Scrap Happy Sisters
Happy ScrapHappy Day!
ScrapHappy Day is the 15th of the month, when a group of bloggers each post a blog about using up their scraps! Any material of genuine scrap status is allowed: I have used scraps of wood; yarn; and fabric. I’ve also seen posts about: scrap silver; polyethylene; paper; electronic equipment; metal; and I think just about everything!
Today I am repairing some dolls…
Three Broken Dolls
…three little doll sisters, with broken china shoulder plates…
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French Flea Market
…which came to me from a French Flea Market via a travelling friend.
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Guttersnipe and Mudlark
Guttersnipe and Mudlark used to be just china heads, but now have carved wooden bodies – however for the three French sisters, I decided to try and repair the shoulder plates, and make cloth bodies and new limbs.
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Littlest
This is the littlest sister upon arrival….
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Middle-sister
…and the middle-sized one being prepared for treatment.
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putty
I modelled replacement Shoulder plates for the two smaller sisters using Milliput epoxy. On the biggest sister there wasn’t much of a neck to attach a shoulder to, so I just wodged a cylinder of epoxy into the neck hole, and flared it inside so it would stay in place. It will take a bit more work to bring her back to playability…
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Before and after
…but here is the littlest doll before and during the epoxy repair…her shoulder plate got sanded smooth after this photo.
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Scrap Wood
I think repairing broken doll heads doesn’t quite count as using up scraps, but in order to finish the dolls I used wood and cloth leftovers from other projects. Using scraps of chestnut wood, I carved arms and legs for the French doll sisters…
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Waiting for me to carve some more
…and here they are in progress – the littlest doll in the left hand bowl. The middle sized doll in the right hand bowl is just waiting for me to carve her some legs!
In the background are some strips of Provençal fabric…
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Jenny Barnett Pattern
…which I used to make cloth bodies for the dolls (French dolls should have French cloth bodies, right)! The fabric is leftover from the Provençal fabric quilt I made in 2020. The paper pattern is from an owl doll that I made a couple of years ago from a Jenny Barnett doll kit. This was for the middle sized sister.
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Stitch
I used Gail Wilson’s Hitty pattern used for the smallest-sized sister’s body.
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Walnut shell
Both their bodies were stuffed with Walnut shells, as the slightly heavier filling helped to counterbalance the weight of the heads.
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assemble
Here is the littlest doll being assembled…
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E6000
…and here she is having her head glued on with E6000. I used painter’s tape to fix the shoulders in place under pressure, and then she had to wait for 48 tedious hours before she could play.
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Hmmm
Here is the middle-sized girl, having undergone the E6000 treatment. I didn’t like the thick shelf at the edge of the shoulder plate, though it was necessary as there was very little ceramic for the epoxy to stick to. Unfortunately body shape combined with the arm style impeded the arm movement. So I detached the arms and made an outer “skin” of the same fabric…
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Middle and small
…and sewed the arms back on using a hinge instead of “through the body cords”. Having done one of each kind of body I can see what I would like to do for Sister #3… but that is a project for the future.
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Five little china dolls
And meanwhile the smallest French sister is ready to play with Mudlark and Guttersnipe, and the middle sister is looking down her nose at the idea of such frolicking. The biggest sister is hoping that I will hurry up and finish her too.
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That’s my July 2026 Scrap Happy contribution! Thanks so very much to Kate and Gun who originally came up with the idea of ScrapHappy, and kept it going for eleven years! For various reasons they have retired from moderating the group, but I offered to help because I love the idea so much.
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I love reading about the interesting and inspiring ideas that people are willing to share and the clever ways that so many bits and pieces have been saved from the scrap heaps!
These are links to the lovely scrap people in the group at present – please check them out:
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And if you think you’d like to join the group, send me an email at:
quimperhitty at gmail dot com
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Quimper Hittys 
I love this! How you make something broken so beautiful. This is art.
Thanks! I think broken can be beautiful – exactly!
Again, fantastic work, Kjerstin! The group will be well cared for with you as helper. So glad to see those little sisters coming forth-quite regally. You’re an inspiration once again.
You are so kind to say so…I was glad to be able to help, and hope that scraphappy keeps going for a long time! I love that using things up is so much fun, and I love seeing the different scraps given new life!
amazing piece of restoration work ^^
Thanks so much! I like how they are turning out!
I love how the sisters are progressing. I’m in awe of you simply picking up bits of wood and carving limbs. The Provençal fabric scraps for the bodies are the perfect choice for dolls found in France. I’d be tempted not to dress them at all!
Thank you for stepping up to lead Scrap Happy for now. Although I’m new at joining in, I’ve enjoyed following the group for several years – such a thoughtful concept.
I am glad I had the wood scraps lying around! I like the chestnut as it is quite creamy, but it is hard wood, and blister-inducing. Luckily arms and legs are pretty quickly accomplished!
Oh my goodness! I am utterly enchanted! I LOVE that you have brought these 3 precious sisters back to life! They are a joyful bouquet of sweet beauty! Wonderful! ❤
Thanks! Maybe I will store them in vases when they are finished! I really do anticipate having fun with them!
These are amazing and you are very clever 🫶
Thanks so much – I am really enjoying bringing them back to playability!
wonderful restoration! Mudlark and Guttersnipe must be thrilled. Can’t wait to hear the names you choose for the three French sisters.
I am in consultation with the youngest human in the family who is in a French Immersion stream at school. We have decided on consecutive first letters of their names but haven’t yet settled on three that we both like!
You are a pro! I really enjoyed seeing your process. The fabric body and upper limbs work beautifully. Thank you for taking over the helm for ScrapHappy. .
I think these dolls would originally have had, or have been destined for cloth bodies, so I am helping them in following their destinies (or their histories possibly). I truly do enjoy the process!
I know you do and that’s what shines through. Long live the joy of crafting.
You are SO VERY TALENTED! I am impressed on your doll repair and going from just the heads to wonderful dolls – and new ladies to join your family! I did laugh at the bowl of body parts image – ha! Amazing work and very scrap happy!
Thanks! We usually Keep the Hitty pieces in doll-sized teapots or human shot-glasses as they are being carved, but these girls were too small. Bowls it was!
Fabulous
Thanks! Good fun for me, and now the dollies can kick up their heels (except the big girl who is still hopeful)!
That is an amazing job Kjerstin! I wouldn’t have known where to start. And thank you for taking over the group. It would have been such a shame if we all stopped sharing our uses of scrap.
I love Scrap Happy! I hope people will continue to share their ideas and scrappy projects, maybe it will last another 11 years! And thanks for your kind comments about my scrappy efforts, the dolls are much happier now!