My Rag Doll - blog hop plus giveaway!

Hello friends, I hope you're enjoying the long weekend! I'm excited to be taking part in Stitch Craft Create's My Rag Doll blog hop today - reviewing a really gorgeous book by Corinne Crasbercu, inspired by the world of Sarah Kay and Beatrix Potter. This beautifully illustrated book takes you through making 11 different rag dolls with clothes and accessories, but the possibilities are vast if you let your imagination go wild!

Personally speaking, this book the ideal inspiration for gifts for my many pregnant friends and their babies. Equally though, how fun would it be to actually sew these sweet little rag dolls up with your own children?!?
It takes you through making dolls with five different hair colours and facial characteristics, which you can then stitch all manner of clothes and accessories for. Although the dolls aren't exactly complicated to make, the lack of illustrative diagrams definitely make this book best suited to people with some level of stitching experience and knowledge, as opposed to absolute beginners. My other small criticism is that the pattern pieces are contained within pages of the book and must be photocopied and enlarged by a certain percentage. This can prove tricky as not everyone has a printer at home, let alone one with the necessary, advanced functionality.

Small criticisms aside, it's undeniable that this book is an absolute gem. The photos alone get your creative juices flowing and there's a rag doll to cater to everyone's taste. I particularly love that each doll is preceded by a super cute mood board for extra inspiration.
DOLL IN RAINCOAT

FAIRY DOLL

DOLL IN RED

Due to be released in May, you can already pre-order My Rag Doll, but Stitch Craft Create are also generously offering a free copy to one of my readers! If you'd like a chance to win, just leave me a comment by midnight GMT on Saturday 26 April. The giveaway is open internationally and after I pick a winner at random, I'll pass on relevant details to Stitch Craft Create, who will arrange delivery of the book once it's available.
********** Fellow bloggers participating in the blog hop:
Sunday 13 April - Kestrel Makes Monday 14 April - Dolls and Daydreams Tuesday 15 April - Follow the White Bunny Wednesday 19 April - Whipstitch Thursday 17 April - A Spoonful of Sugar Friday 18 April - Feeling Stitchy Saturday 19 April - House of Pinheiro Monday 21 April - iCandy Handamde Tuesday 22 April - Shimelle Wednesday 23 April - Heather Bailey Thursday 24 April - Emma Lamb