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Techniques
for Making Cloth and Fabric Doll Bodies
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1. Design and Embroider Facial Features on Dolls
2. How to
Hand Sew Doll Bodies and Clothes
3. How to
Knot on Yarn Doll Wigs
4.
How to Soft Sculpture Cloth or Fabric Dolls
5. Sewing Feet on Cloth and Fabric Dolls
6. Supplies Needed to Paint Features on Cloth and
Fabric Dolls
7. Doll Patterns and Doll Ebooks
7.
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1. Design and Embroider
Facial Features on Dolls |
Design your doll's face first on a sheet of notebook paper. To make symmetrical
features, crease your paper lengthwise and using a ballpoint pen draw the
features alongside one half of the face, (halfway through the forehead, nose
and mouth). Then open the paper and from the impression left by the ballpoint
pen, draw in the features on the other side of the face.
Use transfer paper to lay on the good side of the doll body head.
Align the pattern piece carefully over top of the cut out
fabric body.
Use a ballpoint pen to transfer markings through the paper pattern and through
the transfer paper to the front of the doll body. I have found through
experience that ballpoint pen does not accidentally punch through the pattern
as easily as a pencil could.
I embroider the eyes, eyebrows, nose and mouth in 6-strand floss before
sewing doll together.
To embroider
I use a small round hoop to hold the material smooth and stretched.
For the nose and eyebrows I use brown in an outline stitch.
For the mouth I use red in an outline stitch. If you'd like to close the lips
use a satin stitch.
If you know the eye color of the recipient of your doll, try to pick a color
thread to match. I use an outline stitch and fill in with a satin stitch.
Article and photo credit Susan Kramer
I recommend sewing doll bodies and their clothes by hand for ease of
manipulating the small pieces and for a finished quality look.
I hand sew all most of my dolls and their clothing using either one strand of
quilting or buttonhole thread. If the doll is not going to have much rough use
you could also use cotton / polyester thread which is less expensive. Be sure
to double your strand of yarn when sewing with it, though.
I knot the thread on the underside of seams where it will not be seen. When at
the end of a thread and have made my knot I cut the thread leaving one quarter
inch hanging just incase the knots loosen.
I keep in mind that my grandkids will be putting these clothes on and off their
dolls and stuffed animals, so make the sewing as strong as possible.
Another hint for your handsewn items is keep an outfit all together in a half
gallon size clear ziplock bag.
For embroidering features on doll faces and for embellishing clothing I use
either 6-strand floss, or for a small design I separate a sewing length of
floss in half so it is just 3 strands.
To knot on yarn wigs I use either 4-ply wool or acrylic yarn. My recommendation
here is to make sure your choice of yarn for wigs washes nicely, so you can use
the washing machine to launder the whole doll.
Article and photo credit Susan Kramer
Knotting the yarn wigs on dolls is a fun and creative task in doll making.
For the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls in the photo I use 2-foot lengths of yarn
threaded through a large eye metal needle.
Just use a single strand - not a double strand and no knot at the end.
Pattern: Beginning at the doll’s right jaw line I work up around the
face line to the left jaw line. The next arc of stitches goes in a row one
quarter inch behind the front row beginning at the doll’s left jaw line this
time.
Continue sewing rows moving back over head and side to side. I make the
hairline across the lower head even with the jaw line.
Now - here’s how to attach the locks of yarn hair
Study the photo for a minute. I begin at the lower right front jaw and work up
and over to the left front jaw. I then add rows behind it to fill in the scalp.
Beginning with your long thread:
1. Take a stitch, pull it tight, leaving a 2 inch tail hanging.
2. Take the 2nd stitch and rather than pulling it tight, leave it as a 2 inch
long loop.
3. Take a stitch and pull it tight. (Being careful not to pull so hard that the
loop of the previous stitch is disturbed.)
4. Take a stitch and rather than pulling it tight, leave it as a 2 inch long
loop.
5. Take a stitch and pull it tight. (Being careful not to pull so hard that the
loop of the previous stitch is disturbed.)
Continue repeating the sequence of alternating one loose loop with one tight
stitch.
Believe me, it holds up - my grandkids play with their dolls and their hair is
still holding on tightly!
I like to use both acrylic and worsted wool. The dolls in the photo have
acrylic wigs. Be sure your choice is washable, though! Enjoy your doll making
projects!
Article and photo credits Susan Kramer
Soft sculpturing your cloth or fabric doll bodies gives them more life and
personality. I find it a fun and creative part of doll making!
Looking at this photo of Amanda's
left arm see the elbow joint on the left and the wrist at the right of picture.
Instructions are below.
Sculpting is done on dolls that are already stuffed. I like to use fiberfill
but old cut up nylons work well and both are washable
fillings.
Wrists and Ankles
First thread a long sewing needle with a 12 inch (30cm) length of strong
quilting or buttonhole thread.
Knot a few stitches on wrist back seam and insert needle through to front of
wrist. Then take one stitch and pull slightly to form crease and carefully make
a few knotted stitches to hold crease securely. Same with ankles.
Elbow and Knees
To determine the location for the joint, choose the midway point between
shoulder and wrist to make the elbow crease. And for the leg, choose the midway
point between the top of leg and top of foot.
Using strong thread make small stitches across joint. This is easier if you
nudge stuffing away from the fold point before stitching across joint.
Article and photo credits Susan Kramer
Sewing feet on cloth dolls looks like it could be tricky. But, I'll explain the
technique I use through these photos and descriptions to help you along.
The first photo is an upside down view of the foot in light blue fabric sewn
onto the cloth doll leg, which is in a calico pattern.
The 2nd photo shows finished feet on my Anneke doll.
First cut out the feet and leg pieces from your doll body pattern. You'll need
four foot pieces and two leg pieces.
Feet
With right sides together sew two foot pieces together beginning at the front
top of ankle, down around the toes and soles of feet and halfway up between the
heel and back of ankle, as in photo.
In the first photo the dark blue thread shows this. Repeat for the 2nd foot.
Attaching foot to leg
Each leg is one piece of fabric with the seam down the back to correspond to
the open seam of the foot.
Line the lower edge of leg to the top edge of foot and pin in place all the way
around. Then baste and sew in place so the seam is lined up evenly. In the
first photo the white thread demonstrates this.
Repeat for the other leg and foot.
Now line up the back of foot and leg and sew from the back of foot up the back
of leg toward the thigh.
The 2nd photo shows completed feet and legs stuffed with polyester fiberfill.
You can also use cut up nylon stockings, not packed too tightly.
These fabric dolls are fun to make and because they have several different
pieces you can mix and match fabric to make every doll individual with their
own personalities.
Have fun making your cloth dolls. Bring any doll making questions to the Doll
Making forum linked at the foot of this page. We love to see photos of your
finished dolls!
Article and photo credits Susan Kramer
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6. Supplies
Needed to Paint Features on Cloth and Fabric Dolls |
Here is a list of supplies you'll need to assemble to paint features on your
cloth or fabric dolls:
- White acrylic fabric paint for eyeballs
- Blue, brown or green acrylic fabric paint for iris of eyes
- Black acrylic fabric paint for pupil of eyes
- Oil-based chalk for blush on cheeks and top of forearms
- Oil-based colored pencils to outline facial features
First outline your doll face on a piece of graph paper with a vertical line
through the center point between the eyebrows, center of nose, middle of mouth.
Experiment with drawing doll features on the graph paper, and when satisfied
transfer your design to the doll face fabric using tracing paper.
Doll Face - on the fabric of the doll face outline all features with a
brown oil-based pencil.
Eyebrows - draw little strokes for each individual hair.
Lower eyelashes - draw little strokes for each lash.
Nose - using light brown oil based pencil draw the sides and 2 dots for
nostrils. Or, just draw 2 dots for nostrils and not sides of nose.
Lips - outline in colored oil-based pencil and fill in with red or pink
oil-based pencil.
Eyeballs - outline with dark oil-based pencil and fill in with white
acrylic fabric paint. When dry paint a small circle of green, blue, or brown
for the iris. When dry, paint in the smaller circle of pupil in black.
Be creative with oil-based blush to make high cheekbones or perhaps along
tops of arms. Use oil-based brown pencil to add a few freckles, if desired.
Most Important - practice your techniques on scraps of material
till you are satisfied with the results!
Article by Susan Kramer
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7. Doll Patterns and Ebooks |
Click on
above image to go to doll patterns and doll ebooks
page updated December 29, 2012; August 14, 2014; May 30, 2020; June 1, 2024
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