For the brave souls who decided to participate in the Mystery Pattern without knowing what doll it was that they were going to make, this will come as no surprise, but for those who waited to find out what the Mystery Doll really looked like - here she is, she's called Counting Down the Days:
Counting Down the Days is an advanced level, 16.5” (40.6cm) cloth doll that can be used as Advent calendar to help you count down to the holidays or she can simply be a decorative Victorian figure suitable for all times of year. Added to that, the shapely free standing body of this doll makes her an excellent mannequin that could be dressed in any outfit you can imagine, making this pattern the type that you could make over and over again, re-creating her look each time.
The 26 pages of detailed instructions guide you through every aspect of making this cloth doll with the help of black and white diagrams. Areas such as drawing and sculpting the face, adding applied eyelids, sewing the unique separate neck, sewing hands with an opposable thumb and even inserting the simple wire armature are all covered in the instructions.
The period costume inspired by crinoline-mad fashions of the 1860’s is full of surprises. Each point on the doll’s overskirt can be looped up and hung from a bead, either to create a different look or to mark the passing of each day before Christmas, thereby revealing the lining underneath and creating a whole new look for the doll in the lead up to the holidays. The doll’s very special hat also holds a surprise and is the means of marking another day in the countdown to Christmas. The doll’s hat has a hinged crown so that on one of the days of Advent, you can flip the crown of the hat forward and reveal some fantastic marabou trim hidden inside – talk about flipping your lid! While the final surprise to mark the last day of Advent is unveiled by opening the fan to reveal the message “Merry Christmas”. If you don’t want your doll to be an Advent calendar, then it is simple to omit the number charms denoting the days of the month.
If you didn't get this pattern while she was still a mystery, don't worry - it's not too late to buy the pattern. She is available for sale at my Etsy shop where I will e-mail you the pattern or if you want the pattern as an instant download then the PDF pattern can also be purchased from my Craftsy shop.
The paper pattern will also be available from my usual suppliers who can be found on the left hand side of my blog under the heading "Where to Buy my Patterns".
What do you think? Was she worth waiting for?
What an absolutely delightful pattern! So clever! I shall have to visit your Etsy shoppe tonight after work.
Posted by: Ani | November 08, 2012 at 12:39 PM
She is gorgeous! I should get started! Eek.
Posted by: Stephanie in MI | November 07, 2012 at 10:46 PM