The Answers

Dollmaking

It doesn't matter how well I clip my curves, I always end up with bumps, creases and  little points along the edges of my dolls where I should have nice smooth curves, especially in areas like across the top and sides of my doll heads.  Why does this happen?

There are two reasons this can happen.  The first is not because you haven't clipped your seams properly, although that can be the reason, but because, when you are stuffing the area, the seam allowance twists between the front and back of the area being stuffed.  If the seam allowance lays completely against one side or the other you will get a much smoother edge.  Make sure you finger press your seams when you turn your doll.  I often run a skewer or the tip of my hemostat along the inside seam to "press" the seam towards the back of the doll. 

The other reason you will get bumps...more creases rather than bumps, especially in flat faced dolls, is that you've stuffed them too tightly in the centre of the face.  Push your stuffing firmly towards the edges and don't try to make the face round like a ball when it is made from only two pieces.  Allow it to stay a little flat and that should fix your problem.  Sometimes a little "squish" with a warm iron in the centre of the head will help fix the problem.

With thanks to Karen for this extra tip "Further to your tips on lumps and bumps along the seams of dolls, I have found....quite by accident.....that if you have a few lumps they are improved greatly by manipulating when the doll is wet from the stain. Things like slightly pointy feet can be gently tugged into a better shape."

What does "bury the knot" mean?

This is a way of making your knotted end of thread disappear into your doll so that you don't have untidy loose ends showing.  After hand sewing whatever it is that you're doing..say for instance sewing on an eye button, you push the needle through the doll to exit away from your finished stitches.  Tie a knot in the thread, close to the exit point and re-enter the fabric with your needle through the same hole the thread is exiting from, coming out at least an inch (2.5cm) or more away from where you entered.  Pull on the thread until the knot "pops" through the fabric and buries itself in the stuffing.  It should anchor itself quite nicely.  (if it doesn't, just repeat the process until it does).  Gently pull on the loose thread and snip it close to the fabric and it will recede back into the doll and disappear.  

You can also "bury" your starting knot.  If, for instance, you want to sew on an eye button, tie a knot in your thread, enter through the back of the head and exit in the position you want to start sewing the button.  Give your thread a gentle tug until the knot pops through the fabric in the back of the head and buries itself into the stuffing.  If you can't pull it through, cut off your knot and start again, making your knot a little smaller.  If it pulls all the way through and out the front, make the knot a little larger.  There you have it.  Buried knots, with no loose threads showing.

I can't get the knack of painting eyes on my dolls.  Why can't I get them to match?

When painting eyes, you may find it easier to get a matching pair if you use this technique. If you are right handed, paint the left eye first (left handed—paint the right eye first) This way you have clear sight of the eye you are trying to match. If, for example, you are right handed and paint the right eye first, it will be hidden under your hand whilst you are painting the left and will be much harder for you to end up with a matching pair.  Ok, now all in chorus..say "Oh yeah..of course!" ;-)  Another tip is to always start painting your eye on the spot closest to the nose, painting towards the outside of the face regardless of if it is a left or right eye.  If you do this, you are more likely to have mirror image eyes and less likely to have what appears to be two right eye shapes..or two left eye shapes.

Now you've painted the eyes and don't like the expression?  Take a look at the pupils.  Are they tiny?  Try increasing the size of them.  It's a medical fact that the pupil dilates when the owner of said pupil is liking what they are seeing.  It's all to do with physical attraction but we won't go into that just now.   It's also a proven fact that in the eye of the beholder, dilated pupils are more visually appealing.  Have you ever heard the expression "beady little eyes"?  That doesn't generally pertain to the actual eye size..it's beady little pupils that affect people in a negative way.  So anyway, back to the subject, try increasing the size of the pupil and add a tiny dot of white as a "sparkle".  Make sure if it's in, for example, the "2 o'clock" position on one eye, it's in exactly the same 2 o'clock position on the other eye..or your doll will look like it has an astigmatism. ;-).  Now, doesn't that look better!

How do I use a felting needle to attach hair to my doll?

Now this is one thing that is almost never explained in a doll pattern.  Felting needles are wonderful things.  To whomsoever first used them to attach hair to dolls heads, we owe a debt of gratitude.  All you do is this...Take a piece of your fibre and lay it on the head where you want to attach the hair.  Hold it against the fabric with one hand; with the other, stab the needle into the head.  The tiny barbs on the end of the needle will catch the fibres and force them through the cloth into the head and mesh them with the fibrefill stuffing. Continue stabbing straight up and down until the hair is firmly attached.

A couple of words of warning about using felting needles.   Firstly..they are VERY sharp and they can't tell the difference between your fingers and the dolls head!  Secondly, make sure you enter the head straight in - and straight out.  Don't twist or bend the needles whilst they are in the head as they are brittle and will break easily.  And Thirdly, hair attached with felting needles is not considered safe for dolls that children will be playing with.  The hair attaches well for display dolls but with a few tugs, it will come out.  (which can be a good thing if you've made a mistake..not so good if a child proceeds to eat the hair)  If making a doll for a child to play with, for safety's sake please stitch the hair in place in the traditional way.

What is "rag stuffed"?

Exatly that - stuffed with rags! Way back in our grandmothers day and in some cases even our mothers day, there was no such thing as polyester fibrefill and as most dolls were made to entertain little girls, they were made from scraps of whatever was available, often chopped up rags were used as stuffing.  Not olny for toys but for pillows and other household items as well.   I love rag stuffed dolls, they're heavy and lumpy and floppy and just feel old.  It gives the item a completely different feel to fibrefill stuffing - and it's free!. I still use fibrefill a lot but there is just something special about the feel of a rag stuffed doll.  Often I use both in the same doll (you can't needle-sculpt a rag filled face - well, you can - but it's not easy!).

You can use any old rags although I prefer to use cotton scraps.  The leftovers from cutting out my dolls and scraps from my stitcheries are always kept, along with any other fabric scraps I have and are tossed into a bag.  My 8 year old daughter love chopping them up for me. I keep them in a jumbo sized zip lock bag so they're there when I want them.  Save them up and chop them all into little bits on day that you feel you need some stress therapy.  We all have those days..lol  A word of warning though, if you are using calico or muslin to make your doll and are planning on either staining or leaving as is, then only use calico or muslin in your stuffing.  If you use darker scraps, they have a tendency to show through as shadows under the "skin".  If you're planning on painting the doll, then you can use any old colour.  As I said, I use mostly cottons but I know others will use any type of fabric..  I have used old cotton tshirts - old sheets..anything really.  Chop the pieces into small pieces 25 - 35mm (1-1/2") to stuff the thinner parts of smaller dolls (arms legs etc) but larger pieces can be used for the bodies and for big dolls.  There is no rule to it though, just use what ever suits you.

And if you are staining the doll..paint the stain on with a sponge brush rather than dunking the doll - or she'll take FOREVER to dry.

Stitching

Why do I need to put a backing (pellon or quilt wadding) on the back of my stitcheries?

Well, you don't have to do this.  It's generally recommended though because many fabrics used for stitcheries have an unattractive habit of showing the threads and knots that are at the back of the work through the front as shadows.  The backing has the two fold benefit of hiding these threads as well as giving a subtle quilting effect to the piece.  You can use two layers of fabric instead of your wadding if you prefer.  

When I'm using 6 strand embroidery thread, how may strands do I use for a stitchery?

Most patterns will tell you the preferred number of threads- but not always.  I usually use two for most of my stitching.  If I have a very tiny or detailed area, I'll use one and if I have an outline I want to particularly stand out, I'll use 3.  It's personal preference really.  If you think a design will look better with more or less threads than recommended, remember it's your work and you can make your own rules.

How do I separate the strands?  I always end up with a tangled mess!

Ah, so you've been trying to pull them slowly apart and watching them tie themselves in knots and whilst holding threads in your mouth, you use your other hand to try to untangle the mess all the while thinking you need three more hands..been there, done that..°Ü°. This is another one of those things that when you find out how, you will wonder why no-one ever told you before.  It's easy peasy.  Cut off the required length of 6 strand embroidery thread.  Hold one end (all six strands) firmly between your thumb and forefinger about 1cm (1/2") from the end, allowing the bulk of the thread to hang down towards the floor.  With your other hand, separate one strand from the short end of the bunch of six and pull.  Easy as that.  Make sure you are holding the six strands firmly enough so that only the one thread will pull through.  The other five strands will bunch up against the underneath of your hand but as soon as the single strand is pulled out, it will drop down and straighten itself out again. Hold the single thread until it stops spinning and repeat if you need another one or two threads. 

Don't you wish you knew that years ago?

Why, What and How

Why do I sometimes see some patterns asking for felted wool and some for  wool felt?  What's the difference?

Well there's a difference between felted wool and wool felt. Wool felt is made by using the raw fibre, usually carded wool, laid in tufts at right angles to each other and then usually wetted down with some soap, they're smoodged (good word eh, I just made that up..lol) up and down & rubbed until the fibres become matted together. This is true felt.

Felted wool is made from fabric, the type you make clothes from, and it's usually washed with some laundry soap in very hot water, rinsed in cold water to shock and contract the wool and then dried in a clothes dryer so the fibres matt together. The felted fabric will be thicker - but smaller in size than the original fabric. It will have shrunk. Have you ever done it by accident to a woollen garment? Ordinary wool fabric will fray along the edges. Properly felted wool fabric will have very little or no fraying edges at all. It's not a true felt but it has similar uses to wool felt.  You can make your own felted wool at home.  By using an old woollen skirt or coat, (skirts seem to have the most useable larger pieces of fabric) cut away the seams and remove zips or buttons and proceed as above.  Pure wool works best but I have successfully felted fabrics with an 80% wool content.  You can then use your fabric in penny rugs or hooked rugs or anything else that requires a non fraying fabric.

What is this Parisienne Essence I often see the Australian girls talking about?

Parisienne essence is caramel colouring for used as a gravy browning.  It's available in the US and Canada under the name Kitchen Bouquet.  You'll find it with the cooking ingredients in your supermarket.  It makes a great stain, use it in about the same proportion as you would instant coffee or tea (even though it is a liquid), mixed with water.  We have been using it for years.  The colour is not as yellow as tea and darker than coffee. And no, it doesn't smell and I've never heard of anyone having problems with it attracting bugs.   It's wonderful - try it, you'll like it! 

What is mica - and what do I do with it?

Mica is a natural mineral often used for it's heat insulating properties in major industry. It naturally forms in very thin layered sheets, which easily separate.  It's inert, non toxic and will stand extremely high temperatures.  For the purposes of crafting, it has a beautiful shimmer and was used extensively in the dark distant past for all the same purposes that we now use commercial glitter.  In times gone by it was used on many of the scrap crafts - handmade Valentines and Christmas & other greeting cards and the original Scrap books so famous around the turn of the 19th Century.  It was also piled up for Christmas decorating to simulate snow.

So, what can you use it for these days?  Just the same as our forebears did.  It adds a wonderful vintage look to anything that needs a bit of sparkle.  It looks great on vintage style make-do's and ornaments.  There is just something about it that modern glitters can't compete with.  It can be sprinkled over ordinary PVA (white) glue (just dab it on with a brush) or sprinkled over a layer of acrylic sealer/varnish.  I have heard many suggest using spray glue.  If you're happy to use this, go ahead.  I find that the mica sticks really well with spray glue..but so does the dust after a couple of weeks.  You can never quite get spray glue into the exact area you want it without slightly over spraying other areas and, as the spray glue takes a long time (if ever) to dry, the dust is going to stick!  But as I said, if you're fine with this..go ahead.  It will stick to the acrylic sealers you use for sealing over acrylic paint too.

Just apply your chosen glue or sealer , hold your item over a sheet of paper and  sprinkle over the flakes.  Press them down gently and give it a gentle shake over the paper to remove the loose flakes and allow to dry.  Return the excess flakes back to the bag.

What are walnut crystals - and what do I do with them?

Walnut crystals are a powder like substance that are mixed with water to make Walnut Ink.  Walnut ink is used for staining! The furniture makers and restorers use the ink for staining wood, but we crafters use it for staining anything and everything!  Depending on the dilution, you can get anything from a light sepia colours to a very dark brown/black ink suitable for writing.  It can be used to soak, spray, splatter, paint, stamp, stencil, antique...pretty much anything you like.  With the current trend for old stained travel tags and vintage looks for scrap-booking etc, it's perfect for getting that very old time ravaged look.

Mix up your crystals to the desired strength - a little goes a LONG way - Start with 1/2 level teaspoon in a cup of warm water and allow to dissolve.  Test this mix, it makes a medium stain, and add more water or more crystals to suit your need and store it in a jar.  The mixed ink will last for a very long time.  I have several jars mixed up to varying strengths and just use whichever suits the purpose. If you leave the lid off your container and your ink dries out, don't worry - add some more water to the residue in the jar and off you go again!  No waste! After using on an item, allow it to dry naturally or you can fast track the drying by using a hairdryer or putting into an oven at about 100°C.  Keep a close eye on it though.  It will burn!

A strong solution can be used in a clean stamp pad for sepia style stamping and it can be also used in a spray bottle for adding grunge spots to dolls or other crafted goodies.  Just be aware that it's not permanent.  Don't use it on items that will be washed as it will fade out.  But then, so will tea and coffee to a certain extent, so it's not really unusual in that respect.  It's great stuff!

How do I dye luggage tags using the Walnut Ink Crystals?

There are several ways to do it, you can spray them, dunk them, paint them..but the way I do it is like this...

What is a "Make-Do"?

The phrase "Make-Do" originally came from the saying "Make do and Mend".  You may have heard it from your mothers or grandmothers - especially those who lived through the depression years.  It meant that you had to make do with what you had usually because new materials either weren't available or couldn't be afforded.

These days a Make-do has taken on a meaning of it's own.  Generally it is a type of pin cushion, most often on some kind of stand, which can be anything from an old piece of carved wood to an old candlestick to a rusty old bed spring!  They're made up from old quilt pieces or scraps of fabric or felt and can be pretty much any shape you like, from a traditional round ball shape to the shapes of animals or fruits or anything else that takes your fancy.  They are often decorated with old scraps of lace or old keys, tags, stitched sayings, embroidery, buttons or anything else you have to hand.  There are no rules with Make-do's - you "make do" with whatever you have on hand.  The Queen Makedo to the left truly is a Makedo.  An old d'oiley - some scraps of fabric and paint - I didn't even have a stand for it so I made one from a roll of wire I found in my drawer - and yes, the instructions for the stand are in the pattern pack!

What is an "Ornie"?  And an "Ornie swap"?

That's an easy one - Ornie just a shortened name for an Ornament.  Ornaments these days can be anything smallish (2" - 8" or thereabouts) that you can hang from a hanging loop and they are hung anywhere and everywhere.  And they don't have to be Christmas themed!  Ornies are becoming very popular with other themes - Easter, Valentines Day, Raggedy's, Snowmen, Angels, Hearts, Stars - any theme that appeals. They can be sewn from fabric, painted, stitched, made from wood, tin, pretty much anything really.  Once again, no rules except perhaps that it has to have a hanging loop and it has to be finished by the deadline!

An Ornie swap..is just that.  Usually a group get together and decide on a theme and also decide if it will be a one to one swap - you send an ornie (ornament) to one person and they send one back - or a group swap, which means you make one ornie for every person in the group and they all make one for you and each other.  That way you get lots of little parcels with lots of little goodies to fill your tree or decorate your home.  Organise one with your friends or crafting group if you love making and receiving handmade goodies.  Just set as size, a theme, a number to make and a mailing or delivery date.  They're fun seeing what everyone comes up with!  Then you'll be swap addicted and you'll be swapping dolls & stitcheries & and make-do's & all kinds of things...even my new stitchery cards...an ornament and a greeting card in one! ;-)  (I couldn't resist the plug!)

Why do some patterns tell me to cut a slit in one layer of fabric to insert the stuffing and others leave an opening in one of the seams?

This is usually to preserve the smooth edge around the outside of whatever it is you're making.  Say for example you're making a tiny doll with lots of curves and not many straight edges.  Often you will be asked to sew around the entire outline and then cut a slit for stuffing.  That way you won't see where you've stitched the opening closed on the side seams of the doll.  It's difficult to close a curved opening, the edges may fray excessively during stuffing, especially if it's on the bias of the fabric or there just may not be a suitable area to have the opening.  Often the area that has been hand-stitched closed on these pieces will just look messy and misshapen no matter how neatly you try to stitch it.

A slit opening is usually closed with and overcast stitch or ladder stitch and is generally either covered by clothing or embellishment or it's at the back of the work so it can't be seen.  Just be sure when you cut the slit that you do it along the grainline to minimise fraying.

That you can sharpen dull scissors by snipping several times through a few layers of aluminium foil?  Try it....

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If you separate the strands of your six strand embroidery threads and then put them back together, it will result in smoother stitches and less twists & tangles....

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If you don't have a stuffing fork for small areas (eg fingers) then you can use a fine wooden skewer.  Snap a piece off the skewer (don't cut it) and the rough end from the break will grip the stuffing and make the job much easier than using the original smooth end.

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Keep checking back..more to come!

A candle is not dimmed by the lighting of another candle...

The tips on this page may not be copied, reproduced or posted on other sites with out my express permission....Cally