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Stitching & Crafting Room:  story of my lifesize doll  |
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yarnmamma
True Blue Farmgirl
4247 Posts
Linda
Clarks Summit
PA
USA
4247 Posts |
 Posted - May 02 2010 : 05:29:57 AM
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Hi sisters,
I am in the mood to make a lifesize doll for me. It is made from a bed pillow for the main body, tuck and sew the corners around for a rounded shape. This doll is like the boudier dolls popular in the 70s or so. She is to wear women's clothes and shoes, though she is about 4 1/2 to 5 ft tall. I made one years ago for a friend. The head, arms and legs were crocheted with peach colored yarn, but any fabric could be sewn and stuffed. The ones made years ago were made from pantyhose for the skin. Yarn hair could be used, or a regular woman's wig.
The story goes I was near done with Dolly and was so proud I had to take her to work and show my co-worker. There was one leg left to put on, but I couldn't wait. We didn't know where to put Dolly to sit so because we worked in a medical suppy store we had a wheelchair on display. In the wheelchair she went. I was going to cover up the place for missing leg....but my co-worker laughed and she she REALLY needs the wheelchair! We got a kick out of her for the next few days. LOL
Eventually my friend Kathy was presented with Dolly for a surprise friendship gift. BUT everytime Kathy walked in the room she thought a person had snuck in her house...and scared her. Kathy put her in different rooms and tried to teach herself to enjoy Dolly BUT no matter where she was sitting Kathy got the wits scared out of her....so in the attic Dolly went to live. Dolly didn't scare Kathy there! LOL
I thought ya'll would like this true story of my doll making experience.
"Come to me all that labour and I will give you rest" Jesus |
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Fiddlehead Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
4562 Posts
Diane
Waupaca
WI
USA
4562 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2010 : 05:51:40 AM
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Funny story, poor dolly...living in the attic! Thanks for sharing.
Why not go out on a limb, that's where all the fruit is! "Mark Twain"
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922 |
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Marybeth
True Blue Farmgirl
6418 Posts
Mary Beth
Stanwood
Wa 98292
USA
6418 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2010 : 07:39:48 AM
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I had a life-sized doll my Mother made for me. I would take her to work with me and we all had a hoot about here. She ended up on a chair on my front porch and just withered a way. Her name was Aunt Sally. I think I almost loved her and have never told my Mother where she went. MB
I found her pic.
http://www.smallcityscenes.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!" |
Edited by - Marybeth on May 06 2010 06:47:36 AM |
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yarnmamma
True Blue Farmgirl
4247 Posts
Linda
Clarks Summit
PA
USA
4247 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2010 : 08:01:14 AM
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cool
I'm starting with a doll to go over my vaccume....I got a pattern online. That doll only has head, arms, neck and above the waist. There is a pocket on her back to hold the vaccume handle. The dress is very full so must be planned to wrap around the vaccume...anyone made one of those?
"Come to me all that labour and I will give you rest"
Jesus |
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yarnmamma
True Blue Farmgirl
4247 Posts
Linda
Clarks Summit
PA
USA
4247 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2010 : 08:03:42 AM
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I have always wanted one of the boudoir, or saloon girl dressed near life size dolls.
It's a nice reason to make some frilly lacy things that I wouldn't wear, but would enjoy decorating with. There are things like that in the Salvation Army all the time!
do ya think it would scare me???
I don't have a hubby to be distracted either.....LOL !
 
"Come to me all that labour and I will give you rest"
Jesus |
Edited by - yarnmamma on May 02 2010 08:04:27 AM |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2010 : 4:24:42 PM
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Love the Dolly Stories. Maybe your friend should send Dolly back to you and get her out
of that Ol' Stuffy Attic. Are there patterns for those Dolls floating around anywhere?
Would love to have one and a Picture would be great as I am a Visual Learner. Sounds like
a fun thing to make!
Blessings,
~peggy
Lady In Red |
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yarnmamma
True Blue Farmgirl
4247 Posts
Linda
Clarks Summit
PA
USA
4247 Posts |
Posted - May 02 2010 : 5:23:01 PM
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Don't have a pic around now....it's been many years since I made that dolly.
Another idea that I have heard is to make the doll's head and upper torso and put a baseball cap on to sit in the car with ya....makes a woman look safer, like she has an escort. Isn't that a cool idea!
As far as pattern...I'd say just enlarge a doll pattern's arms, legs and head..until it's near adult size..I just guessed and it worked out. I compared to my legs and arms....lol
"Come to me all that labour and I will give you rest"
Jesus |
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Beth Jones
True Blue Farmgirl
3196 Posts
beth
tallassee
alabama
3196 Posts |
Posted - May 05 2010 : 2:23:29 PM
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That is too cute!! I always wanted one of those 3 to 4 foot dolls that came out in the toy catalogs around Christmas. It was sort of life sized.
It was like having a little friend to play with, only this one never went home. Sad to say, I never got one!!LOL Oh well, I've made it this long without having one!!
Smiles, Beth
You can never be to kind! |
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Bonnie Ellis
True Blue Farmgirl
2474 Posts
Bonnie
Minneapolis
Minnesota
USA
2474 Posts |
Posted - May 05 2010 : 9:14:35 PM
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Hi everyone. I made two of those child size dolls and two of the adult sized ones for an apple farm display. They were dressed in old fashioned clothes and were sitting by an old parlor stove and some other antiques. That made them so real. The quilt I made to go with them started with an old quilt that had its edges chewed by some animal. I discarded that part and added an applique border of things to do with raising apples. It was a real hit. But I discovered that if you are going to make life-sized people for a display you need a sturdy skeletal structure inside. I added that to future dolls and they worked mjuch better. Just have fun y'all.
grandmother and orphan farmgirl |
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TabithaLenox
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Kim
Gettysburg
PA
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2010 : 08:56:40 AM
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I love this discussion! Here is a picture of a life size doll I made several years ago....Her name is Phyllis. I gave her to my mother for a couple of years and she used to play bridge and dominos with my mothers friends...and go to Red Hat Ladies lunches! Phyllis lived a very busy life back then. Then I had her home for a while but like someone else said, she would scare the cr*p out of me every time I saw her sitting in the living room!! LOL Now she's owned by an art teacher in NC and hopefully having a nice quiet life!
Kim
Farmgirl #184
http://www.tabithalenox.blogspot.com |
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yarnmamma
True Blue Farmgirl
4247 Posts
Linda
Clarks Summit
PA
USA
4247 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2010 : 5:58:58 PM
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Kim! she's great! thanks both of ya for the pics.
"When it comes to choosing who will be in your life, I recommend
valuing their "Yeeee-Haaaaaaa!" quality above all others."
The Universe
www.tut.com |
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TabithaLenox
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Kim
Gettysburg
PA
USA
605 Posts |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2010 : 4:07:27 PM
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MaryBeth...that is one snazzy life size doll. Too bad she withered away. She really looks
pretty real to life...other than her eyes were just a tad too far apart. She is the best I have
every seen as far as Authentic Looking.
Blessings,
~Peggy
Lady In Red |
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LadyInRed
True Blue Farmgirl
6740 Posts
PeggyAnn
Vancouver
WA
USA
6740 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2010 : 4:11:35 PM
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Kim...you did a great job on Phyllis...she looks like somebodies Grandma or Great Aunt.
Love those lips and nail polish too. I thought MaryBeth's doll looked so Authentic but
Phyllis does too...she would scare me too if she was sitting in one of my rooms. I would
think my Grandmother had come back to haunt me. Ha Ha! Blessings, ~peggy
Lady In Red |
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TabithaLenox
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Kim
Gettysburg
PA
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - May 08 2010 : 12:26:21 PM
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Thanks Peggy! She used to scare us all the time! For a while I kept her on my screened front porch and the mailman thought she was my deaf Grandma who would never answer the door...LOL
Kim
Farmgirl #184
http://www.tabithalenox.blogspot.com |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: story of my lifesize doll |
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story of my lifesize doll
