A "Forget-Me-Not" Traditional Rag Doll Challenge

Traditional rag doll, trimmed with forget-me-nots

Theme: floral needlpoint/applique/fabrics/quilting etc… depicting Forget-Me-Nots

Subject: Traditional Rag Doll 

Historical Connections: Forget-Me-Not in Art, Folklore, and Culture:

• In a German legend, God named all the plants when a tiny unnamed one cried out, “Forget-me-not, O Lord!” God replied, “That shall be your name.”
• Henry IV adopted the flower as his symbol during his exile in 1398, and retained the symbol upon his return to England the following year.
• In 15th-century Germany, it was supposed that the wearers of the flower would not be forgotten by their lovers. Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. He picked a posy of flowers, but because of the weight of his armor he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the posy to his loved one and shouted “Forget-me-not.” It was often worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love.
• Prior to becoming the tenth province of Canada in 1949, Newfoundland (then a separate British Dominion) used the Forget-me-not as a symbol of remembrance of that nation’s war dead. This practice is still in limited use today, though Newfoundlanders have adopted the Flanders Poppy as well.
• Freemasons began using the flower in 1926 as a symbol well known in Germany as message not to forget the poor and desperate. Many other German charities were also using it at this time. In later years, by a handful of Masons, it was a means of recognition in place of the square and compass design. This was done across Nazi occupied Europe to avoid any danger of being singled out and persecuted. The symbol of the forget-me-not in modern Masonry has become more prevalent and exaggerated claims about the use of the symbol are often made in order to promote sales of bumper stickers of the symbol. Today it is an interchangeable symbol with Freemasonry and some also use the Forget-me-not to remember those masons who were victimized by the Nazi regime. In English Freemasonry it is more commonly now worn to remember those that have died as a symbol that you may be gone but not forgotten.
• J. R. R. Tolkien refers to the flower in his poems.

Materials: listing

• fabrics and type
• cotton batting
• notions

Methods of Construction: process

• Select a traditional rag doll pattern or design your own.
• Measure, cut, sew, stuff, and incorporate into your doll or doll’s clothing Forget-Me-Not design.
• Those doll designs including traditional needlepoint and/or some kind of quilting/applique methods are preferable.

Expectations/Objectives/Goals: listing

• Students will demonstrate the process of interpreting sewing patterns.
• Students will demonstrate the theme and subject combined in a rag doll.

Exhibit: Finished figures will be exhibited inside a showcase located on the school property or be photographed by the instructor and uploaded to an internet forum/blog.

Feedback/Assessment: Students will either participate in an online discussion, classroom critiques or be expected to fill out a self-assessment form.

Include the following on a label with your finished project:

• A Title
• Your Name
• The date the project was completed
• The materials used
• An approximate size

More Craft Resources for Forget-Me-Not:

• Exquisite forget-me-not doily and bowl
• Angela Pullen’s Forget-Me-Nots
• handmade Forget-Me-Not anniversary card

Forget-Me-Not Doll Inspiration:

• Forget-me-not doll by Joanna
• Forget-Me-Not mouse by Barby Anderson