June Bride 15" Vintage Cloth Doll Pattern

June Bride is a 15" cloth doll from the booklet "Dolls Old and New," which includes several cloth doll patterns. There is no copyright date or publisher's name on the booklet, but it appears to have been printed circa 1970, though individual patterns may have been offered at an earlier date. This may be a publication of Reader Mail, Inc., the company responsible for Laura Wheeler, Marian Martin and Alice Brooks patterns, among others.

June Bride is a baseball-head doll with attached ears. Her arms and legs are sewn in place so she cannot sit. Her facial features are embroidered after stuffing. Her hair is worsted weight yarn. She has mitten hands and flat-soled feet.

June Bride's wedding gown is a very simple one, with the bodice and sleeves all of one piece. The bodice is trimmed with lace and buttons to give the illusion of a yoke. She has a veil, petticoat and bouquet, but no underpants or shoes.

June Bride would be a nice doll to display a miniature-sized version of your own wedding gown.

Simplicity 9193 - 16" Witch doll for Halloween

This pattern, designed by Mitzi Bibens and Donna Towe, makes a witch doll and her simple outfit. The pattern is dated 1994.

The witch doll is made in a separated pancake style with lobster-claw hands. She has a center-seam face and some very simple needle sculpting to give her eyes and mouth added definition. Her lower legs are shaped like pointy-toed boots. A dowel inside her torso and head keeps her head from flopping. Her facial features can be painted or drawn with marker and colored pencil. The instructions call for her boots to be painted black - but it would seem to be simpler just to make her legs from black fabric. Her hair is purchased wool.

Her outfit is constructed very simply. The bloomers and two piece dress are sewn to her, but with a few simple alterations they could be made removable. The sleeves and hem of the dress are cut in long points with no finished hem. Her hair is glued to her head and the hat is then glued to the hair.

This is a fairly simple pattern which could produce good results for a beginning sewer. It is meant to be a decoration, not a child's plaything.