soggibottom -- HOW TO MAKE A DOLL's WIG and Free rag doll pattern

You might remember the rag dolls I posted a few years ago..
I've been asked so many times "how do you".
In this case a doll's wig for the Soggibottom  rag doll..
So everyone knows what I am babbling on about, it was quite a while since I made the post about the rag dolls,  it might be easier if I give you a link to the pattern


rag doll pattern  <------- click  

The dolls wig is easy, nothing hard to do, I never do hard, so if I can do it, so can you.

This particular doll is intended for a little girl that has yet to be born in our family. I've been clearing out cupboards and used her Dad's old jeans (I found another pair) that he left here on his last visit. THEY WERE OLD and had holes at the knee's, not wearable, but perfect for me to re use. I can't believe that I had overlooked them before....Mark and Becca will probably have a pink fit to see this, so before I am deeply in trouble, I had better come clean, our eldest son Steven is going to be a proud father.

Most of the questions I receive about this particular pattern are about the chin... Follow the notches and you can't go wrong, just make sure you have the doll's chin gusset lined up properly and it's up the right way.

I start the doll by sewing her (or his) face. I pencil draw the face first, then embroider the rest.

Attaching the chin, the right way up with notches matching.
Then sew the front body of the doll to the lower seam of the chin.

Having already sewn the back giving it a center sewing line.
Attach the front of the doll right side down to the back of the doll which should be right side up...sew around the sewing line matching notches. Sew around to the shoulders on both sides.

Still with me ?
Turn the doll inside out

It should look something like this.
I admit, not to good to look at, but by the time you have sewn the arms together, turned them inside out and made sure they are filled with good quality stuffing, added them to the doll, she begins to take shape.
.
Turn the doll inside out again to add the arms, put the stuffed arms inside the body and match them to the notches on the seam line of the body..... Then sew from shoulder to the bottom of the body.
Still with me ?

Turn the doll inside out again and you should have the head, body and arms attached. The legs I add after I have firmly stuffed the head and the body...

THE DOLL'S WIG.. She starts to look better after the wig, I promise.

I've used this particular felted and sewn wool, that our village wool shop stocks. You can use similar yarn or thick wool. Or be really inventive and give your doll a wig made of strands of cut material, that's the best of using the basic's of a pattern, you can adapt it to your own style and special colours.
I happen to like this doll made in denim.

I normally wind strands of wool around a book.

Back stitch along one end of the book where your wool is,  back stitching the wool not the book...

Cut the bottom.

You should have the start of your dolls wig. Back stitches holding it all together. I use two short and two long basic wigs for one doll. The short one's are for the doll's fringe.

Attach the short wig to the front of the dolls head. Then back stitch through the wool and the dolls head.
Don't worry, she doesn't feel a thing.

Follow the back seam of the back of the doll's head and again, stitch and attach the long wig through the wool and doll's head by back stitches.

I told you she would look better after her hair.

You might need to trim the wool around her fringe slightly, but that's it. EASY STUFF...
She just needs some clothes.

Frankie de tabby watching you make the wig ... is a one off extra you won't find Frank around in any shop
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Like wise, Freya Rose Blossom, but you can find Freya at her blog CATFLAP CAVALIER..

Hope this answers most of the questions about the rag doll, but as always, if you have any questions or need any help.. you know where I am........ 

Shiny CAR

OH YO... wheels are back !
AND IT'S CLEAN !

Train left the rails......

It's been one of those weeks, when you feel your particular train might have left the rails.
This is a photo taken along a path bordering the train line beside the river Ex here in South Devon.

There are passing points that you can actually cross the line to the other side.... I have to admit, I'm not quick enough or brave enough to show you the view from the other side.

This is blurred but hopefully you get the gist, here is our little car being hauled away by two happy go lucky guys.

We had quite a few cars over the little bridge to the cottage last week. It even brought nosey Frankie de tabby out from hiding underneath the bird feeders. WE KNOW WHERE HE HIDES... SO DO THE BIRDS ON THE BIRD FEEDERS......

This is nothing like our little car....
There must have been an inch to spare as it came over the bridge.

This isn't our car either, but definitely a better size to come over the bridge.

This leafy lane wasn't meant for a car...

Probably meant for a carriage and horses from Powderham Castle.

So peaceful that even the deer in the park sit there and watch the world pass them by.

Or smell the roses in the hedge.

I know there was something we were meant to do with boxes and Freya's Catflap Cavalier tomorrow, but shame on me, I seem to have lost the link....

The new week starts here.

Freya is, as always out and about at the Catflap Cavalier.

Bouncing back

A very big thank you for all your good wishes for Karina over the last few days.
One thing we are very sure of, our daughter is just like the tide, she comes bouncing back.

Today, she could have had a better day. The surgery on her foot is over.
She is now on the second part,waiting for everything to heal. The part that is always the hardest and longest of all.

 I promised to tell you about CMT Charcot Marie Tooth Disease. I'm not that much of an expert to tell you, best left to the experts... here is the link that explains it far better than I could ever find the words to do so.
Just have to click  here -----> CMT

One thing I do know.

A long path is always worth walking, when it's you who could be walking along it..

Back with a bang

After a two week on going problem with our Internet we now have a working connection.

What a week to have no Internet.

Venus has crossed the sun.

The bear in the window has been dressed up with no where to go.

Tilly May has a new cardy, something that would have taken me longer if our Internet had been working.

Freya has been out and about on Dartmoor

Even our car had a week to remember when such a lovely lady decided not to look into her rear view mirror when she was reversing and backed into it. It's a new rear bumper job that the car didn't really need before, it looked good just as it was. No bumps, dents, scratches......
Shame because until it's fixed, someone might think it was me who reversed into something. Why do we always think that way ?
I have never ever had to phone our car insurance, EVER, until yesterday... it wasn't even me........
At least the lady admitted it was her fault straight away and didn't drive off... as Freya and I were in the car at the time it wouldn't have been that easy to do when your in your eighties maybe !

We have some new art at the cottage this week.

Along with a visit from Karina our daughter.

We need more wall space. This is another painting by Karina in acrylic of Mark on the beach at Harlyn Bay in Cornwall when he was about eight years old.... he's grown a bit since then. There is a small face swimming in the water that you might find difficult to see on here , Karina bobbing along in the waves. Timeless holiday memories.

When Karina comes down to Devon, we take her back home again.

Lots of nose to nose contact with Freya and Tilly May.

Hugs with Jake.

Time spent wondering how on earth did Kiann grow up so quickly and we didn't notice.

More hugs and nose kissing from Freya. Jason's a lovely guy, but only Freya and Jason nose kiss.

Mark our computer whizz. He has grown a lot since he was on Harlyn Bay playing in the sand that year.

Not forgetting Mr Chops. Just because Freya has the high ground in this photo, she doesn't always get her own way, and she shouldn't have been sitting on that couch to start with..
Better go because I'm sure I'm pushing my luck via blogger with all the photo and my email list has just hit an all time high. It might take me a while to get around to every email. Thanks for all the snail mail that's come through the door this week guys.
We've missed you all too.
One more photo...... well, it was a Diamond Jubilee weekend after all.

 Where are we?

Is there a sneaky way in ?

Karina is going into hospital this week to have another operation ref her CMT... Charcot Marie Tooth Disease. Honestly it has nothing to do with teeth.
CMT is something she has asked me to blog about, I have thought very hard how I lead into it. This seems as good a time as any. But next time.
I never knew blogger could upload so quickly and everything is so fast........... Freya is over at her Catflap Cavalier as always.

Freya also has more photo's to show you, but they will be for another time.
One more thing, just like to say thanks to Tony, we have been married for SO LONG and it's our wedding anniversary on Sunday. Love yer more and more each day and thanks for putting up with me for the last 34 years... I had to ask him, because I forgot exactly how long it was,  doesn't time fly when your having fun.
:-)X X X  Just one more thing :-) Thanks kids we are so proud of you all.