Constructing a larger doll
This tutorial covers one approach to the construction of a larger doll.
The doll in this case was ordered to be suitable for display on a full (child) size rocking horse.
From memory the doll is 41 inches tall.
There are no doubt other alternative methods but here a simple (AND CHEAP) process is explained step by step.
Here is a series of pics of the construction of a doll that was completed some time ago now.
I think it is a good thing to know what goes into our little quiet ones (at least the individually hand crafted ones).
This particular doll was originally sculpted by Gwen Ross and is called Cotton. She is designed to stand, though this one is to sit on a rocking horse so, I have redesigned the body to suit. I have already finished Jade as a girl indian and Cotton will follow as a boy.
The doll in this case was ordered to be suitable for display on a full (child) size rocking horse.
From memory the doll is 41 inches tall.
There are no doubt other alternative methods but here a simple (AND CHEAP) process is explained step by step.
Here is a series of pics of the construction of a doll that was completed some time ago now.
I think it is a good thing to know what goes into our little quiet ones (at least the individually hand crafted ones).
This particular doll was originally sculpted by Gwen Ross and is called Cotton. She is designed to stand, though this one is to sit on a rocking horse so, I have redesigned the body to suit. I have already finished Jade as a girl indian and Cotton will follow as a boy.
The Bits
Assemble all the pieces for the construction of the doll.
Now is time for a final check of all painting and all seams to ensure the quality of your doll.
Once assembled there is no easy return to fix any mistakes or missed painting.
Now is time for a final check of all painting and all seams to ensure the quality of your doll.
Once assembled there is no easy return to fix any mistakes or missed painting.
Body Image is Important
As dollmaking is not an exact science I choose to soft stuff the sewn cloth body before proceeding any further.
This way I can check the doll's body for positioning and proportion.
It also allows me to assess the sizing of the armature required to provide the doll's structural foundation.
This way I can check the doll's body for positioning and proportion.
It also allows me to assess the sizing of the armature required to provide the doll's structural foundation.
Structure has a foundation - the armature
I then size the armature against the body and tie it together. For dolls this large I build the armature as I build the doll so I can actually work the bottom of the doll without having to fight the weight and top of the armature. I choose to use double insulated single conductor electrical cable and cable ties (tied very tight) for my armatures as they offer better position holding than commercial plastic ball type armatures. If you were to be reposing your doll a number of times a week then the plastic ball armature would be better.
Of course all the ties will be trimmed and the armature is longer than appears necessary because of the loss of length that will occur at the bent knee and the positioning of the armature into the centre of the torso and limbs.
Of course all the ties will be trimmed and the armature is longer than appears necessary because of the loss of length that will occur at the bent knee and the positioning of the armature into the centre of the torso and limbs.
Attaching the Lower Limbs
Next – de-stuff the body and turn inside out.
Put the feet into the body making sure that the inside seam of the crutch and the big toe are on the same side.
REMEMBER our toes and knees both point forwards.
Glue and tie in place – I use Aleen’s glue as it holds well quickly and as it is water based if there ever needs to be a repair it can be encouraged to let go without damage to the doll.
For tying I use waxed dental floss – for a doll this size I used 4 strands wound round twice before tying and the knot was a reef (or square) knot rolling twice each layer rather than once. This allows the wax floss to remain tight while you do the second half of the knot but still allows the knot to pull tighter right through both levels of the knot.
When I am satisfied that the knots are tight and the floss is seated in the grooves properly I tie another layer over the knot and snip the floss leaving about 2 to 3 inches trailing.
Put the feet into the body making sure that the inside seam of the crutch and the big toe are on the same side.
REMEMBER our toes and knees both point forwards.
Glue and tie in place – I use Aleen’s glue as it holds well quickly and as it is water based if there ever needs to be a repair it can be encouraged to let go without damage to the doll.
For tying I use waxed dental floss – for a doll this size I used 4 strands wound round twice before tying and the knot was a reef (or square) knot rolling twice each layer rather than once. This allows the wax floss to remain tight while you do the second half of the knot but still allows the knot to pull tighter right through both levels of the knot.
When I am satisfied that the knots are tight and the floss is seated in the grooves properly I tie another layer over the knot and snip the floss leaving about 2 to 3 inches trailing.
Preparing to begin the build.
After I have waited for the glue to cure I can then proceed with the next steps of assembly.
Note:- I like to give the glue 24 hours to go off. If you are in a real hurry and have tied very tight you may be able to proceed as quickly as 30 minutes with Aleen's glue - personally I recommend you take the time.
I stuff a little fibrefill (Soft toy or pillow filler) into the bottom of the feet to provide a small impact barrier between the armature and the porcelain.
I then wrap the bottom of the armature with fibrefill tied to the armature with a single strand of floss 1 to 1.5 yards will suffice.
I use Reach dental floss for the simple reason that all the others I have tried to date I have broken while tying – this can be a real hazard with bits of porcelain or weak chins of people who may be holding onto the bits while you tie – Ouch (Note: a good black eye can take quite a while to dissipate)
Note:- I like to give the glue 24 hours to go off. If you are in a real hurry and have tied very tight you may be able to proceed as quickly as 30 minutes with Aleen's glue - personally I recommend you take the time.
I stuff a little fibrefill (Soft toy or pillow filler) into the bottom of the feet to provide a small impact barrier between the armature and the porcelain.
I then wrap the bottom of the armature with fibrefill tied to the armature with a single strand of floss 1 to 1.5 yards will suffice.
I use Reach dental floss for the simple reason that all the others I have tried to date I have broken while tying – this can be a real hazard with bits of porcelain or weak chins of people who may be holding onto the bits while you tie – Ouch (Note: a good black eye can take quite a while to dissipate)
Equalising and securing the armature.
The next step is to insert the armature into the doll’s legs. Once you have done this it is essential to check that each side of the armature sits firmly against the bottom of the padding in the foot and to check that the armature is not biased by the padding in one leg being deeper than the other. We don’t want our little quiet ones needing to lean on each other – unless we choose to pose them that way.
Some use plaster or other fillers at this point to secure the armature in the leg – I have seen porcelain split as plaster expands and I find fibrefill or plastic beads insufficient to securely hold the armature.
Any "Permanent" fillers will present problems if ever the doll needs to be dis-assembled for repairs.
For this step I use plastic bags – they need to be a soft plastic so that they are easier to pack into the porcelain parts and so they can be very densely packed to form a pressurising affect between the porcelain and the armature. You will be amazed just how many will fit.
I use a blunt style bamboo chopstick for most of my stuffing where the doll is too small to be able to use my hands.
Important point – keep the armature central in any parts or limbs – this makes for a better balance to a doll and also a better feel.
Some use plaster or other fillers at this point to secure the armature in the leg – I have seen porcelain split as plaster expands and I find fibrefill or plastic beads insufficient to securely hold the armature.
Any "Permanent" fillers will present problems if ever the doll needs to be dis-assembled for repairs.
For this step I use plastic bags – they need to be a soft plastic so that they are easier to pack into the porcelain parts and so they can be very densely packed to form a pressurising affect between the porcelain and the armature. You will be amazed just how many will fit.
I use a blunt style bamboo chopstick for most of my stuffing where the doll is too small to be able to use my hands.
Important point – keep the armature central in any parts or limbs – this makes for a better balance to a doll and also a better feel.
Beginning the stuffing.
Keeping the armature central in the body, commence stuffing the legs from the porcelain upwards.
As this is a sitting doll with gussets in the knees the armature will be located a little to the rear of the knee to allow for better bending (not too much bulk in the back of the knee).
The material covering the front half of the knee area is the gusset.
To help with perspective - the feet are inside the body and their soles are on the table at the bottom of the picture - the body is still inside out and is being turned on itself as the dolls limbs are stuffed.
As this is a sitting doll with gussets in the knees the armature will be located a little to the rear of the knee to allow for better bending (not too much bulk in the back of the knee).
The material covering the front half of the knee area is the gusset.
To help with perspective - the feet are inside the body and their soles are on the table at the bottom of the picture - the body is still inside out and is being turned on itself as the dolls limbs are stuffed.
Moving on up.
Pull legs up as you stuff until the legs are completely filled with the armature kept central.
Now is a good time to attach the rest of the armature as well.
This is your last opportunity to get rid of those "cellulite" outbreaks and unsightly creases.
Now is a good time to attach the rest of the armature as well.
This is your last opportunity to get rid of those "cellulite" outbreaks and unsightly creases.
Fill to the brim.
Fill the body up to the armature keeping the armature central in the torso.
Stuff tightly - the strength of the doll comes from the tension produced by the stuffing between the structural components of the material body and the armature.
They all work together to get the right feel and functionality.
Stuff tightly - the strength of the doll comes from the tension produced by the stuffing between the structural components of the material body and the armature.
They all work together to get the right feel and functionality.
Close the Torso.
Close with ladder stitch and trim armature to length for the arms.
In hindsight this body could have been a little "pudgier" for it's length.
It did however work very well for the intended purpose.
In hindsight this body could have been a little "pudgier" for it's length.
It did however work very well for the intended purpose.
Getting Handy
Glue hands into the arm piece and place onto armature.
With particularly long slender arms it is often easier to work with the arms turned inside out.
Like all other parts of the doll keep the armature located centrally in the limb while stuffing.
With particularly long slender arms it is often easier to work with the arms turned inside out.
Like all other parts of the doll keep the armature located centrally in the limb while stuffing.
Attaching the arms
When the arms are completely stuffed it is time to ladder stitch the arm casing to the body.
Before this is closed completely it is important to stuff extra fill up into the tops of the arms.
This helps with the appearance of shoulders but more importantly gives somewhere for the bell on the bottom of the shoulder plate to sit and allow the whole shoulder plate and head to be stable when attached.
Before this is closed completely it is important to stuff extra fill up into the tops of the arms.
This helps with the appearance of shoulders but more importantly gives somewhere for the bell on the bottom of the shoulder plate to sit and allow the whole shoulder plate and head to be stable when attached.
Head and Shoulder-plate
Finally – we can put some personality to the doll – although the hands convey some too the head is the most important.
The shoulder plate can be attached a number of ways – Tapes used to be preferred and are labour intensive and often the shoulder plate is still loose due to the difficulty of stitching close to the porcelain.
Modern mass produced cheapies are often splogged on with glue which seals their fate and effectively makes repair very difficult in the event of an accident.
If a shoulder plate fits snugly and firm (an aspect of the body construction leading up to this point) it is quite acceptable to affix the shoulder plate with a strong waxed twine in a figure 8 through the shoulder plate and body with a long needle and passing the thread right through the body on each pass.
I choose to do this with a double thread and pass through the body 3 times. Experience suggests this is enough to hold effectively and still allow even tightening of all the threads. I also spread the exit points to assist with the strength and stability of the process.
The shoulder plate can be attached a number of ways – Tapes used to be preferred and are labour intensive and often the shoulder plate is still loose due to the difficulty of stitching close to the porcelain.
Modern mass produced cheapies are often splogged on with glue which seals their fate and effectively makes repair very difficult in the event of an accident.
If a shoulder plate fits snugly and firm (an aspect of the body construction leading up to this point) it is quite acceptable to affix the shoulder plate with a strong waxed twine in a figure 8 through the shoulder plate and body with a long needle and passing the thread right through the body on each pass.
I choose to do this with a double thread and pass through the body 3 times. Experience suggests this is enough to hold effectively and still allow even tightening of all the threads. I also spread the exit points to assist with the strength and stability of the process.
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Cotton's "Sister"
Jade was constructed the same way as the doll detailed above.
I have included her picture instead as I do not have a pic of Cotton "on horseback" |
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