Make your own Black Dolls, part 1
Howdy!
The posts in this series should give you enough information to make your very own Black Dolls. Or enough to injure yourself very, very badly. Like that time I was customizing an action figure, and that tube of Superglue gel exploded right in my eyes and the X-Acto Knife slipped and...just don't work when your tired, kids. Trust me.
Also, always keep the Poison Control Hotline number handy, just in case. On speed dial, if possible, because it's hard to make a call if your hands are glued together.
I'm just sayin'.
Today we'll start with what you'll need, and basic patterns.
Please don't hesitate to ask questions, or tell me if something is hopelessly unclear.
This is an image-heavy post, beyond the
NOTIONS:
"Notions" is what they call sewing stuff in...places that need a word for it. You'll need:
Needles -- If you don't have any, ask the clerk for "sharps" or a basic sewing range. You may need a big-ass doll needle (technical term) if you use buttons for eyes and need to run the thread out the back. A scary curved upholstery needle can come in handy for doing the hair.
Pins -- Get the kind with the colored heads. Much easier to find when you drop them. And you will drop them.
Pincushion -- Anything will do, but the 'real' tomato pincushions with the mysterious strawberry hanging off are handy, and you can use the strawberry to sharpen dulled pins and needles.
Thread -- Do NOT use invisible thread. I know it sounds perfect, but it's basically thin fishing line, and will saw through your fabric like a garotte through a mobster. Ordinary all-purpose thread will do just fine. You may also want upholstery thread if you do any fancy jointing, or stuff involving the big-ass doll needle, but don't worry about that yet.
Scissors -- aka "The good scissors," the ones your Mom won't let you use for paper.
Optional: Thimble, thread cutter, glue (they make special fabric glue, but regular Elmer's is fine for this, or even Superglue gel), needle threader, felt dobbet, flonger, widgerette, Turkish sud.
FABRIC:
Bodies: I like to use robe velour for my people plushies' bodies. If your local fabric shops don't have it in a color you like, sistersanddaughters.com has it in several fleshtones, ranging from off-white to brown. I used their peach. They deliver quickly and their per-yard price isn't bad. You can also use jersey, cotton, minky, felt (see note on felt below), and anything else that feels promising and is a color you like. There is nothing that says you can't make your dolls in batshit colors.
Hair: I used black faux fur for Bernard, black fleece for Fran, and a combination of fleece, velour, embroidery thread, and whatever else was lying around the house in appropriate weights and colors. The original Black Dolls appear to use rug yarn.
Clothing: I used whatever was around the house, and whatever looked handy from the remnant bin at the fabric shop. You can snitch fabric from anyplace -- old clothes, socks, gloves and mittens, soft toys, clearance and thrift-store clothing, etc. I knew a Famous Covers customizer who regularly ransacked the ladies' underwear at Wal-Mart for knit in odd colors. At least, that was his story. The only exception was Manny's shirt, which needed something that could look like a doll-scale Hawaiian shirt, and had to be bought off the bolt. The trick is to be able to visualize what the fabric will look like in doll scale, rather than on you. Bernard's shirt, for example, is in a two-layered Indian cotton, with cutouts. They form a pattern on a human-size garment, but on the doll they mimic the look of a shirt that hasn't been ironed since...ever:
If you use felt for anything, you'll be much happier with wool felt than craft felt (the five-for-a-dollar felt pieces you see at craft stores). It's much sturdier, easier to cut and sew, and will generally make your world a better place. If you have access to boiled wool felt, even better -- but it's hard to find and costs the earth.
I didn't bother with making shoes. You're on your own there.
FACES: I used cut felt, safety eyes (Bernard's are around 6cm, while Fran's and Manny's are 10 or 15cm), and embroidery for the faces. You can use whatever suits you and your fabric: buttons, beads, paint, rubber stamping, even properly-treated paper. Googly eyes are not out of bounds. I cannibalized a keyring for Manny's earring.
PATTERNS: My pattern has the advantage of being easy to cut and sew, but you've got any number of choices, depending on your skill level and personal preference. Your fabric store should have several different, easily adaptable doll patterns in stock, from "Groovy Girls" style to Raggedy Anns to primitives, complete with clothing that fits. Professional patterns have high list prices, but it's easy to find them on sale for a dollar or two if you watch your store's ads. eBay is a good source for patterns from all eras, including photocopies of vintage doll patterns.
You can also find old craft books with patterns for soft dolls and their wardrobes, often for next to nothing. It doesn't matter if the sample dolls are dressed in alarming 70s fabric -- you only care about the shapes.
There are many downloadable patterns available free online.
Visit Runo's Boy Dolls at http://dolls.nunodoll.com/, and click on "cloth doll making" for patterns for mascots, big dolls, animals, etc., and instructions for dressing them. (Not the animals, obviously. Well, actually, some of the animals. Dammit, just go visit.) Don't miss the galleries, especially the Jesus doll with bedroom eyes.
Visit ufocatcher.com, and check out the links and boards for patterns.
randomfandom.com offers a pretty good basic UFO catcher pattern for US$3.00: http://www.randomfandom.com/custom-ufo-plush-pattern.shtml
Anyway, on to these guys:
These are more symmetrical and better rendered than the patterns I used, so your results should be less hammerheady, and the limbs more even and less pointy. Click on the pictures for more largyness, or, if you prefer, embiggening.
For Fran. You can use the boy pattern for her, but this will work better if you put her in a dress.
For Manny and Bernard.
Download the pics, and print them out so the 1" line measures...well, an inch. You can adjust the size a bit larger or smaller, though I wouldn't go too small. Cut out the pattern, around the outside of the line. (Some people say they get better results if they cut out the paper bit with a quarter-inch margin, then cut the final pattern edge when they cut out the fabric.)
Pin the pattern to the fabric, like this:
Scotch tape also works for pinning [sic], and can offer more stability and precision. But you can only do one layer of fabric at a time, and may have to clean tape goo off your scissors.
HEARTS: If you like to add hearts to your dolls, now's the time. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry about it. It's a doll thing.) I made mine just after Valentine's Day, so there were plenty in the shops. Bernard's heart -- and his hair -- came off of a wonderfully cross voodoo doll (packed with a perfectly foul pink and black lolly). Fran's and Manny's were out of a craft kit, and Manny also got a button from my button jar. You can also stick the heart inside the doll when you stuff. (Despite Johnny Gruelle, do NOT use an actual piece of heart candy, unless you really like weevils and/or the smell of damp, rotting candy. It won't end well.)
Sew the two pieces together. If you use the robe velour (or any other fabric with a tight interlock weave), you can have a nice 1/8th-inch seam, and not worry about trimming it later. If you use cotton or anything else that frays more easily, you'll need to have a good 1/4-inch seam. (If you're feeling really uncertain about the whole business, use Fray-Check around the edges. If you don't have access to Fray-Check, a glue stick will do.) Leave a stuff hole open, either at the top of the head or at the side. Do the top of the head if you'll need access to the inside of the head (if you're using safety eyes, for example). I like to use a good, tight backstitch for plushies. If you're using a machine, you're on your own for this bit.
If you need to clip curves (for example, if you've got the 1/4-inch seam thing going), do it now.
Turn your doll inside out. It'll look like this:
Use a knitting needle, unsharpened pencil, or something similarly thin and blunt to help push out the curves and fiddly bits at the feet and hands.
STUFFING: A bag of polyfill stuffing is US$2-$4 at your craft or fabric store. One bag will easily fill all three dolls. (Alternatives: Cotton stuffing is harder to find and more expensive, but more eco-friendly. Rag stuffing is inexpensive -- well, free, if you've got a scrap bag and the patience to hack up bits of fabric -- and weighty, but can be lumpy if you don't take care when you stuff. You can also mix in poly pellets to taste, but God help you if they get in the carpet. Don't steal the family cotton balls.)
Start stuffing. Begin at the feet and hands, and work your way up to the stuff-hole in the head. Only use a little bit at a time, and use your pencil or knitting needle to help distribute it evenly. How hard you stuff depends on personal preference, and your fabric. If it's really stretchy, stuffing too much will distort the finished product. If it's taut, like cotton, it can show lumps.
Take your time. If you don't like the results, pull the stuffing out and try again.
Hopefully, your doll will look nothing like this:
For one thing, it should have a head.
NEXT: Episode 2 - The Gathering Storm
The posts in this series should give you enough information to make your very own Black Dolls. Or enough to injure yourself very, very badly. Like that time I was customizing an action figure, and that tube of Superglue gel exploded right in my eyes and the X-Acto Knife slipped and...just don't work when your tired, kids. Trust me.
Also, always keep the Poison Control Hotline number handy, just in case. On speed dial, if possible, because it's hard to make a call if your hands are glued together.
I'm just sayin'.
Today we'll start with what you'll need, and basic patterns.
Please don't hesitate to ask questions, or tell me if something is hopelessly unclear.
This is an image-heavy post, beyond the
NOTIONS:
"Notions" is what they call sewing stuff in...places that need a word for it. You'll need:
Needles -- If you don't have any, ask the clerk for "sharps" or a basic sewing range. You may need a big-ass doll needle (technical term) if you use buttons for eyes and need to run the thread out the back. A scary curved upholstery needle can come in handy for doing the hair.
Pins -- Get the kind with the colored heads. Much easier to find when you drop them. And you will drop them.
Pincushion -- Anything will do, but the 'real' tomato pincushions with the mysterious strawberry hanging off are handy, and you can use the strawberry to sharpen dulled pins and needles.
Thread -- Do NOT use invisible thread. I know it sounds perfect, but it's basically thin fishing line, and will saw through your fabric like a garotte through a mobster. Ordinary all-purpose thread will do just fine. You may also want upholstery thread if you do any fancy jointing, or stuff involving the big-ass doll needle, but don't worry about that yet.
Scissors -- aka "The good scissors," the ones your Mom won't let you use for paper.
Optional: Thimble, thread cutter, glue (they make special fabric glue, but regular Elmer's is fine for this, or even Superglue gel), needle threader, felt dobbet, flonger, widgerette, Turkish sud.
FABRIC:
Bodies: I like to use robe velour for my people plushies' bodies. If your local fabric shops don't have it in a color you like, sistersanddaughters.com has it in several fleshtones, ranging from off-white to brown. I used their peach. They deliver quickly and their per-yard price isn't bad. You can also use jersey, cotton, minky, felt (see note on felt below), and anything else that feels promising and is a color you like. There is nothing that says you can't make your dolls in batshit colors.
Hair: I used black faux fur for Bernard, black fleece for Fran, and a combination of fleece, velour, embroidery thread, and whatever else was lying around the house in appropriate weights and colors. The original Black Dolls appear to use rug yarn.
Clothing: I used whatever was around the house, and whatever looked handy from the remnant bin at the fabric shop. You can snitch fabric from anyplace -- old clothes, socks, gloves and mittens, soft toys, clearance and thrift-store clothing, etc. I knew a Famous Covers customizer who regularly ransacked the ladies' underwear at Wal-Mart for knit in odd colors. At least, that was his story. The only exception was Manny's shirt, which needed something that could look like a doll-scale Hawaiian shirt, and had to be bought off the bolt. The trick is to be able to visualize what the fabric will look like in doll scale, rather than on you. Bernard's shirt, for example, is in a two-layered Indian cotton, with cutouts. They form a pattern on a human-size garment, but on the doll they mimic the look of a shirt that hasn't been ironed since...ever:
If you use felt for anything, you'll be much happier with wool felt than craft felt (the five-for-a-dollar felt pieces you see at craft stores). It's much sturdier, easier to cut and sew, and will generally make your world a better place. If you have access to boiled wool felt, even better -- but it's hard to find and costs the earth.
I didn't bother with making shoes. You're on your own there.
FACES: I used cut felt, safety eyes (Bernard's are around 6cm, while Fran's and Manny's are 10 or 15cm), and embroidery for the faces. You can use whatever suits you and your fabric: buttons, beads, paint, rubber stamping, even properly-treated paper. Googly eyes are not out of bounds. I cannibalized a keyring for Manny's earring.
PATTERNS: My pattern has the advantage of being easy to cut and sew, but you've got any number of choices, depending on your skill level and personal preference. Your fabric store should have several different, easily adaptable doll patterns in stock, from "Groovy Girls" style to Raggedy Anns to primitives, complete with clothing that fits. Professional patterns have high list prices, but it's easy to find them on sale for a dollar or two if you watch your store's ads. eBay is a good source for patterns from all eras, including photocopies of vintage doll patterns.
You can also find old craft books with patterns for soft dolls and their wardrobes, often for next to nothing. It doesn't matter if the sample dolls are dressed in alarming 70s fabric -- you only care about the shapes.
There are many downloadable patterns available free online.
Visit Runo's Boy Dolls at http://dolls.nunodoll.com/, and click on "cloth doll making" for patterns for mascots, big dolls, animals, etc., and instructions for dressing them. (Not the animals, obviously. Well, actually, some of the animals. Dammit, just go visit.) Don't miss the galleries, especially the Jesus doll with bedroom eyes.
Visit ufocatcher.com, and check out the links and boards for patterns.
randomfandom.com offers a pretty good basic UFO catcher pattern for US$3.00: http://www.randomfandom.com/custom-ufo-plush-pattern.shtml
Anyway, on to these guys:
These are more symmetrical and better rendered than the patterns I used, so your results should be less hammerheady, and the limbs more even and less pointy. Click on the pictures for more largyness, or, if you prefer, embiggening.
For Fran. You can use the boy pattern for her, but this will work better if you put her in a dress.
For Manny and Bernard.
Download the pics, and print them out so the 1" line measures...well, an inch. You can adjust the size a bit larger or smaller, though I wouldn't go too small. Cut out the pattern, around the outside of the line. (Some people say they get better results if they cut out the paper bit with a quarter-inch margin, then cut the final pattern edge when they cut out the fabric.)
Pin the pattern to the fabric, like this:
Scotch tape also works for pinning [sic], and can offer more stability and precision. But you can only do one layer of fabric at a time, and may have to clean tape goo off your scissors.
HEARTS: If you like to add hearts to your dolls, now's the time. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry about it. It's a doll thing.) I made mine just after Valentine's Day, so there were plenty in the shops. Bernard's heart -- and his hair -- came off of a wonderfully cross voodoo doll (packed with a perfectly foul pink and black lolly). Fran's and Manny's were out of a craft kit, and Manny also got a button from my button jar. You can also stick the heart inside the doll when you stuff. (Despite Johnny Gruelle, do NOT use an actual piece of heart candy, unless you really like weevils and/or the smell of damp, rotting candy. It won't end well.)
Sew the two pieces together. If you use the robe velour (or any other fabric with a tight interlock weave), you can have a nice 1/8th-inch seam, and not worry about trimming it later. If you use cotton or anything else that frays more easily, you'll need to have a good 1/4-inch seam. (If you're feeling really uncertain about the whole business, use Fray-Check around the edges. If you don't have access to Fray-Check, a glue stick will do.) Leave a stuff hole open, either at the top of the head or at the side. Do the top of the head if you'll need access to the inside of the head (if you're using safety eyes, for example). I like to use a good, tight backstitch for plushies. If you're using a machine, you're on your own for this bit.
If you need to clip curves (for example, if you've got the 1/4-inch seam thing going), do it now.
Turn your doll inside out. It'll look like this:
Use a knitting needle, unsharpened pencil, or something similarly thin and blunt to help push out the curves and fiddly bits at the feet and hands.
STUFFING: A bag of polyfill stuffing is US$2-$4 at your craft or fabric store. One bag will easily fill all three dolls. (Alternatives: Cotton stuffing is harder to find and more expensive, but more eco-friendly. Rag stuffing is inexpensive -- well, free, if you've got a scrap bag and the patience to hack up bits of fabric -- and weighty, but can be lumpy if you don't take care when you stuff. You can also mix in poly pellets to taste, but God help you if they get in the carpet. Don't steal the family cotton balls.)
Start stuffing. Begin at the feet and hands, and work your way up to the stuff-hole in the head. Only use a little bit at a time, and use your pencil or knitting needle to help distribute it evenly. How hard you stuff depends on personal preference, and your fabric. If it's really stretchy, stuffing too much will distort the finished product. If it's taut, like cotton, it can show lumps.
Take your time. If you don't like the results, pull the stuffing out and try again.
Hopefully, your doll will look nothing like this:
For one thing, it should have a head.
NEXT: Episode 2 - The Gathering Storm