having a cup of coffee in
her kitchen and she
got to choose the fabrics
for the clothes. The objects
they are carrying were made
from bits and pieces II have
had around. So much for
originality!
I seem to forget the only
thing I had to buy: foam balls
that I used for their heads
and bellies. They cost even
less than doll stuffing material.
Anyway, check around for
directions. I am including
a video but you can probably
find better ones yourselves!
Anyway, they were so
fun to make that I made
quite a few.
The tutorial is far from complete but it will give you an idea of what it is about.......
So, I have tried to create some fabric dolls and some with fimo-clay.
Fimo-clay ones have proved to be the hardest so far. They take
too long to make. It is actually equivalent to making a small sculpture (every time) if you want to make a different doll every time.
Most artists make a mold and produce as many copies as they wish. Mold making is not easy but it pays off in the long run. I suggest taking a look at some of the techniques that other artists use.
1.
You take an old blanket. They are usually two-ply and mine was furry on the one side and fleece on the other I cut an opening and reversed it. I knew that the furry part would be the hardest and it kept fraying and gave me a headache but I soon managed it! The fleece was easier because it does not fray at all.
Then I used an old jumper from my daughter's stack.
2. I placed it on the blanket. I needed to trace it over the blanket. You can see that I folded it near the waistline.
That is because a full onessie goes all the way up! I needed to see the length of legs and the width. It does not really matter if you do not get it right. But you need to make it larger than the jumper ( or pajama) you use....
When it is ready mark it with pins and start tracing the body. I used up all my fabric. I traced the arms all the way up. Being sometimes lazy, I avoided cutting all the way around the blanket and kept the upper seam intact.
3. Then I sew the body and left a cutting in the middle of the body. Otherwise putting it on would be hard. I then added a "belly" using leftover fleece fabric from an old scarf.
remember that you need 2 pieces of fleece to create an opening and a belly. Sew them around the opening so it does not fray...
4. Add buttons or zipper. I had only two large buttons so I used them and created a simple type of "frog" tie to make sure everything fits nicely and nothing would bother my kid when wearing it (or sleeping in it more likely!)
5. The leftover pieces were used to make the hood. I used a hood from a jacket to trace on the blanket and sew together. Then I sew the hood on the opening of the body. You can make adjustments as you go. If the opening is too small, cut more. If it too long, sew back. You cannot go wrong!
I have been trying to figure out how can some amazing doll artists create so many wonderful dolls. As a crafting person I have realized that it takes imagination and patience. I started with the Tilda dolls. They are fabric dolls that have simple shape and the magic is with their clothes. They are easy to make because there are alot of patterns and you can even make some of your own. I had bought quite some books from their creator, Tonne Finnanger, a Norwegian artist but you can also find thousands in Pinterest. I feel it is fitting to suggest the original books that I purchased from Amazon.
You can find it here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tildas-Studio-Over-Fresh-Projects/dp/1446301583/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1532094057&sr=8-6&keywords=tilda+books
Of course it has a wide selection of more books but I still prefer this one and I whole heartedly suggest it.
My Tilda dolls were created using scrap fabric. The body was made from old T-shirts in nude shades and the hair from scrap knitting yarn. As for the clothes, you can guess, they came from the same fabric used to make cushion covers and bed sheets. The shoes and boots were created using adhesive fabric sheets (from Tiger shops) and foam make-up buds that my daughter no longer needed.
So, take a look at the result.
It's not professional but it wil do
just fine for me! I have created
7 dolls so far. I still have three
that are not for sale.
My next option was combibing what I had learned from the Tilda dolls with a new type of fabric dolls thaat were more simple ones. I have also used fabric (mostly scrap ones) like in the Tilda ones in nude shades and a variety of farics for the clothes.
The boots came from an unexpected place (Tiger shops)
and are actually erasers in the shapes
of boots. Quite funny!
The hair came from toy stores(Jumbo) and are hair bands
that cost very little. The most
expensive hair extensions cost
as little as 4 euros and can
make more than 3 dolls with
a single extension kit.
The rest are on your imagination!
My mum also loved these.
I worked while we were
having a cup of coffee in
her kitchen and she
got to choose the fabrics
for the clothes. The objects
they are carrying were made
from bits and pieces II have
had around. So much for
originality!
I seem to forget the only
thing I had to buy: foam balls
that I used for their heads
and bellies. They cost even
less than doll stuffing material.
Anyway, check around for
directions. I am including
a video but you can probably
find better ones yourselves!
Anyway, they were so
fun to make that I made
quite a few.
The tutorial is far from complete but it will give you an idea of what it is about.......
So, I have tried to create some fabric dolls and some with fimo-clay.
too long to make. It is actually equivalent to making a small sculpture (every time) if you want to make a different doll every time.
Most artists make a mold and produce as many copies as they wish. Mold making is not easy but it pays off in the long run. I suggest taking a look at some of the techniques that other artists use.
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