Cloth Dolls from Hong Kong

 

I have this wonderful little cloth doll in my collection. I've had it for many years, safely tucked away. I bought it at an estate sale. It wasn't in perfect shape when I got it, but for some reason, I really love this little doll.

 She is made of what appears to be a natural colored silk and wears a silk outfit. The baby is dressed to match her. She is stuffed with a fiber that is packed really firmly. (perhaps sawdust or excelsior?)

The baby has the hair style of a little boy, with his head "shaved" except for a queue on top. He is the little brother, or Didi.

Her little fingers are stitched.

The shoes, which are removable, are stamped "Made in Hong Kong". 

The silk in the back is not as faded. You can see the beautiful blue it was originally.

I love to imagine the person, probably a lady, who made this little treasure. Her embroidery stitches are tiny. The little outfit is detailed perfectly. The little shoes are truly shoes that can be taken off and on. She is very similar to the dolls made by Ada Lum, but there is no tag. I believe it was made before 1950, but have no way to prove that except that it appeared very old when I bought it in the 70's and was among other old !

I find myself saying "WOW!". Look at the wonderful things people do with cloth!

If you know anything about these dolls, please let us know in your comments.

Until next time....

Overdying Scraps

This little pumpkin was made using leftover scraps from doll clothes that I was making. The scraps were not in colors that went well together, so I overdyed them. This just means I put a wash of dye over the previously dyed fabric. It can be done with colors or even with just a tan or beige, to give an antiqued look.




These little doll clothes were made from cheap fat quarters that I picked up for $1 each. If you've been reading my blog, you know that I am making a few doll clothes every week until time to send them as a Christmas present to my granddaughter. I am trying to use only scraps and fat quarters. (I'm not sure WHY, but I made that a challenge. I think I just couldn't stand cutting into yardages when I would only be using a little bit of fabric!)  

Here are the leftover scraps. I have washed all the sizing and starch out of them and I'm ready to put them in a solution of hot water and dye.





I used Rit dye from the grocery store, but there are other dyes out there in all colors. You are probably familiar with "tea dying", another form of overdying using strong tea as the dye. I use a disposable plastic container. Because I am just dying a few scraps, I don't measure my dye. I pour a little in the hot water, stir it, and put the wet scraps in. I leave them in for about 15 minutes. (The time the fabric is in the dye will determine how much dye is absorbed.)

I remove the scraps, rinse them off really well, and put them in the dryer with an old towel. (I used a red towel, just in case!)
After drying, I press each piece well.

I decided to use these scraps to make a Fall Pumpkin. I have actually made two of them and have enough scraps to make more. I'm not even sure yet what I will do with them. They could be placemats, squares in a table runner, or even part of a quilt. Each block is about 14" x 17".
Overdying is a great way to repurpose fabric from old clothing!  It's easy. It's fun. AND it's a good way to use up scraps. To your children and grandchildren, it's magical. Give it a try with some ugly fabric scraps. You might end up with something you would love to use.

Updates on Leftover Bags and Doll Clothes

Some of you may remember my "Leftover Bags" from a couple of posts back. I was playing with a few of the scraps that were left and this is the final result. It is big enough to slip a composition book in and the pocket will hold a cell phone or even a box of crayons! I'm guessing it would also hold an iPad. I know it will easily hold a Kindle with room to spare. I'm going to put it in my gift cabinet until I decide to pull it out and use it myself! These are my kind of colors! I put a very stiff interfacing in it, so it is pretty sturdy.

Here is a view of the back. See my little tag? This was so much fun!

I've also started on new batches of doll clothes for a granddaughter Christmas present. I figure that if I do a little each week, I'll have a healthy batch in time for Christmas! Here are six little pants outfits. (I tried to make little makeshift hangers to keep the pants and tops together. I'll have to work on this idea. I guess I could make little wire hangers?)

Here are the pajamas, robe, house shoes, jumper, dress, and jacket.
I used fat quarters for all of these.





In the meantime, I've been given a Gracie quilting frame that I've set up at my mother's house (she has a huge sewing space!) and we've been researching machines to put on it. This is mid arm size and we want to try to out before we invest in something too expensive. I've always quilted on my domestic machine (a Bernina). All that to say, this has been a busy week. I've also finished a quilt top and started on a new design. (I'll show you more when I get it worked out better.)
Until next time, Have fun with those scraps and fat quarters! By the way, while you're on the internet, go over to the following links and enter for a chance to win a GO! 
                 http://janesfabrics.blogspot.com/2010/09/its-go-for-giveaway.html



                 http://milliesquilting.blogspot.com/2010/09/accuquilt-go-cutter-giveaway.html 

Doll Clothes

I have been out of town visiting my grandmother, and came back  Sunday night in time to realize that time was running out to get some doll clothes made for my granddaughter's birthday. I had a doll sent- a new American Girl doll - and wanted to send some clothes to go with her. The doll is already safely tucked away in her parent's closet for the party this weekend, but I need to send the clothes today or they won't get there in time. (My granddaughter lives halfway across the country from me.)

Doll clothes can be a lot of fun to make, but time consuming. I went through my scraps and picked some bright colors that I thought would make cute doll clothes. Some day, when I'm not rushed for time, I would like to design some NEW patterns for doll clothes. I am using the same patterns over and over. The last time I sent doll clothes, I sent about 2 dozen outfits. I just don't have time to do that now. They are a fun way to use up scraps, though.

I think making doll clothes goes back to the same memories that led me to quilting. I learned to sew using scraps. I remember getting a little plastic doll along with a sewing kit containing thread, needles, etc. This doll was sold for the sole purpose of teaching little girls to sew. This doll was before Barbie's time and was proportioned a little more realistically. She wasn't much to look at, but we didn't care because she wasn't really a play doll. This would have been in the late 50's. I wonder how many of us today learned to sew by sewing doll clothes. We made up our own patterns and just experimented. It was great fun for a quiet evening!