Remember the very first doll you made?

21 years ago

I'm up for some nostalgia this afternoon. If some of you would like, it would be really warm and cuddly to hear about the very first doll you ever made. How did it come about? What prompted you? Care to elaborate? I was reminiscing over the phone, this morning, with my mom, who is in poor health. She remembers me making a doll when I was very young. It got me thinking...how about the rest of you? I was about nine, in third grade. I was allowed to go with a friend, to the library, check out a book on doll making. This was in the late 50's and it was still safe to walk a couple miles, unattended. We got the book, went to the hardware store, got copper wire and came home. Ripped up a sheet, gathered bandage tape and an old blanket for stuffing. We made the form from the copper wire, wrapped it with ripped sheet strips, covered it with the white bandage tape and put a piece of nylon from stockings over the head. We didn't have pantihose. Sewed it on, painted the eyes and used red nail polish for the little rose bud mouth. Made a funny looking outfit and called it a finished project. I still have her, this many years later. I've made a few dolls over the years, for my daughters but only occasionally. Now I'm beginning again and don't know anyone around me, personally who has the same interest. Just feeling kinda isolated today and thought I'd ask.

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Comments (5)

ladeebug
21 years ago
Hi I was thinking about the first doll I made, ha ha I was wanting to make one for each of my granddaughters that they could play with, not one to sit on the shelf and look at, so I too went to the local library, found a book from England on making rag dolls. It called for stocking fabric, I had no idea what that was, but finally hit on using single knit fabric, that worked fine, the instructions called for one ball of yarn for the hair, so I used one skein of knitting yarn. I had so much hair that the pigtails on the doll stuck straight out like pippi longstockings. LOL But you know what, the little girls loved them, after I convinced their mothers that they were to be played with, not saved. I remember my first rag doll, my aunt had lovenly made her for me, when my mother cut my long stringy hair, I proceeded to cut the braids off my doll, figuring it would grow back same as mine, Oh what memories you have brought back.
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BigMama
21 years ago
My first doll was actually a hand puppet that we made in Home Ec at school. We used paper mache and molded the head and we had to design and make the rest of the outfit..I really loved that little doll and my teacher was impressed with my design ability.LOL
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Jude_KS
21 years ago
Thank you for bringing back such a special memory:

The first doll I remember making was a corn husk doll.
My Mother was half Choctaw Indian, both she and her
mother always to pass along as many of the old ways
as possible to all of the children in the family.

I also remember making "church dolls" from hankies,
applehead dolls and tons of fabric dolls, doll blankets
and clothes under their watchful eyes and loving touch.

Always - Jude!
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jomo
21 years ago
I made two dolls out of copper-wire, quilt-batting scraps and pieces of old sheet with fine copper wire for hair. I was only nine or ten at the time. I didn't have a pattern but those dolls were just like Barbie, boobs and all. We called them Judy and Jane. My brother and I would act out the movies we saw on Sat. afternoon with those two dolls. After I had whipped up the right costumes for the occasion. That was about 69 years ago.My, how time flys when you are having fun.
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yellowhair
21 years ago
I was probably in my 30's when I made my first doll. It was a church project for children in Brazil. We took little girl's nylon anklets and cut them in a certain way to form the legs and arms. Made a cute and soft doll.
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Remember the very first doll you made?

Comments (5)

ladeebug

BigMama

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