México
Hola, Como está usted? Today we are going to talk about Mexico.
Here are some random facts about Mexico.
¯ Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, is sinking
¯ The official language of Mexico is Spanish
¯ The peso is Mexican money
¯ 126.2 million people live in Mexico
¯ There are 31 states in Mexico
¯ There are women only cars in the subway
Around 1518 explorers from Spain came to Mexico. They were looking for gold and did almost anything to get as much as they could. When they received gifts from Montezuma the Aztec emperor they were angry that he hadn’t sent gold. The Aztecs then sent gold to the Spanish leader and when the Spaniards saw the the gold they marched to the Aztec capital and over time killed thousands of Aztecs and finally captured the entire empire. Through cruelty they subdued the native people in much of present-day Mexico. The Spanish also destroyed the idols and temples of the Aztecs and other natives and Catholic Priests baptized thousands of Indians. The Indians did not know that they were supposed to give up their old gods and often added the new Roman Catholic beliefs to their other traditions. This makes it hard for missionaries now.
Baptist Mid-Missions is an organization that works in many different countries. They began work in Mexico in 1960. In 1967 the first Bible Institute began and since then they have trained many godly pastors and workers. There are many lost souls in Mexico and although it is listed as 83 percent Roman Catholic less than 15 percent actually practice their religion. We can pray that God would send more missionaries to Mexico to help in the work happening there.
How to make a
“Mexican” Clothespin Doll:
This is the picture I am looking off of. This is traditional clothing and if you went to Mexico you might not see anyone dressed like this. Also you can use any colors you want and still make a “Mexican” doll.
What you’ll need:
clothespin
ruler
parchment paper
hot glue
black paint
paint brush
friendship thread (white, green, orange)
scissors
four colors of fabric (yellow, white, green, orange)
yellow thread
elastic
white thread
green thread
Optional Items:
wood (for arms)
tan friendship thread (for hat)
green paint (for shoes)
We will start with the hair. Do her hair in such a way that it looks like
it has a part in the middle. Now lay
down some parchment paper to make her braids.
Make narrow 2” strips of hot glue connected to her head. Make sure each strand is dried before you do
the next. Paint the hair black.
Cut a 10 ½” piece of each: orange, white, and green
friendship thread. Find the center and
glue onto the dolls head. Now braid the
three strands of “hair”, put one color of friendship thread with each
part. Use glue to secure the ends. Tie the braids together at the bottom using
the orange strands to make a small bow and glue it so it won’t untie. Trim off the extra pieces of string.
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If you have a sander that you can use sand her legs
thinner, if not just paint her legs white for her white stockings and add hot
glue shoes painted green when you have all her other clothes done.
*********
Now for the bodice of her dress.
#1. Cut two
pieces of the yellow 1 1/8” x 7/8”
Cut sleeves 1” wide and ½” in the middle.
#2. Hem the
tops of the bodice and melt the other edges.
Sew the sleeves half on the front and half on the back. This is how the bodice will be held together.
#3. Cut the
white piece ¾” x 3 ¼” . Melt all the edges.
Cut a piece of elastic 1 ¾” long and sew the white piece to it stretch
the elastic the whole time so that it will gather the bodice. Sew the ends together and sew up the side of
the white piece. Sew under the sleeves
so that they are closed.
#4. Put a
gathering stitch in the white piece and pull it so that it is the same size as
the yellow bodice. Slip the top of the dress inside the white piece and sew the
two pieces together. I lined up the
seams on one side. Use hot glue to make the seam go up.
#5. Flip the
bodice right side out and add a strip of green friendship thread in between the
yellow and white.
(Note: If you are
not making arms you can just skip the sleeves and sew the sides shut. You might need to make the bodice pieces a
little wider if you do that.)
********
To make the skirt cut three pieces of white
fabric
- 3”x 1”
- 4 ¾” x 7/8”
- 6” x 7/8”
Melt the edges.
Put a gathering stitch in each piece before sewing it to the next piece
above it. Use hot glue to help hold it
in place.
Sew shut the back of the skirt and flip it.
Pin the skirt to the bodice in several places and then
use your fingers to stretch the bodice
so that the skirt fits just right and sew the skirt to the bodice.
Put the dress on your doll.
*******
Cut out two fairly straight arms and sand them to the
shape you want them. Be careful not to
break them and remember to check the direction of the grain so that your arms
are as strong as possible. Once the arms
are ready use hot glue to fasten them inside the sleeves.
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For the fancy over-skirt cut a circle that is
approximately 4” in diameter. It is okay
if it is a little smaller than that. Find
the center and cut out a small circle with a ¾” diameter.
#2 Cut a piece of green fabric 6” x ¾ ”. Make a crease
in the middle and then fold the edges to the middle and sew the new edges
together to make a narrow ribbon.
#3 This is what
your pieces should look like by now.
#4 Cut a piece
of green 15” x 5/8” and fold it up by half's as small as you can make it then
cut off one corner.
#5 Unfold the long strip of green and this is
what your pieces for the over skirt should look like.
Now sew the long piece of green all the way around the
edge of the orange piece. if you have any extra trim it off.
#6 and #7 are
front and back pictures of the next step.
Tack down the points and different places of the green piece to the
orange piece so that it lays flat.
#8 Embroider a
line inside of the zig zag and then go
back around and add more embroidery and flowers or any other embellishments you
want to.
Now you will put the over-skirt onto your doll. Put a
gathering stitch around the small circle and after you have slid the over-skirt
over her skirt J pull the gathering
stitch tight and knot it in place. Now
take your narrow green ribbon and start on the front of your doll. Put the end a little below the edge of the
over-skirt and take the “ribbon” over her shoulder and around her twice and then
tack it down so that it won’t move around too much. Glue the over-skirt into her stretched out arm
and also glue her braids and other arm into place.
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This is an optional part that is not very hard and
kind of adds a finishing touch and hides any mistakes in her hair.
#1 Use tan friendship thread and hot glue to make the
top of the hat.
#2 Once you have the top as big as you want start
making the thread come up so that it forms the crown of the hat when you turn
it over. see #3
#4 When the crown is big enough add the brim by making
the string come out.
#5 Once the hat brim is as big as you want it cut off
the thread and glue it into place.
#6 Use a dab of
hot glue to secure the hat onto your doll’s head and now she’s done.
Que tenga un bien dia! Adios Amigos!
Sources: World
Book Encyclopedia
America. 2008: 120-122,168
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