Doll repair help (plastic yikes!)

[cinnamama]

I know this is a natural toy forum but I thought I might get some help here. My MIL sent my 2 year old a plastic baby - : one with a plastic head, hands and feet, and a soft weighted body. She really likes the doll and played with it all day. I let her take it in the tub b/c it was just filled with polyester and some type of poly beads. While she was splashing it around the thin material attached to the head ripped. So the head is in jeopardy of coming off and the stuffing is starting to come out. I want to try to repair it but the fabric attaching the head is so thin, I have no idea how to do it. I don't think she would be devastated if I can't fix it but you never know. I wasn't planning on making her another doll for a while so I don't want to have to do that to replace it. Is there a glue I can use? Maybe glue a reinforcing fabric over the rip?

[eepster]

Do you have a picture?

I'm thinking maybe patching ti with fusible web and some good fabric, but if the rip is very close to the neck you might burn the plastic. It also might be hard to get the area flat to fuse on the patch.

My other thought is to sew a new body that can be put over the old one like a slipcover this would not only fix the rip, but also reinforce the whole doll so you won't have to deal with more rips. It would require a fair amount of sewing skill. How well it would work also deppends on how the body attaches to the head and limbs.

[cinnamama]

Here are pics of the "injury"
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...a/IMG_0008.jpg

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...a/IMG_0006.jpg


The more I look at it, the more I think the doll is done for. Oh well.

[eepster]

As I suspected it's too close to the head to fuse a patch on I'd do the second method I mentioned. Do you know anyone who sews? The body itself looks simple enough but I can't see how the head is attached very well. You could just whip stich it to the fabric that is still ttached to the head, but it looks like it might just fray. It looks like that is what happend the fabric frayed apart at the seam.

ETA: just noticed you have a in your sig. Take a fresh look at in the morning things usually look better in the morning. You could use an awl to make a few hole in the neck to sew the new body to, with upholstry weight thread.

[cinnamama]

Wow, thanks for the idea. I will try that and post a pic. She asked for the doll first thing this am so I am going to try to save it.

[serenetabbie]

I agree with eepster. I have repaired dolls with that sort of life threatening injury before :P Since I never have upholstery thread on hand, I used fishing line and a heavy needle. It was not hard to go through the plastic at all with the heavy needle (I think it might be a rug needle I have, it was my mom's so I am not sure). I would reinforce the seam that runs under the rip first so that it does not fray. Good luck!

[cinnamama]

Originally Posted by serenetabbie

I agree with eepster. I have repaired dolls with that sort of life threatening injury before :P Since I never have upholstery thread on hand, I used fishing line and a heavy needle. It was not hard to go through the plastic at all with the heavy needle (I think it might be a rug needle I have, it was my mom's so I am not sure). I would reinforce the seam that runs under the rip first so that it does not fray. Good luck!

Reinforce the seam with something like twill tape?

[mehndi mama]

If it were me, I'd take it apart and sew a new body out of a heavier fabric - twill or at least double-thickness muslin.
The plastic parts are attached by a drawstring held in place by a groove in the plastic part, so putting it back toegther won't be too difficult. My mom has done this a few times on dolls for me and my sisters, and she's also repaired vintage dolls of her own the same way.

[cinnamama]

"My other thought is to sew a new body that can be put over the old one like a slipcover this would not only fix the rip, but also reinforce the whole doll so you won't have to deal with more rips. It would require a fair amount of sewing skill. How well it would work also deppends on how the body attaches to the head and limbs."

Yeah, I am going to try the above method. I am just looking for some fabric to use. I do have lots of muslin so I may use that.

[claras_mom]

I successfully repaired a similar injury recently. Here's the thread, with pictures. Even if you go through with making the new body, this could work as a stopgap measure.

[cinnamama]

Originally Posted by claras_mom

I successfully repaired a similar injury recently. Here's the thread, with pictures. Even if you go through with making the new body, this could work as a stopgap measure.

This is what I did. I just couldn't get a needle to go through the plastic parts to resew a new body. So I used the Fabritac glue and glued on a "bandage" out of muslin. I left the doll out for a couple days and dd1 was very happy to see her again. "You fixed her Mommy?" So thanks for the idea. Will post a pic of the repair job when I get a chance. Thanks for your help!