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Getting Stuffed: Little Red Riding Hood Doll

4/5/2015

6 Comments

 
Mere hours before the deadline for the Six Weeks of Love for Softies contest on Sew Mama Sew, I finished my second and final entry.  A doll.  After making many stuffed animals, I decided it was time to branch off.  But, of course, I couldn't make just any doll.  I went with a Little Red Riding Hood theme.  I intended to make several accessories for her, such as a basket with bread and flowers, but time and family responsibilities have an inverse relationship.  No matter.  The red leather suede cape I made for her is enough to cue the theme.  I chose the doll pattern from the book Storybook Toys by Jill Hamor.  I love the dimension of the face and body, the realistic shape of the limbs, and the embroidered facial features.  As always, I put my own spin on it.  For her dress, I left out the faux placket with buttons and did a simple gather instead.  The blue really makes her eyes pop.  I used the capelet pattern, but extended it to make a full-length cape.  I love the large hook and eye clasp to hold it together.  The red leather suede I used for her cape looks almost like velvet, but with a more interesting texture.  And the pink printed cotton lining coordinates nicely with it.  But her hair is really where I spent most of my time.  Instead of using thick yarn, I hand-embroidered long strands of floss directly into her head.  The effect is almost like real hair.  With all these details, I think she turned out fantastic!

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With the hood off you can see her hair better.  It took forever to sew her hair on.  Hours and hours.  I used six-stranded floss, and every piece is attached individually using turkey work techniques.  It turned out way thicker than I thought it would, and I had to thin it out a bit to get her hood on.  I'm putting together a tutorial on embroidering on hair, so if that's something you want to try, you can learn about it here.

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I used the shoe pattern pieces from the book, but increased the seam allowance so that I could use leather instead of felt.  Of course, the opening in the shoes still ended up being a tad too small, so I cut notches into the front so I could slip them on.  I think it makes them look even cuter than without the notch.

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The hands were difficult to sew.  I did them manually to make sure I followed my marked seam lines and got the fingers nice and rounded on the ends. 

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And, as always, a few more pictures I just had to post.  But she is so photogenic it was easy to get a ton of great shots.  She turned out so nicely, in fact, that I'm considering making a grandma doll and a stuffed wolf to complete the trio.  Hmmm, yes, that is what I'll do.  As soon as I have the time.

6 Comments
michelle link
4/5/2015 03:23:36 am

She is extraordinary! From her hair, to cape, to fantastic shoes, and lovely eyes --- so well done. Oh my gosh, I just might be in love with that hair. Amazing!

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Carley Biblin
4/5/2015 04:21:04 am

Thanks! I just hope the contest judges think so, too.

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Jen link
4/6/2015 02:49:34 am

Wow, just wow! Everything about her is fantastic, but I can't stop staring at her hair. Amazing work!

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Carley Biblin
4/6/2015 04:31:13 am

Thanks! I wasn't sure how it would turn out. The whole time I was working on her I had my doubts, but I'm so happy with the way she looks. And I'm so glad you stopped by.

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Amanda link
4/13/2015 09:57:35 am

That is exquisite! and amazing. Such detail. Love the eyes. it is something different. Don't be discouraged you didn't win. It is still very valuable.

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Carley Biblin
4/13/2015 10:45:00 am

Thank you. I've gotten such positive comments from people, which is part of the reason I'm surprised I didn't win. Perhaps if it had been votes from people like you instead of softie designers... I appreciate your comments. I hope you'll visit again soon.

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    Carley Biblin

    Hi.  My name is Carley.  I love to sew, craft, and create. As a Jane-of all-crafts so to speak, I enjoy sewing, writing, cooking, drawing, photographing.  But the constant thread (if you'll excuse the pun) throughout my weeks is needle arts. 
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