How to Sew a Simple Baby Doll Bonnet from a Handkerchief

Who doesn't love a sweet baby bonnet?  These two Effanbee Patsy Babies are wearing bonnets made from vintage hankies.

Here are some slightly larger dolls, a 17" Effanbee Bubbles and a 15" Effanbee Lovums, both wearing hanky bonnets.

This style of bonnet does not need to be made from a hanky...it could be cut from any piece of vintage linen that has a pretty lace border, such as a napkin, dresser scarf, tea towel, etc.

Remember this Madame Alexander PRECIOUS doll I showed you yesterday?

She is 12" tall and wears a white bonnet I made her because I couldn't find the right shade of yellow to match her original dress.

But I finally found the right shade of yellow in this beautiful, lace-edged hanky at the doll show this past weekend.  Would you like to see how I turned it into a bonnet?  Then follow me!

My hanky measured 11" x 11".  Measure your doll from earlobe to earlobe, going up over one side of her face down to the other.  In my doll's case, this measurement was 7".  In order for the bonnet to have a ruffle, you want your hanky to be about 1 1/2 times that measurement.  This would mean I would need a width of 10 1/2".  Since my hanky was 11", this was just right!  You don't have to have a ruffle--a little straight edged bonnet is precious, too.

Next step--turn back however much you want on the front edge.  Sometimes I turn back less, but this time  I decided to turn back the entire width of the wide border lace.  It just all depends on what kind of look you're going for.

Measure from the front of your doll's head back to the crown of her head--for my doll, this was about 3".  Add about 1/2" for the casing.  In this photo you can see that I have measured 3 1/2" over from the turned back lace edge.

Now comes the scary part--cut!  But if you've measured correctly, you have nothing to worry about.

I like to add another strip of lace across the very front edge of the bonnet.  This extra lace adds a little more ruffle, plus it helps to hide the gathering stitches you will be sewing next.  These are some of the laces from my stash that I was choosing between.

I think this one is it!  It has a slightly yellowish tint to it, so I think it's perfect.

Make a casing along the back edge of the hanky by pressing under 1/4", and folding it over again another 1/4" and pressing.  Stitch.

Cut your piece of lace just a little longer than the front of the bonnet so that you can turn under the raw edges 1/4" on each edge.

Attach lace by sewing a long gathering stitch along the edge of the bonnet.  Run another gathering stitch about 1/8" away from the first row.  Here you can see that the casing in back has been stitched, and the gathering rows have been added to the front.

Draw up your gathering threads to fit the measurement of your doll's head from earlobe to earlobe.  Tie off both ends securely.

Here I am testing the fit before I tie off the gathering stitches.

Take a small ribbon and thread it through the casing.  I use a bodkin (one of my favorite sewing tools!), but you could also use a tiny safety pin.  Draw up the ribbon to fit the back of your doll's head.

Attach some ribbon ties (I used vintage rayon ribbon in a pale yellow) to each front side and voila!  You have completed the bonnet.  Easy Peasy!

And just look how cute!

I finally found this little sweetie a pair of vintage shoes and socks.

Side view--I just love how the lace poofs out and frames her little face.

Back view

Now, there is no reason your little dolls (or bigger ones!) can't have a sweet bonnet.  Of course, you don't need to use a vintage hanky--you could also cut out a piece of fabric to the measurements you need, and then add some lace to the front.  You would also need to hem the sides since you are working with raw fabric.  Now, go make a bonnet!

 

Ethnic Dolls

Lately, I have been finding sweet, old, ethnic dolls at the thrift stores.  I never thought much about these dolls before, but suddenly I am looking at them with a new appreciation.  Some of them are handmade, and their costumes are quite detailed.  I've been having fun trying to guess which country they might represent.  First up is this dignified lady, whom I believe may be from India: 

 

She stands about 11" tall and has a stiff, non-jointed cloth body.  It is firmly stuffed and her left foot is attached to a small wooden disc with a metal pin.  Her detailed outfit is made from cotton and silk.  She has black wool hair that is styled in a braid.  I am very intrigued with the metal chain that hangs across her face, as well as the nose ring made from small beads.  Her right eye is faded and painted higher than her other eye, which just makes her more charming to me.  I suppose she is more of a figurine than a doll, but I like her all the same.

 

Uneven, hand-painted eyes

 

 

I love the face on this girl.  Her expression is so sweet and serene.  She also has a stiff cloth body, but her arms are slightly jointed at the shoulders for a little more movement.  Her outfit is silk, her hair is wool, she has hand-painted features.  She also has separately attached cloth breasts and stitched fingers.

 

She measures 10 1/2", and I think she probably represents China.

 

Not sure which country this sweetie represents...maybe Germany, Finland, Sweden, or ???  She has a cloth body with jointed arms and legs, allowing her to take a seated position.  I think she's newer than the previous two, since her shoes are molded plastic.  Her costume is mainly cotton and non-removable.  She stands 8" tall.

 

She has a molded, cloth face with hand-painted features and blonde, (wool?) braids.

 

This celluloid (possibly early plastic) cutie stands close to 9" tall.  She is jointed at her neck, shoulders and hips.  Her detailed dress is completely removable, closing with metal snaps along the back.  Her cotton bloomers, however, are not.  She also has cotton stockings but has lost her shoes somewhere along the way.  Felt flowers adorn the upper portion of her removable apron. 

 

I adore her snail braids which wrap around to the back of her head.  No idea which country she represents...any guesses?

 

This is Neela.  While not a vintage doll, she does represent an Indian girl from 1939.  She is part of the Girls of Many Lands series issued by American Girl back in 2002-2005.  She is 9 1/2", all hard vinyl, jointed at the neck, shoulders and hips.  These dolls had very detailed costumes and originally came with a book which told that character's story.  My Neela was found at Goodwill, so she is missing part of her costume (a sarong?), and a former owner gave her a bad haircut.  That said, I still like her a lot.  These dolls weren't meant to be played with...simply stood on a shelf and admired.  This is where I think American Girl missed the mark.  They could have made them accessories, clothing, room boxes, etc., and I think they would have really appealed to older girls or adult collectors. 

 

If her face looks at all familiar to you, it is because these dolls were sculpted by Helen Kish!

 

Another Girls of Many Lands doll:  Spring Pearl from China.  I LOVE this doll.  I purchased her from Ebay after seeing her in person for a lot more money at a local doll show.  Her outfit is super detailed.  She carries a little draw string purse and wears bracelets.

 

Her character is from 1857.   Isn't her face just gorgeous?  I think there were eight dolls in this series.  I have two others:  Kathleen from 1937 Ireland and Isabel from 1592 England, but I didn't show them here since they aren't "ethnic".  There is always quite an assortment of these dolls to purchase on Ebay at any one given time.  Some are more expensive than others, but they are really quite affordable for the quality.  I have seen them go for as little as $15, depending on the doll.

 

And last but not least, here is the baby of the group, a 9 1/2" little guy from Japan.  His jointed body is made from papier mache or a light weight composition, and his head may be fashioned from crushed oyster shells.  His finger and toe nails are painted red, and his wig sits at the top of his head.  He has a detailed outfit which wraps around him and can be removed.   Look at those big ears!  His face is too adorable. 

 

Believe it or not, I only paid 87 cents for him at a local, hole-in-the-wall thrift store!

 

Excluding the Girls of Many Lands dolls, I believe the rest of these dolls were meant to be souvenirs.  Like I said earlier, I used to pass these dolls by, never giving them a second glance.  But now, I have become strangely intrigued.  What countries do they represent?  When were they made, and by whom?  I can just imagine some poor peasant woman, painstakingly hand-painting the faces of the cloth dolls and sewing their outfits to make a living.  Except for Spring Pearl, I haven't paid more than $2.99 for any of them!  I am now actively seeking out these little gems, and the older the better.  I especially love handmade dolls and the stories their faces seem to tell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wellie Wishers vs. Hearts 4 Hearts Dolls

Yes, I caved and bought some Wellie Wishers.  As in plural.  More than one.  I just couldn't decide between the two I liked best, so I got them both!

Meet Emmerson and Willa!

As stated before, I love Asian dolls, so Emmerson was a must.  But I also love red-heads, so I couldn't leave Willa behind.

Willa has a light sprinkling of freckles and beautiful, hazel eyes.  She is supposed to be the animal lover of the group, which is why she's wearing bunny ears and a hedgehog printed skirt. 

Her boots are adorable ladybugs!

Emmerson is so pretty.  She loves to be in the spotlight, which is why she wears a dance outfit.

Check out her ballet-themed wellies!

Back view.  I was a little concerned about their hair...they are wearing what appears to be nice quality wigs, but Willa's hair has so many short hairs along the part line that I wasn't sure if the rest of her hair could come out of the pony tails without looking funny.  But I decided to try:

Not bad!  I had to spend a little time, finger-combing the longer hair strands over the short parts, but I finally got it looking presentable.  I think it would look even better if I used a comb, but I didn't have one handy at this point.

Very cute with her hair down.

Here they are, with one of my favorite Hearts 4 Hearts dolls, Lilian.  I turned her into "Alice" by making her an Alice in Wonderland outfit.    As you can see in the picture, Lilian is just 1/2" shorter than the Wellie Wishers.

Here they are with the rest of my Hearts 4 Hearts girls.

Top row, left to right:  Dell, Consuelo (replaced wig), Tipi

Bottom row:  Lauryce, Emmerson, Lilian, Willa, and Shola

I love the Hearts 4 Hearts dolls.  I was sad when they were discontinued, especially since I had only found about them shortly before that happened.  I think they were an awesome doll for the money.  I bought all of mine at Target, and I think they were somewhere around $25.

Here is a shot to show how similar their body construction is.  Wellie Wishers are about 1/4" bigger around in their waist and chest measurements.  As a result, they can share clothes (and even shoes!)with the Hearts 4 Hearts girls!

While they both have the standard 5 joints, Hearts 4 Hearts dolls can move their head at different angles, while Wellie Wishers are more limited with just side to side movement.  The photo above shows Tipi looking up to her right...

...then down...

...and up...

...and then up to her left.  This small feature gives them so much more posability.  I wish the Wellie Wishers had this feature.

In this photo I was trying to show how far their legs must spread in order for them to sit--pretty close to the same, but the Wellies have a slightly bigger spread than the Hearts 4 Hearts.

So...would I recommend these dolls?  Yes.  I do like the Wellie Wishers--I think they have adorable faces and darling outfits.  Will I buy another one?  Probably not.  I think their price point ($60) is rather high for this type of doll.  But it's American Girl, so what did we expect?  Considering that the very similar Hearts 4 Hearts dolls were only $25 and have more articulation in the neck joint, I think that American Girl could have done better.  That said, I'm glad I got the two I did, but I don't feel a burning desire to add any more to my collection. 

But have you heard???  Hearts 4 Hearts dolls have been licensed to a new company and will be relaunched in time for the 2016 holiday season.  I can't wait!  I've read that the first four to be reintroduced will be Dell, Rahel, Nahji, and Consuelo.  Yay!  I never got a chance to get Nahji and Rahel, so I suppose those will be the first ones I get.  I'm excited to see how the new ones will compare to the originals.  Will they have the same outfits?  Will the quality be the same?  Will they introduce new dolls?  Oh, the doll world is so exciting, don't you think?!