Sewing tips

When choosing a thread for your sewing project, don't just put the cotton reel next to the fabric, you will not get the correct shade. Instead unroll it a little and put the single thread next to the fabric. You may be very surprised at how different it looks.

body continued

Hands

Although i will not be adding the hands to the doll until i have done the clothing, they will be shown finished ready to be put into the end of the arms before then.
The reason why i put the hands last is so that i can be happy and not have to worry about them getting in the way of the sleeves and clothing draping.
More on that later when i get there.

Pin, Pose, Progress

The body, arms and head have been stuffed and posed and pinned before sewing. The skin fabric is from Spotlight it is pale pink quilters cotton. It looks too bright on the roll but when it is stuffed with fiberfil it lightens up.They all get ladder stitched

Using your small stuffing tools you can add more stuffing as you go along before you have finished sewing. Sew up the head, arm and back opening. Leave the wrists open for now, you are going to add the hands when they are done. I will post close-ups of the hands before i pose and add them to the rest of the body.


This is the doll in progress

ready to stuff

This is the doll so far. I have made the body, sewn the arms, wired the fingers, made the head, It is a flat faced doll, just two pieces the same a back and a front with a slit in the back the neck is going to be put into the slit. I have not decided on the legs yet...

The picture shows them as being very very slender, I think i may use coat hanger wire and wrap them first before deciding what to do next. More on that when i get to it.

My tools that i use for stuffing are, two sizes of forceps, 24cm and 12cm. these have ridges that can grip the fiberfill. two hand made stuffing tools, (large eyed needles that have the eye cut in half), filed to eliminate rough edges and a handle put on the pointy end. One of them has a polymer clay handle and the other one, a cork. I will put a proper handle on it later. Scissors, good quality thread for the body always. The seams are going to be stressed with the stuffing and you do not want all your hard work to go to waste. A cheap thread could make the seams split. I use cheaper ones, like my bargains the other day for things like clothes, they don't have the stress of being pulled about. Do check any thread before you use them.