'Get Stuffed' - making Victorian versions of ourselves

We're a family that love a good outing, especially if it's something active and outdoors, it's culturally stimulating or it's got something to do with food. We love it even more if it's free, so when we heard that the Museum of London were running a Sunday session called Get Stuffed where families could dress up as Victorians and transform themselves into stuffed dolls - totes gratis - we were just about the first in the queue.

The session lasted an hour, in which time the museum's lovely Rosie Fuller gave us a little history lesson about Victorian photography and a few tips on how to pose in a manner appropriate for the era. After a brief explanation about how to use a couple of editing Apps on the museum iPads - we were off; let loose on a heap of replica Victorian costume; posing, photographing and printing images of our Victorian selves onto fabric with aplomb.

Unfortunately, we couldn't actually do the 'getting stuffed' part of the activity within the time - but we were each given a little bag with a kit containing some padding, backing fabric, pins and a little length of cotton to complete the job at home. Straight after the session, we visited the Victorian Walk and sang, still feeling a little Cockney in character, Down at the Old Bull and Bush whilst in the reconstructed public house.

We had great fun back at home trimming, pinning and using Grandma's sewing machine to make our little dolls. To make them even more special, and to go with the whole Victorian theme, we added some dried lavender in with the stuffing. 

Now we have four little Victorian-style, sweet-smelling, dolls; firm favourites with the children. They're so proud to have made them themselves - and I love that we had all this fun for free thanks to Rosie and the Museum of London. When's the next Sunday session then? We're keen, very keen.