Make a cloth doll

I made my first doll after being inspired by an amazing dollmaker—www.stubbychubby.com – and it was absolutely worth it – of course, mine was crude and all, but I loved it the minute I finished. And I continued to make more.

I’ve gotten better – it’s urged me to learn to sew better, and I just love seeing how I progress with each doll. My most recent one was a Bel Air Mana doll (the one in the picture), and I’m so proud of how he turned out.

Dollmaking is a great thing to try. It’s a lot about the sense of accomplishment I get from seeing the finished product.

I’ve got most of the sewing done. I’ve attached my legs now I only need to finish the arms.

Hee! Yay!

I think everybody who was ever a girl scout had to make these items. Or was a 2nd grader… or is a mom.

Making cloth dolls is a creative way to improvise and keep yourself entertained as a child. Since I was a tomboy and hated all that shallow pink girlie-doll nonsense (and had to have something intelligent to do with my time), my dolls were fashioned as historical characters or incorporated into puppet shows (where the best thing for me to do was to create the props, backdrop, and scenery).

Cloth dolls have long heritage no matter what nationality you come from; Native American, European, Russina, Japanese, Chinese, and South American all held my interest at one time or another. Never one to admire mass produced items, making improv dolls gave me an opportunity to exercise my imagination and thrive using limited resources.

Children today, as a whole (specifically American), spend so much time needing to be pacified and entertained that they are losing so many opportunites to learn discipline and self control. Cheers to those parents who take the time to nurture their kids rather than indulge them all the time; perhaps a few more sock puppets and a few less Barbie/Talking Robots/Animated Stuffed Animal dolls would do our kids some good.

I still enjoy going to regional folkart shows and admiring handiwork regarding toys and dolls, too. Making these and embellishing them now, as an adult, is probably something I should still continue to do. I think it’s an excellent project for a child’s rainy, cold, or “too hot to play outside” afternoon—and a really realxing hobby for adults to have, too.

If you’re not sure where to begin, try just sewing rectangles into tubes and attatch them together to create a person-shaped being… and don’t feel confined to flesh-toned fabric colors either! If you need additional inspiration, don’t hesitate to contact me =)