I took all the stuffing out and she did some soaking in Napisan to get rid of the general stains - She doesn't look pleased..... ;( The stuffing also went into a pillowcase and through the wash, as I am going to reuse it......
After she came out out if the Napisan, I had a go at fixing her face. It had clearly been torn at some point and and very poorly stitched back together, along with the nose barely holding on. In order to secure the edges, I used a strip of iron on vilene and a bit of topstitching to try and secure it. It's not perfect, but it is better than it was :)
I have also ironed and fixed the dress, trimmed all the loose threads, and it's ready to go.
I had bought some wool, and although the colour is good, it's a little thick (8ply) so I think I'll go back for the 4ply. It's a much tighter twist, too, so hopefully it will blend better. The hair is actually all different lengths - not sure if this is from the factory, or if it was cut at some point? I wonder if it originally was loops, not straight hair?? No way to tell, unfortunately.....
Anyway, I wrapped some lengths of wool around a piece of cardboard and stitched them together to make a strip. Poked it through the gap and restitched. It took a few goes with some tacking before I was happy, but it finally fell into place. Just need to stuff it, now!
I used the original stuffing in the hands, feet and body, and some new fill in the head. A just need to close the neck and she is done! I have kept her pretty soft and cuddly - not sure how she was originally, cause she was very flat when she came to me....
Anyway, final results :
I will be seeing her in a few weeks for her baby shower, so will give her back to her then. I hope she likes her :)
