Super duper excited to show you this newest tutorial!
(Pics of it at the very bottom. Just keep scrolling. Keep scrolling. Scroll some more. And....you're....there!)
If you're a beginner sewer, like myself, you can make this. I promise!
And if you're an advanced sewer, you will laugh at it and go, "Phsh. I can make this 10 times better!"
And you will. But afterwards, can you share how awesomer yours is with me?
Thanks.
So I got the idea to make this doll because I'm going to be an aunt again!
As some of you may remember I have a little niece, Logynn. She's my brother's little girl.
I love her to death.
Well, my brother and sister-in-law just found out they're having another girl. <yipee!>
And what better way to get Logynn ready for her sister's arrival then a baby doll made by the greatest (and most humblest) Aunt in the world.
So I'm 110% sure this is not an original idea. I'm positive someone has already made this or something similar in the history of the universe. So not taking credit for it. But because I'm lazy, I didn't take the time to do the research to find a tutorial or pattern and just went ahead and made it. And let me add that I've NEVER made anything like this before. So if I can do it, than you can too.
YOU CAN DO IT!
That's my pep talk so you will feel a little more confident about tackling this project. I hope it worked cause that's all the pep I got right now.
Ready? Here we go!
I forgot to take a pic of the supplies you'll need (remember I'm lazy?) so here is a list instead:
1) Batting
2) Gray embroidery floss & needle
3) Canvas or whatever fabric you want to use for the baby's face/body (1/4 yard)
4) Coordinating fabric (1/4 yard)
5) Minky (1/3 yard)
6) White ruffle trim
7) Pink and white thread
8) Thin ribbon for hair (I used brown grosgrain)
9) Disappearing ink pen for fabric
10) Fray check
Other recommended supplies: 6 x 12-24" acrylic ruler, rotary cutter, and washable glue stick.
I apologize in advanced for the potentially confusing instructions. I'm horrible at explaining things, yet I have a blog with tutorials. It's a mind bender, I know.
First step is to cut two 6" x 12" fabric pieces, one of them will be on the minky and the other on the off-white canvas.
Next using cardstock or any thick paper, cut out a 6" circle. Lay it at the top and using your fabric marker trace around the top two corners of your fabric. Then cut the two corners so they're both round.
And they'll look like this!
Now take your coordinating fabric that you'll use for the baby's "outfit" and cut it in a 6" x 6" square.
Fold it in a 1/4" and iron down. Take your glue stick and glue it on or just pin it 8 1/2" up from the bottom.
Then sew like so!
Ok this part may be confusing, so bear with me...You'll want to cut out 2 6" x 9 1/2" strips of minky.
Take one corner and fold it in so it looks like the pic below.
Now take your acrylic ruler and rotary cutter and slide the ruler carefully underneath the triangle.
Open it up and use your rotary cutter to cut along the edge of the ruler. Repeat with other strip of minky.
Now taking lots of pins, pin one of the minky strips onto the front of the doll. Fold the minky around the top to make a hem and pin as you go. Then sew it on.
Repeat with other strip of minky.
Should look like this when you're done. Or better for the advanced sewers since I sorta made this up as I went. And notice how I only sewed along the top and the diagonal side. I also sewed along the bottom, close to the edge, just to make it easier to all sew together at the bottom later.
Now take your fabric marker and draw the face on. The less perfect it is the better. No one likes a perfect face.
Using your grey thread backstitch the eyes and mouth on.
Next, trim 3" pieces of ribbon for the hair. Apply the Fray Check to the ends on one side. Take a hot glue gun and glue them in place.
Once the glue is dry, take the ruffle trim and glue it along the edge of the top of the head so the ruffle is facing in.
Trim off the excess hair ribbon, leaving about 1/2" left. Take your minky you cut at the beginning and with the 2 fronts facing each other pin them together.
When sewing them together, make sure you leave an opening at the bottom big enough for your hand to squeeze through. I like to start at the bottom about an inch or two away from the corner and then once I reach the other side sew around the other bottom corner too. Cause there's nothing worse then having to hand stitch corners closed. Nothing.
Should look like this when you're done. Now get it right side out and start stuffing!
Once you have it completely stuffed. You'll want to hand sew the bottom closed. And since I'll be horrible at explaining how to do that, I'll just give you a link to a video instead. HERE you go!
If you notice in the pic above I forgot to attach the white ruffley trim at the bottom. Since I'm a beginner sewer, I'm not sure how you would have done that beforehand so I'll just explain what I did to fix it. I applied some Fray Check to be safe along the bottom. Then took white thread and just sewed the bottom corners to the top of the minky. The pics below might help explain what I'm talking about better...Thank goodness for visuals!
Also, I took a small brush and some of my blush and gave the baby a makeover. Suh cute.
And here is how she turned out!
I'll post pics of my niece with it later depending on how well she takes to the new "sister"...fingers are crossed.
Feel free to post any questions or comments (nice ones preferably) below! I'm always happy to assist or give you links to other people assisting you via youtube. Whatever works, right?
<3 Lindsey
Update: SHE LOVES IT! YAY! : )
