If you're chompin' at the bit and are looking for something to do you can...

cut your dowels into 6" lengths (I cut mine with an old knife...score it all the way around and snap it.) Can also use saw if you wanna be all official. LOL!

sharpen one end of the dowels with a pencil sharpener or knife/boxcutter

drill a small hole through the dowel about 1 1/4"-1 1/2" down from the pointed end. doesn't have to be a big hole...just enough to pass a needle through. I make my dh do this to prove how much he loves me :D

whats next lol

Oh my gosh...you didn't. Did you? LOL! Did your pkg make it there yet?

Umm...next...

Well, if I didn't send you stockinette already cut down to size then you'll need to cut it down.

If you have 1" or 1 1/2" stockinette you're set.

If you have 2" or 3" stockinette you need to cut it in half lengthwise. I cut it as I run it through my serger so it sews one half as I cut. If you don't have a serger use a small zig-zag stitch and carefully stitch the long open end closed. Then cut your long tube into pieces about 4-5" long and stitch one short end closed.

turn inside out so the seams are on the inside.

I do already have the 1 1/2":thumbsup:

Okay! I'm ready :D

I couldn't wait...I've already started on the heads :o But it looks like that's all I'll have time to do till next week.

Feel free to work ahead! :)

Ok, mamas...we're going errand running for a bit and dh wants to check out this new mall that just opened this weekend. It has go carts and a skatepark and ice skating and an indoor playground and a tool store. LOL!

So I'll start posting pics and stuff this evening (later this afternoon if you're on the west coast)

I got the dowels and wheels from Michaels, so I'll be cutting and sharpening. I've enlisted dh to do the drilling too. So, I should be all set when more instructions are posted. :D I'm still waiting for the wool batting, hopefully it would arrive today.

ok, by now you should have done your prep work...

your dowels are all 6" long, sharpened on one end, with a hole drilled through the dowel about an 1 1/4" from the point (just below anything the pencil sharpener touched)

Let's start with the arms:

Take your 20 gauge 18" floral wire and fold each end toward the center, slightly overlapping. I always curl the ends of the wire...can't say it's necessary though.

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then spiral wrap the wire in wool.

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tie at the center with dental floss/heavy thread. Spiral wrap one thread to one end and back to center. Do the same thing on the other side. Tie at center, snip threads.

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Ok, now for heads...

fill a piece of stockinette (about 1-1 1/2" stockinette) with wool til you have a ball that's about 2" wide. Tie off at the "neck" with dental floss/heavy thread.

Using dental floss, tie horizontally around the center of the head. Knot tightly in the back.

take another piece of dental floss. Hold the center of the floss under the "chin" (down by where the neck is tied, in the front)...bring both ends up to the top of the head, cross, bring back down under the chin and tie tightly.

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With a threaded needle stitch the intersection of the horizontal and vertical threads on the side of the head. I stitch an "X" over them. Be sure to go underneath both threads with your needle. I do one side, pass my needle through the head to stitch the other side, then come back through the head and tie off

Then, using a crochet hook or something you can slide underneath the horizontal thread (a fork even), hold the thread away from the head carefully (not too hard or you'll untie/loosen your knot). Then gently push the bulge of stockinette from below the thread under it with your thumbs while you wiggle the thread down to the neck area.

Tie all your hanging threads together at the neck.

Sew a bead to the head just below the eyeline thread in the center of the front of the head. The smallest beads are good for children or young women (Mary)...small or medium beads for men. Using different sized beads for men will give each doll it's own personality. There are no rules...use what looks good to you.

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cut skin toned interlock or jersey about 3" wide (the lines in the fabric will be vertical) and about 4" long.

fold the 3" side in half and stitch closed. Hold your sewn tube open and re-flatten with the seam in the center instead of at the side. Sew the top closed. Turn right side out.

Before you put the head inside the skin-tube you need to attach the dowel. Pull the stockinette at the neck up and over the head. Wiggle the pointed end of the dowel into the head...it may not go in all the way...that's ok. With your threaded needle take a stitch on one side of the head near the dowel and catching the head's stockinette not just the neck's. Pass your needle through the hole in the dowel. Take a stitch on the other side of the head. Pass your needle back through the hole. Take another stitch where you took the first stitch. Tie off tightly.

Now pull your tube of skin over the head. Tie the neck tightly

Snip 2 small holes in the interlock...in the back "shoulder blade" area. Slip the wool wrapped arms in and back out again. Stitch the center of the arms to the interlock to hold them securely.

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Feel free to stick the dowel in the base. Don't glue it in yet though-that's one of the last steps.

I'll continue (and probably finish with the bulk of the instructions) tomorrow. :)

here they are.

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I want my angel to hang above the scene so I didn't put her on a stand. If you want your angel to stand then put her on a stand too.

Tomorrow we'll make their hands (my least favorite part) I think I'm going to start with the Shepherd...save Mary for last so that everyone can practice embroidering faces and embellishing on men. That way those who are new to this will have practice before attempting "pretty". Shepherds can get away with being a little rough...they'll have beard that will hide most of their face anyway.

I'm making 3 shepherds because I think having a few different shepherds come to visit will help bridge the gap between Christmas and the Epiphany.

I finished my first head (haven't done the arms yet - only have enough wool for the head). But even after I tie it onto the dowel, its still wiggles a bit. Is that okay? Or should I try to really secure it? Dannielle, your instructions are amazingly clear, easy to follow. Thank you so much!

One side question... I remember reading some waldorf article saying you shouldn't let young children see half done dolls. Is this right? (I have a 3 year old) I'll mostly be working at night while she's sleeping, so I can put everything away.

it's ok if it can move a little...just so long as it can't come off. If it doesn't feel tight enough you can always go back and forth through the hole a few time taking stitches on either side. I like for there to be a little play...enough that you can move the finished doll's head a little to pose it. The point of stitching through the dowel is to make sure the head doesn't pop off the dowel...I know I tend to pick them up by their heads.

I'm glad to hear they were easy to follow. I was worried about that...my pics weren't as clear as I would have liked.

I have heard that about dolls but I think that is more for dolls that are meant to be a child's special companion...I don't know if that theory applies to nature table dolls. But then in other books I've read that it's so special for a child to see their doll *become*.

I go with the 2nd one because there's no getting around the kids seeing half finished dolls in this house! LOL! I tend to make groups of things at once...sort of a production line. So I have a basket of heads, a basket of body parts...dolls in all stages of construction. And I often work on things that need to be hand-sewn while we're homeschooling since dd likes to have me sit with her.

The kids sat with me while I made our nativity folks tonight. We had a schoolhouse rock marathon while I worked on them. My son will be 3 in January...he's never seemed the least bit bothered by half finished dolls. I don't think seeing the process has made his babies any less real to him. My 8 yr old dd loves watching me make dolls...but she can be bossy and she likes to add her 2 cents. :D

I can definitely see both sides of it though.

the instructions are great.nice and easy:thumbsup:

Now for the hands. Take a piece of interlock skin fabric and draw long "U"s on it (pencil added to pic to show scale). The lines on the fabric will run parallel with the long sides of the "U". Using a smaller than normal stitch length sew the "U"s...remember to backstitch at the beginning and end.

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after they're sewn cut out the hands with about 1/8" seam allowance.

With a knitting needle or similar tool turn the hands right side out.

Stuff a small puff of wool into the hand.

Slide the hand onto the arm.

Take a few stitches through the hand and arm near the open end of the hand. Tie off.

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Then embroider the faces.

I use all 6 strands in the embroidery floss. I move my needle to the center to the strand of floss so I can embroider with a double thickness. That way I only need to make one stitch for the eyes and mouth.

Embroider the eyes first on the eyeline and equal distance from the nose.

Then embroider the mouth at the point that makes a perfect triangle with the eyes.

Tie off at the back of the head. I dab the knots with white glue to secure.

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BTW, I cut an extra 1/4" or so off Mary's dowel so she'd be a bit shorter than all the men. I also made the head that came out smallest hers.

And, yes, the arms seem way too long. It's ok. I promise they won't all look like gorillas when it's done. Part of the arms are their shoulders too.

Robe pattern:

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just draw it out on a piece of copy paper held sideways. I fold the paper in half and draw just 1/2 the pattern...that way both sides are even.

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Fold fabric in half one way and then in half the other way. Fold pattern in half and place it in the corner of the fabric...the center front of the pattern will be on a fold and the top of the arms will also be on a fold. Cut out.

Sew side seams. If you have a serger you can finish off bottom hem edge.

Turn right side out. Fold in half arm to arm and cut out neck hole.

Slip onto doll. Starting at center back sew a running stitch 1/8-1/4" from raw edge of neck hole. Gather tightly while tucking in the raw edges. Tie tightly. Then take a small horizontal stitch in the doll's neck, then a small horizontal stitch in the clothing, the another in the neck...continue all the way around. YOu'll be using a blind stitch or ladder stitch.

Ladder stitch: http://www.howtouniverse.com/ACH/closingseam.htm

Do the same for the sleeves. Fold raw edges in, gather, tie, stitch, tie.

I plan to sew my hems by hand using a blanket stitch. You can use a machine but it's harder. You really can't hem until you have the clothing stitched to the doll if you want to be sure the stand is covered completely.

Blanket stitch: http://www.stitchguide.com/stitches/embroidery/stitch_pages/emb_blanket.html

ok, so now you have a baldy headed person in a robe. Time for the finishing touches.

Beard: sew the center of a tuft of wool to the chin. If using really curly wool (I know I sent everyone some really curly stuff) you would stitch closer to the bottom end.

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stitch from one side to the next with a backstitch.

backstitch: http://www.stitchguide.com/stitches/embroidery/stitch_pages/emb_backstitch.html

Then poke your needle through the head so you come out near where you started. Tie both ends of thread together.

Fold beard down.

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Hair:

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Lay a piece of wool on the head. Poke your felting needle through the wool and into the head (you're essentially felting this hair wool to the wool stuffing inside the head) from the neckline area to where the hair's part with be on top. Poke firmly yet carefully...felting needles have a delicate tip and you don't want to break the point off inside the head...make sure you use a straight up and down motion.

fold tuft of wool down. poke your felting needle at the fold many times to really secure the part. Lightly poke the folded down piece to connect it with the part of the hair that's really felted down well. You don't want to flatten it too much but you also don't want it to be too pouffy.

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do the same thing to the other side. Be careful not to poke your felting needle in where the knots are in the back of the head...also make sure your knots don't show through.

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then I made his cape thingie. For this guy I used the end of a sleeve from a wool sweater I felted in the washer. I cut a square and rounded the corners that will be the bottom of his coat/cape/whatever. I sewed a blanket stitch along the 2 sides and bottom (the top edge is the finished edge of the sleeve, the ribbing). Then I draped it around his shoulders, turning back the top edge to make a collar. I stitched the top corner to the center front/side. Just enough to make it hold...makes a sort of sleeve.

Then his hat... Can't really say exactly what I did. I cut a sort of a dome shape from the ribbing of another felted sweater sleeve. I stitched over the top curve. It was sort of an experiment but I decided I like it on him. I need to tack it down to his head though so it sits down on his head a bit more.

Ta-da!
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He still needs some sheep and a stick for a staff. I'll also "rosy" his cheeks by rubbing some beeswax crayon onto a scrap of fabric. Then I'll gently rub the fabric on his cheeks.

bump so they're all together.

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