Friday 25 November 2011

The Rustic Domestic Angel - Christmas Tutorial no 14

I know how much time is spent in the kitchen before, during and after Christmas... so here she is, your very own Angel of Domesticity, complete with her apron and ready to go.  And if you want to know her name - it's Marion, and she loves a little bit of Welsh rough!

You will need:
A cup of black tea (the sacrifices I make for you readers as a seasoned tea loather!)
A 12” square of Calico
A 6” x 12” piece of cotton ticking and the same again of gingham
6” x 6” wadding
Greaseproof paper
Sewing machine
Soft stuffing, eg Kapok
A ruler, a water glass and pens
Scrap of wool
Crewel needle
Scissors including pinking shears
Iron and ironing board
Twigs
Hairy string
First make your cup of black tea, and place it in a contained where you can put in your calico and ticking.  The longer you leave it in there, the more aged your angel will look (aged but not drudge like).  Let the fabric dry.

While this is happening, we will make our template for the body using the greaseproof paper for our patterns, take a water glass and draw round it (I used one with a 3” diameter) ½ “ below it, draw a rectangle of 3½” x 4” – this will be your body.

For the wings, if you are artistic draw them freehand, if you like me were told that perhaps art was not the O level for you, then look in your craft books – you know the ones that you buy in September when you know you will simply make everything for Christmas – there will be a shed load of wings for you to choose from!
Iron your fabrics and pin out the pattern pieces, cut two bodies in calico, two sets of wings in the ticking and one set in wadding.
Honestly... this is not a Simpsons Re-run!
Sew the body together  using a ¼” seam allowance, leaving a hole at the base. * Around the top of the head and anywhere that has a curve, cut little triangle with the points almost at your running stitch as this will ease the fabric and give you a smoother finish.  Now put the stuffing into the angel.
Whip stitch the opening closed (this is overstitching with attitude) when you are happy with the shape of your body.  You are now going to use the twigs as arms and legs, attach these to the back of the body by overstitching onto the fabric where legs and arms would sit.  

However, I had another idea, if you have smalls in your house* and are worried that they might injure themselves on the twigs take a length of hairy string and run it through the top of the body for the arms and loop it through your base opening for legs.  Make a knot on each piece of string to represent knees, ankles, elbows and wrists.

To make the hair, take your wool and with the crewel needle sew French knots from half way up the face just below the seam of the head and the go back on the other side of the head in between the first row of French knots.  You are now going to make her lustrous locks by taking a piece of cardboard and winding the wool around the cardboard, go to the top and sew over three pieces of wool then back under two, continue to do this until you reach the end of the “hair”, now be brave and cut along the bottom of the wool.  You now have an angel’s wig!  Pin this on the back of the head and sew it in place, trim as necessary.
Draw on your face, two dots for eyes (in the middle of the face), two dots for the nose, a broad smile and I used a pink eye shadow to create the cherubic cheeks.
Now think back to how you made dresses for your dolls when you were little... if like me you were not Coco Chanel or Vera Wang, try this.  Draw a rectangle 9” across by 6” down on your greaseproof paper, mark the paper an inch down and draw a line 2” in and then down to the base.  Fold the pattern in half and curve the line around the under arm of the dress.  Make a gentle curve from about 1.5” to create the neckline.

Pin this out on your gingham fabric, cut out two pieces and sew together using ¼” seam allowance, cut the hem and sleeves with pinking shears.  Slip the dress over the angel’s head... the dress is rather mahoosive, isn’t it?  You are now a window dresser, make a fold at the back of the dress and catch it with a couple of stitches.  
Errr... the neckline looks rather grim, so we will gather it, make a knot at the end of a double thread and stitch a line of running stitch across the neckline, pull it tight to make a neckline gather, sew it off firmly.
Make a wing sandwich, with ticking, wadding and ticking, to make it look really homemade I stitched the wings together using blanket stich, you could use your machine to do this with a running or embroidery stitch. Turn the angel over and pin the wings onto the dress and body and sew firmly onto the angel.
Use two short lengths of string as bows on each sleeve.

Cut out a piece of fabric, 6” x 4”, stitch both sides, then fold over the top and fold over 5/8”, then pink the base of the apron.  Run a piece of string through the casement you have created at the top of the apron, ruche the apron and tie it up at the back of the angel.
Now pop her on a shelf to watch over you while you work! 


You now need to take a look at Wendy's Handmade Monday and see what all the other bloggers have been up to over the past week!

23 comments:

CarolC1 said...

Sad isnt it but that is my very image on Christmas morning. lol.
Bless her I love her.

Caroline Lovis (Redneedle) said...

I suspect Marion has a certain degree of naughtiness in her, does she come with angel dust to sprinkle and get lots of horrid jobs done when my back is turned.
I love how you aged the fabric, very subtle and was intrigued by the French knots to create her hairline. Lovely tutorial

Kat Shenton said...

How cute is she?

I know what you mean about the craft books though. In all fairness I carry my buying all through the year, but I know I have many with wings.

I love you tute's Ros. Always make me want to forget the stress of life and get to crafting. A lovely little project! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Thankyou Ros firstly fopr naming her after me and secondly for all the wonderful craft you bring us. Please don't ever stop
Marion

lovetartan said...

Great tutorial as ever! (Laughing to myself at CarolC1's comment lol) Mich :)

CoolHairCare said...

Wow you have simple way to draw and make it. I like more about Hair formation.Hairs are looking natural and good.
Thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

she is adorable!

Wendy said...

Just fabulous and an excellent tutorial, as usual x

Jan said...

She's lovely Ros, I could do with a few of these to help me out, and not just for Christmas. I love her hair :)
Jan x

Jam Dalory said...

My dream house would have a big rustic kitchen and Marion would fit in with it perfectly. Another tutorial to go on my list of things to make but this one's going to the top! x

Ali said...

Now that is exactly what I need - an Angel of Domesticity (but a real life one!)

Marion is gorgeous...

Ali x

itsamistry said...

Aww she's too cute - fab tutorial :)

Carolee Crafts said...

I love her thank you for the tutorial

Christmas Pie Crafts said...

I often wish I was a domestic angel - sadly anything domestic doesn't enter my vocabulary. She is lovely though and many thanks for another great tutorial.

Handbags by Helen said...

Lovely tutorial.

bebebubu said...

Thank you for the tutorial. A very lovely doll you've made.

Anonymous said...

How can you hate tea?! It's what keeps me going all day hahah But she looks great, anyway :)

Anonymous said...

I will be coming back to the hair bit when I have a spare few minutes ... in March?

Whitney-Anne Baker said...

that looks like fun . . . i wondered hat the tea was for!

Susie said...

She is as sweet as she can be! I got a few very good ideas, thank you so much. I have something I am planning to make (not an angel) and you helped me with this! THANK YOU! I always get such good ideas from you all! :) This is really cute. And it almost looks simple enough for even me to make. And I bet these would be very popular here in the States.

Anonymous said...

You always make these things look so easy! I will have to make my own Marion - i definitely need one in my kitchen!!

Pickle Lily said...

Another amazing tutorial - and once again thank-you for sharing! You really do need to write that book!
Jo x

Dawn Woods said...

I love it....