Monday, June 27, 2011

Survival Doll

Survival doll sheltering in place

when all else fails
Whether earthquake, tornado, terrorist attack, the rapture, or an alien invasion from outer space, you have only to grab your survival doll and run.
Concealed within this innocent-looking, seemingly worthless doll is everything you will need to survive just about anything that could possibly happen. 



Other survivors you encounter may attack and try to steal your food, money and other supplies, but it’s unlikely they will bother with a doll.


arms
One contains a cup of white rice,
the other a cup of brown rice.


legs
Filled with soup makings, one leg contains dried lentils, the other split peas.


head
The core of the head is a plastic bottle filled with nails, fish hooks, and safety pins, wrapped with ten yards of twine and fifteen yards of fishing line. The core is then padded with cotton batting and encased in linen. 




Facial features are hand-embroidered to depict a fearful expression as a reminder that fear is a useful survival tool, keeping you adrenaline-pumped and alert.





torso front
Felt heart conceals a cache of silver dimes. Minted prior to 1964, these dimes are comprised of 90% pure silver and can be used for negotiable currency after the global economy collapses.



torso back
The back unzips to create a storage space for a hidden cache of survival gear.

Matches and magnifying glass for starting fires

Whistle, jackknife, two small flashlights

Ace bandages, alcohol wipes, antibiotic cream, alcohol pads, bandaids, dental floss

CD used as reflective surface to signal planes, 8 GB jumpstick for data storage

Gaffer tape and a sewing kit with needles, thread, collapsible scissors

survival gear
All objects shown here fit into the survival doll torso. The doll may be customized for individual needs, and torso contents may be modified. Optional items include a spare pair of glasses, specific medications, a small handgun, or whatever you feel you’ll need to stay alive and thrive when disaster strikes. Specially tailored kits are available for seniors.


petticoat
A two-layer petticoat concealed beneath the dress contains a complete survival manual. Contents range from first aid, constructing a raft, and building shelter, to crafting primitive weapons and purifying water.

First aid and building a raft from a poncho

Underslip: How to make primitive weapons

Back slip layers: how to start a fire, purify water, build shelter


Survival doll setting up camp in the woods


65 comments:

  1. Brilliant! I love it! I can't believe the work you've put into this doll.

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    1. What a wonderfull Christmas presant. I'm collecting the items..

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  2. I love it! Kind of reminds me of "girl's survival kit" Ellie

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  3. This doll is amazing. I LOL'ed at the handgun idea. It would be great to tailor to a child, so that it has all the stuff a kid might need and could serve as a kind of lovely in a time of crisis.

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  4. I have to say, this is the most original and creative thing I have ever seen, just love it.

    Debbie

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  5. This doll is amazing and brilliant. The creator deserves many kudos! Awesome!

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  6. Utterly amazing and wonderful. What a super idea! And she's adorable too.... Good job!

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  7. This is wonderful. I love your blog!

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  8. OMG this is utterly brilliant. It's scary and practical, schizophrenic, yet clear. I will be carrying this doll in my own nightmares and know that I will survive.

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  9. OMG! This is wonderful! Where can I buy one?

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  10. You can't buy one - thus the blog title, "Stuff You Can't Have." But I'm not opposed to you making your own rendition.

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    1. You are my January hero!! I'm showing my husband; we are so going to make some dolls. Thank you a million times!! And I smiled through the whole post!!!

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    2. How tall is this doll.. must be a decent size to hold everything. Love the idea. Love the detail.

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    3. Hmm...had to go measure her. The answer: 23 inches.

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    4. Hey Catherine!!!!! You have got to see what you inspired us to do for a gift!!!!

      Sharonsnl@aol.com

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  11. Especially like the petticoat idea - reminds me of the Boy Scout First Aid and survival neckerchiefs available at a lot of National Parks. Very clever and creative package!

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  12. Are you making and selling these precious dolls? (without the supplies?) I would love to have one. Not sure I could make one myself since I have minimal sewing skills. Maybe if you don't sell, you could make a how to! Thank you, Buffie

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    1. Even if you're not a seamstress, there are plenty of cloth dolls and stuffed animals that would work for this :-) .

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    2. You could use/customize an already made raggedy Ann/holly hobbie doll, a teddy bear or even an animal from build a bear/friend. If you don't sew well, ask a friend who does, if you can. Good luck .

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  13. Sorry Buffie - this was done as a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork.

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    1. Ok. Thank you. It is indeed a piece of art! Buffie

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  14. Great idea! Though the torso compartment will need waterproofing.

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    1. put the things in a ziploc baggie before putting it the torso

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  15. Love this! Just linked up to it on facebook!

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  16. Very cool! I've made some secret pocket dolls but none so survival friendly as this gal.

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  17. would you ever consider selling this? Brilliant :)

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  19. This was created as a conceptual art piece, so if it was sold it would be sold as art at a ridiculously high price. Meanwhile, I'm happy to share it via the web and am glad you like it.

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  20. I L-O-V-E it! It inspires me to make one for my daughter.

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  21. I want to do this for my grandson. A male doll tho. I think it will be a challenge but it could sure payoff in the long run.

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  22. Do you have a picture of the artwork on the dress and petticoat? What kinds of pictures do you have on those? This is a really cool idea! I've got to make one for our granddaughter!

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    1. Lloyd - the artwork on the 2 layers of the petticoat are scanned pictures from several different first aid and survival manuals. I printed them onto iron-on transfer paper. I'm not posting those original pictures because a) they're copyrighted and b) my version of the doll is an original piece of artwork that incorporates those images in an artful way. But I'm sure you could do something similar, finding, scanning, and printing your own images onto iron-on paper and then ironing onto cloth.

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    2. That is genius. I was trying to work out who i could get to draw these for me. thankyou

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  23. OK. Thanks, Catherine! You've got a really cool gift idea there!

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  24. very cool...what a great idea

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  25. This is a great idea! I love it! As for the survival manual on the petticoat, you could also just print a very small one on paper, laminate it and create a pocket in the dress to put the manual in....just an idea. There are so many possibilities to personalize these dolls...love the idea of having them for kids with things to help keep them calm and comforted during a scary event...thank you for sharing!

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  26. Thank you for this post. I now know to attack anyone carrying a doll when the SHTF!

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  27. You can also buy material that you can print directly onto with an ink jet printer. That might work for the petticoat. You can also buy water proof material used for making diaper covers that you could use to make the doll out of. It might help keep the contents fresher.

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  28. Do you have a pattern for this doll you can share?

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    1. No pattern - I just sort of winged it. If you would like to try making a doll of your own, look for a cloth doll template on the Web and insert a zipper in the back.

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  29. I just found this and am wondering how tall your doll is? Leg length? I am going to try to make at least one of these. I may try to create a pattern in the process.

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  30. Again, this was a one-of-a-kind art piece. I am gratified that people want to copy it, but I would encourage you not to duplicate what I have done but create something unique of your own. If you want to make a doll, decide the size you want it to be and what you want it to look like instead of trying to duplicate this one. Use your creativity. And if you create a pattern, it will be for your doll, not this doll.

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  31. Truly a work of art, for sure! And I like the idea of taking a stuffed toy already in your possession and customizing it. I feel it would be less noticeable to carry around a crappy looking, "manufactured", stuffed toy instead of your beautiful doll.
    One question...how did you transfer the written information to the petticoat material? And where did you find such small, nicely detailed drawings?
    Thanks!

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  32. I used iron-on transfer paper. Print images onto the paper from your computer and then iron the images onto fabric. Available in any office supply adore or online. The images come' from various vintage survival and first aid books. And I will note once again this was an art piece, not a serious proposal for a post-apocalyptic survival tool, though folks sure seem to be taking it that way, which is is effect turning this into a performance art piece.

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  33. Wow, thank you Catherine McEver for sharing your art project. This idea has got my juices simmering in my brain. The sky is the limit with all our creativity. Thank you for the inspiration!

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  34. You could add fabric strips that run from her shoulders to her hips so she can be worn like a back pack. That frees up your hands of you need to Bug out

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  35. Oh my cheese!! This is just amazing! Now I have to make one!!

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  36. Oh my gosh this is totally awesome. Oh my Gosh this would be a great family project or women's group. Love it. I am the new Disaster preparedness leader for our Ward's Relief Society-Women's group this would be an awesome project to do. Thank you

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  37. Flash drive? With 323 million frantic people hit the forest in an all out effort to survive weeks on an armful of rice, I wonder about the availability of electricity. The gun seems about right...for one well placed shot. But...to be more positive, as dolls go, this one offers psychological comfort more than most.

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  38. I make and sell folk-art sock dolls. A few of them are filled with dried beans . I never considered it to be used as food though. I suppose someone could modify what I make but I will leave them to it. Mine will continue to be "wubbies"

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  39. I love that doll it is so cute how can you turn it in to a little girl's survival doll. Please answer very soon. How do you make it feel like cotton. Thank you soooo much. God bless america.

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    1. Thanks, but I don't really understand your question. This was done as an ironic art piece. And I don't see what God, blessings, or America have to do with it.

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  40. I was just wondering how you could make a little girls cool were it feels like cotton.God Bless America so we don't have to use the doll.please sender soon❤��

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  41. I'm just printing one of your three messages since they are all the same. If you want it to feel like cotton, then just stuff it with cotton. If you want detailed instructions on how to make a cloth doll for a little girl, just Google it - there are plenty of free doll patterns on the Web. Again, this was a one-of-a-kind art project and other than the fairly detailed how-to I've offered on the blog, I'm not in the business of distributing doll instructions. And regarding what little girls have to fear, I think little girls in other countries, like Syria, have a lot more to fear from America than little girls in America have to fear from anyone else. We tend to bomb them, not they us. Sorry if this sounds curt. It's just that there really are plenty of easy doll patterns out there and I'm just not rah rah America.

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  42. I love your survival doll! Just now I make my own survival doll :-)

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  43. Unbelievable! Recently I've been studying survivalism and this is the most unique, effective things so far. I can't wait to make mine! Thank you!

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