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    The Making of a Rag Doll: Design & Sew Modern Heirlooms
    The Making of a Rag Doll: Design & Sew Modern Heirlooms
    The Making of a Rag Doll: Design & Sew Modern Heirlooms
    Ebook168 pages48 minutes

    The Making of a Rag Doll: Design & Sew Modern Heirlooms

    By Jess Brown and Tristan Davison

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    About this ebook

    Designer Jess Brown is known for her irresistible, starry-eyed rag dolls. In this inspiring book, Brown shares a custom pattern and simple instructions to sew, personalize, and accessorize your own rag doll. Illustrating the story behind these dolls, the book places emphasis on natural materials, vintage fabrics, beautiful notions, and quality craftsmanship. Make the dolls for the children—of all ages—in your life to love now and cherish for decades. After making the doll, follow Brown's patterns for darling accessories such as an apron, overcoat, and knickers.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChronicle Books Digital
    Release dateSep 2, 2014
    ISBN9781452130187
    The Making of a Rag Doll: Design & Sew Modern Heirlooms
    Author

    Jess Brown

    Jess Brown is a designer of handmade rag dolls and a women's clothing and accessories line. Her distinctive Jess Brown rag dolls are available in shops around the world, and each doll is unique and cut and sewn to order. The Jess Brown rag dolls have been featured in major print and digital media internationally. Jess lives in Petaluma, CA. Learn more about her at jessbrowndesign.com.

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      Book preview

      The Making of a Rag Doll - Jess Brown

      Introduction

      I have always adored rag dolls. Since I was a child, I’ve found that a doll, a truly loved doll, is the ultimate comfort. When I was growing up, there were beautiful rag dolls and patchwork quilts in my home. A family friend once brought me a rag doll from London. I think I was around four years old and I was completely enchanted by the doll’s simplicity. I called her Frances. I didn’t have many toys made from natural materials and it felt so good to hug this doll. I felt a special connection with it.

      She was made of coarse-weave cotton muslin. You could see every thread of the fabric. She was stuffed with firm cotton fiber so her limbs kept their shape and she could sit upright. Her hair was made of wool yarn and her face was embroidered. She was wearing the most incredible dress made from a Liberty of London floral fabric that had a base of rich French blue sprinkled with red, pink, and cream flowers. The dress was embellished with dark blue satin on the bodice and fine lace trim around the hemline, and she had a small satin bow in her hair.

      I kept her always. Frances was just one of those things I couldn’t part with. In fact, she became my daughter’s doll for a while and then eventually moved into my studio. I keep her where I can see her. This doll is a constant reminder of why I create.

      As a little girl, before I even knew how to sew, I would make small cloth dolls out of scraps of fabric found around the house. I loved the feel of each different piece of fabric, and running my fingers across the embroidery of a rag doll’s face. I’d make little doll accessories and houses out of shoeboxes. I loved creating a world out of discarded bits and pieces, and no doubt these early creative moments were formative. I still love working with well-worn textiles that tell a story. Antique cloth carries the tradition of the handwork artisan. Examining the individual threads and stitches in each fabric scrap brings me directly to each artist’s hand. I get inspired thinking about how each piece of cloth was created, used well, and loved. From the simplest scrap of linen to the most ornate French embroidery, I see the beauty and promise in the threadbare, and try to honor the past in everything I make.

      When my daughter was born, I wanted to fill her room with handmade toys and bedding. I searched shops to find things that would be both beautiful and useful. Sadly, I didn’t see much that felt authentic. It was nearly impossible to find a product made in a truly artful way, especially for a child. I quickly realized that I would need to make my children’s toys and bedding.

      First I had a vision for the dolls. I wanted them to be unforgettable. Not just cute or durable, but truly unforgettable and distinctive. I knew I wanted to use organic stuffing. The density and smell of corn fiber felt real to me—solid, not spongy, but reminiscent of dolls made long ago. I wanted the doll to be soft to the touch, so it would feel good when my daughter hugged it close against her face. The hair on the doll’s head would be soft and gentle, not a scratchy yarn, and the eyes would be created with the finest embroidery floss. I wanted the look and feel of a toy that was slightly more sophisticated and had personality—a gentle face that wasn’t telling her how to look or feel, but was just there to give comfort.

      The first doll I made was from what I can truly call a happy accident. When my daughter, Stella, was a baby, all of my cashmere sweaters were accidentally thrown in the washing machine. Ruined, they sat for months in a bag near my sewing machine. I just couldn’t bear to part with them. One day it just hit me: I could create a doll for Stella totally out of cashmere. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect toy for a baby. I had no pattern to work with. I just had a general sense of how I wanted it to look and feel. It needed to have a quiet and calm sensibility. I knew I wanted it to be really pretty but not too precious. I loved the idea that this doll would be created with some of my favorite sweaters.

      I remember struggling

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