It seems hard to believe that a whole year has passed since my last blog article. I apologize to my readers, but a variety of circumstances made it difficult for me to create new content during the past year. Recently, I was able to do some sewing, and I decided that sharing my latest project would be the perfect way to get back to the blog and celebrate World Doll Day 2023 on Saturday, June 10th.
World Doll Day is a way to share the joy of dolls with people all over the world. Last year, I wrote about how Kitty Friend Maxine spent the day in New Mexico with her Native American friends, Elder Hitty and Squash Blossom. Elder Hitty was carved from a very special wood called Bristlecone Pine. Rachel Field’s fictional Hitty in the story, Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, was carved from Mountain Ash wood.
Woodcarving is a skill that takes time to learn. I carved my first Hitty dolls in 2013, ten years ago. Hitty Shannon Rose and Hitty MacKenna were carved from basswood blanks that I bought from Hitty carver Maria Thompson. Maria has a power carving tutorial on her website, and she sells turned blanks to make the dolls. In April of this year, I made new crocheted dresses and charm necklaces for my first two Hittys to celebrate their 10th birthday.
For Hitty collectors, a wooden doll is wonderful, but not everyone can carve or purchase one. Cloth dolls are another option, and they have some advantages over wooden dolls. Their arms and legs can move independently, making them easier to dress. They are not as fragile, making them perfect as travel dolls or as dolls for junior collectors. The materials to make a cloth doll are inexpensive and readily available in craft stores. And many Hitty collectors already possess the sewing skills needed to make one.
Kitty Friends are a great project for beginning sewers, but for the recent challenge for the Hittygirls group to create a cloth Hitty, I decided to try something new. I purchased a pattern from the “peachydi” Etsy shop owned by Diane Peachey. Diane is a skilled dollmaker and designer who offers a variety of Hitty-related items for sale in her shop. I chose the “Basic Hitty” pattern as a downloadable .pdf file.
For the body fabric, I chose a khaki colored Kona cotton from JoAnn Fabrics. JoAnn’s website requires a 2 yard minimum for online orders. Because you can make multiple dolls with only 1/3 of a yard, and since it can be very difficult to choose a color based on a screen image of the fabric, I would not recommend ordering fabric online. I went to a nearby JoAnn’s to choose the fabric in person. I already had the other supplies needed to make the doll, such as fiberfill, needles and thread, acrylic paints, gesso, brushes, etc.
The first decision I needed to make after sewing and stuffing the body was how to finish her face. I decided I wanted her to look like this illustration of Hitty in her dancing dress.
To capture the essence of Hitty’s simple black and white features, I left her mostly unpainted, except for her hair, boots, eyes and lips. I used a Pigma Micron 05 ink pen for her facial features. The Micron pens are available at art supply stores and Amazon. I find them easier to control than a paintbrush.
The cheeks are colored with chalk pastels (applied with a Q-tip), and the eyes and lips are painted with acrylics. I first applied Liquitex gesso, to seal the fabric and help the paint adhere without bleeding. I used a Mini Detailer brush on her eyes and lips. My favorite brush for painting details is the Princeton Series 3050 20/0 – Mini Detailer Round Sable Brush. After the gesso dried, I painted over it with two coats of Apple Barrel black craft paint. Then I used the Mini Detailer brush to apply white highlights to her hair, to mimic the look of the black and white illustrations. I mixed a light pink color for her lips. I liked Diane’s suggestion to use safety pins to hang parts while drying.
For the final touch, I signed the back of the doll using the Micron pen. Then I sealed her with Krylon Workable Fixatif. If you don’t seal the doll, the Micron pen can bleed when you add the final clear coat. Always spray Fixatif in a well-ventilated area, because it has a strong smell. I used 3 light coats of the Fixatif.
Before stringing, I coated the whole doll, including unpainted areas, with a topcoat of Minwax Polycrylic – Clear Ultra Flat. This clear coat has very little odor. I applied it using a small flat paintbrush and then cleaned the paintbrush with soap and water. The Polycrylic seals the fabric completely, and it also adds stiffening to help her stand. It does darken the fabric color slightly, so it’s a good idea be aware of this when you choose your fabric.
My next decision was how to attach the arms and legs. The pattern called for button joints with thread, but I decided to try 1.0 mm Beadalon clear elastic cord instead. The cord holds the limbs securely, and since it is clear, it doesn’t show much at all on the finished doll. Read the instructions below if you want to give it a try.
Stringing Doll Limbs Using Elastic Cord
Materials:
.039 in • 1.0 mm Beadalon “Elasticity” Stretch Cord
scissors
darning needle (with eye big enough for elastic)
thimble
jewelry pliers
Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue
Cut a piece of Beadalon cord about 8-10” long. It helps to cut the end at a sharp angle to make threading through the eye of the darning needle easier. Tie a very tight knot at the end of the cord.
Insert needle through top of left arm (with thumb facing up). If the needle does not go through easily, use a thimble to push it most of the way through, then use jewelry pliers to pull it out the other side.
Pass needle through left side of body at side seam, exiting on right side of body. Make sure needle comes through the body in a straight line, not slanted up or down.
Feed needle through top of right arm (with thumb facing up). Pull elastic tight and tie a knot on outside of right arm.
Clip ends of elastic cord close to knots.
Connect Hitty’s legs the same way, but make sure to stand her up and see if the legs are even before tying the elastic. If she does not stand evenly, feed needle back through hole in right leg and readjust, creating a new hole at the desired location.
When you are satisfied with her posture, tie knot on outside of right leg. Make sure leg knot is tight, then cut excess elastic cord close to knots.
Put a dab of Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue (super glue also works) on ends of all four knots to help keep them from coming untied.
I used Diane Peachey’s clothing pattern to make Dede a dress, petticoat and pantalets. Instead of the traditional red coral beads, I chose vintage silver beads for her necklace. Dede’s name is a tribute to two talented ladies whose names start with D — Diane Peachey and Dorothy P. Lathrop. Thanks, Diane, for an excellent Hitty pattern! Now Dede is ready to meet the rest of my family of dolls.
