Little Bit 2011 Free Pattern

A Little Bit!

By Sharon Mitchell 2011

Little Bit is easy to put together in the usual way. The whole body is calico, but I used a strip of two-way stretch fabric to make the tail and it worked really well for turning.  Trace the pattern on to freezer paper, press piece s on fabric and stitch around the paper shape leaving the marked openings.  Cut out leaving a small seam allowance.  Clip curves and peel off freezer paper, which can be used several times. Only the hands and feet have Chenille stems in them to stand and pose.

 Colour the inner ears, toes and paws with light strokes of crimson red Prismacolour pencil, before you hand sew them on with a fine needle & matching thread.

Fold the openings of the ears in and run a gathering stitch over the edge before sewing them on, to make them curve inwards.

Mark the eyes with Prismacolour pencil crimson red before sculpting in two 3mm black beads  from one side of the face to the other side, to indent them in.  Not too loose that will make them stick out.

‘Pink’ up the nose with Prismacolour pencil red and outline with tan pigma pen, or copper gel pen (if using the gel pen, spray first to seal, with hairspray).

Sculpt in a little mouth from the eyes, to pull up the cheeks a little and give a cheerful face! 

 Make a little scarf from a small scrap of gauze, soaked in blue & red cochineal and dry with hair dryer so it’s nice & wrinkly.  (Wear gloves so you will not stain your hands!)

Find a sheaf of lavender or other fine stalk flowers and cut to size – hold with string and pose arms around them for effect!

And there you have your own... Little Bit!

 

Clicking on the pattern should open it to print off

At last we had the Victorian Fete today and here is our stall all set up with three of us selling things.  Olive & Jean's dolls were on display and very popular!  No one bought any, but it was more an advertising exercise for our group and we managed to give away a few flyers, so here's hoping!  Raelene's table in the front was a good drawcard and there were plenty of people she knew. The rain held off until about 2pm - similar to last year!  We had plenty of street entertainment and between us all we made enough to make it worthwhile.

Here I am in my silly hat I threw together, with lots of clothes on to keep warm!  I look like a pitiful little flower seller!  Like the sign?  Applique using florals on black!  We drew a bit of attention from a wide range of the public, so it was good!  Going to bed now though!

Before restoration

This is my accidental buy on Trademe!  I didn;t intend to win it because I was sure someone else would place a higher bid, but I was wrong!  I had a problenm then - how to restore a plastic 1950's Pedigree Walkie Talkie Doll!  I started with the head - Used my expensive hair shampoo & conditioner!  Then drilled a hole in the iron stem to attach it to the mechanism it had broken off from.  Restrung the arms and tackled the broken foot with Selleys Knead it putty to seal the hollow so I could make a clay foot.That was surprisingly successful, so I painted it with acrylic and matt Mod Podge  to hold it in place and it looks reasonable enough!

After restoration

I'm feeling Rather pleased with my efforts to restore this doll that's close to may age!  wish I could do as well for myself!  LOL!  I was delighted to find she has real hair, so could do something with it.  My friend Kris made the machine embroidered shoes which fit beautifully!  Some leftover dress fabric made the dress, embellished with dupion silk collar and silk ribbon roses with satin leaves.

 I've been trying my hand at restoring a couple of dolls.  This one is 36 years old and has had a rough life.  Many children have played with her and a dog chewed off one foot! For years she has been discarded in various toy boxes and I retrieved it a while ago  - don't ask me why!   Anyway, I've made another foot with clay and painted it with acrylic paint and a matt Mod Podge, so hopefully it will stay in place!  I recoloured the lips and Mod podged them.  I replaced the blinking eyes with plastic ones backed up with clay, and to take the staring look off them, the glasses did the trick!  I made her a gymfrock so she could look like a little student!  She's waiting for new shoes and I'm about to make her a little suitcase for her schoolbooks!  My daughter, who was the original owner, named her Lesley, and now she wants her back!