My First Doll Making Books

After finding a few blogs with cloth doll patterns and doll making instructions or tutorials I decided I wanted to check out what books were available at my local bookstore.

So, I took a trip to the local bookstore (a chain that normally has a wide variety). Unfortunately, I didn't find much in the way of cloth dolls. Only books on crocheted dolls.

After my failed excursion to the books tore, I decided to shop Amazon. There is an amazing selection of doll books, with reviews, descriptions, and more to help you find the books that will most help you.

I spent a good hour or two reading through descriptions and looking through the pictures, and reading what the reviewers thought. Eventually, I narrowed it down to 3 books that I'd order to help me get a kickstart into making cloth dolls on my own. Here are the books I bought:

Teach Yourself Cloth Dollmaking by Jodie Davis
Of all the doll making books, I liked this one because of the reviews it had on amazon. Many of the reviewers mentioned that she teaches the basics and then with each doll you try from the book they increase in difficulty.

She also teaches new skills with each new doll, so I'd be able to build up all of my skills over the course of the book. I was really looking forward to this doll making book because it covered not only putting the dolls together, but also adding their hair, creating faces, and clothing the doll.

Once I received the doll making book I scanned through many of the patterns trying to decide which one I would make. I took some time reading her instructions for each doll trying to picture the process.

I have to admit that I was a little under impressed with how much direct instruction she had on adding hair and faces, but the dolls and patterns are great. She gives step by step instructions and with many of the patterns she includes pictures of the process.

The best part of the entire book are the small tips scattered throughout the book, sent in by others that have taken her courses. In the introduction of this doll making book she explains that it started out as an online instruction where she'd send out the patterns and people would make them.

When they were finished, they would send in the pictures of their doll and any tips they found helpful along the way. These small tips are by far the best part of the book as they add in that extra instruction the beginner is looking for, but the teacher might not think of adding in. 

Wee Wonderfuls by Hillary Lang

This doll making book looked amazing online. Not only was I able to look through some of the pages through amazon, but the reviews were fantastic. Everyone talked about the variety of patterns, but also he variety of techniques covered in the book.

When the book arrived, it lived up to every one of the reviews on Amazon. There are 24 patterns. Each pattern, has a different difficulty level, but also teaches different stitching techniques and more. For each creature, she goes into detail on how to do the hair and faces so that you're learning a variety of designs that you can use for future projects.

Another great feature that this doll making book has is the basics section. In this section she covers what each type of stitch is, when to use it, and how to do it. She also goes into how to trace faces (or transfer them) onto your doll. Let's not leave out the patterns.

The patterns in the back of this doll making book are great - they are easy to copy on my home printer. They are clearly labeled on how many to cut. They also include he faces she has on the dolls, but she does encourage you to try out your own creativity to make your own faces.

The best part of the entire book is that it doesn't just have cloth dolls... she includes monsters, teddy bears, and animals. This is great because it gives me other cloth dolls/creatures that I can create with my son - who isn't that interested in just sewing and decorating "girl" dolls. This book was definitely worth it's cost, and will get its use over time.


Doll Fashionistas by Ellen Lumpkin Brown

I had a hard time picking this book over some of the others, but I am definitely glad I added it to my collection. This book is set up MUCH differently than other doll making books. Most go from pattern to pattern and then teach you how to duplicate that doll. In the next chapter it's a new doll and a new step by step tutorials.

However, in this doll making book the author breaks down the doll making process by chapter and goes into great detail on how to do each step. For example, she starts out with building a doll; sewing it, stuffing it, attaching the limbs, etc. Then in the next chapter she talks about adding a face. Later in the book she goes into making clothing from your old clothes, hair techniques, and even sculpting.

This doll making book is set up in stages of experience. The chapters are clearly labels basic, intermediate, and advanced so that you're not jumping the gun and getting yourself in to over your head. To be quite honest, I've been so busy with the Wee Wonderfuls book, that I haven't had a chance to really dive into this book.

One of the reasons I am still glad I purchased this doll making book is for future projects. I liked that these dolls have a more modern feel and look to them. They aren't just kid stuffed animals or rag dolls, but a quality doll that I could give to a girl friend for display or to an older girl that will appreciate a more mature looking doll (not one that looks like grandma made it in old "grandma" clothes.


These are the 3 doll making books I've added to my collection so far. I'm looking forward to getting a few more over the coming months once I've worked through these patterns. I'll share more as I get them. In the mean time if you have a favorite book, or have a comment on of these doll making books leave a comment below.

My Top 3 Easy Doll Making Tips

Once I completed my first cloth doll pattern and printed out my second project, I quickly realized I was going to need to find a way to keep everything organized. I had pattern pieces scattered across my desk and fabric across my craft table, and nowhere to put it all. So, the easy doll making tip for this week was inspired.

Easy Doll Making Tip #1 - Create A Pattern Binder

There are a few different ways to keep your patterns organized. I've read online that many people purchase filing cabinets and put each cloth doll pattern into manilla folder in the cabinet. I didn't like this for 2 reasons - one - budget and two space.

So my next step was a trip to the local office supply store. While there I picked up a durable (and cute) 3 ring binder, and some sleeve protectors. This would allow me to store my patterns in one place while still protecting each pattern. Here's how you can create your very own.

Go to your local office supply store (or Walmart) and pick up:

• One 3-ring binder (or folder) - I purchased a folder at first, but have upgraded to a 2 inch binder now that my collection is expanding.
  
• Sheet Protectors - A pack of 10 -25 will be enough for now
  
• Multi Colored Card Stock Paper - I used to save my cereal boxes and trace my free cloth doll patterns onto the cereal boxes. However, I ran into an issue where I never had enough boxes to use. So, I started to use card stock for it's durability. Then one day my binder was knocked from the shelf and pattern pieces went flying. After piecing all the patterns together I color coded them with a marker. Now, I just print each pattern out on different colored card stock so that I can easily sort them if it ever happens again.
   
• If you don't already have them - you're going to need a printer and printer paper. I print out all the instructions onto printer paper and then punch 3 whole into them for the binder. This way I don't have to search my bookmarks or scour the internet for the how to steps later when I return to the pattern. Printing them out, let's me also take notes on any modifications or future ideas as I work through the doll.

Easy Doll Making Tip #2 - How to Pick Quality Stuffing

On my first doll, I picked up a generic stuffing from the local craft store. I wasn't experienced enough to know that there are different levels of quality for your stuffing. After some research I found out that the reason my poly/fil came through the fabric or bunched into cellulite look clumps was because the quality was low.

A friend I made in one of the forums taught me a quick tip for picking out quality stuffing. She said you just take a piece of stuffing big enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Then squeeze it hard. When you open your had, if the stuffing fluffs back to it's original size then it is a high quality, if it takes long or never fluffs back up it's CHEAP.

Now, the only problem with this is that you can't exactly open all the backs of stuffing at the craft store. So, purchase a couple and test them. Once you find one that meets this criteria then stick with that brand every time.


Easy Doll Making Tip #3 - Quick & Easy Finger Turning
On my first project I sewed together my pieces of fabric and when it came to turning them inside right I had the hardest time. I struggled and got frustrated and then turned to the internet for help. I found that there are a few other doll makers struggling with the same problem and that there are tools to help!

You can actually buy turning tools from the local craft store. However, like anything at the crafts store they can get expensive. Some tips I found online include looking at the hardware store or hobby stops for brass pipes that fit inside of each other.

Another easy doll making tip I found was to use a chop stick and a straw. This will only work for doll fingers because of the size, but I thought I should include it. I've added these tools to my doll making kit and they have been a life saver!

Have any killer doll making tips you wanna share? Send them in or comment below and on a future Easy Doll Making Post I'll add in your tips.

Simply Adorable - Free Cloth Doll Pattern

I absolutely love this adorable free cloth doll pattern. MarthaStewart.com has them showcased because of how cute and easy to make this free cloth doll pattern is.

There are a few websites out there that share their version of this free cloth doll pattern. You can see one of the doll remakes by Emily Burnette clicking here.

I chose this free cloth doll pattern because of how simple they seem to be. I also liked that they were made from felt and cloth both to give the doll different textures. The simple cloth doll design leaves plenty of room for your personal creativity to take over and decorate the doll. I'm going to use this free cloth doll pattern to make a ballerina doll with a tutu.

Here are the materials you'll need for this free cloth doll pattern:

• Skin Colored Cloth For Face & Arms - I used felt - but others just use cotton fabric
• Cotton Cloth For Dress
• Cotton Cloth For Legs
• Hair Color Felt
• Paint for Face (White, Black, Brown, Red)
• Sewing kit (thread, needles, scissors, etc)
• Polyester fiberfill
• A stick to stuff

Included with this free cloth doll pattern is a 3 page tutorial. It is a 10 step tutorial for making the entire cloth doll pattern. However, she is very basic in her instructions so you'll have to "run with it" when it comes to designing the face and adding accessories like the scarf or apron shown in the picture.

Overall a great free cloth doll pattern, I just wish she gave more detailed instructions.. but after a making a few dolls on my own now I'm confident I can tackle these.

Here is the 3 page tutorial for putting together the free cloth doll pattern - Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Download the Free Cloth Doll Pattern

Special Thanks to Emily Martin for for her creativity and willingness to share her free cloth doll patterns with the world.

Easy Doll Making Tips - Sewing how To's

The more and more I dive into cloth doll making the more I learn about different sewing techniques. I don't have a sewing machine just yet as I really enjoy hand sewing (so far). I'm sure I'll find a free cloth doll pattern that will force me to use the sewing machine sometimes soon, but for now I've been working on tons of different sewing techniques.

I figured for today's easy doll making tips I'd share some of my favorite tutorials that have helped me jump into making cloth dolls.

Here are my top 5 favorite "sewing how to" tutorials:

• Blanket Stitch
  I used this on my very first doll. I chose it because it seemed to be a very strong stitch that would last with a little girls constant use. I also chose it because it seemed to really close the hem line so that the poly-fil stuffing wouldn't pop through. It worked great too! Once the project was complete I was very pleased with the outcome. My only adjustment was that future projects need to have each stitch much closer together.. spreading it apart like the video shows is too much space.
  
  
• Back Stitch & Embroidery Back Stitch
  The first video here shows exactly how to sew a back stitch. On my second project I tested using the backstitch around the entire edge of the doll to keep the thread from showing once it was stuffed (one of the problems I had on a past doll). I was also using a MUCH thicker material - terry cloth. It worked out great... I feel very secure that the seems of the doll aren't going to get ripped apart as easily because of the added strength that the back stitch gives.
  
  The second video is actually for embroidery, but I felt gave a very clear look at how the back stitch works - where the first video just shows you what to do, the second gave you a clear "how to" visual.
   
• Ladder Stitch (invisible stitch)
  This is a MUST learn stitch... one that I needed immediately. In this "Sewing how to" video you learn how to close the seem of the doll without seeing all the thread on the outside. It's also called the invisible stitch for this reason. I've used it to stitch up pillows that popped at the seems, but you'll use this to close up the last inch or two in the side of the doll once you've got it stuffed to your liking. It seemed a little difficult at first, but I suggest practicing on some scrap material a little to really get the hang of it.
   
• My Favorite Knot
  The final Sewing how To Tip for today is "my favorite knot." I found this researching free cloth doll patterns, but it was such a simple tutorial for tying the knot on your thread that I just have to share. It really makes a decent knot and takes very little effort on you part. I've used it every time since I started sewing... never fails.

Hope you're moving along on your new sewing projects whether it's for cloth dolls or just hemming pants. If you have questions - I'll find the answers. Feel free to comment below :)

Making My First Cloth Doll - Part 3

WOW making cloth dolls has been a HUGE learning experience! Today I completed my dolls hair and started working on her face and boy oh boy has it been interesting.

First thing I'd like to say is... WHY doesn't anyone have training on attaching hair to a dolls head??! I scoured the internet for HOURS looking for a way to attach hair to a doll without using a sewing machine. It took some time, but I found a short blog post with very little pictures to follow to walk me through it. (No worries - I'm making a video that shows how to do this. Once I get it complete I'll link to it here).

Ok so, I'll break how I made this cloth doll up into two sections - first how I did the hair, and then how I'm planning to the face.

Making Cloth Doll Hair
1. In this first step I decided I would keep the hair style very simple especially since this was my first making cloth doll experience. I layed yarn across the top of the head and held it in the middle where the hair part would be. I then pulled the yarn until it was at a length I liked. NOTE: when I cut the yarn to sew onto the head I cut it about 1/2 and inch longer than I planned just incase I needed to trim at the end.

2. Now that I have the length of the hair I wanted I cut about 20 strand of yarn. The yarn I purchased for this project was a thick yarn with multiple strands twisted. After cutting the yarn into strips I pulled each strand apart - in one of the doll making tutorials I found online they said you could get curly hair this way - it worked perfectly. The yarn pulled apart easily and gave my doll wavy hair (similar to the little girl I'm making it for).

3. The next step was to figure out how to get the hair on the dolls head. After scouring the doll making websites for hours I found a way of individually sewing the yarn onto the dolls head right down the center of the head. You could do this off to the side if you want a side part. I was planning on pigtails so I kept the part down the middle for the entire head.

4. The following steps get so complicated but I've tried to make it simple.
push in 4 pins down the middle of the head where you want the hair line to start making a straight line back. Now wrap a string of yarn around the first pin so that the ends lay to the side of the doll equally. Now pull your thread through so that it comes up the midle of the yarn where there pin is. Now wrap around the yarn and go back into the head at the hair line. You pretty much just made a loop around the hair coming out of the dolls head and back in.

I did this repeatedly for about 50 strands of yarn. Your first 10 will be the most time consuming and then you just get into a grove of sewing the hair down the hair line - after a while you wont need the pins to wrap the yarn around, you can just hold it in place (which makes it easier).

Like I said - it's extremely hard to put the details here - so I'll try and get some pictures up in the next week or so as I work on making my second cloth doll..

Making Cloth Doll Faces

The face is such an important part of the doll - the rest has just been following a pattern and a set of instructions, but when it came to the face I had a hard time finding the one that had a personality that fit the design of the doll. So here's the steps I took... for my first cloth doll face - I think she's turning out GREAT!


Of course I first turned to the internet to see what I could find in the way of printable doll faces, but didn't turn up much. Most of it needs to be ordered and I am just too impatient for that. So I landed on a site that had faces and I used my computer screen as a light box. I traced a couple of the eyes and a couple mouths onto a sheet of printer paper.

Then I played around with colored pencils trying to get an idea of what would look good on the doll. The next step in making cloth doll faces was to try them out on the doll. So I cut the paper and placed the design on the doll where it would eventually get painted on. Here are a few pictures I took of the decision making process:

Making Cloth Doll Faces Process:

First draw out some different faces. 

Then cut out the faces and try them out on the doll.

This one was my favorite so I added some color to see a little more of what she will look liked with a painted face. The final step is to draw on the doll.













I just used a regular #2 pencil to draw directly on the cloth doll.. I drew lightly so that I could erase any errors and fix any off balance. Finally, (after running back to the craft store for some paint brushes) I painted the face onto the doll.

Picture of the completed doll to come!

This making cloth dolls experience has been really fun and inspired a LOT more dolls to come. Next up on my list is to make some cloth baby dolls for my sis-in-law that's due next month. Look for those posts to come - I'm starting next Monday.