By Judi Harris
What has always been a little girl's first best friend? The rag doll of course. In just about any era you can picture a little girl in two pigtails, wearing a Sunday dress skipping along the sidewalk. What's that she's swinging by her side in her hand? Her handmade rag doll of course.
From times gone by when people made their own clothes, the leftover fabric or scraps of fabric did not go to waste. Most of the scrap fabric was used to stuff a large quilt or pillow or it was used to make an apron. But the scraps from those projects were often used to make a child's doll. A well deserved child would often get a rag doll as a gift perhaps once or twice in her childhood life.
Doll Patterns
The rag dolls were not sewn and did not have a face or hair or clothes like you see in rag dolls today. The first rag dolls were scraps of fabric rolled together and then knotted together to form legs, arms, and a body; hence the rag doll.In later years rag dolls were made from muslin fabric which is a thin white or off-white color 100% cotton fabric. They were very plain and simple with stuffed arms, legs, body, and head. But still, they had no face or hair. Soon people began to put hair, clothes, and faces on the rag dolls.
When people today hear "Rag Doll" they immediately think of the every so popular "Raggedy Ann" doll which was invented in 1915. She had brown hair made from yarn, button eyes, and a diamond nose. Fabric dolls were made long before "Raggedy Ann" was every invented.
Rag dolls today, just as rag dolls from many years ago, are still a big part in a little girl's life. The fabric doll can be carried around, patched up if she rips, change her dress if it's dirty, and the dolls bring pleasure and enjoyment to little girls in every part of the world.
Today, a lot of people collect raggedy dolls of years gone by, and many people collect raggedy dolls made by artist of today of various different kinds of fabric dolls. Rag dolls can be made quit easily today. Simply cut out legs, arms, body, and head. Sew them, stuff them, and sew the body parts together. Then one can design a dress and bloomers to the doll. Add hair and a face, and you've got yourself a rag doll. Doll patterns can be found by the thousands in many different sizes, shapes, and colors - just like people.
Best Stitches,
Judi Harris
Crafts of Chadds Ford
For more information, free patterns and ideas, and thousands of photographs about sewing, quilting, fashion design, craft making, and doll making visit http://www.lovetosew.com
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