Iconic Character Fred Dagg.

 

Fred Dagg is a fictional character from New Zealand created and acted on stage, film and television by satirist John Clarke. Clarke appeared on New Zealand TV screens as Dagg during the mid to late 1970s, "taking the piss" out of the post-pioneering Kiwi "blokes" and "blokesses". The sense of the name "Dagg" is associated with the slang term dag. The Fred Dagg character is a stereotypical farmer and New Zealand bloke: clad in a black singlet and gumboots, hailing from the isolated rural town of Taihape, and attended by numerous associates (or sons) all named "Trev". One memorable expression was uttered whenever there was a knock at the door: "That'll be the door." When Clarke first unveiled the character of Fred Dagg in recordings and on New Zealand TV in 1975, he became a national star. He also recorded a series of records and cassettes as Dagg,^[1] as well as publishing several books.

In 1977, Clarke moved from New Zealand to Australia, where he went on to establish himself as a top script writer and personality.

He appeared regularly on Australian television delivering political satire sketches with actor comedian Bryan Dawe until his death in April 2017.

Like so many families in NZ we grew up with Fred Dagg.

This is my version of Fred Dagg, after seeing a documentary about John Clark!

Fred is my own design, and made from doll velour, with a wire armature to make his stand alone.

His floppy hat and ripped shorts are made from broadcloth.  His red band gumboots are painted on.

Freds hair is wefted wool.

You can see here his undies are showing under the rip in his pants.

This is 'Dog'!  Fred's devoted friend .  Dog is also my design, made from black calico, with the body stitched on the bias to give it the curve.  The white to indicate he is a Border Collie, is painted on. Hes a little bit small for the figure, so next time, I'll enlarge him a bit!

Alice in Wonderland Exhibition November 2025

These are all the pieces I made for an exhibition in 2025 at the Forrester Gallery, in Oamaru New Zealand.

The Story is a social comment on Victorian England of the day.

I used velour for a lot of these figures, which sculpts and takes color well.I used Judi Ward's pattern, but altered some of it to work for this.

I designed and made all the clothing, begging fabric from friends!  Her hair is made from Tibetan Lambs Wool, bought from Dollmakers Journey.

Alice is confused by her sudden growth spurts, which make her too large for some things and too small for others. This experience is compared to adolescence, when someone feels caught between being too old for certain activities but not yet old enough for others. 

Alice grapples with the wide world beyond her familiar comforts, constantly evaluating her own size and worth. The story highlights the tension between childlike open-mindedness and the need for rules in the adult world. Alice’s Wonderland allows her to test her authority while confronting the less trustworthy, sometimes violent behavior of the adults she encounters. 

I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed several times since then – Alice

The Red Queen is my design and is made as a stump doll. Her hair is fur fabric and the emblem on her bustier is bought online.

The Red Queen symbolizes an authoritarian/patriarchal society, where tyrannical laws are enforced, much like Alice’s mother. She is a dominant figure despite her short stature, embodying authoritarian control. 

The White Queen’s character was designed to create a role reversal, making Alice appear as the adult while the White Queen takes on the role of the child. This dynamic allows Alice to feel mature, organized, and even superior.

This is Mellyumpkin - a small creature in the Tim Burton film/story who plays an important role for Alice to find redemption for Underland

In Tim Burton’s film, the Dormouse is a white female mouse named Mallymkun who is training as a swordfighter and secretly loves the Mad Hatter. The Hatter gave her the pin she uses as a weapon.

This is my version of the Mad Hatter, made from traditionally woven woolen fabric on a historically traditional loom, here in Oamaru NZ. His facial features are needle felted on.  His jacket was upcycled from a satin camisole.

The March Hare exhibits strange and excited behavior during its breeding season, which peaks in March in Europe. This odd behavior includes boxing with other hares, jumping vertically for no apparent reason, and generally acting abnormally.

I loved making the Cheshire Cat!  I made his body in a ragdoll style, stuffed and stitched in the pose.  I made the head in cloth and needle sculpted the eyes.  I painted his eyes, and all the teeth. I made him a clay nose and painted it.  the rest is all needle felted by hand! Yes, he is as big as he looks!

The Cheshire Cat embodies kindness, wisdom, and guidance. Through conversations with this enigmatic creature, Alice starts to understand her situation and gains insight into her true self.

I designed the White Rabbit and made it in Quilters Muslin. The jacket took longer to make than the whole thing!

The White Rabbit symbolizes the pursuit of truth. Just when you think you’ve found it, it vanishes into an endless rabbit hole. His constant anxiety about time and hurried demeanor reflect the pressures of modern life, where time often feels like it’s slipping away.

I designed the small figure and made it in Quilter's muslin, clothed in black cotton Lycra. I printed the cards on cloth and colored them in.  The bucket is made from paper, and I used an actual paintbrush.

The Desperate Quest for Conformity

The card characters’ efforts to hide their errors and uphold social norms are metaphorically represented by the act of painting the roses red in Alice in Wonderland. It stands for the desire to blend in, to conform, and to project an image that is in line with what is considered to be appropriate.

The Queen of Hearts rules over Wonderland with an iron fist, requiring absolute obedience and perfection. The Queen demands natural beauty and purity from her subjects, and the white flowers represent these qualities. But, the playing cards panic and decide to paint the white roses red in order to appease the Queen after they unintentionally plant them in place of red ones.

This desperate attempt at conformity brings to light the pressure people frequently feel to live up to social expectations, even if it involves hiding who they really are or using dishonesty. The protagonists’ fear of punishment and their readiness to go to considerable lengths to uphold appearances are reflected in the act of painting the roses red.

Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee symbolize duality. They represent two sides of a coin, interconnected and inseparable. Their physical resemblance underscores their status as halves of a whole. Furthermore, their contrasting personalities embody the perpetual struggle between reason and emotion—the head versus the heart. These enigmatic characters offer profound insights into human nature and the internal battle we all face.

 In the 18th century, before Carroll created these characters, “Tweedledum” and “Tweedledee” referred to the sounds of low and high instruments, respectively. By the 19th century, the phrase had evolved to signify situations or individuals that were nearly identical. 

The Cheshire Cat embodies kindness, wisdom, and guidance. Through conversations with this enigmatic creature, Alice starts to understand her situation and gains insight into her true self.

The Mad Hatter references workers in the 19th-century haberdashery business who were exposed to mercury used in felt hat manufacturing. This exposure led to a high rate of mercury poisoning, resulting in cognitive deterioration among those in the hat industry.

The Flowers encountered by Alice (in the garden of childhood) are an attempt to represent the plants as different levels within the British social class structure. Some are friendly, assuming her to be a wildflower, and some wouldn’t talk to anyone without stem or petals!

Absolutely Absolem

When Absalom asks Alice, “Who are you?” she realizes she no longer knows who she is. The Caterpillar worsens Alice’s uncertainty about her constantly changing size. However, his advice helps Alice navigate her uncertainty by offering a path to greater self-understanding. He encourages her to question what she knows and be open to new ideas or perspectives that may challenge her current beliefs. The metaphor of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly symbolizes personal growth and the beauty that comes from embracing change. Just as a caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis, personal growth often involves a transformative process.

The Jabberwock is the mythical creature, which the protagonist hunts down and kills. As the poem’s main antagonist, the Jabberwock symbolizes an evil force that must be vanquished for good to triumph.

Little Blue Penguin

I designed  this Little Blue Penguin from a poster I saw recently, and felt it captured such a quirky look that gave the creature more character.

I had fun designing the steampunk elements!

The feet came together so well! 

And I loved the eyes that give it more interest!

 

Moa Transport

 Moa Transport! When you have to travel over rough terrain, - harness the wild! Look to the future, riding on what was good from the past as you venture forth with an exploring heart!

The idea for this one came from a poster put out for the theme of this years Victorian Week in November, here in Oamaru NZ. The theme is Transport! I had these Moa feathers.....

The basis of these figures are all cloth, with a wire armature in the feet only. The beak and eyes are needle sculpted and painted, and the head is needle felted. The 'feathers' are fur fabric in just the right colour and texture, cut in strips to mold the body.

The helmet took the longest to make. It is made up of thirteen fiddly pieces! All made from Quilters muslin and painted. Loved the process of working it all out!

Highlander!

 I had just finished making a Santa from my pattern, Gift Giver Santa, and I had decided to make two, because it's close to Christmas and I knew it would sell in the Gallery.  However, CRAFTED Gallery, where I am a member,  asked us all to contribute something using a tartan pattern for Victorian Week.  We are calling it Tartaned up! 

 So I put a dark beard on him, and made him a shirt in a historic style.

Luckily I had this tartan in my stash, and made a kilt. 

And a Sporran

I found this Celtic knot to use as a badge to hold his tartan.

Made a Tam and found a feather.

Painted his boots on and made a tartan band for the socks.

He even has braies to wear under his kilt!  I think he'll do!

Iconic Iris Workshop 2022

 

Xhosa Doll makeover

 I am privileged to be able to do some work on a primitive #Xhosa #ClothDoll for someone who wanted a more realistic face to remind her of friends she worked with in #Africa.

I wanted to share the #process of putting her together. The newly designed upper body and head are staked into a weighted Fanta bottle, (in keeping with the height), wrapped in batting, and covered in the original 'skin'. I have not made a base cover, wanting to keep a little of the primitive nature of the doll, so she is now called a Stump doll. The face is made from tea-dyed Muslin, Stitch on the bias, to give it enough stretch for the minimal sculpt.

The upper body is made from pink velour that I had to paint enough so it was unnoticeable.

The initial head wrapping didn't do her justice, as she needed more bulk on the head, so I used the felt one for the under wrap, and made a new one after watching some video's, and learned how to make and tie a head wrap.

I stitched her clothing on, but wanted to keep the integrity of the doll intact, as I was aware that I was working with someone else's original creation.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this process and love how she turned out. My daughter says she just makes her happy and her expression is so welcoming, so that was nice!