The Magic Bean

Freebie Friday - Hats off to Free Patterns

In my mind I currently have two different ideas for new doll designs - both of which involve hats.  So I decided to do some links to free mini millinery tutorials and patterns on the web, so that I can share my learning with all of you.

First off, check out this free online class from Bonnie B. Lewis and Mary Ann Kaahanui from Crafty College.  It is an introduction to basic doll millinery and it's free.  Click here.

Cynthia Howe makes doll house miniatures an she has a great series of free tutorials for offer on her website.  Click here for Lesson 1 in the Basics, click here for a lesson in trimmings, click here for a lesson in moulded crowns and brims, and for more references click here.

If you are looking for embellishments for your mini hats click here for a lesson in making tiny perfect bows and click here for a free tutorial in how to make ribbon roses.

If you fancy making a felt hat, take a look at this lesson from Patricia Nelson, click here.

If you wanta bit of a short cut, check out Judi Wellnitz's tips on creating the illusion of a doll hat by clicking here.

I doff my cap to these ladies who have provided some great free doll hat tutorials.  Thank you!

Just hanging in my new pad...

Well, the only thing greater than making a new design is making it all over again.  As I have done with my Water Lily pattern. 

The weird thing is that you figure out all the little things that just have to be done to make a little fairy raised by frogs turn out exactly right.  I discovered the secret of getting the shape of this little one's pointy chin, well, pointy.  It all has done to do with the seams.  And the seam allowances. Folks,  I designed it and even I didn't realise that - until I made another head from my own pattern and was forced to spend several days pondering where the heck her sweet little chin went to.  So that first little fairy head went bye, bye.  And will hopefully not be found by some poor unsuspecting bin man.  I find that even little cloth heads freak people out when not attached to a body.

 

The other thing I discovered is that organza as toe webbing is bad.  Very bad.  Silk georgette?  Good, very good.  Angelina fibre in the wings also very good.  Shiny....mmmm..... We like shiny.

I always wondered how doll designers figured out all sorts of weird little tips that make the doll go right the first time.  Now I know, they get it wrong first so you don't have to!

I am getting really excited about this online class.  Several people have told me that they have registered.  Whoopee.  Getting paid to play with cool people while making dolls.  Yup, never gonna grow up!

If you feel like playing too you can sign up by clicking here to visit Cloth Doll Connection. 

Freebie Friday - Primi lil' Patterns for Free

I must say I don't ever make primitive doll patterns.  The closest I ever came was for my swap doll for Rainbow Dolls latest swap with Patti Culea's doll club. 

Even though my dolls are not prims,  I really enjoy looking at primitive dolls. I can spend ages oohing and ahhing over other doll makers primitives.  For instance I love Justine's work at Prim Creations by Little ol Me which I first found through Shashi's blog.  And I love Frowning Frances and Two Dancing Crows and several others. 

Fancy making a primitive doll yourself?  Check out some of these free patterns.

Click here for this Little Primitive Rag Doll by Bowls N' Annies.  How sweet is that?  Plus, there is a free pattern for little prim cherries on the same page.  Bless.

Also from Bowl N' Annies is this free Raggedy Ann doll, click here.

Here is another Sweet Annie from Cloth Doll Supply.

Once you're finished with a Raggedy Annie, how 'bout a Grubby Andy, click here to download the pattern from PatternMart.

The Chocolate Crow Trader has a whole page of fantastic free patterns, check them out here.

Once you've made all those prim dolls they'll need some hair, so check out this free tutorial on prim hair by clicking here.

OK, so this next one is not technically a doll pattern but it was just too darn cute to pass up.  Check out this corset and shoe pattern.  So prim.  So free.  Click here.

If you fancy making one of these little primitive numbers as a gift then why not print some free primitive tags to go with it.  Click here to download them free.  Sweet huh?  There are all sorts of other free print-ables on this site like bookmarks, recipe cards etc, etc, etc. 

So go hog wild.  Cause it is free.  Free as the wind!

Bad Blogger, bad, bad, bad...

I went to visit my family in Canada and managed to fit in forays to craft and fabric places while I was at it, but NOT ONCE did I remember to take a photo.  Pathetic.  What kind of a blogger am I?  I suck.  So you'll just have to look at a picture of a pile of goodies that I bought in the Great White North.

Mmmm...stash.  I haven't even put it away yet.  I  am not yet finished lovingly stroking it.

I did manage to snap some photos of my swap dolls from America that arrived in the post while I was away.  I got this lovely beaded mermaid from Velia in San Marcos California.  Velia reads my blog, so thank you so much Velia, she is lovely.

And I don't know why I got so lucky, but I seemed to have received not 1 but 2 swap dolls.  Here is my second doll from Patrice Beesley from San Diego.  I love the colours.  So rich.  Thanks Patrice!

Now off to lie prone on my sofa so as not to do something too dumb while still jet lagged.   

Freebie Friday - Kidding Around

As I am currently visiting my parents and sleeping in my childhood room, I thought I would feature kid stuff this Freebie Friday - free patterns of child and baby dolls.  No kidding....here we go.

Click here for a beautiful child doll pattern from Mary Tressler.

Click here for a 31" girl doll from Runo Dollmaker and here for a life sized baby doll from Runo.

Click here for a simple baby doll from Judi Ward.

And another simple baby pattern that is only 8" is here.

How about some little brats?  Hem, hem...  I mean little pouting children.  Click here for the pattern.

If you like doll house scale dolls check out this itty bitty baby pattern, click here for Laurie Wagner's free pattern.

Hadn't had enough of the little ankle biters?  You can have some hanging from your lobes with this pattern for baby dolls on earrings.  Click here for the pattern.

Scroll down this page of free projects for instructions for Mommy Make Me a Doll, a life sized child doll pattern.

Here is the free pattern Dolly Hugs from Noni Cely, click here for the patterns, instructions and inspiration.  This pattern is a child specially designed to hug a child. Altogether now....ahhhhhhh.....

No kidding around, these are some great patterns, huh?

Freebie Friday - Behold the Goddess

I received a couple more pictures through from Rainbow Doll Club members of the goddess dolls they created for our swap with Patti Culea's doll club. 

Wendy created this little cutie.

Karen , one of our overseas members who participates through our Yahoo group created this gorgeous goddess from a free pattern provided by member, Janet Clarke.  Isn't she fab?

Getting these pictures through inspired me to point you toward some free goddess doll patterns on the net.  Here's  the round up:

Here are a whole bunch of simple goddess doll patterns from Kivett Studio.  The examples on this website show some beautiful beading.  Beads...mmmmm...shiney......

Click here to see a free goddess doll from British designer Sara Maddocks.

Or how about this beautiful goddess doll designed by Jill Maas.  Click here to see the pattern.  I love this little one and have shared her before, but it's my blog and I'll do what I wanna.  Here is a goddess doll that I made from this pattern.

Click here to see Sherry Goshon's Goddess of Love pattern.

Or this very funky goddess pin doll, Jump Start my Heart by Heather Gailey.  Click here for the pattern.

I keep meaning to make this Healing Goddess by Marcia Acker-Missal.  Click here to see it.

Mary Tressler has a great goddess doll called the Totem Doll.  Click here to see the pattern.

I bet you are feeling all spiritual just looking at these right?  Mmmm....the peaceful zen of free patterns.

Freebie Friday - Face up to it

One of the things that highly amuses me when I show the uninitiated one of my dolls is the question "Where do you buy the faces?"  Huh?  As a pretty much dyed in the wool craft person I assume that it is obvious to all and sundry that you can't buy a cloth doll face, but I still get asked the question.  I attempt to explain how I draw, sculpt and colour the face.  People are amazed by this.  And new doll makers are often intimidated by this aspect of creating dolls.  But it really is no great mystery.  To unravel the mystery, check out these free tutorials on making doll faces:

First off, it helps to know that basic human proportions.  Click here for a quick lesson on human head proportion from Inez Brasch.

Mimi Winer shares her tips here.

I've shared this link before but I think it is so good it is worth repeating.  Patti Culea has an entire doll pattern here including a great tutorial with pictures on drawing and colouring the face.  Patti is a master at drawing faces!

Check out this really good face painting tutorial from Frowning Francis using a gesso base and paints.  Click here.

If you are keen on the use of paints on dolls, click here for another free tutorial from Linda Johnson.

The very talented Sue McFadden shares her tips for painting faces, click here to see how Sue does it.

Here is a tutorial for a very basic doll face, suitable for beginners.

If you are not up for drawing your own faces, click here for some free face templates that you can print out.

So even if you could buy cloth doll faces you wouldn't need to - its all available on the net and it's free!