Pinning the new mermaid pattern onto cotton
Tissue pieces, a handful of pins and the way I place them so nothing is wasted.
Latest posts
Patterns, stitches and little dolls from the porch, every week.
Stuffing a doll body so it sits up
Small handfuls, a chopstick for the corners and how firm is firm enough.
A doll on the porch rail, and the fabric I chose
The little rag doll that came out of this week's scraps, and why the cotton is checked.
How I turn a drawing into a doll pattern
From a pencil sketch to a flat shape you can trace, cut and sew.
Closing the gap with a ladder stitch
The stitch that makes the seam disappear once the doll is stuffed.
Choosing cotton for a first doll
What to look for in a plain cotton, and what to leave on the shelf.
Button eyes that stay on
Doubled thread, a flat button and the knot that does not pull through.
Sewing a little dress for a doll
A tiny dress cut from a scrap, with a gathered skirt and one button.
Washing and mending a cloth doll
How to clean a doll that has been loved, and sew a loose arm back on.
Where my first doll came from
My grandmother's doll, made from flour-sack cloth, and the one I made to match it.
Newsletter
One note a drop
A short letter every other Friday about one doll, one stitch and one thing the porch taught me.
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