Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Alphabet Girls, a dollmaking challenge

Molly, Sophie, and Belle; the first Alphabet Girls :-)

A is for Ann, amiable and artistic,
 B is for Belle, beautiful and bright,
C is for Charlotte, who crochets charmingly,
D is for Daisy, in denim a delight.

E is for Emma, earnest and engaging,
F is for Flora, fond of her flowers,
G is for Ginny, a gardening Goddess,
H is for Hannah, happy for hours.

I is for Ivy, incredibly intelligent,
J is for Jane, just and joyful,
K is for Kitty, kind and kinetic,
L is for Lucy, loving and loyal.

M is for Molly, merry and mischievous,
N is for Nettie, knitting so neatly,
O is for Olive, obstinate and ornery!
P is for Poppy, personable and pretty.

Q is for Quinn, quiet and quirky,
R is for Ruth, reliable and resourceful,
S is for Sophie, sassy and sweet,
T is for Tansy, trusting and truthful.

U is for Ursula, utterly uninhibited,
V is for Violet, very Victorian,
W is for Wren, winsome and wise,
X is for Xanthe, an X-Ray technician!

Y is for Yvette, who loves yoga and yarn,
...and...
Z is for Zinnia, zany and Zen :-)

So, can I make 26 dolls from the Rita pattern on Mimin Dolls blog?  All different, with names and characters from the Alphabet poem above? 

I have plenty of fabric, plenty of time, and right now, plenty of enthusiasm.  Four dolls are already made:  Molly, Sophie, and Belle, above, and Daisy, below, who  was just finished up this afternoon.

Daisy!

It only takes a day to make a doll; they are quite simple, and so much fun to dive into the fabric stash and pick the materials.  
And when they are all done?  What to do with 26 sassy, joyful, quirky, amiable dolls?  Gift them, donate them, love them :-)

Along the way I'd like to share some tips and techniques that will make your cloth dollmaking experience a joy:  how make faces, how to stuff bodies, how to keep from chewing up your fabric in the sewing machine, and anything else I can think of.

Maybe challenge yourself to make some alphabet dolls, with your own favorite pattern, and using your favorite names.  Enjoy!





17 comments:

  1. I have no doubt that you can and will do this challenge! The ones you have already made are adorable. I can't wait to see all 26 when you are done. :o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Joyce and Carolyn, thank you for your encouragement! I hope I can keep the focus and energy to make these dolls. They make me smile.

    And I will have some simple clothing patterns to fit the dolls I'm making. I enlarged the pattern to 115%, which makes a 10-11 inch doll.

    Already she has pants, a dress, a knit sweater, and a crochet cap from a previous doll's wardrobe :-)

    Thank you so much, dear friends!

    warmly,

    Beth

    ReplyDelete
  3. An amazing challenge and one that I think will be very enjoyable. Just love your little poem as well. I will so look forward to seeing each lovely doll emerge.

    Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Lorraine :-)

      warmly,

      Beth

      Delete
  4. Oh how cute are they lovely work Beth as usual x

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is such a fun idea for a challenge. I love the poem and can't wait to see each little character emerge. Some of them seem like they would practically leap into existence to me and others are more difficult to imagine. I like the size you've chosen, small enough to be practical, but large enough for nice face details. And these dolls have such sweet faces! My grandsweetie #2 would love the owl fabric on Sophie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Dawn :-) I am loving making these dolls and diving into my stash...oh, and buying more fabric (like I need more fabric!).

      I love owls and foxes, and found some really cute fabrics at equilter.com. And, they don't charge a penalty for buying 1/2 yard only. Yay!

      I have Charlotte, Hannah, and Violet in the works, and Kitty and Ursula on my mind :-)

      warmly,

      Beth

      Delete
  6. The dolls are adorable Beth! Great idea!

    Momma Cat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Momma Cat :-)

      warmly,

      Beth

      Delete
  7. Un gran proyecto que te dará mucha diversión. Las que has hecho por ahora son preciosas

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Muchas gracias, Isabel:-) ¡ tengo tres más en las obras: Charlotte, Hannah, y Violet!

      con gusto,

      Beth

      Delete
  8. What a challenge, and a lovely one! The first three you made are so pretty, and it will be great fun to see the ones to come and what tips and techniques you can share.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love your site!!!!!
    My name is Yvette - not so sure about the yoga but I do love yarn!!! Hehe
    Much love from The Cayman Islands

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete