This chapter documents the metamorphoses of one simple little girl doll, Maria, designed the way you learned in the beginning class.

She was changed to Eldon the Elf first, then to Big B.J. the Basketball player. Then to Tilly The Tourist. All with the methods you have just been taught. You now have the skills to change any flat Tab Head pattern into an astonishing array of dolls!

I am going to draw all of the legs on one page so you can see the progression. Ditto for the other parts. I will label the parts for each doll. None of the parts have seam allowances added, so you can re-size them on a copy machine to any size you want, and then add seam allowances to the bodies and heads of Eldon, B.J. and Tilly.

Maria’s pieces are all draw-around and sew. Don’t add seam allowances to her pattern.

Eldon, B.J and Tilly have the same head pattern! Just different fabrics.

Eldon is made from velour with the smoothe side out, and with the slight stretch up and down.

B.J. is made from Doe-suede, with the napped side out. His body, arms and legs have the slight stretch up and down, but his head has the slight stretch across. That’s how he got the rounder face and wider nose.

Tilly’s head is made from muslin. I wet it with hot water and stuffed it wet. Have you tried that method yet? I got a great “beaky” nose that way. Her body is made from cream velour, with the smoothe side out and the slight stretch up and down. You can’t tell the difference between the muslin and velour until you practically get a magnifying glass.

Play with your tab head patterns this way. It’s a ball! You will get hooked on change, and now you control the changes within the framework of your tab head doll patterns.

DESIGNERS NOTE: If I were to wish to use Maria’s pattern for more tab head dolls, I would enlarge her head, and make her hands a little smaller. So you see, even if the tab head doll pattern you start with isn’t perfect, you can advance it and come up with great dolls anyway.
 

A simple change from a woven to a firm knit, will change the whole look of a doll!

The design for the hair for Maria, Eldon, and Tilly as pictured, are all the same!

Simply a bunch of yarn strands sewn down the middle, stitched to the center part and then either pulled to the sides and braided (Maria)… Or… fluffed out, arranged all around and the bottom layer hot glued down, and then trimmed.

B.J. has Jumbo Loopy Chenille wrapped around his head, and hot glued down as it was wrapped. The Jumbo Loopy Chenille is available from CRs Crafts and at most craft and fabric stores. It has a wire in it, so is not suitable for dolls for children.

Eldon, B.J. and Tilly are copyrighted, and I may even put their patterns in my line someday, but you are welcome to make them for show or for sale on a home based, one doll at a time, basis. Their patterns may not be compiled and reproduced for sale.

I have draw faces for you, but have more fun and create your own faces.