DIY Doll: Söt Flicka 'Dalarna'

Introducing:



Söt flicka 'Dalarna'!

Cap'n's Log 8 December 1713

Greetings from the Ebony Oyster!

Every evening after Effervescent Ethel has gone to sleep in her hammock below deck, I've been working on a blasted sock monkey doll- which I was intending to give to Effervescent Ethel for Christmas. Most of the sock monkey was completed last week (when we were snowbound) and as I was adding the finishing touches, I looked at the doll, grunted disapprovingly and then the realization hit me like an iceberg: I'm not really a fan of sock monkey dolls. The doll looked and was built like a Russian wrestler-meaty and stocky-certainly not the look I was wanting to achieve.

Change courses to SSW and head to the Isle of Plan B! Therein lies the problem because as of 8:00 p.m. Saturday evening there was no Isle of Plan B  on the map. I jumped on the computer, typed in 'easy doll patterns to sew' on Google for ideas and inspiration and about 2 1/2 hours later 'Söt flicka Dalarna' emerged.

First, I foraged through the ship's fabric stock and found this retro Swedish inspired material: 'dalarna stripe' from the Alexander Henry company. I bought it over five years ago on the deep discount aisle at JoAnns in Port Royale and had a good half yard of it leftover. Bam! Swedish-themed doll and I'm gonna fly with it...!

I didn't waste precious time drawing up a pattern first on paper instead cutting out the doll shape directly from the fabric-no pins nor tracing either. The body and head were lightly stuffed with organic bamboo batting and I left the arms and legs unstuffed. I would probably stuff the appendages if I had to do it over again (lightly stuff). Button eyes added, a scrap fabric bow and skirt; yo yo decoration on the skirt (a traditional embellishment of mine) and a piece of lace for the belt. Her head is floppy but really I don't care.

Here's a quick sketch of the pattern I made. The doll is about 10" long. For beginner sewers I would suggest making the pattern smaller. This is a good sewing craft for learning how to hand sew. Head and main body are one piece; arms and legs were attached separately.

Two nights past I put together a little felt Dala horse aka Swedish horse for the doll. I used a simple Dala horse design found online and scraps of the 'Dalarna" fabric for the decorative harness and saddle. Lightly stuffed and sewn closed. Very easy and done in less than 25 minutes.


Out of red thread!

Dala horse print out I used:

http://www.supercoloring.com/wp-content/uploads/main/2013_07/swedish-dala-horse-coloring-page.jpg

You can find pictures of Dala horses here that will guide you as it did for me in decorating your own (or you can trace the one above directly off the computer screen):

https://www.google.com/search?q=swedish+horse&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=dcimUuCrMcXcoATP0YHIDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1095&bih=1222




The doll's name by the way is (surprise!) Dalarna which is Swedish for dales/valley. Lastly, with this sewing project I cut corners whenever and wherever possible. Is it my best work? No, far from it. Did I enjoy creating her from beginning to end? A reverberating yes!


CME

Cost: varies but not much

Rations:


-scrap fabric
-sewing machine (this can be done by hand, too)
-scissors
-needle and thread
-buttons
-batting
-scrap lace
-red felt





This was my main source of inspiration:


http://nurturestore.co.uk/simple-easy-sewing-projects-make-a-doll


According to ancestor.com Söt Flicka Dalarna is the grandniece of:

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