DIY Network

Make a Victorian Lace Doll From "DIY Crafts" episode DIC-103

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(Figure A) (Figure B (Figure C) (Figure D) (Figure E) (Figure F) (Figure G) (Figure H) (Figure I) (Figure J) (Figure K)

If you like the romantic look of lace, you'll love these Victorian lace dolls. Craft designer Sandy Dye shows how to make them.

Materials:

Lace
Nylon netting or tulle
Taffeta fabric for the head
6 1/2" macramC) ring or the lid from a margarine tub
12" chenille stem
1 1/2" plastic foam ball
Straight pins
1/4" wooden dowel
Wooden wheel with 1/4" hole in the center (for the base of the doll)
Doll's hair
Small straw doll's hat
Thin wire

1. Place the ring on the taffeta, and trace around it with a pencil. Cut out the circle. Place the fabric circle around the foam ball, evenly distributing the fabric (figure A). This is the doll's head. Set it aside.

2. Cut off 1 1/2" from a chenille stem. Fold back the ends to make hands. Cut a piece of lace and a piece of netting or tulle 11" long. Place the lace on top of the tulle. Fold in each end about 1/2", and place the chenille stem inside. Hand-stitch across the ends, and gather up tightly to create wrists (figure B).

3. Add a lace ruffle at each arm, using a contrasting color lace (figure C). Gather the lace around each wrist, and stitch or glue in place (some laces have a nylon gathering thread already sewn in).

4. Begin to make the body by wrapping a piece of tulle 1 yard by 6" around your hand (figure D). Slide your hand out, and with scissors, cut a small slit on the top and bottom of the wrapped tulle. Place the wooden dowel into the hole of the wheel to make a stand for the doll. Slide the two slits in the tulle over the dowel for the body of the doll (figure E). Leave a little of the dowel showing above the body so that you can place the head on top.

5. Thread the doll's arms through the tulle tube, and glue them to the dowel (figure F).

6. Stuff batting or tissue inside the tulle tube for added body.

7. Gather the tulle around the dowel under the arms to make a waist. Wrap the waist with a thin white wire, and pull tight (figure G). Twist the wire in back to secure and trim off excess.

8. Dress up the neckline by gathering a piece of lace and tying it around the top of the body (figure H).

9. Put some white glue on the top of the dowel. Using the blade of a scissors, punch a hole in the bottom of the taffeta-wrapped foam ball (the head), and push it onto the dowel.

10. Cut out three 24" pieces of lace or fabric for the skirt. Divide each strip of lace into quarters, pinning at each quarter mark. Gather each strip at the top, and layer the three pieces, overlapping each piece by 1" (figure I). Glue or stitch the strips together. Stitch or glue the seam of the skirt, right sides together. Turn right side out. Slip the skirt over the dowel from the bottom, and secure in place by wrapping wire around the skirt at the waist (figure J). Line up the seam with the center back of the doll.

11. Glue purchased hair to the top of the doll's head. Add a purchased straw hat, and the doll is complete (figure K).