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A Rag Doll Christmas Pressie for Ma Wee Mamma

A Rag Doll Christmas Pressie for Ma Wee Mamma

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Whata' 'bout ye folks?  Have you missed me?  Thank you to all those who have left comments or emailed me to check Im alive and well, lol. I can feel you all swiping at me and clipping me around the ear for not being around at all for over these last few months.  I'm so sorry.  I just don't know what has happened to my time! I swear I did have some over the past months but I just don't know where it went or how I lost it.  Its around here somewhere, I just can't seem to find it just right now, lol.

Are you all well and truly full to the brim and stuffed like your Christmas Turkey's?  Lol.  I had a great Christmas.  It was my very first Christmas away from my family in 32 years!!!!  I've never been away from my ones on Christmas ever in my whole life!!  But it was spent with my other family.....my in-laws.  And it was a fantastic day and we had a tonne of food, gorgeous pressies and great craic.  Thank you to my lovely in-law's, Brian and Lorraine for a lovely day.

So, I did manage to drag my butt to the Creative Craft Show up in Belfast last month.  It was up at the King's Hall in their new Pavilion and the first thing I must say is that the Pavilion is a much better building for the craft show.  Do you agree with me Northern Ireland Crafters?  For starters.....the floor is even!  I realise that is a strange plus to find at a Craft Show when there are tonnes of stalls crying out for my money but if you have ever been to the Craft Show in the King's Hall you will know what Im talking about, lol.  It's like walking on a knobbly broken up cobbled street and as much as I love the early 1800's, Im living in the 21st Century (sometimes!) and I don't fancy breaking limbs over their dodgy flooring or having a Craft Stall land on my noggin! lol.

And I do realise that at the age of 32 I should be able to get myself around the place without fear of toppling head first from quite a height - I am 5ft 8" after all so its quite a drop!  But I was at this craft fair with my sister who is 21 and she is ALWAYS having strange and weird accidents.  So it wasn't even me I was worried about.......my sister T, is a total klutz.  Sorry Tara....but really, who breaks their foot by merely jumping up and down on the bed?  Really.....you are a klutz, lol.  Yes, you heard me right.....Tara was jumping up and down on the bed with our wee brother, playing "No more Monkies jumping on the bed".  And the biggest monkey of them all somehow managed to break the bridge of her foot........on the bed.  No....not the hardest parts of the bed, like the frame or bed posts.  Oh no, T broke her foot off the softest part of the bed.....THE MATTRESS!!  Honestly....who breaks a foot by jumping on the bed?  You'd laugh if someone told you that......which I did of course (being the supportive big sister that I am!).  I swear, I would wrap her up in cotton wool and bubble wrap, only she'd probably break her arm on that!  Pfftt!

Anywho, the Pavilion is much bigger so the stalls had much more room and the walk ways were much wider too. It was a great day's craic.  I met up with my bessy mate, Maddy who is another blogger here in Blogland, click HERE for Maddy's awesome blog.  So as we sat supping on a cuppa, we had a bit of a crafty gossip and a good aul giggle and we put the world to rights before shopping!  As per usual, Ali-Crafts had the pleasure of receiving the majority of my money.  I love their stall.  I had a great aul waffle with Ali and her other half.  If you want to have a nosey on their online shop, please click (Link no longer in service).  They also have a blog, click HERE.  If you are a Graphic 45 fan as I am, their prices on the Graphic 45 goodies is amazing.  I love'em.  And in case you think I am biased because I am affiliated with their company somehow.......I'm not.  They are just a really fabulous craft company and I like to give a shout out to any craft company I think is worthy of it.

Anyway, here is a little creation I made.  I do have a few other things up my ever filling sleeves, so hopefully I will be about Blogland a bit more this month and next.  Thanks for dropping by.

Rag dolls have become very big again in the crafting community and I saw a few videos on Youtube showing you how to make them. But there was one lady in particular, Anneli Võika who is a doll maker and inspired me so much to design my very own pattern of doll.  Her tutorials are absolutely fantastic and so easy to follow.  Click HERE to go straight to her Part One of a series of doll making tutorials.  Here are the channels of the other ladies who inspired me, Va (click here for here channel) and Fiona (click here for her channel).

Here is the wee doll I designed and made for ma wee Mamma.  Isn't she cute?  I made her out of cream coloured muslin.  First, I had to make a template for the doll.  So I designed the head and body shape on A3 paper and once I was happy with her size and shape, I used the paper template to cut out the shapes onto the muslin fabric.  I used my sewing machine to sew her head and torso and then the arms and feet were sewn separately, stuffed and then sewn onto the body section.  This was much easier for me than making a template with the arms and legs attached to the body.  She was simply stuffed with some quilting wadding.
I made a wee layered heart applique which I sewed onto her chest.  The dress was quite plain looking and needed something on the front of it.  Her face was left to the very last.  I was so nervous drawing on her face that my hand was actually shaking!!  Even my Scrubby got involved and the pair of us sat drawing tester faces on scraps of muslin.  But we finally came up with a face we liked and it got to the stage where I just had to go for it. But because her face was the final bit to be done, if I messed that up....well the whole doll would essentially be ruined.  Its not like I could just rub it out and start again.  But I think I pulled it off considering I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, lol.  I used a white gel pen to add the little white parts to the eyes.  And used Cosmic Shimmer pigment powders and a blusher brush to add her rosey little cheekies.  
The biggest and most time consuming job of the whole doll was her hair.  I tore strips of duck egg blue cotton, a white small flower patterned cotton and strips of lace.  I tore tonnes of pieces of fabric.  I took one piece from each of the 3 fabrics and doubled them over together and added a small stitch at the fold line to hold the 3 pieces together.  Then........all of that hair was individually sewn in to the head.  I could have cheated and used hot glue which would have been much quicker, but I want this doll to last and also wanted to have her that she could be put in the washing machine too, so I knew hot glue would not stand the test of time and the washing machine, lol.  Oh my good Giddy Aunt.....if ever there was a job so tedious and frustrating......its was sewing in ALL that hair. There is nearly as much hair on this dolls head as there is on my own.  And anyone who has seen my hair.....thats a lot!  My hair goes way passed my waist.  My hair dresser was so tempted to whack about 6 inches off my nut a few weeks ago.......but I saved my hair from a good whacking!  I love my Rapunzel hair, lol.
Her wee dress was actually made from an old gypsy skirt of mine....well the outside dress anyway.  Under the skirt, I made a layered petticoat style dress to give her outfit a bit more volume.  So there is a lace underskirt, with a duck egg blue sheer underskirt under that and then.....
I made her some bloomers!!  I love these bloomers, they are so cute!
Look at that wee face!  Who couldn't love that wee face?  I gave her a dodgy little cut fringe to remind ma wee Mamma of how she used to cut my fringe when I was wee.  Boy oh boy are there some funny photo's of me with a dodgy looking wonky fringe!
I made her a wee pearl necklace with a duck egg blue cameo.  The pearls are off white and duck egg blue too.  My parents have just recently redecorated their room in......you've guessed it......duck egg blue and off white.  So this wee rag doll will sit on their bed.


Considering she is the first rag doll I've ever made and my sewing skills are, well quite frankly at zero level, I'm pretty chuffed with her.  So much so, that when my wee Mamma opened her present yesterday, she thought I had bought her from a shop but I didn't know she thought that!  So when I was sitting later on with her, I was talking about how I had made the doll.  Mammy is sitting listening to me with a confused look on her face wondering what I am explaining.  Then I'm looking at her wondering why she is looking at me that way!   So I carry on waffling away and the pair of us are looking at each other with a puzzled look of confusion and "What are you on about"? sort of expressions.  And then the penny drops and almost at the same time we look at each other and say (Mammy) "Did you make this rag doll?"  (Me)  "Did you not know I made this rag doll?"  It was really funny.  
Anywhoodles people, I think I have waffled enough in your ear.  Considering I haven't been about Blogland for around 2 months.....I had a lot of waffling to do, heehee.  But let's face it.....I can't use my absence as an excuse for waffling......I'm always bending your ear about something when I come on here, lol.
I hope you like my wee creation.  If you have any questions please give me a shout.  I am more than happy to help in any way I can.

Toodles Noodles.

Loops xx
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Comments

  1. How wonderful to see and hear from you again Lee - you have been missed sweet lady!
    Happy Christmas!
    I bet your mum loved this little cutie pie. Keep well and have a fab New Year Karen x

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  2. And I thought I was the loopy one! Ave a great New Year of much craftiness. Hugs Mrs A.

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  3. What a cute dolly! Love your story with your Mom.

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  4. Good to see you back Lee, Fab creation bet your mum loved it, Have a Fab new year....

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  5. What a gorgeous doll, Lee!! I absolutely love her!! You did such a fabulous job!! I'm sure your Mom adored her!! I'm glad you are back and posting your amazing creations!! I hope you and your family had a wonderful, merry, blessed Christmas!! Happy New Year :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  6. Hello Lee, you are back, yay. Love your sweet dolly and your post. Sounds like you had a fabulous Christmas.
    Happy New Year, may it be a creative and peaceful 2013.
    Hugs Brenda x0x

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  7. Hey hun glad to see you back. you got anymore goodies on ebay for me? I LOL'd at your sister breaking her foot on bed. My mam few xmas's ago broke her front tooth on a piece of stuffing which was super soft!! no idea how! Glad you had fun at craft show and didnt break your neck :-) wish we had craft shows nearer me + i had someone to go with lol!
    Glad you had a fab xmas, heres to 2013 and all the lottery wins we can handle :-) xxx

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  8. Hey Lady, glad to hear you had a Happy Christmas. Ours was nice because we were together, but we have all been SICK, SICK, SICK in my house. Some "PLAGUE" has taken up residence and refuses to leave. It's been hanging around long enough it should be paying half the bills. I also just went to Oireachtas with my youngin' Bridget. She danced amazing, but was 13 out from qualifying for Nationals. She only needs one more 1st and will be a Champion level dancer. I love your doll... I just bought my 1st sewing machine, I might have to give a rag doll of my own a go. Hope you have a great New Year!!! (((((HUGS)))) Toodles my friend!!!
    Blessings & Friendship,
    Kimmie <3

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  9. She is so sweet, really adorable, love her hair and her dress. Glad to see you back in blog land and sorry it's taken me a while to get here and comment , I am still trying to get back in to the swing of things after christmas lol, glad to hear that you had a good christmas and I hope that the new year brings you wonderful things. I will be looking forwards to seeing those other things that are up your sleeve
    Lindsay xx

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  10. I'm a clutz! Can't believe I never commented on this Lee, must have been having iPad problems and then I forgot. I just dropped in to see if you had posted anything new. I LOVE your doll!! Bet I love it as much as your Mum does!! Yay, and she so looks like you with that big smile and the rapunzel hair and gypsy skirt :-)) I used to love making all my dolls underwear and little petticoats when I was young lol! Was I weird? You betcha!

    Oh, you are so right about that floor at the Kings Hall. Also, have you noticed that the Bruce Springstein concert at the Kings Hall is OUTSIDE!!! What are they thinking. It's Belfast!! We are no stranger to that strange wet stuff falling from the sky. And all standing, so that counts me out - I am a bona fide definite sitter. My next Kings Hall visit will be sitting and having another good old natter with you lol! Say hello to Tara, hope she's looking after those feet. Love Maddy xx

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Helloooooo! Anybody out there??!! Hey....there you are! Thanks for leaving a comment and stopping by my Blog. Lee x