HOW-TO: Garden Gals

Do you want your garden and landscape to have a down home country cottage welcome?

Then create some Garden Gals!
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GARDEN GALS
(c)2004-J.Wendele

What You'll Need:
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* Stuffing for the body (approximate this AFTER the doll is made)

* Old gardening hat w/ large brim

* Recycled "Shirt & Skirt" OR "Dress"

* Used garden gloves

* Old scarf or bandana

* 3 yards of (all weather) material (White or Cream for the skin)

* White HEAVY DUTY thread

* Sewing Machine

* Scissors

* Assorted colors of waterproof markers

* Yarn (for hair) red, brown, tan, black, white, rust, or yellow

* An old chair or bench

* Hot glue gun & Glue

* Fabric waterproofing spray (You can get this in the camping
Dept. a Wal Mart
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Directions:
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1- Lay out the fabric (doubled & pinned together) this is so you
can make the FRONT & BACK of the doll.

2- Draw on the outline of a Garden Gal doll (i.e. lady's figure/silhouette)

3- Draw ANOTHER line ALL AROUND the one you just did, this is
for your sewing allowance. Draw it 1 to 2" inches outside of the other.

4- Cut out the shape along the outer line.

5- Sew the two pieces together along the interior line. STOP sewing
at the armpits.

6- Turn the body inside out to HIDE the seams, and FILL from toes
to the waist with stuffing. Now SEW across the WAISTE to give
the doll shape.

7- Now fill stuffing into the doll from the waist line you just sewed
to BENEATH the breast line. NOW sew under the breast line to
make the breast budge.

8- Fill to the top of the breast line and Sew ABOVE the breast to
make the female shape complete.

9- Now sew up the arms to the shoulders and FILL them with the
stuffing. AND sew across the shoulders to keep the stuffing in and
make the arms bendable.
(Optional: you can also sew across elbows and ankles for a more
bendable figure.)

10- Sew up above the breast, up the neck & head. Leaving a hole
at the TOP of the head to insert the rest of the stuffing.

11- Fill up the rest of the way & sew up the head.

12- Draw a face on your gal with the markers, filling in color after
you have drawn the shapes of the eyes, nose, & mouth. Draw on
eyebrows to match the color of yarn you chose for the hair.

13- SPRAY ENTIRE doll with the waterproofer.

14- Glue hair on the head starting with a hot glue bead and adding
glue and yarn hair slowly, to not clump it. If you put the entire string
of glue on at once it will DRY OUT before you can get the yarn on.
NOW glue some on the BACK of the head at the crown.
(You choose how long the hair is by how long you cut the yarn.)

15- SPRAY the HAIR with the waterproofer.

16- Put the "shirt & skirt" OR "dress" on the doll.

17- SPRAY the outfit with waterproofer.

18- NOW spray the ENTIRE body AGAIN with the waterproofer.
(Too much is never enough to keep your gal from mold/mildew/ & rot!)

19- Sit your gal in a chair or on a bench & TIE her WAIST & under
her ARMS to the chair or bench's back.

20- Spray the gloves inside & out & glue onto the doll's hands.
(There are NO FINGERS in this doll, so STUFF The fingers of the
gloves with cut up PLASTIC grocery bags.)

21- Place the HAT on her head with "3" sticks of glue, you need a LOT
to keep the hat on in the WIND! Also SPRAY the hat inside & out.

22- SPRAY the bandana/scarf & place it tied about her neck.
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NOW you are READY to display your Garden Gal, for your garden guests and neighbors! :)