Rag dolls: a detailed description of the manufacture

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:45

It's hard to imagine the life of modern girls without dolls. On the shelves of stores you can find "babies" who not only know how to crawl and cry, they even grow if they are fed on time. And from the variety of Barbie dolls, which have been holding the palm in popularity for more than one year, eyes run wide. Previously, it was difficult to dream of such an assortment. Nevertheless, our grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and girls who lived thousands of years ago also played with dolls.

How the dolls appeared

Dolls were born a long time ago. Of course, they were not at all similar to modern ones and were created not so much for the game, but for various rituals. They made them from any material at hand: clay, animal bones, wooden chocks, straw, stones, even from coal. Later, rag dolls appeared. Some of them were intended for children's fun, and others for serious adult rituals.

Slavs, being pagans, animate nature and natural phenomena, believed that everything good has its own good spirit, and every bad one has an evil one. With the help of dolls they tried to ward offor deceive evil spirits. With the introduction of Christianity, these beliefs did not disappear, but gradually began to be supplanted by new ideas. Now the culture of our ancestors is experiencing a revival. Who knows, maybe a really simple folk rag doll, made with your own hands, will protect us from troubles.

Motanka columns

The principle of making most of the dolls was the same. The fabric was wound into a roll or column (hence the "coils" and "pillars"). Next, the finished column was turned into a kind of female figure. The face was not singled out so that there were no extra eyes in the house. Such rag dolls were made very quickly. The process took from 10 minutes to half an hour, depending on the diligence of the craftswoman and the number of small details that she added to her creation. So, some dolls had breasts, buttocks, braids woven from threads. Their clothes were decorated with lace, embroidery, beads. The ass and breasts were made from a separate piece of fabric, which was also twisted and tied to the body of the doll with threads. After these twists were put on a skirt and shirt. The young lady turned out to be magnificent, portly, just the kind that could bring prosperity and prosperity to the house. In some regions of Russia, the doll's chest was done differently. They took two identical square pieces. Cotton wool was placed in their centers and tied. Got a ball. These balls were tied to the body of the doll in the appropriate place.

Charm for baby

For newborns, there were rag dolls-diapers. Their role was to ward off any evil from the baby. It was forbidden to praise the child. Instead they praisedchrysalis. They said how beautiful and smart she was. People believed that in this way evil spirits would “not notice” the baby, and all their nasty things would go to the diaper. Likhomanki dolls were also akin to them. They were made in 12 pieces - according to the number of troubles that could happen to a person. Each was given a name, such as Shaking, Bone Breaker, Deaf. They made them catchy, so that evil, entering the house, immediately drew attention to them and stuck to them without touching the owners. They hung these dolls by the stove or near the front door.

How to make a rag doll swaddle

Take the following:

1. A square or close to that piece of white cloth, preferably not very soft. It must be worn and taken from the clothes of a he althy person.

2. A square piece of any fabric color. It's a diaper.

3. A triangular piece of fabric, preferably in light shades. This is a handkerchief. You can also take a square piece and fold it like a handkerchief.

4. Threads or braid. They should be red as it is the color of happiness, good luck and protection.

Roll the white fabric into a roll. This is the body of the pupa. We tie it with threads in two places, highlighting the head and the place of the umbilical cord. We tie a handkerchief to the doll, as grandmothers usually do. We start the ends of the diaper behind the back. We wrap her in a diaper like a baby. The lower edge of the diaper is also wound behind the back. We fix all this with threads, dragging the chrysalis crosswise. It is believed that there should be an even number of knots, and an odd number of crosses.

Corn Dolls

The traditional rag doll responsible for the harvest was called a grain. If it was filled with buckwheat, it was a grain, if it was filled with wheat or peas, it turned out to be rich. Usually they did both at once and put them side by side. Children were allowed to play with them. In the spring, cereals and grains were poured into the seed, asking the spirit for the fertility of a rich harvest. And he did!

The role of the body of the grain is performed by the bag where the grain is poured. It must be sewn with one's own hand from a piece of white new fabric. They do it in two ways. Some sew something that looks like a pipe. A round bottom of the same fabric is sewn to one end of it, and the other end is pulled together with a braid. Others in place of the bottom simply sew the fabric. The bag is filled with grain, tied. The body of the doll is ready. You can't use the needle any further. The bag can be pulled with a thread, indicating the waist, but you can not do this. The main thing is to dress the doll. Krupenichka needs a scarf, an underskirt and an overskirt, an apron, a belt and a coat. The rich man is dressed in a shirt, pants (like a dark skirt), zhupan and a hat. Some craftswomen make hands for grains by rolling a white square piece of fabric into a roll and tying it to the body of the doll. To highlight the palms, the ends of the "arms" are also pulled together with threads. Dress up grains necessarily in bright beautiful shreds.

Beregini

These dolls protected the house from all evil spirits and contributed to prosperity. They were put in the red corner. They had a bag of grain in their hands. Folk rag doll-beregina is made according to the same principle as all twists.

Collapsing the column body. In this case, you need to take into account that the doll must be stable. For the head, take a large square piece of white fabric, fold it like a scarf, outlining the fold line. Expanding. Along the fold, we cover one edge of the column with it. Then the two ends of the scarf will be the hands of the doll and at the same time her shirt. To highlight the palms, we drag the ends of the hands with threads, and straighten the place of the face so that it is smooth. You can put cotton wool in your head, and put on a scarf-shirt on top. Then the head will be more rounded. In order for the cotton wool to retain its shape, under the chin, the body of the doll must be pulled together with threads. Often, coastlines are made with breasts associated with prosperity. Bright shreds are selected for their skirt and apron. Some craftswomen complement their outfit with beads, lace and embroidery. A warrior is put on the head of the coast guards. This is such a frontal bandage. She has a scarf over her. The pouch is made from a small patch and tied to the hand.

Herb Pod

How to make a rag doll so that it guards the house, fits beautifully into the interior and spreads a pleasant aroma? Very simple. The herbal doll is done like this. You need to take a square piece of light-colored fabric, which will be the head and hands in the shirt. Fold it like a scarf, marking the fold line. Expand. Put cotton wool in the center and tie with a thread. This is the head. The other two ends are hands. In them, highlight the brushes with threads. Pull the remaining edge of the square with a thread, highlighting the waist. The chest is made in the same way as for the coaster dolls. The skirt of the herbalists is a large square of colored fabric. On it you need to put fragrantdry herbs, tie with a bag and attach to the already prepared body. Close the place of the ligament with an apron.

Norwegian beauties

Tony Finanger is a true Norwegian. She lives in a harsh climate, but her personality is kind and a bit mischievous. It is these features that her dolls are endowed with. They call them Tilda. Unlike Russians, Tilda rag dolls can be bears, hares, angels, chickens - anything, not just young ladies. If even a child can make our column, then the production of Tilda requires skill and sewing skills. These dolls, as a rule, consist of separate parts (a body with a head, arms, legs) that are sewn together. Some of them have seams on the sides of the body. But most have seams in the middle of the face (muzzles), so the work requires maximum accuracy. After the naked Tilda is ready, she is dressed. Dressing her up is not easy. All elements of clothes and shoes are cut out, neatly stitched, decorated with beads, feathers, anything to give the doll charm and originality.

Master class: rag doll Tilda

Required for work:

1. Body fabric. Coarse calico, cotton, flannel will do. Some people like knitwear. The color of the fabric is nude or white, which can be dyed with tea.

2. Sewing supplies (scissors, needles, threads, pencil) Good to have a sewing machine.

3. Filler. You can take any ready-made, or you can just finely chop old tights.

4. Textilefor clothes. Any, depending on the fantasy.

5. Jewelry.

6. Paper.

To make such rag dolls, we draw patterns on paper. All parts of the body separately. Cut out. We fold the bodily tissue in half with the “face” inward, chop off so that it does not move, transfer the pattern to it. We don't cut! First, we sew the fabric along the lines, leaving the lower body, arms and legs free at the points of attachment to the body. Now we cut it out, carefully turn it “obvious” and fill it with filler. An additional seam can be made at the knees and feet so that Tilda can bend her legs. Filled? Now we sew everything together. We embroider the eyes and mouth of the doll. Her hair can be made from threads, or you can dissolve a satin ribbon. All. Tilda is ready. It remains to dress her.

Waldorf cuties

Rag dolls, invented in the Waldorf with the aim of educating babies, are distinguished by the correct proportions of bodies. By the principle of manufacture, they are similar to Tild, only there is no seam on their faces. Their base is made so that the spout stands out. Some craftswomen make their cuties chin and nasolabial folds. The eyes and mouth are embroidered with threads, the cheeks are browned. Both children and adults love these rag dolls. Patterns for them are drawn on paper. They include 2 arms and a torso along with legs. The head is made separately. To do this, take a square piece of white or flesh-colored fabric. Filler is placed in the middle, carefully pulled together to make a ball, and sewn together. In the future, a completedfiller body, then hands. A lot of time is devoted to the doll's hairstyle, on which its personality depends. Waldorf hair is made from threads, neatly, stitch by stitch, sewing them to the head. Hair can be made long, braided, combed. With no less scrupulousness than the doll herself, her outfits are created.

Dolls from wardrobe items

Everyone in the house has lost socks or tights with “arrows” that you can’t wear and it’s a pity to throw them away. It turns out that they can be given a wonderful second life. How to sew a rag doll from a stocking or pantyhose?

Method one. From thick cardboard we cut out the arms, legs, head, torso of the future doll. You can glue thin foam rubber to them and cover them with a stocking, or you can do without foam rubber. We sew all parts neatly. We ennoble the face with button eyes, embroider the mouth. We attach hair to the head or put on a cap-cap. We dress the doll. You can attach a magnet to its back and use it as a souvenir.

Method two. We find a strong and at the same time well-bending wire. From it we create the frame of the future doll. We make all parts of the body separately, and then sew them together. We glue foam rubber on the frame, put on a stocking, carefully sew it together. The faces of such dolls turn out to be unusual, because you can create a wide variety of noses, lips, cheeks, eyelids for them. The result is beauties, and old women, and gnomes.