Fiona, a rag doll

Hello again!

Thanks to the customers who alerted us to the fact that our comment function was not working!  It is now, so please let us know that you are there.

We are continuing to grow and expand.  I blogged earlier about a shipment from New Zealand with lovely fabrics- some of those went so quickly that this month we have ordered a new shipment from them.  Especially the Tuku Tuku fabric is gorgeous: we'll post it here when it is in.

Here is another freebie.  This time it is a sweet little rag doll we have christened Fiona.  You will need two Fat Quarters to make her.   Click here for a pattern of Fiona and her dress.  You can print this out and enlarge it to the size you would like to make her.  A3 is the best size to start.  Please note that this is NOT a project for beginners.

This is what you need:

two FQ, one cream and one patterned

toy stuffing 250 grams

black, and red embroidery yarn

some wool suitable for hair

30 cm of narrow ribbon

10 cm bias binding

matching sewing threads

ric-rac or other trimming (optional)

scrap of net (optional)

25 cm of lace (optional)

3 tiny buttons

      
  

Cut out the patterns.  Fold the cream fabric and pin the pieces of the doll body on it.  Cut out with 7mm seam allowance. Head and body twice, arms and legs four times.  For the arms, pin the right sides together and sew.  Trim with pinking scissors and turn inside out, using the knitting needle to gently push out the seams.  Stuff the arms.

For the head/ body: pin the right sides of the fabric together.  Pin the stuffed arms inside the body (there are markings of the pattern where they should go), so the arms are on the inside

and the ends of the arms are sticking out and are visible. Pin carefully, sew and trim. Turn the body inside out.

Sew the legs together, trim, turn and stuff.  Sew the legs on by hand, closing the bottom part of the body.  Stuff the body through the gap indicated and close the gap by hand.  Embroider eyes and a mouth, and fashion two braids from suitable wool.  Sew those on and finish each braid with a bow made from the ribbon.

Dress

Cut out a pair of bloomers of a scrap of the cream fabric.  Sew the two sides first, make a hem in the pipe (you may use some lace) and close the front and back seam.  Pull the trousers over the doll and stitch them to her waist. 

Fold the fabric for the dress.  Cut out the skirt of the dress, once on the fold and once away from the fold.  You should have three pieces of the skirt, one twice as big as the others.  Sew them together, leaving open the back seam.  For the top, also cut once on the fold and one away.  The one without fold is the front.  Pin together and sew, leaving the back seam open.  Finish the hems of the skirt and the sleeves and finish the collar/ neck of the top with the bias binding.  You may trim the hems with ric-rac or another trim.

Gather the skirt and sew it to the top (by hand is probably easiest).  Now close the back seam, leaving open about 8 cm.  If you want to give Fiona a petticoat, cut the skirt again (several times) from net and finish as you did with the skirt.  If you do a petticoat, put it on Fiona and sew a few stitches around her waist to fasten it. 

Lastly, put on her dress.  Sew the back seam of the top with a few stitches or use the optional buttons to attach the dress to the body.  Cut the head scarf and finish it with a hem and/ or with trimmings.  Sew it to the head so the braids are seen but the rest of the (bald) head is hidden.

You can make the legs longer if you want.  You can use the pattern for the bloomers to make pants and make Fiona a boy, in case you would have to call him Finn.

If you make this doll for a child, please make sure that all the bits are very, very firmly attached- don't use any buttons.

Let us know how you get on- if you send us a photograph of you Fiona or Finn, we'll put it on the blog!