Dilys

There's someone I'd like you to meet.

This is Dilys.

Lovingly hand-sewn by me.

She is the first rag-doll I have ever made.  And she is the first thing I have made working from a pattern.

I am so proud of her.

She started life as a wee pile of scrap material, and over the course of three weeks she started to take shape.

I made lots of mistakes along the way.  And did a lot of lip chewing as I tried to work out how to follow the pattern.

As soon as I had made her head and body, I had to give her a face and some hair, as she was creeping me out!

It seemed only right that she had sticky-up plaits.  What girl in her right mind wouldn't want sticky-up plaits?

She is working it with a little linen scarf under her wool felt jacket.  With embroidered collar.  Tied kimono style with a vintage ribbon.

Her skirt is made from a piece of linen, and has a little elasticated waist.  Her pinny comes with a cheeky patch.  She completes her sassy country chic look with cream cotton bloomers, edged with vintage lace from my nana's sewing tin.

Pink ballet slippers, with contrasting ties, finish the ensemble from the Mimi and Tilly Spring/Summer 2010 Made With Bits and Bobs collection.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be able to make a rag doll. 

I used the pattern and instructions from Tone Finnanger's Tilda book, "Sew Pretty Homestyle".  Making some changes to the hair and outfit.

Dilys is a house angel.  She sits in my lounge.

Even though she has a big ole biro line down the seam of her face (I drew around the first pattern piece with biro, and when I stuffed her, it popped through.  Lesson learned.)  I think she is lovely.

Dilys was a real challenge for me to make.  I stabbed myself with the needle.  I got confused and frustrated with the instructions and pattern.  I made mistakes, and had to make a second jacket, a second skirt and a second pair of shoes. 

But I got there in the end.

Dilys makes me smile.

   

P.S. Dilys means "genuine" in Welsh.