This month's "Raggedy of the Month" actually features two dolls! Here are the first (and only) pair of Raggedys that I ever had a part of making. When I was about 10 years old, my grandparents came to visit us for a few days. My grandmother took me to a local 5 and dime store, and we bought a McCalls pattern to sew our own Raggedy Ann and Andy doll! Since this was a small store, the fabric selection was limited, but I was able to find all of the "essential" raggedy-pattern fabrics!

My grandmother and my mother both spent many days teaching me how to use a sewing machine so we could complete my project.

I decided early on that I didn't want to follow the instructions exactly (it's the artist in me, I suppose!). I did not want to embroider the faces precisely as the pattern specified. Instead, I wanted to "recreate" the same face and hair as my favorite doll, "Raggie". The pattern called for embroidered eyes, but I was wise enough to know that any "real" Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy doll had to have button eyes! (I looked for shoe-buttons, but alas, there weren't any in the store!)

I have a very patient, and very wonderful mother. I remember doing all of the embroidery on the faces, but I'm certain that it was my mother who really put in all of the time to finish up these two dolls. Thanks, Mom!

These two dolls have had the honor of lying on the pillow of my bed for about 20 years now. I'm so happy that I have a pair that I was able to help create during my childhood.