Question making the mouth on Waldorf Dolls.

[patchouligirl]

Hello! i have recently started making Waldorf Dolls and i absolutely love making them!  i have a question about making the mouths though. On the first couple dolls i made, i pulled the mouth string kind of tight to give the doll a good smile and a bit of character. i've seen other doll makers pull the mouths really tight, and i did not pull mine that tight at all. Yet i had little tiny holes develop on each side of the mouth. They are tiny i'm not even sure anyone else would notice them...but they are bothering me.  i also noticed that where the mouth was pulled tight, the skin stretched just enough that the mouth relaxed...and it pretty much lost the smile. It just has more of a straight line now. 

i'm using the 5" doll making needles from Weir dolls. The fabric was from Magic Cabin.  i put the needle in where i want the side of the mouth and push the needle straight up  through the top of the dolls head. i do the same on the other side...so that the string gets pulled straight up. Then i pull it tight and tie it off when the mouth forms a smile.

What am i doing wrong??  thank you.

[patchouligirl]

Really?!? No one???

[E.V. Lowi]

It's probably a problem with the fabric you purchased. Some knits that are not the best quality, get the holes, runs and pills. Since you are using the big doll making needle, not much you can do about it. Maybe save this fabric for making small dolls where you don't have to use the very big needles?

[patchouligirl]

Thank you! What  fabric do you recommend?   i purchased some of the regular and organic fabrics from weir dolls, but have been afraid to use them until i figured out what was causing the mouth holes.  Do you have any experience with their fabric? 

[E.V. Lowi]

Originally Posted by patchouligirl 

Thank you! What  fabric do you recommend?   i purchased some of the regular and organic fabrics from weir dolls, but have been afraid to use them until i figured out what was causing the mouth holes.  Do you have any experience with their fabric? 

I have always had good luck with their fabric in the past but it's been years since I made a purchase from them. I don't know what they are carrying these days.  It's always a good idea to use the thinnest or smallest needle possible when embroidering the knit.