Rag Doll Pattern

$8.00

Click here to purchase the rag doll pattern.

Here it is - the rag doll pattern! It's actually three patterns - the body is the same for all the girls, but you'll get patterns for three different hairstyles and faces. Feel free to mix and match!

There's Lucy. Her hair was inspired by Lucy from Peanuts, though her personality if very different. I think of her as the quiet one. A bit of a dreamer. Maybe a little old-fashioned. She likes reading books like The Penderwicks and Little Women and she enjoys sewing and other crafts.

Then there's Abigail. She was born when my daughter asked for a companion for Lucy - a fun girl with bouncy pigtails. Abigail greets every day with a big smile, and she loves to explore new places. She likes to read big adventures like The Castle of Llyr and True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.

Last (but certainly not least) there's Becky. She's sensible and down to earth, sometimes a bit of a tomboy, and loves all animals - but especially horses. She likes to read about real girls and her favorite books are Island of the Blue Dolphins and all of the Little House on the Prairie books.

Oh, how I love these girls! I've made dozens of them and every single one has stolen my heart. They're all different, with unique personalities - just like real kids. I'm feeling a little giddy about sending the pattern out into the world - I know you all will create wonderful new girls, and I can't wait to meet them!

Here are the nitty-gritty details. . .

What you get:

• Complete pattern with step-by-step photos and very thorough instructions. Probably too thorough for an experienced sewer, but I like to err on the side of giving more help, rather than less. The pictures in this pattern are a little bigger than my previous patterns - and I like it. I'm going to make all my patterns this size going forward.
• full-sized pattern pieces

Materials you need:

• fabric for the skin, body, legs (tights), boots, and skirt
• felt for the hair (I prefer wool felt - and this is a terrific source for great colors)
• 1/4" elastic for the skirt
• embroidery thread for the face
• stuffing
• sewing machine, thread, basic sewing tools

Skills you'll need: (links take you to video tutorials)

• sewing straight lines and turning corners
• sewing and clipping curves
• how to turn a hem
• how to turn a tube of fabric right side out
• how to embed things in seams
• how to stuff a softie
• how to sew up a softie - whipstitch or ladder stitch
• how to transfer an embroidery pattern
• eye stitch and split stitch or backstitch to embroider the face
• working with elastic
• edgestitching and topstitching
• using the iron

Time you'll need:

• a full day

A word about difficulty level. A couple of people have commented that they think the pattern might be too hard for them, but it's not as hard as it looks. This pattern is more about patience than skill. If you just bought your first sewing machine and have never used it before - this isn't the pattern for you. Start with some simple straight line sewing and get a feel for your machine before you tackle this. If you feel comfortable with your machine, if you're able to smoothly control the speed and you've shed the fear of sewing over your own fingers - then you can sew this pattern. There are parts where you'll need to sew slowly - and I tell you in the pattern just where those tricky parts are and what to look out for to be successful. All the skills needed are in the video list. The hardest thing is actually stuffing the doll. It takes a lot of time and patience - and an astounding amount of stuffing. Truly astounding.

$8.00

Click here to purchase the pattern.

Want to hear more about my process for designing these dolls? I posted about it here.

Have fun and happy stitching!

Best,
Wendi