Maggie Needs a Makeover

I discovered Maggie in a supermarket bargain bin years ago, and carried her home where she has presided over the garden for many summers. The lady is a trouper, but after several years, she really needs a makeover and a new wardrobe. Either I get down to brass tacks and give her what she urgently needs or I toss her into the rubbish bin. In light of her long and distinguished service, that would be heartless.

The old girl's straw tresses are hanging in strings. Her papier mâché face is cratered and flaking. Her burlap hat is tattered, and her once elegant ensemble is now a faded collection of frayed patches and blowing bits. For all that, she wears a wide grin.

I have a spool of raffia I can use to replace her tatty hairdo and an old cotton sun hat that will do nicely as a topper, but the best option for a substitute frock is probably a toddler's outfit from a local thrift shop. Getting out to such a place is going to be difficult given my present mobility issues, but I am working on it. 

My tatterdemalion (love that word) friend prefers to be a raggamuffin, and however her new clobber turns out, that will have to be taken into consideration. Perhaps I can sew a few patches on her new outfit? I am fond of her and will do whatever it takes. She reminds me of the stuffed Raggedy Ann doll I had as a child, and I hope to see her smiling face in the garden for many years to come.