Bendi Armature
©Sue
Daniel
[email protected]
Bendi Armature
Dolls
Snookie
Marguerite
Heike
Supplies
• 14-inch (35-36 cm)
Bendi doll*
Supplies
• Armature wire*
• Pliers to cut and bend the wire
• Heavy duty thread*
• Low loft polyester quilt batting
• Felting needles*
• Pen Style Needle Felting Tool (optional)*
• Scissors, sewing needle, measuring tape,
marker*
*Available at http://dollmakersjourney.com/supplies.html
Prepare Bendi for Rewiring
• To make a doll that can
stand on its own, Bendi
needs to be rewired. The
existing wires will remain
in place, but Bendi will be
strengthened with
armature wire.
• Cut slits in Bendi’s skin at
the points shown in the
photograph. Be sure to
make slits in both heels.
Rewire Bendi
• Cut two pieces of armature wire.
Arms: Approximately 17 inches (43 cm)
Legs: Approximately 28 inches (71 cm)
Rewire the Arms
• Push the arm wire
through the slit at
the end of one arm
and up the arm to
the slit at the top of
the arm. Keep the
wire just under
Bendi’s skin so that
the tip does not get
caught up in the
stuffing. Exit
through the slit at
the top of the arm.
Rewire the Arms
• Enter the slit
in the torso
and push the
wire across
the torso to
the slit on the
other side.
Exit.
Rewire the Arms
• Enter the slit in the
arm and push the
wire under Bendi’s
skin down the arm
and exit through
the slit at the tip of
the arm. Pull the
wire so that there is
an equal amount of
wire extending
beyond both ends.
Rewire the Legs
• Bend the leg armature
wire into a “U” shape.
Measure up
approximately 13½
inches (34 cm). Make a
90o bend. Make another
90o bend about 1 inch
(2.5 cm) along the wire.
Rewire the Legs
• Insert the two ends
of the bent wire
into the slits at the
top of Bendi’s legs.
Push the wire
down the legs just
under the skin and
exit through the
slits in the doll’s
heels.
Make the Feet
• Bend the wire that exits through the
heels to shape the bottom of the feet.
Bendi’s feet should be about 2 inches (5
cm) to be in correct proportion to her
body. Cut off any excess wire.
Fill out the Chest
• Bendi will be getting
a replacement head
and neck. Bendi’s
original head will be
used to fill out her
chest area.
Fill out the Chest
• Push the head down
onto the chest and
sew it down to the
torso using a strong
thread. It does not
need to be neat, but
the head should be
pulled down tightly.
Bendi’s Anatomy
• Form Bendi’s shoulders
by bending the tops of
her arms down about a
finger’s width out from
her body.
Bendi’s Anatomy
• Waist: 8¼ inches (21 cm)
up from bottom of feet Waist
• Elbows: At waist Elbow
• Crotch: 1¼ to 1½ inches Crotch
(3.5 cm) below waist
• Knees: 4 inches (10 cm) Knee
up from bottom of feet
Bendi’s Anatomy
• To cinch in Bendi’s
waist, anchor a strong
thread on one side of
her body. Pass the
needle through the
body across to the
other side and back
again. Pull and knot
off.
Wrap it Up
• How much wrapping Bendi gets depends
on the type of clothing she will be wearing.
If her clothes will be baggy, then she may
not need much at all. However, if her
clothes will be formfitting, then she will
need to have some nice body shaping
underneath.
Wrap It Up
• Cut batting into strips approximately 1 inch
(2.5 cm) wide.
Wrap It Up
• Starting at the
elbow on one side,
wrap the batting up
the arm and around
the torso.
Wrap It Up
• Secure the batting to the
Bendi body using a felting
needle. Two or three
needles can be used at
one time in a Pen Style
Needle Felting Tool. Just
a few jabs are needed to
keep the batting in place.
Wrap It Up
• Continue wrapping the
batting around the Bendi
torso. Pull the batting
tight around the waist
and build up the hips.
• Secure any loose ends
with a felting needle.
• Wrap the legs and feet.
Wrap It Up
Foot
Body Front Body Back
Wrap It Up
• Add more batting
around the hips
and the tops of the
legs to give the doll
a more feminine
shape.
Wrap It Up
• Secure the batting
with a few jabs with
a felting needle.
Wrap It Up
Body Front Body Back
Wrap It Up - Breasts
• To form a breast,
cut a strip of batting
approximately 1
inch wide and 7
inches in length
(2.5 and 18 cm).
• Fold the strip in
half.
Wrap It Up - Breasts
• Fold the strip up about
1/3 its length.
• Fold again leaving a
short tab of doubled
batting.
Wrap It Up - Breasts
• Place the breast on
the torso with the
thickest part of the
folded batting
towards the waist.
• Felt the breast in
place.
• Repeat for the
other side.
Wrap It Up - Buttocks
• The buttocks are formed
using the same method
used for the breasts.
• Cut a strip of batting
approximately 1½ inches
wide and 8 inches long (4
and 20 cm).
• Fold in half.
• Fold up 1/3 and 1/3 again
leaving a tab of batting.
Wrap It Up - Buttocks
• Place the buttock
on the doll with the
thickest part
towards the leg.
• Felt in place to
secure.
Wrap It Up - Buttocks
• To smooth over
unsightly wrinkles
and cellulite, pull
the fibers of a piece
of batting apart.
• Felt the batting over
the lumps and
bumps.
Wrap It Up – Finish Off
• Finish up the
other side of
the body and
shape the
buttocks.
• Give her a
belly button
with a few jabs
of the felting
needle.
Wrap It Up – Finish Off
• To define the knees
and ankles, anchor
a strong thread on
one side of her leg.
Pass the needle
through the leg
across to the other
side and back
again. Pull and knot
off.
Wrap It Up – Finish Off
• All Bendi needs now is a
neck, head, and two
hands. I really like the
head and neck from
Colleen Babcock’s
Gather Ye Rosebuds.
The head is just the right
size for a Bendi.
Wrap It Up – Finish Off
• But, you can use
any head that you
like.
• To be in proper
proportion to the
doll, it will need to
be about 2 inches
(5 cm) long.
Wrap It Up – Finish Off
• For this doll, I drew a
pattern for her hands by
photocopying and
reducing my own hand.
• You can do the same or
use any pattern you like.
• The finished hands should
be approximately 2 inches
(5 cm) measured from the
wrist to the tip of the
middle finger.
Almost Done!
• Sew the neck to the Bendi body and sew
the head to the neck.
• Sew the hands to her arms. Look at
yourself in a mirror and make sure that the
tips of the fingers are neither too low nor
too high on the leg.
• Dress her up and she’s ready to face the
world.
Done!
• Now take a look at some Bendi dolls made
by my friends Marguerite Bessicks, Lee
Fertitta, and Judi Ward.
Marguerite Bessicks’ Bendi
Lee Fertitta’s Bendi
Judi Ward’s Bendi
Acknowledgements
• Marguerite’s apron and blouse are from
Colleen Babcock’s Gather Ye Rosebuds.
http://dollmakersjourney.com/babcock.html
• All my Bendi dolls have heads and necks
made from Colleen’s Gather Ye
Rosebuds. I love her head. It has a
wonderful shape and is a perfect fit for a
Bendi.
Acknowledgements
• Many thanks to Marguerite Bessicks, Lee
Fertitta, Celia Sullivan, Doris Talbott, and Judi
Ward for their friendship and for making their
own versions of Bendi armature dolls and giving
me helpful suggestions. Celia very kindly helped
with some of the photos for this presentation.
• Thanks also to Mary Ann Kaahanui and Bonnie
Lewis for encouragement and the opportunity to
share my Bendis.
