"These are the perfect beginner sewing project for Brownie troops or for young 4-H'ers." In the mid-1980's, when I was a young adul...
No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll. Here is a quick and easy tutorial on how to make a no sew pioneer rag doll with items you probably already have around the house!
Explore bellacrochet's 72 photos on Flickr!
**DOLLS PICTURED ARE NOT THE DOLLS YOU WILL RECEIVE. Photos are of past, sold dolls; these dolls are one-of-a-kind. Colors and prints are assorted; we will choose from our current stock for you. You will receive a mix of light, medium, and darker shades. If you have a color you need or desire, please mention when ordering. Please do not select individual dolls from photos.** These super-soft little dollies are just right for that little girl in your life! Inspired by the Indian 'Pieces dolls' and the traditional colonial 'Pew dolls', our Cabin Dolls look just like little pioneer ladies. They're just right for birthday gifts, stocking stuffers, and party favors! They're ideal for doll houses, travel or even quiet play in church! Soft and cuddly, they fit perfectly in a child's hand. Fluff their skirts and they stand alone! They make great gifts for little girls or adorable display pieces. Dolls stand approximately 4" tall. You can purchase any number of them for the same shipping price. Dolls pictured are NOT the dolls you will receive.
They're called pew babies, church dolls, angel babies, prayer dolls, handkerchief dolls, and hanky dolls. Here's a simple handkerchief doll tutorial for you
Also know as church dolls, plantation dolls, and sugar babies. Hand embroidered.
Day 17: HANDKERCHIEF DOLL - During pioneer times (and at other times when supplies were scarce), dolls were made from handkerchiefs for little girls. ... Other names for the handkerchief doll are: "church doll," "church babies," "pew doll," and "pew babies.”
My grandmother-in-law gave me one of these adorable little dolls a year or so ago, and this year has asked me to make some of them for her, for Christmas gifts. They are very adorable just on their own, and all the more so because of their fascinating history. During the Civil War, there was little money to be found for food, let alone toys, so women made dolls for the children out of handkerchiefs. If the handkerchief had belonged to a loved one who had gone off to war, the doll helped to ease the pain of separation. Also known as church dolls, they provided a quiet toy for a child's amusement, and were silent if dropped. Materials: 1 handkerchief or thin napkin 1 generous handful of stuffing for the head 1 1/2' of thin satin ribbon (approx.) 1 paper towel tape If you are using an 'old' handkerchief or napkin, be sure to clean them thoroughly and press them first. Instructions: Take the stuffing for the head and paper towel. Roll the stuffing loosely in the paper towel, and tape into a 'tube', then fold down the sides and tape together, then tape down two of the corners a bit, to make a roughly head-shaped ball. Although this is not strictly necessary, I found it almost impossible to get the head formed right without doing this first. Arrange the ball near the top edge of the handkerchief, so that you can fold the remaining cloth over it completely with a half inch or so extra below the ball, so as to get tied down at the neck. Carefully wrap the remaining handkerchief down around the ball, tugging gently as necessary to get it even, but do not pull it down too tight. Holding the handkerchief in place with one hand, wrap the ribbon around the 'neck' under the ball carefully, in the middle of the ribbon, and tie securely in place. Pull the short corners out straight, and tuck in the long side to just under the neck, forming the arm. Using one side of the ribbon, wrap it around the arm piece, and tie in the back. Be sure to snug it down tightly, then repeat on the other side. Slip ribbons snugly under the arms to the front. Tie ribbons securely in the front, then in a nice bow. If necessary (as it is below), carefully tug the handkerchief to lay neatly between the ribbons. You are finished! Feel free to print out the card below if giving the doll as a gift, to share the enchanting history of these simple but ingenious dolls.
Official website of Little House on the Prairie® which serves as a home for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic books and the beloved television show.
Happy Pioneer Day my friends! (A little late... 7/24). To celebrate with my Activity Day Girls we got together and I showed them how to make these simple Hankerchief Dolls. We talked about all that the Pioneers sacrificed as they left there homes to follow the prophet and find peace in a new land. I reminded the girls that the children were simply not able to bring there toys and favorite belongings with them most of the time. There just wasn't room. That is where the Hankerchief Doll comes into play. Here is a poem that tells a little about that. Pioneer Dolls Judie Fordham, “Pioneer Dolls,” Friend, Jul 1992, 27 When pioneer children were crossing the plains,They didn’t have cars, airplanes, or trains.They walked beside wagons loaded clear to the topWith food, bedding, and seeds for the next season’s crop.There just wasn’t room for a toy or a doll—The wagons were filled with all they could haul.So Papa’s handkerchief became a new toy,A cherished soft doll that brought lots of joy.This cute little doll loves to play or just sleep.She’ll brush away tears if ever you weep.So keep her close by—she’s easy to hold—And pretend you’re a pioneer child of old. I had a good time figuring out how to make these dolls. I tweaked the instructions I found in the July 1992 FRIEND magazine and came up with these. A friend of mine is moving and donated a bag of lace for our cause. Each of the dolls my girls made has a different lace on her skirt. I prepared the fabric before the activity by hemming a 12 x12 square of beige muslin and added lace to one of the corners. At the activity each girl learned how to form their doll by tying the arms in knots, using ribbon to form the head and body. I was so proud of them when they eached sewed on their own bonnet. They loved picking out their own lace and were quick learners when it came to the hand sewing. I let them draw the eyes on their dolls because we only had one hour to work and it took me a good 20 minutes to figure out those darn French Knots! (I got it down though!) The girls did an excellent job! The finished project! I also provided a list of Pioneer Girl names and let each girl name her doll. They loved that part and made sure that no one else used the same name. This was a great activity for the girls. We learned church history, practiced a new skill, worked together to help one another and had fun all along the way! Way to go Sun Prairie Activity Day Girls!
"These are the perfect beginner sewing project for Brownie troops or for young 4-H'ers." In the mid-1980's, when I was a young adul...
Tutorial to Make a No-Sew Pioneer Doll. It takes just minutes to make this NO SEW Prairie Rag Doll with HOURS of fun! #nosew #craftsforkids #lauraingallsdoll #prairiedoll #ragdoll #pioneerdoll
**DOLLS PICTURED ARE NOT THE DOLLS YOU WILL RECEIVE. Photos are of past, sold dolls; these dolls are one-of-a-kind. Colors and prints are assorted; we will choose from our current stock for you. If you have a color you need or desire, please mention when ordering. Please do not select individual dolls from photos.** These little dollies are just right for that little girl in your life! Inspired by the Indian 'Pieces dolls' and the traditional colonial 'Pew dolls', our Cabin Dolls look just like little pioneer ladies. They're just right for birthday gifts, stocking stuffers, and party favors! They're ideal for doll houses, travel or even quiet play in church! Soft and cuddly, they fit perfectly in a child's hand. Fluff their skirts and they stand alone! They make great gifts for little girls or adorable display pieces. Dolls stand approximately 4" tall. You can purchase any number of them for the same shipping price. Dolls pictured are NOT the dolls you will receive.
Tutorial to Make a No-Sew Pioneer Doll. It takes just minutes to make this NO SEW Prairie Rag Doll with HOURS of fun! #nosew #craftsforkids #lauraingallsdoll #prairiedoll #ragdoll #pioneerdoll
a blog about antiques and primitives
**DOLLS PICTURED ARE NOT THE DOLLS YOU WILL RECEIVE. Photos are of past, sold dolls; these dolls are one-of-a-kind. Colors and prints are assorted; we will choose from our current stock for you. If you have a color you need or desire, please mention when ordering. Please do not select individual dolls from photos.** These little dollies are just right for that little girl in your life! Inspired by the Indian 'Pieces dolls' and the traditional colonial 'Pew dolls', our Cabin Dolls look just like little pioneer ladies. They're just right for birthday gifts, stocking stuffers, and party favors! They're ideal for doll houses, travel or even quiet play in church! Soft and cuddly, they fit perfectly in a child's hand. Fluff their skirts and they stand alone! They make great gifts for little girls or adorable display pieces. Dolls stand approximately 4" tall. You can purchase any number of them for the same shipping price. Dolls pictured are NOT the dolls you will receive.
Tutorial to Make a No-Sew Pioneer Doll. It takes just minutes to make this NO SEW Prairie Rag Doll with HOURS of fun! #nosew #craftsforkids #lauraingallsdoll #prairiedoll #ragdoll #pioneerdoll
Tutorial to Make a No-Sew Pioneer Doll. It takes just minutes to make this NO SEW Prairie Rag Doll with HOURS of fun! #nosew #craftsforkids #lauraingallsdoll #prairiedoll #ragdoll #pioneerdoll
Laura Ingals Pioneer Family Paper Dolls Collection. Ready to print in full color, or color your own at home. Printable paper dolls and crafts.
No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll. Here is a quick and easy tutorial on how to make a no sew pioneer rag doll with items you probably already have around the house!
Knowing that I had lots of my grandmother’s embroidered pillowcases, one of my crafty friends offered to lend me her pattern for pillowcase dolls! She explained that, historically, the dress…
American Girl, marvel, star wars, pixar, avengers, dc comics, our generation dolls, my life as, disney princess, trending toys, hasbro, jojo siwa.
THIS LISTING IS FOR THE PATTERN, NOT THE FINISHED ITEM. This item is a instant download pattern, which you should be able to download once payment is complete. Just download it, save it to your files. Then open it and print it right out. Patterns are complete with easy to read directions, cover page, all pattern pieces -no enlarging involved, and a larger picture to refer to details. This is a My Primitive Saltbox copyrighted pattern , and may not be redistributed in any way. You may sale your finished items if you wish. All new! My ~Prairie Life~ line of old items from the days of the pioneers. This pattern is for my CHURCH DOLLS. They are extremely primitive prairie dolls, tucked in a bag, used to keep little children quite during services, The name of the child is stitched on the bag front. They hang from a long strap. Finished the doll alone is 11 1/2 inches. the bag , woth knot in strap is approx. 21" inches long.
Tutorial to Make a No-Sew Pioneer Doll. It takes just minutes to make this NO SEW Prairie Rag Doll with HOURS of fun! #nosew #craftsforkids #lauraingallsdoll #prairiedoll #ragdoll #pioneerdoll
"Apple Valley Picnic" is coming up for all of the 3rd grade students at my daughter's school. Students are encouraged to dress up in clothes from the 1800s. Bonnets, pinafores, button shoes...none of which can be found in my house. No money to buy a costume. Time is running out. BUT... I can sew! I've never made a bonnet before, but Google got me started with a few sites offering patterns and tutorials. This one was the most helpful. Most of my pattern was found there. This other one had the idea of quilting the brim. It also suggested the use of muslin instead of interfacing. PERFECT, since I already have muslin in my fabric stash. Save money and make a tiny dent in my hoarder-esque fabric area? Sign. Me. Up. So off I went to the fabric store. It was Memorial Day weekend, so there were sale signs everywhere. Just not on the quilting fabrics I wanted to choose from. Then my eye caught a sale sign over the fabric quarters, also called "fat quarters." $1.29 each! I looked at the dimensions of the fat quarters - 18" x 21" - and decided to try to make it work. I figured that I'd need two (plus maybe one more if I wanted to get all fancy and make an apron too.) I might be cutting it close, but it would be kind of cool to be able to make something out of those cute little packages of fabric. Fat quarters are also great because they are generally cut in nice dimensions - no need to do too much lining up / squaring up. And those two fat quarters ended up working beautifully! Here are the basic supplies: *2-3 Fabric Quarters (fat quarters). Two is exactly enough, but you might want to pick up an extra in case you're worried about making mistakes. *Muslin or other lightweight fabric - enough to cut three 18" x 4.5" rectangles *Thread to match fabric *7" of 1/4" elastic *Ruler or measuring tape *Scissors or rotary cutter/mat/ruler *Iron/ironing board *Sewing machine with walking foot Since I like to quilt, I already had some time-saver supplies, like a rotary cutter / cutting mat and a walking foot (more on that later). You can probably do this project with just old-fashioned scissors, but these tools certainly make the job faster. Press your fabric squares. Fold fabric in half so that the long edge measures about 18". Trim the edges to square up and make the length exactly 18". Since fat quarters are already supposed to be 18" wide, you'll only cut a tiny bit off each edge for this first cut. Then, unfold/refold it the other way, and cut again so that you have an 18" square. If you're using scissors, you won't have to fold the fabric. I just do that to fit it under my cutting ruler. Remember to measure twice, cut once. (My husband taught me that!) Now, leaving your fabric folded in half, fold in half again, making a 9" x 9" square. Press. And if you're hating the idea of pressing lines into the fabric you just pressed flat, TRUST ME. You'll want those pressed-in lines later (and you won't really notice them once the bonnet is all sewn together.) Open one fold, so that you have a rectangle with the fold on the right. (I folded that little corner back to show you where the open edges are, but make sure the folded fabric is flat before starting the next step.) Keeping your corners/edges together on the left and the fold on the right, fold the top down to meet the middle line (remember what I said about wanting those pressed lines?) And fold over again. And again. My rotary cutter is just holding it in place for me so that I can snap a picture. Cut a straight line down the edge of the folded material. VOILA! Easy curved edge!! Nifty, eh? When you open it up, it looks like this. And if you follow the directions with the fold on the correct side, it will look like this every time. DON'T do what I did the first time and cut with the fold on the opposite side so that you end up with what looks like a big fabric "M." (True story.) If you've unfolded it all the way, refold once so that the curve is at the top and the fold is on the right edge. Measure 3 1/2 inches up from the bottom on the left (open) side and make a little 1/2" snip with scissors. Measure up one inch from that snip and make a 1/4" snip there. It should look like this: Unfold the fabric all the way, place it right side down, and then go to the part below the 1/2" snip. Fold it in 1/4" and then again another 1/4" and press. Do this to both sides. If you're itching to sew a few stitches, skip this next part and go to the part where you sew that folded hem. But if you're going for FAST, do all of your cutting first. For the brim, take your second fat quarter and square up the 18" ends again. Then, cut two strips that are 4 1/2" x 18. While you're there at the cutting board, cut three strips the same size out of your muslin. Fold and then fold again so that you have a square. Press. Unfold once and put the fold at the bottom. Fold /cut just like you did for the curve above. Here's the before/after (or after/before, actually...) Two fabric pieces All five pieces cut. They aren't identical, but close enough to make it work. Again...going for ease and speed, not County Fair entries. Stack the pieces with the three muslin pieces on the bottom and then the two fat quarter pieces on top, right sides facing (touching) each other. I stacked them one by one on my ironing board and pressed as I stacked. Pin together (you'll see the pins in a later picture). LAST CUTS! For the ties, cut four 2 1/2" strips. I was trying to reserve some fabric for another apron project, so I cut them the short way (as seen in the picture below). If you don't need the fabric for anything else, you can make them a little wider and/or cut them the long way. 2 1/2" was pretty skinny for turning inside out, so if I was doing this project for just the bonnet, I think I would make them a little wider. Here are ALL of the cut/pressed/pinned/ready-to-sew pieces. TIME TO SEW! First, sew the folded-in hems on the bonnet. Then fold the bottom the same way (1/4" folded in twice and press) and hem the bottom. The picture below shows my walking foot. It is an indispensable tool for quilters, and I found that it was equally indispensable for this project. It keeps the top and bottom fabric pieces moving together so that you don't have that pull on the top fabric piece. As long as you've lined up your pieces correctly, the ends will finish together every time. If you don't have a walking foot, you can probably still do this project, but it won't come out as neat and tidy. Unless you're a reeeeally good seamstress. Which I'm not. Now, find that little 1/4" snip and fold like a "z" down to meet the 1/2" snip. Do the same on the other side so that the "z" extends across the width of the fabric. Press. Here's what it looks like after pressing. Sew along the folded line, staying as close to the edge as you can. I had to sew v e r y s l o w l y. Then flip the fabric over and do the same on the other side. If you don't sew close to the edge, you'll have trouble getting your elastic threaded through the little case you just created. Cut a 7" long piece of elastic (1/4" wide) Thread through the casing, securing one end before pulling all the way through. Pictured below is another gadget that I forgot to list in the tools at the beginning. It has a little hook on one end. Just push it through the casing, grab one end of the elastic with the hook, and pull through. Before pulling all the way through, sew one end to hold the elastic in place. Then pull all the way through, pin to hold in place, and sew to secure the other end. Put this piece aside while you work on the brim. The brim should be all stacked and pinned. Starting a the end of one of the curved sides, sew a seam about 1/4" from the edge and finish at the other end of the curve. Leave the straight side open. Flip inside out so that the right sides of your fabric show on both sides of your piece. Press. Now for the fun quilting part!! Again, a walking foot is SUPER helpful here. Maybe even necessary. But they are also a tad expensive, so if you don't have one, you might want to try using fusible interfacing in lieu of the three layers of muslin. No guarantees on how this will look, but the original tutorial I was following recommended interfacing, so it's probably fine. Quilt a line about 1/2" from the edge, following the curve around. I just kept my eye on the corner of my walking foot, making sure that corner always touched the edge of the fabric. And continue making these parallel lines (like a rainbow!) until you run out of room. Brim is done! Pick up two of your four final strips and sew the ends together. Repeat with the other two strips. Press the seams open. Fold them with the right sides in and sew the bottom and side together, leaving the top open. Turn right side out (again, that little hook is really, really helpful here, unless you have some time to waste). They look pretty sad and wrinkly, but... ...they look nice again after pressing. Sew a tiny hem around the sides and bottom. (You can probably skip this step if you're in a hurry, but I think it looks more finished this way.) Take the unfinished end of one tie and fold like a "z" to match the width of the casing. Sew in place. Here's a better picture of what it looks like sewn in place. It's sewn to the inside of the bonnet. One more picture. Do the same to the tie on the other side. Now for the gathering step. I hope I can explain this well enough here with the pictures. If not, search youtube for a "gathering stitch" tutorial (like I did.) Set your stitch length at it's longest. Mine is 5. Starting just above where you sewed the tie on, stitch about 1/4" all the way around the curve of the bonnet and finish just above the other tie. Do NOT use the reverse stitch. Go back to the other side again and stitch another row 1/4" to 1/2" away from the first. Here's what it should look like. Grab just the bobbin threads on one side and start pulling and scrunching until you have gathers up to the 1/2 way point. (Remember what I said about wanting those pressed lines?) Do the same on the other side. Don't worry too much about making the gathers even at this point. Just get it to look kind of like this. With the wrong side facing up, pin the brim, matching the unfinished edge of the brim to the gathered edge of the bonnet. You should be able to match the pressed line in the center of your brim to the pressed line in the center of the bonnet. (Again! Those helpful pressed lines!) Pin that in place first, then the corners, and then adjust the gathers in-between. Try to get it somewhat evened out (although, it really doesn't have to be perfect). If it matters which side is up on the brim, play with it a little to figure out which will work. I had to re-pin a couple of times before I got it right! Here's the brim pinned inside the bonnet. I preferred sewing with the gathers on top, so I pinned it this way. Adjust your stitch length back down to normal (between 2 and 2 1/2 - whichever you prefer) and sew the brim on. OR, you can do like I did and forget to adjust the stitch length. Then you can realize your error later, kick yourself, and go back and restitch the whole thing with the correct stitch length. Anchor each end with a reverse stitch, since this will be your last stitch. Turn right side out and you're DONE! Cute, right? If you have an extra fat quarter, make an apron. Just do a gather stitch like you just did on the bonnet, sew a binding over the top, and add ties. Now go watch an episode of "Little House on the Prairie." I have the entire series on DVD if you want to borrow them...
Looking for a homemade Christmas gift? Any Little House on the Prairie fan will appreciate this fat quarter rag doll DIY.
In honor of World Doll Day, today's craft is making your won doll. 6" tall Sari is now retired, but you can make one for your 18" Kirsten. *Review Video* I prefer to use muslin or cotton fabric, not socks. I have made many dolls myself, these are fun to make!
For my daughter's, Little House on the Prairie party, the guests all made rag dolls. The girls did a great job, and the dolls turned out so...
Happy Pioneer Day my friends! (A little late... 7/24). To celebrate with my Activity Day Girls we got together and I showed them how to make these simple Hankerchief Dolls. We talked about all that the Pioneers sacrificed as they left there homes to follow the prophet and find peace in a new land. I reminded the girls that the children were simply not able to bring there toys and favorite belongings with them most of the time. There just wasn't room. That is where the Hankerchief Doll comes into play. Here is a poem that tells a little about that. Pioneer Dolls Judie Fordham, “Pioneer Dolls,” Friend, Jul 1992, 27 When pioneer children were crossing the plains,They didn’t have cars, airplanes, or trains.They walked beside wagons loaded clear to the topWith food, bedding, and seeds for the next season’s crop.There just wasn’t room for a toy or a doll—The wagons were filled with all they could haul.So Papa’s handkerchief became a new toy,A cherished soft doll that brought lots of joy.This cute little doll loves to play or just sleep.She’ll brush away tears if ever you weep.So keep her close by—she’s easy to hold—And pretend you’re a pioneer child of old. I had a good time figuring out how to make these dolls. I tweaked the instructions I found in the July 1992 FRIEND magazine and came up with these. A friend of mine is moving and donated a bag of lace for our cause. Each of the dolls my girls made has a different lace on her skirt. I prepared the fabric before the activity by hemming a 12 x12 square of beige muslin and added lace to one of the corners. At the activity each girl learned how to form their doll by tying the arms in knots, using ribbon to form the head and body. I was so proud of them when they eached sewed on their own bonnet. They loved picking out their own lace and were quick learners when it came to the hand sewing. I let them draw the eyes on their dolls because we only had one hour to work and it took me a good 20 minutes to figure out those darn French Knots! (I got it down though!) The girls did an excellent job! The finished project! I also provided a list of Pioneer Girl names and let each girl name her doll. They loved that part and made sure that no one else used the same name. This was a great activity for the girls. We learned church history, practiced a new skill, worked together to help one another and had fun all along the way! Way to go Sun Prairie Activity Day Girls!
They're called pew babies, church dolls, angel babies, prayer dolls, handkerchief dolls, and hanky dolls. Here's a simple handkerchief doll tutorial for you
Tutorial to Make a No-Sew Pioneer Doll. It takes just minutes to make this NO SEW Prairie Rag Doll with HOURS of fun! #nosew #craftsforkids #lauraingallsdoll #prairiedoll #ragdoll #pioneerdoll
Doll I made using Batiks Looking for something to make to commemorate Pioneer Day in July? We have just the thing. My 16-year old son came home from Trek with an adorable fabric strip rag doll that he had made in a workshop one day. He was so proud. (Thanks to Sarah H. for teaching him) Patrick’s Christmas-y doll he made on Trek Materials: For the body: 20 strips of fabric, 1 -1/2 inch wide, in as many colors as you wish, cutting the full 44-inch width of fabric. (You may trim the length at the end as you desire. I just left mine long) For the arms: 10 strips of fabric, coordinating with the dress, 1 1/2 inches wide, 16 inches long. I just took 5 strips, folded them over to make 10 and cut. For the head: 4 extra strips of fabric (color doesn’t matter, as they will not show) narrow scraps to tie at head, neck, waist and cuffs. I have selected Batik prints for my doll. To begin, stack your fabric strips evenly. Lay them on a flat surface (yes, my flat surface really is a tie-dyed damask table cloth). Find the middle and tie with a narrow strip of matching fabric. Roll 4 strips of scrap fabrics into a ball, forming the head (I neglected to measure the size. Sorry. It fits in the palm of your hand). Tuck the ball under the tied middle of your stack of fabrics. Begin closing fabrics around the ball to cover. When you are satisfied with the coverage and the look, form a neck with a narrow strip of fabric and tie off. Choose 10 fabric strips , 1 1/2 inches wide, for the arms. (I selected 5 and folded them over to make 10.) Cut so their full length is 16 inches long. Stack them evenly in an order that suits you, if order is what you want. Lay your doll “face up.” Lift half the fabric strips of the doll and lay your arm stack inside, below the neck. If you wish, as this step is optional, tie the arm strips in place using a strip of fabric from the doll body in front of the arms and a strip from the fabrics behind the arms (note the two tightened green strips). Replace the “doll front” fabric strips over the arm strips. Tie off each “sleeve” with a narrow strip of fabric. Tie a waist with another narrow strip of fabric. Tug at sleeves to “poof” them, if desired. And we are done!! Have Fun!! Wouldn’t these be lovely made up in seasonal colors?
"These are the perfect beginner sewing project for Brownie troops or for young 4-H'ers." In the mid-1980's, when I was a young adult, I liked to go to local arts and crafts festivals. The best one I ever went to was the Watermelon Jubilee in Ft. Deposit (Greenville), Alabama. I bought an ink drawing by a local artist that I eventually framed, and a Handkerchief Doll. I thought it was the most darling thing I ever saw. I really didn't notice much about its construction until I read an article in the July 1992 Friend magazine by Judie Fordham. She actually gave step-by-step instructions on how to make one. This is something I wanted to share with my daughters as part of the many pioneer things I love. Materials: Man's large white handkerchief 1-1/4 yards, 1 inch wide colored lace or eyelet a ruler a needle and thread the same color as the eyelet or lace scissors embroidery needle pink and blue embroidery thread stuffing 4 pieces of narrow ribbon 10 inches long Sew a row of lace along one edge of the handkerchief. Sew a second row slightly above the first. On the opposite edge of the handkerchief, find the midpoint, then measure in 3-1/2 inches. Embroider a pink French knot for the doll's nose. Make two blue French-knot eyes 1/2 inch above the nose and about 1 inch apart. Wad up enough stuffing to make a ball 2 inches in diameter. To make the doll's head place the ball of stuffing under the face you just made, gather the handkerchief tightly around it, and tie it off at the bottom with a piece of double thread. Tie a piece of ribbon into a bow over the double thread to make the neck. Sew two circles of lace around the back of the head for a bonnet. Make arms by rolling the handkerchief at each side of the head and tying in a knot, leaving 1: at each end for hands. Make three bows out of the ribbon and sew them, equal distances apart, above the lace on the skirt. The instructions for Handkerchief Dolls is found at the following link: http://lds.org/friend/1992/07/handkerchief-doll?lang=eng&query=handkerchief+doll Judie Fordham, "Pioneer Dolls," Friend, July 1992 When pioneer children were crossing the plains, They didn't have cars, airplanes, or trains. They walked beside wagons loaded clear to the top With food, bedding, and seeds for the next season's crop. There just wasn't room for a toy or a doll-- The wagons were filled with all they could haul. So Papa's handkerchief became a new toy, A cherished soft doll that brought lots of joy. This cute little doll loves to play or just sleep. She'll brush away tears if ever you weep. So keep her close by--she's easy to hold-- And pretend you're a pioneer child of old. HERE is an 8x10 printable of the Pioneer Dolls poem. These instructions come from Kathy Ballard, "Pioneer Dolls 'Sew' Delightful for Small Stitchers," Country Woman, Jan/Feb 1992 Materials Needed (for one large and one small doll): 1/3 yard of white cotton fabric Scraps of calico for skirts and scarves Scraps of lace and ribbons for trims Thread to match fabric Knit-Cro-Sheen crochet thread or string Small amount of polyester stuffing for head Standard sewing supplies Body: Cut one 8 inch square of white fabric for small doll and one 12 inch square for large doll. To form hands, tie two pieces of string or crochet thread on two adjacent corners about 1/2 inch from ends (see Fig. 1). Head: Place a ball of stuffing, the size of a Ping-Pong ball for small doll and the size of an egg for large doll, on fabric square, about a quarter of the way down from the top edge and centered between the hands. Fold top of fabric over so it covers the stuffing completely; gather together under the head and tie with a piece of string (see Fig.2). Pull arms out to each side and arrange, then bunch the rest of the fabric together under the arms and tie with another string (Fig. 2). Skirt: Cut out a 3 inch x 8 inch piece of calico for small doll and a 6 inch x 12 inch piece for large doll. Hand-sew a gathering thread along one long edge of the skirt. Pull up gathering thread and place skirt around doll beneath the arms, where the second string is. Stitch top corners of skirt together in the back, securing the skirt to the doll at the same time. Using two or three small stitches, hand-sew the bottom corners of the skirt together. Trim away any of the white fabric that shows below the skirt. Hat: Cut a piece of lace that's long enough to fit over the top of the head, and sew it on for a hat brim. Or make a scarf by cutting a 6 inch square for larger doll. Fold fabric in half to form a triangle. Place over doll's head and sew the ends of the scarf together under the chin. Stitch to doll to hold in place. Angel Wings: For small doll, use a 2 inch wide of flat lace about 18 inches long for a piece of white fabric 2 inches x 18 inches. Tie into a bow with 2 inch to 3 inch streamers and tack to back of doll just below the head. Trims: If desired, you can use lace to trim around the bottom of the skirt and tie scraps of ribbon around the neck waist or hands of doll.
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For my daughter's, Little House on the Prairie party, the guests all made rag dolls. The girls did a great job, and the dolls turned out so...
They're called pew babies, church dolls, angel babies, prayer dolls, handkerchief dolls, and hanky dolls. Here's a simple handkerchief doll tutorial for you
