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  Absolute Beginner's Cloth Doll Making

Manipulating fabric

These are the pages I used to skim through or ignore because I just wanted to get on a CREATE a DOLL!
I learned the hard way by trial and error and as I started to make lots of dolls the boring background information began to sink in and make more sense, enabling me to apply it intuitively as I worked.

Fabric Weave & Direction of Grain

The SELVEDGE  is the non-fraying strip that runs along the lengthways sides of woven cloth. It is not normally used in making dolls and garments (unless you want to produce a particular effect)

The GRAIN describes the woven threads in the fabric, which lie in different directions:

Patterns are often marked with arrows to show the direction of the grain. Make sure the arrow on your pattern piece lies parallel with the grain of your fabric for best results .

You can just make out the selvedge at the top of the fabric sample (left) 

It helps to give the fabric more strength and to keep its shape before use. 

The texture of the fabric is created by the woven threads, which make up the grain and stretchiness.

 

The CROSSWAYS GRAIN runs perpendicular to the selvedge and has more  s t r e t c h.

The BIAS runs at 45o angles to the selvedge and has maximum s t r e t c h.

The LENGTHWAYS GRAIN runs parallel with the selvedge and has less stretch. This is important when sewing and stuffing your doll to prevent the parts of the doll body becoming distorted and matching poorly.

A pattern piece cut on the STRAIGHT grain has been placed in line with the 
lengthways grain.    

Fabrics are generally woven in three widths:

36 inches ( 90 cm)

45 inches (115 cm)

60 inches (150 cm)

Different types of fabric have a different feel to them. Learn to feel the difference between different types of fabric as you wander around the fabric shop.

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Fabrics 
for soft scultpure 
cloth figures  

High thread count, 100% woven cotton fabrics are best: Pimatex & Egyptian  Cottons are recommended.

Velour (Robe Velour)  100% polyester 1 way stretch knit, thicker and slightly more stretchy than Buck Suede.

'Doll Skin' polyester double knit with a one way stretch

Sensua Nude 4 way stretch Tricot

Lycra Ribbing 96% cotton, 4% Tubular Ribbing Lycra that has great stretch and shape retention.

Stockinette elasticated knitted fabric, also known as cotton jersey knit.

Fabrics 
for soft scultpure 
cloth figures  

Doe suede 100% Polyester 58/60" Wide,  with a one way stretch and comes in a variety of colours.  The right side is soft with a little fuzzy texture and the wrong side is a smooth knit.

To clothe your cloth figures or create the illusion of costume 
it is important to choose fabrics with small size prints, checks and plaids so that they fit in with the overall proportions of the doll.  The easiest fabrics to sew are the 100% cottons, whilst silks give a crisp shine to the look of your doll.
Fabrics
for Rag Doll Making

Calico/ 100% muslin cottons (In its natural state, the stuffing does not show through. Nevertheless, calico can also be easily dyed)

Cotton jersey knits/ stockinette (stretchy and soft)
These tend to be sold as either natural/unbleached (cream colour) or white. They are produced in different weights in UK: Light, medium & 'good quality' and sold in widths of 150cm (60"); 90cms (36") and 240cms (extra wide).
It is possible to dye them with tea or cold water dyes to achieve more ethnic skin tones.