My Students
May 14 and 19, 2016 Nancy – “California Rag Wall Doll”
Every time Nancy Shinder would leave my home she would wave to my dolls and say “Goodbye girls”. She told me that she wanted to learn how to make one of my “California Rag Wall Dolls”.
California Rag is a technique where you cut the fabric into strips but do not cut the strips apart. Depending upon the doll, you might leave a 2” or more uncut border on one side. When you weave you are weaving in the order of your cut strips.
Nancy warped her Harrisville peg loom with 8/4 carpet warp and then started to weave. She did the weaving at her home so I do not have a picture of her weaving. When the doll’s skirt was finished I taught her how to cut and sew the bodice, arms, legs, hands, cuffs and belt. She stuffed the doll’s head with polyfil, put pipe cleaners in the fingers of the hands and batting in the bodice to keep it nice and firm.
I then taught her how to needle sculpt the face and color in the eyes and lips. She took all the doll parts that she made home with her and put them all together. The last picture shows the final result of her doll “Fleurette”. I am so very proud of her.
Nancy is measuring her fabric before cutting the fabric for the skirt.
The measuring must be accurate.
Cutting the strips must be perfect.
You must be careful using a rotary cutter and your ruler.
Freezer paper templates are ironed onto the fabric. Now the fabric is cut to make sewing easier.
Time to sew around the head and hand templates.
You must cut carefully around the templates after they are sewn.
Stuff the head using polyfil.
The head is nice and smooth after stuffing.
The doll's skirt is finished, now it must be turned right side out.
Looking great.
The doll's clothing is finished.
Close-up of the doll's clothing.
Putting pins in the nose area makes it easier to get dimension when sewing.
Close-up of the doll's head showing the nose.
The doll's face is painted.
Nancy and her doll, Fleurette.