Good Old Raggedy Ann

Some of my first Raggedy Ann dolls; these were made in the early 90s during my first pregnancy.

Johnny Gruelle (December 24, 1880 – January 9, 1938) was an American artist, political cartoonist, children’s book author and illustrator (and even songwriter). He is known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. He had such confidence in his design that often he would create the final ink work without first sketching in pencil.

Sketch of Raggedy Ann and Andy by Gruelle.

He was born John Barton Gruelle in Arcola, Illinois. His father Richard Gruelle was an artist affiliated with Hoosier Group of Indiana artists. His first well known cartooning work was Mr. Twee Deedle which Gruelle created after he beat out 1,500 entrants to win a cartooning contest sponsored in 1911 by The New York Herald. Mr. Twee Deedle was in print from 1911 to 1914.

Gruelle gave his daughter Marcella a dusty, faceless rag doll which she found in the attic. He drew a face on the doll and named her Raggedy Ann. Marcella played with the doll so much, Gruelle figured other children would like the doll too. Gruelle’s Raggedy Ann doll U.S. Patent D47,789 was dated September 7, 1915. In 1918, the PF Volland Company published Raggedy Ann Stories. Gruelle then created a series of popular Raggedy Ann books and dolls. These became Volland’s major source of revenue.

Marcella Gruelle, after being vaccinated at her school for smallpox, was given an unidentified second shot without parental consent. She soon contracted diphtheria and died at the age of 13. After this blow, family friends described Gruelle as “possessed, with a heavy countenance, and … with the only thing he would bear to have near him as a reminder of Marcella a rag doll.”

Gruelle lived in the Silvermine section of New Canaan, Connecticut, where the dolls were first mass produced, and later moved his home and company to neighboring Wilton, Connecticut. Gruelle spent a year in Ashland, Oregon from 1923-1924. He had a long-standing heart condition, and died in Miami Beach, Florida on January 8, 1938, of a heart attack.

• Works by Johnny Gruelle at Project Gutenberg
• Raggedy History from publishers Simon & Schuster
• Johnny Gruelle, Inspired Illustrator by Patricia Hall
• Toonopedia entry on Mr Twee Deedle
• Johnny Gruelle at Find a Grave

(My favorite Raggedy story read to me when I was small.)

RAGGEDY ANN AND THE STRANGE DOLLS

Raggedy Ann lay just as Marcella had dropped her–all sprawled out with
her rag arms and legs twisted in ungraceful attitudes.

Her yarn hair was twisted and lay partly over her face, hiding one of
her shoe-button eyes.

Raggedy gave no sign that she had heard, but lay there smiling at the
ceiling.

Perhaps Raggedy Ann knew that what the new dolls said was true.

But sometimes the truth may hurt and this may have been the reason
Raggedy Ann lay there so still.

“Did you ever see such an ungainly creature!”

“I do believe it has shoe buttons for eyes!”

“And yarn hair!”

“Mercy, did you ever see such feet!”

The Dutch doll rolled off the doll sofa and said “Mamma” in his quavery
voice, he was so surprised at hearing anyone speak so of beloved Raggedy
Ann–dear Raggedy Ann, she of the candy heart, whom all the dolls loved.

Uncle Clem was also very much surprised and offended. He walked up in
front of the two new dolls and looked them sternly in the eyes, but he
could think of nothing to say so he pulled at his yarn mustache.

Marcella had only received the two new dolls that morning. They had come
in the morning mail and were presents from an aunt.

Marcella had named the two new dolls Annabel-Lee and Thomas, after her
aunt and uncle.

Annabel-Lee and Thomas were beautiful dolls and must have cost heaps and
heaps of shiny pennies, for both were handsomely dressed and had _real_
hair!

Annabel’s hair was of a lovely shade of auburn and Thomas’ was golden
yellow.

Annabel was dressed in soft, lace-covered silk and upon her head she
wore a beautiful hat with long silk ribbons tied in a neat bow-knot
beneath her dimpled chin.

Thomas was dressed in an Oliver Twist suit of dark velvet with a lace
collar. Both he and Annabel wore lovely black slippers and short
stockings.

They were sitting upon two of the little red doll chairs where Marcella
had placed them and where they could see the other dolls.

When Uncle Clem walked in front of them and pulled his mustache they
laughed outright. “Tee-Hee-Hee!” they snickered, “He has holes in his
knees!”

Quite true. Uncle Clem was made of worsted and the moths had eaten his
knees and part of his kiltie. He had a kiltie, you see, for Uncle Clem
was a Scotch doll.

Uncle Clem shook, but he felt so hurt he could think of nothing to say.

He walked over and sat down beside Raggedy Ann and brushed her yarn hair
away from her shoe-button eye.

The tin soldier went over and sat beside them.

“Don’t you mind what they say, Raggedy!” he said, “They do not know you
as we do!”

“We don’t care to know her!” said Annabel-Lee as she primped her dress,
“She looks like a scarecrow!”

“And the Soldier must have been made with a can opener!” laughed
Thomas.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves!” said the French dolly, as she
stood before Annabel and Thomas, “You will make all of us sorry that you
have joined our family if you continue to poke fun at us and look down
upon us. We are all happy here together and share in each others’
adventures and happiness.”

Now, that night Marcella did not undress the two new dolls, for she had
no nighties for them, so she let them sit up in the two little red doll
chairs so they would not muss their clothes. “I will make nighties for
you tomorrow!” she said as she kissed them good night. Then she went
over and gave Raggedy Ann a good night hug. “Take good care of all my
children, Raggedy!” she said as she went out.

Annabel and Thomas whispered together, “Perhaps we have been too hasty
in our judgment!” said Annabel-Lee. “This Raggedy Ann seems to be a
favorite with the mistress and with all the dolls!”

“There must be a reason!” replied Thomas, “I am beginning to feel sorry
that we spoke of her looks. One really cannot help one’s looks after
all.”

Now, Annabel-Lee and Thomas were very tired after their long journey and
soon they fell asleep and forgot all about the other dolls.

When they were sound asleep, Raggedy Ann slipped quietly from her bed
and awakened the tin soldier and Uncle Clem and the three tiptoed to the
two beautiful new dolls.

They lifted them gently so as not to awaken them and carried them to
Raggedy Ann’s bed.

Raggedy Ann tucked them in snugly and lay down upon the hard floor.

The tin soldier and Uncle Clem both tried to coax Raggedy Ann into
accepting their bed (they slept together), but Raggedy Ann would not
hear of it.

“I am stuffed with nice soft cotton and the hard floor does not bother
me at all!” said Raggedy.

At daybreak the next morning Annabel and Thomas awakened to find
themselves in Raggedy Ann’s bed and as they raised up and looked at each
other each knew how ashamed the other felt, for they knew Raggedy Ann
had generously given them her bed.

There Raggedy Ann lay; all sprawled out upon the hard floor, her rag
arms and legs twisted in ungraceful attitudes.

“How good and honest she looks!” said Annabel. “It must be her
shoe-button eyes!”

“How nicely her yarn hair falls in loops over her face!” exclaimed
Thomas, “I did not notice how pleasant her face looked last night!”

“The others seem to love her ever and ever so much!” mused Annabel. “It
must be because she is so kind.”

Both new dolls were silent for a while, thinking deeply.

“How do you feel?” Thomas finally asked.

“Very much ashamed of myself!” answered Annabel, “And you, Thomas?”

“As soon as Raggedy Ann awakens, I shall tell her just how much ashamed
I am of myself and if she can, I want her to forgive me!” Thomas said.

“The more I look at her, the better I like her!” said Annabel.

“I am going to kiss her!” said Thomas.

“You’ll awaken her if you do!” said Annabel.

But Thomas climbed out of bed and kissed Raggedy Ann on her painted
cheek and smoothed her yarn hair from her rag forehead.

And Annabel-Lee climbed out of bed, too, and kissed Raggedy Ann.

Then Thomas and Annabel-Lee gently carried Raggedy Ann and put her in
her own bed and tenderly tucked her in, and then took their seats in the
two little red chairs.

After a while Annabel said softly to Thomas, “I feel ever and ever so
much better and happier!”

“So do I!” Thomas replied. “It’s like a whole lot of sunshine coming
into a dark room, and I shall always try to keep it there!”

Fido had one fuzzy white ear sticking up over the edge of his basket and
he gave his tail a few thumps against his pillow.

Raggedy Ann lay quietly in bed where Thomas and Annabel had tucked her.
And as she smiled at the ceiling, her candy heart (with “I LOVE YOU”
written on it) thrilled with contentment, for, as you have probably
guessed, Raggedy Ann had not been asleep at all!

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Chinese Baby Doll Made From Sweaters

This life size baby doll is one of the largest dolls that I have ever made.

His mask is molded from stretched cotton and plaster.

The body is sewn entirely from old sweaters and knit socks.

I’ve included many snapshots here that show the mask at different angles. When painting masks, I feel it is best to treat them like portraits. I think about the coloration of a actual head at different angles. I add subtle lighting affects in order to recreate a life like appearance in the doll.

Here is the backside of the doll.

A close-up shot of his stocking cap.

I chose to add an unusual, large, black button the the baby’s stocking cap.

The baby’s coverall straps are actually just applique.

His booties are wool and old-fashioned lace.

His outfit also has additional leather buttons sewn onto the front.

There are flaps on his stocking cap to keep his ears extra warm in winter

My Chinese baby’s mask was painted with acrylic paints and then sealed with a tough lacquer finish. I gave him to my youngest daughter one year for Christmas. I think he is a very “life like” snow baby!

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One Man’s Trash . . .

Aunt Marlene brought to her birthday dinner some interesting treasure. She asked if I could use any of this doll treasure before it was to be donated to Good Will. “Of course!” I said. “There are endless possibilities in designing dolls, cards etc… around discarded, unwanted and seemingly useless trinkets.”

1. A bracelet is usually just the perfect size for a doll necklace.
2. Small wooden beads can always be restrung into something appealing.
3. A tiny book can be added to a doll ensemble in order to enhance it’s overall appearance.
4. A rustic metal bird? This is bound to find it’s way into a decorative art journal somewhere!
5. A small enamel portrait is perfect for a colonial doll trimming.
6. This feather pin reminds me of something Native American, I’m not sure how I will use it in the end.
7. An old rhinestone pin is collectable an should be preserved in a jewelry stash or perhaps clipped to a keep sake.
8. Tiny brass angels may be added to artsy Christmas cards.
9. This is one of two, enamel  “Art Nouveau” pins that would make splendid accent pins on a flapper doll or a Boudoir Doll.
10. One of three heart pins in this photograph is this white and brass enamel pin. These always look attractive under a doll’s collar.
11. I love this little bird made from feathers. My daughters think this is the ugliest pin. However, I think this pin has the most unusual design potential. Sometimes the ugliest jewelry, if used differently, can become the most attractive.
12. One of two enamel angel pins in this discarded heap.
13. This leather iris pin is going onto something really special and I can’t wait to share it with my readers.
14. A pewter angel pin.
15. A large button covered with an attractive dove design. Doll crafters can always make these kinds of buttons or pins themselves and these are an affordable alternative to purchasing jewelry when trimming dolls.
16. A little brass angel pin. This one was designed for a lapel.
17. This is my favorite angel among the bunch.
18. A fanciful heart. It looks like something from the 1990s.
19. These are pins sold in churches for charity. I’m not sure what I will do with it yet.
20. Obviously this panda must be used to dress up another panda.
21. Another enamel angel.
22. The second “Art Nouveau” pin amongst this new “treasure.” I can’t wait to use it.
23. These brass hearts are just the right size for a doll. I will use them in a very traditional way, at the top of a doll collar.
24. And last but not least the Worry Dolls. These would be cute on a ‘Get Well’ card or on an ethnic doll.

This newly acquired, “old” pocket watch, pin now belongs to Agnus.

This strange bee/butterfly, hybrid, insect pin is being incorporated into the costume of my latest doll. It came with the pin collection you see above. It was also the least appreciated between my daughters. However, it has great design potential. I will be posting the new rag doll soon along with a free pattern.

Agnus & Ruby Rescued from Resale!

Left, is Agnus and right, in red, is Ruby. These old gals were rescued from a dusty and forgotten toy box at a local resale shop. Both are sock dolls and I think they were sewn in the 1940s or 50s? In any case, they are safe now and have plenty of opportunities to relax, drink tea and gossip with a variety of travel dolls. They no longer need fear the trash heap.

Recently, Aunt Marlene donated the lovely pocket watch pin to Agnus. I think it suites her attire. She is a bit elderly and sometimes forgets to wake from a nap for afternoon tea. The pocket watch should come in handy!

Hand-Painted Canvas Rag Dolls

Back in the very early 1990s I painted some silly little rag dolls. It was my hope that I would sell them at a few local country fairs but, alas, people would not purchase these for the prices I needed to ask in order to turn a necessary profit.

Homemade rag dolls take much time, care and patience to craft but most people do not pay for the labor that goes into them. So, I did what I normally do under such instances. I gave them away as gifts and taught others to make the dolls for themselves.

I even added tiny buttons and trims of accurate proportion to the clothing I made for the dolls. This is something I seldom do now with my current cloth dolls. Now I use clothing that is being discarded from my daughter’s closets.

I would never bother to add elastic to my doll clothing now unless it was absolutely necessary and in most cases, it never is for a doll.

Too many flowers, oh my! However, I do still love their funny expressions.

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Old-Fashioned School Desk for A Doll

A good neighbor built this small school desk for my dolls long ago in his woodworking shop. Even though Mr. George passed away more than fifteen years ago, his gift still reminds me of his kind-hearted nature.

Old-fashioned school desk as seen from behind. This is a miniature of the kind of desks once used in American classrooms.

A second side view of the doll desk.

The doll desk as viewed from above. The groove at the top of the desk is for a pencil or piece of chalk. This would prevent writing tools from rolling around and dropping on to the floor.

One of my many painted canvas dolls sits quietly waiting for class to begin.

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A Pale Yellow Doll Cradle

I purchased this old, pale, yellow doll cradle in a garage sale for $1.50! Some of our readers are interested in building doll furniture so I thought I might include pictures of pieces from my own collection to give you ideas.

My mother-in-law gave to me a small doll blanket that my husband had played with when he was a little boy. He carried it about with his bunny, Lewis. He was only two and it was the sweetest thing for a mother to keep. I just couldn’t imagine such a rugged, athletic man to have such a possession!

I made a doll mattress from an old baby sheet for the cradle. This one, above, turned out a little too small, so I made a second from old ticking.

A picture of the assembled cradle with bedding from a side view.

The yellow cradle as seen from above, with a happy baby doll.

A vinyl baby belonging to my youngest daughter.

A corner shot for those of you drawing up doll furniture to design your own woodworking plans. I hope this gives you plenty of ideas!

More Doll Quilts:

• A Star Quilt Block For a Doll Quilt

A rag doll for my daughter’s birthday

I made this rag doll back in the early 1990s for my oldest daughter’s second or third birthday. My interests in making dolls have always been somewhat focused on the “plaything” aspect of dolls. I have yet to make many dolls that are not intended to be played with by little people. This doll had double stitched seams and she was painted with non-toxic materials. Her face is influenced by those features frequently found on 1930′s rag babies.

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My Grandmother’s Flower Garden

This is my grandmother’s flower garden, actually it is my great grandmother’s flower garden to be exact. This elaborate quilt was made with calico from the 1930s and 40s. Many of these calico fabrics came from old flower sacks.

This is a quilted flower close up. This particular pattern was very popular during the Great Depression Era. Many of the women among my relations quilted but my Great Grandmother Dean was the most articulate of the bunch. This entire quilt was made by hand. There are twelve to fifteen stitches per inch!

Here is a template of her flower garden that I have drawn up. Visitors may download it after agreeing to the Terms of Use.

Faceless And Beautiful

Betty Jane’s Amish and Mennonite Dolls.

Amish dolls are a type of rag doll and a popular form of American folk art, which originated as children’s toys among the Old Order Amish people. While some Amish dolls have faces, the best-known ones do not, possibly for religious or social reasons.

There are several accounts of the origins of faceless dolls used by Amish children. One account says that a young Amish girl was given a rag doll with a face for Christmas. Her father became upset and cut the head off the doll. He reportedly said “Only God can make people.” He then replaced the head with a stuffed stocking that did not have a face. The little girl played happily with the doll for many years. Some Amish children have wrapped blankets around small logs and pretended they were dolls. A sociological study from 2007 says that the dolls are left faceless because “all are alike in the eyes of God”, and that the lack of facial features agrees with the Bible’s commandment against graven images.

Most Amish doll makers were anonymous. An exception was Lizzie Lapp (1860–1932) of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, who sold her dolls under her own name.

An Amish doll is best described as a plain rag doll usually lacking physical features of a face or hair. It is also thought that a face on a doll makes it appear more worldly, which is not considered acceptable among the Amish. Not all Amish dolls, however, are faceless. Clothing on Amish dolls is similar to that worn by Amish children. Both girl and boy dolls are common; Amish children do not have a lot of toys, so both boys and girls play with the dolls. Fabrics are all solid colored. The doll body is commonly made from white or cream fabric, such as unbleached muslin, since the materials traditionally used to make the dolls are remnants from clothing made for family members. The stuffing was traditionally rags, but usage of cotton, or in modern days polyester batting, is also common.

The dolls themselves may be sewn by hand or machine. Machine sewing in the Amish community is generally done by using a foot-operated treadle sewing machine.On older Amish dolls, it is not uncommon to see several layers of cloth on the head or body of one doll. When a doll became too dirty or badly worn, the head as well as its arms and legs would be completely covered with fresh cloth.

Antique Amish dolls made for and used by Amish children are highly collectible and can sell for upwards of US $1,000. However, reproductions made to deceive have proliferated, depressing the market.

Wide interest in collecting Amish crafts began in the 1930s, and in 1939, Cornelius Weygandt, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, described his collection of Amish and Mennonite dolls, praising the “painstaking fidelity” of their costumes. National advertisements for Amish dolls appeared in House & Garden magazine in 1941. These dolls, however, had faces.  As tourism increased over the decades, faceless dolls have frequently appeared in souvenir shops near Amish communities. In 1955, John A. Hostetler, an expert on Amish society, described the marketing of dolls to tourists as an aspect of the commercialization of Amish culture.

Jennifer displays her mother’s old dolls in an antique high chair.

About The Amish:

• The Amish & Photographs
• Who art the Amish and what do they believe?
• Amish Life FAQ’s
• Textile Arts: Amish Quilts

Links To Photographs of Amish Dolls:

• The Amish Doll
• Antique Amish Dolls
• Early Amish Doll
• Old Pennsylvania Amish Rag Doll
• Primitive Amish Doll Patterns
• Century-Old Amish Doll
• Amish dolls made from paper mache’ by the English
• Amish dolls at Li’l Country Store
• Amish rag babies
• Lancaster County Amish Rag Dolls
• faceless dolls at “Prim Dolls of Calico”

Designing historically accurate Mennonite, Quaker, and Amish clothing:

• Quaker Jane

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