Old-Fashioned Rag Doll

April 14, 2024April 14, 2024Leave a comment

I am so excited to be adding a new project today. It has been quite a while since my last project and I am happy to be able to share something new with you.

Recently, I was inspired by history and found some great historical projects that I wanted to make.

The first was a rag doll. Rag dolls are so easy! The body of the doll is created by tying together strips of fabric. The accessories can be sewn or not sewn depending on your preference.

Rag Doll with Sewn Accessories

The bonnet and apron are stitched to add lace trim, finish the edges, create gathers, and make casings. I used flat lace trim, but you can use pre-gathered lace as well. The yellow and white dolls above were made using cotton/poly broadcloth and 3 cotton balls for the head. The doll below was made from dyed muslin and used 4 cotton balls to create the head. The muslin doll is a bit fuller and softer.

Each doll was made by ripping or cutting the fabric into strips arranged in a spiral, or wheel pattern, with the strips aligned at the center. Ties, either ribbon or fabric, are used to create the doll.

The doll will have a different texture depending on if you rip or cut the strips. The white and tan dolls were created with ripped strips, while with the yellow doll, the strips were cut using a ruler and a rotary color. The effect is a bit different. The ripped dolls are much softer and appear more rustic. They will all fray eventually since the fabric is not finished, but the ripped dolls have a lot more fraying to start.

Free Pattern:

Old-Fashioned Rag Doll Pattern Download

Supplies:

1/2 yard cotton fabric for body
6 x 12 inches of fabric for the accessories
2/3 yard of lace trim (optional)
1 1/4 yard satin ribbon (1/8 inch wide)
Cotton Balls or poly-fil

The dolls do not stand on their own, so if you are interested, here are the doll stands that I used.

Detailed Instructions:

Quick Overview:

No- Sew Rag Doll

The No-Sew Rag Doll is a great option if you are making the project with small children or if you need a faster construction time.

The process is very similar, but the style is slightly different.

The No-Sew Rag Doll has a kerchief instead of a bonnet, and the apron is simply tied on.

Free Pattern:

Old-Fashioned Rag Doll Pattern Download

Supplies:

1/2 yard cotton fabric for body
6 x 12 inches of fabric for the accessories
3/4 – 1 1/4 yard satin ribbon (1/8 inch wide)
Cotton Balls or poly-fil

The dolls do not stand on their own, so if you are interested, here are the doll stands that I used.

Detailed Instructions:

Quick Overview:

Happy Sewing…or No-Sewing 🙂

Rag Doll Bloomers

July 2, 2021July 2, 20213 Comments

It is so nice to have the time to post projects once again! This project is here for you today thanks to a viewer request. Thanks Joanne for your idea!

This is a quick little project that is a great addition to your rag doll.

These beauties are available in 3 lengths, Short – Undies (Above) , Medium – Bloomers (Below), and Long – Extra Long Bloomers (Not Pictured).

This project is pretty quick, but their tiny size does make them a challenge. As a result, I tried to make as many of the steps as possible flat.

The hems in this project are finished with a single fold. If you want to avoid fraying, you can finish the top and bottom edges with a serger. You could also use double fold hems by add 1/4 inch to the top and bottom edge of the pattern and folding over 1/4 inch before following the other directions shown in the video. This may be recommended if you plan to remove the bloomers from the doll frequently.

There are two waistband styles demonstrated in the video. One is constructed flat and the ends of the elastic are visible in the seam allowance. The other is constructed in the round and the elastic is completely hidden.

You can also add lace to the bottom edge to add a bit of extra cuteness 🙂

To help reduce bulk, instead of adding an elastic casing using fabric or binding, I used a zig zag stitch over narrow elastic cord. This worked very well around the teeny tiny legs of the rag doll.

Free Pattern:

rag-doll-bloomers-pattern-by-learncreatesew Download

Supplies:

Scrap Cotton Fabric ( or 6 x 16 inches)
1/2 yard Narrow Cord Elastic (1.5mm) (I used beading cord elastic)
6 inches of 1/4 inch wide elastic
1/2 yard Narrow lightweight lace (optional)
Coordinating Thread

Tools:

Sewing Machine
Pins
Small Safety Pin
Ruler
Fabric Marking Tool
Hand Needles (Optional)
Purple Thang or Stiletto (Optional)
Silicone Spatula (Optional)

Detailed Instructions Video:

Quick Overview:

Rag Doll Part 2 – Adding the Hair

May 2, 20202 Comments

Here is the second installment of my rag doll tutorial. This was by far one of the most difficult videos I have made. Not because the process is hard, but because there are so many different styles of hair that can be selected and so many methods with which it can be applied.

I spent a lot of time deciding what I would share because I didn’t want anyone to feel limited in the approach they had to use. Not to mention, there was a whole lot of yarn that did not want to cooperate and stay in place while filming! Apparently it does not take direction well.

I really enjoyed using multi-colored hair on this doll. Mixing and matching colors strand by strand was a lot of fun, and I really like the look it created.

On the above doll the majority if her hair is the dark purple color. The wefts added at the bottom were all the same color, however at the top, I added just a bit of contrast.

I hope that you can take the methods used in this video and expand upon them to make something all your own 🙂

I love the drastically different looks you can create by altering hair styles and color.

Here is my rag doll pattern in case you missed it in the last post. The doll is just over 14 inches tall when completed.

Rag Doll Pattern by learncreatesew

ADDING THE HAIR DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS:

Rag Doll Part 1 – Constructing the Body

April 30, 2020May 2, 2020Leave a comment

I have finished my rag doll pattern! I’ve been working hard to create the instructional videos and I am happy to say that I have the body instructions ready to share with you today.

I really enjoyed working on this project and mixing and matching fabrics to create the body of the doll.

I love all of the different styles you can design to make the doll uniquely your own!

This project is a bit more time consuming than others and does require a bit of patience. It is probably a 5/10 in difficulty just for the amount of time needed to hand stitch the hair and for the exactness of seam allowance that is needed. When sewing plush projects, a small error in your seam allowance can make a big difference in the appearance of your doll. You also need to be comfortable slip stitching and working with small curves.

The doll measures between 14 and 14.5 inches tall when finished.

Rag Doll Pattern by learncreatesew

Rag Doll Hair Tutorial COMING SOON!

Rag Doll Project Testing

April 26, 2020April 26, 2020Leave a comment

A rag doll was one of the project brainstorm ideas that I posted in my sketchbook recently. The project is a bit time consuming, so I opted to do other projects first.

However, this weekend I was quite excited to have the time to work on the project.

First, I drafted two pattern options. After testing them both I made some adjustments to my favorite version and found a shape I was pretty happy with!

Next came the daunting task of tackling the hair! I do have to say that it took longer than expected to hand stitch all that yarn! Thank goodness for comfy couches and Netflix. It definitely helps the process.

Once I was happy with my rough drafts, I went on to test the project!