Make Pantyhose People!

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

With a little practice you'll soon learn which needlework techniques produce faces that convey humorous, angry, old and wrinkled, frightening, or bizarre expressions. Experiment as much as you like, and don't hesitate to pinch, pull or twist the nylon to produce the effect you're after.

If you'd like to add some color to the face, it's an easy matter to apply a bit of makeup or felt-tipped marker to the cheeks, eyelids, or lips. (I use old brush-on blush powder to highlight my dolls' cheeks, for example.) If you'd like to make your creation blue-eyed or browneyed, simply take one strand of colored embroidery thread and sew in circles around the orbs until you have achieved the desired effect. Lashes can also be stitched on with embroidery floss.

To create your little person's "crowning glory," glue fluffs of polyester fiberfill onto the top of its head or arrange yarn in different "styles." To do the latter, simply cut about 30 strands, each 20 inches long or so. Arrange the yarn pieces lengthwise, side by side, with a strip of sticky tape in the middle; sew through the middle of the tape and yarn to produce a center hair part; and glue or stitch the assembled wig onto the top of the doll's head. You can then make braids, a ponytail, pigtails or a bun — whatever seems to fit the face best.

The Body Beautiful

Muslin, or almost any other kind of scrap material, will work well for making the body. Cut two 5-by-7-inch rectangles, pin them together, and sew a half-inch seam along all four edges (be sure to leave a centered two-inch opening in one of the five-inch sides). Then turn the material inside out and stuff the "pouch" with polyester fiberfill.

Next, poke a hole in the batting with your finger. Dab glue on the other end of the stick that's already attached to the head, and poke it into the cavity you created in the body, making certain that none of the wood is showing.

At this point, there should be one or two inches of panty hose at the bottom of the head overlapping the muslin. Pull it down over the body as far as it'll go, and stitch the stocking to the other fabric t o make arms for your funny fellow (or goofy gal), snip a six- or seven-inch piece of leg from a pair of panty hose. Then cut that section in half lengthwise, stitch the side and top of each part, turn them both inside out, and stuff the "pockets." (I always sew the top in a slightly rounded curve so it'll resemble a hand, and often divide it into fingers with a series of seams.)

You can attach the arms to the upper torso with straight pins. Then tuck in any loose ends before sewing tiny stitches all the way around the shoulders.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print