I used to make dolls many years ago. Most of the porcelain parts I used had a small groove where it was supposed to attach to the body. I ran a piece of heavy twine through the body casing, pulled it tight, & tied it off, then closed the opening in the casing with hand stitches. As far as making the body, there are many different ways to do that - the simplest is called a "frog" body (google it) but you can do the math as far as proportions & make a more realistic body. I always enjoyed making them, but really preferred making the completely cloth dolls with embroidered features - a touch of nostalgia I guess. My favorite was a life size 3 year old boy, red hair, freckles, dressed in overalls, plaid shirt, & sneakers. I made him for my first grandson whom I had never seen - he was born in Hawaii - I carried him with me on a plane there when I went for his first birthday. He is 32 now, & says his mother still has "Hiram" packed away, although the last time I saw him he was sadly in need of some tlc