What is shellac? It’s probably not what you think. Sure, it’s a finish that is applied to wood to give it added beauty and protection. You probably know that. But, what is it made from? The answer may surprise you; shellac is made from bug secretions. A small insect in India sucks the sap from several species of trees which it secretes as a resin to protect itself and its eggs. The resin is called lac and this is what is used to make shellac. Now you won’t have to ask, “What is shellac” anymore.

Plain water with liquid cleanser can be used – even a spoonful of laundry detergent, if it is well dissipated in the hot water. Keep dipping the rag and squeezing it out – not too many suds – just a little soap will do. If the water in the bucket is too dark, dump it in the toilet and make a new batch.

Next comes the fun part…putting it all together. Here is where I organize before starting…I lay the quilt out on the floor in the design I want, then stack them in rows in the order they are going to be sewn. As I stack I label the rows with post-it notes.

Sometime after eight, she begins floating out of slumber. I bring the shake to her bedside, put the straw in her mouth and give her cheek a little pat as she begins to drink. Slowly the liquid recedes.

The artist palette can be used in two primary positions, either on the tabletop or hand-held. Some artists prefer to hold their palettes while they paint. This makes it possible to continue painting from different angles. Other artists would rather set their palette on a table and mix paints that way. Tabletop palettes are usually larger and this feature allows the artist more room for mixing colors. Whichever position you choose for your palette raggedy doll a matter of preference.

Then I pin the rows at the seams two rows at a time. Again you will want to make sure you are putting the backing sides together as you want the frayed look on the front of your quilt. After I have assembled all of the rows in twos, I start the process over by pinning the rows of twos. It is very important to pin as you will find these quilts can get very heavy quick.

Today, a lot of people collect raggedy dolls of years gone by, and many people collect raggedy dolls made by artist of today of various different kinds of fabric dolls. Rag dolls can be made quit easily today. Simply cut out legs, arms, body, and head. Sew them, stuff them, and sew the body parts together. Then one can design a dress and bloomers to the doll. Add hair and a face, and you’ve got yourself a rag doll. Doll patterns can be found by the thousands in many different sizes, shapes, and colors – just like people.