a dolly for beezus

Beezus has been asking me to make her a rag doll for as long as I can remember, but with my sub par sewing skills and lack of enthusiasm for learning, that didn't really seem like it was going to happen. But finally, on Friday, she wore me down. And I started a little project. She picked this out of a book she received from Danielle called Sewing with Children, though Bea didn't really help, and I didn't do anything close to the pattern, but it gave me a quick pattern for how to make each part.

Anyway, I didn't photograph along the way, but I do have some after shots with my girl.

She had named the rag doll Violet and has been carrying her around incessantly. She claims Violet helped her stay in bed last night. Thank you, Violet.

The trickiest part for me was figuring out all the little quirks of doll making, like how to put on hair, and hide embroidery floss knots since I put the face on after she was sewn together and stuffed. (Next time, all those things clearly should happen before stuffing takes place. Also the body/head section was basically one piece a rectangle with one curved side, then I gathered the neck after she was stuffed. Not exactly the most graceful way to do it, I realize now.

Bea also wanted a new dress for her, and that was a challenge since I really have never made a dress before, so I let her pick out a fat quarter from the fabric store and made this little dress, which was easy. Now, I am going to try to make one of these.

The thing Beezus loves most about her is that she is tall and looks like she could really be her daughter, which is exactly her words.  She is kind of cute. I had to restrain from making a wee little smile on her, so she wouldn't look like the Dolly for Sue from the Island of Misfit Toys. (Incidentally, did you know her misfitness is caused by psychological problems caused by fear of abandonment and grief?) Watching that again, though, is making me think I need to dye her cheeks red. That is so cute.