When I was little, my mom bought me a topsy turvey doll. When held one way, it looked like Little Red Riding Hood. Llift Little Red's skirts above her head and the Big Bad Wolf was revealed. Remove the Wolf's mob cap, and Grandma's face appeared. I loved that little cloth doll...so when I ran across the exact same doll on eBay a couple of years ago, I bought it for my daughter. She likes it as much as I did.
Then I ran across a website selling topsy turvey doll patterns. My imagination ran wild; on a whim, I purchased a 1940s pattern for a rather standard topsy turvey doll and decided to use a little creativity to turn her into Cinderella. One end of the doll would be Cindy in rags, the other end of the doll would be Cindy in her ball gown.
Now, I've never made a doll before, and knowing I couldn't hide the construction from my preschooler, I told her I'd do my best to make a nice doll for her - but that it might not turn out well. I hoped it would be a good lesson for her about trying new things, even when you're not sure you can suceed. She helped me select the fabrics, and I started right away. In the photos, you can see the original pattern illustration, and the two (that's right, two...I decided I should make one for my youngest niece, also) dolls without clothing or wigs. They were simple enough to make, although turning and stuffing the necks and arms was tricky; if I ever make another cloth doll, I'll research tools to make that job easier. I'm working on the wigs now, made of yellow yarn my daughter chose. These are a bit of a pain; the instructions are a little vague, and the wig construction is time consuming. I work on this project for a half hour or hour each evening, after the kids are in bed. It's relaxing, and makes me think of the old days, when the only dolls available were dolls lovingly crafted by mothers and grandmothers. I'll keep you posted on my progress.
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