The Winner & A Day in the Life...

Thank you to everyone who entered my Blog's 3rd Birthday Giveaway. The winner of the prize above (chosen by a random number generator) is .....

Number 111....which is...

Isabel of Maison Douce.

Congratulations to you Isabel! Your prize will be on its way to you soon!
***

Moving on...I am often asked how long it takes me to make one of my rag dolls.
The simple answer, recording the actual physical work, is usually one full day. However, I am always on the lookout for vintage fabrics, trims and embellishments, which get neatly (sometimes ;-)) squirreled away in my workroom until such time as the perfect selection of items come together with an idea for a doll. I often find myself thinking about how I would like the next doll to look, usually when I'm working at the tedious body-stuffing stage of another!

I usually start with what I would like the jacket to be made from. I generally limit myself to French C19th white linen, Scottish mohair scarves, or pure wool blankets, so as to narrow my choice and fabric supplies. This stage is the most important, as if I get the selection of fabrics wrong, the doll won't be of a pleasing design and may be unsellable. But having said that, I am never entirely sure what the finished doll will look like, until all the clothes are put on her and I add any embellishments.

For a change recently, I thought I'd use the lovely soft green velvet that I bought at the flea market. Having that as my starting point, I carefully gathered together a selection of vintage and antique fabrics. The floral fabric, top right in the photo below, is one of my Scheurer panels. Yes, I am being very brave parting with it! I had to trim it a little; the sample size panels are just slightly too long for a doll's skirt. So yes, brave, mark II, was to take the scissors to it!

To coordinate, I also chose a Sanderson floral upholstery fabric, C19th French ticking and some cotton lace. I don't use pattern template pieces for my doll's clothes. I like to be dictated to by the design of the fabrics, placing the patterned area in a suitable position within the size of panel I feel is suitable. Sometimes too, I may only have enough of a vintage fabric to make a certain item of clothing - for example, the top or bloomers need less fabric than the skirts, dresses or petticoats, which I like to be generous with.

One of the reasons that I chose to stop supplying a shop in Bath, was that the owner began to regularly ask me to make dolls in a red or blue Vichy check dress and linen jacket. After making these for several years, I began to feel like a production line and the creative edge of my craft was lost.

I stopped making them completely for a while, before I found my way again, making solely for my on-line shop later on, with each doll being unique.

Once all the pieces of fabric are cut to the required shape, I sew them all together on the machine, adding any lace or trims I feel necessary as I go.

Necklines and waists are finished by hand, something I usually sit and do whilst waiting for photos to upload onto my blog(!), or whilst watching the TV in an evening- thinking at the same time about what my next project will be! - We women are so good at multi-tasking, aren't we?! ;-))

I often finish coats and jacket edges by hand too, with a decorative running/hem stitch, adding vintage buttons that I carefully choose from my collections.

The stage of making a rag doll that I least enjoy is the body. As you can imagine, I have made vast quantities of these and they are tedious! The stuffing of them causes me RSI problems too, as I like my girls to be firm and well rounded!

Once all the sewing is finished, the more enjoyable task of putting the finished doll together can begin.

Firstly, I hand paint the boots onto the dolls feet, then I press all the clothes.

Fluffy mohair tops trim the boots, along with vintage buttons. Here I've use old mother-of-pearl shirt buttons.

Then she starts to be made decent, first with a pretty French floral top and then a pair of ankle length bloomers, followed by a lace trimmed petticoat.

The fabulous floral skirt and velvet coat completes the outfit. She then gets her wig.

Which is prettied-up with a fabric rag ribbon bow.

I then decide if I think she would benefit from some accessories. This time I chose a handmade bobbin lace collar and added a vintage floral costume brooch which unites all the colours of her outfit.

After giving her, her facial features, (always a bit nerve racking, in case I make a boo-boo!) - I then decide what name I think suits. At first I was going to call her Jade, with her velvet coat being such a pretty shade, but it reminded me more of crisp Golden Delicious apples, so I've named this lady Pomona; taken from the Latin meaning 'apple'.

And here she is....

I shall be taking Pomona with me to the next V&H fair in November. She will be packed away safely for a little rest until then!

*

Oh, she just said to me, before she gets packed away, 'could she please just show you her lovely layers beneath her Scheurer fabric skirt?'...you don't mind taking a peek do you?...

Have a great weekend, won't you?!

Niki x

(And Pomona!)