I turned to my friend Pat to work on this project. She is an experienced sewist and quilter.
She also participates in the Saint John's Lutheran Women's Commmunity Outreach at our church to make quilts that are donated to Lutheran World Relief.
The doll is called FolkHeart because we designed it with materials that we had available locally and we did not focus on getting it perfect. We weren't doll artists we just took the ideas we had and combined our skills to make something together.
Today, I'm sharing the steps we took to create four dolls.
Sign up for the Free Monthly Newsletter to get the Free Sewing Pattern Template for the doll body.
Follow instructions in the blog post Make Whimsical Wood Heart Book Marks For Your Valentine to make your doll faces. I used the Glass Cabochon Eyes for our dolls.
I crocheted the arms for the doll body using the simple pattern below.
Pattern for Left and Right Arm
Chain 12 Turn
Double Crochet in second chain from hook and each chain. Tie Off.
The arms will be sewn into the body of the doll once the body is sewn.
Doll Body Pattern Template
A = Front
B & C = Right and Left Back
Line in center of B & C is cut in two halves for the back.
Note: You will be sewing with a 1/4 inch seam allowance around the pattern.
Cut the Pattern from the Freezer Paper along the Solid Lines.
****Make sure to Add 1/4 inch along the straight edge of pieces "B & C" before cutting the Pattern on the fabric.****
Cut Out Center Heart From "A" leaving a quarter inch for placement of wooden heart face. *See Photo Below*
Then remove the freezer paper from the back of the fabric as shown in the video "Sewing a Folk Art Doll".
We bounced ideas off each other and when we encountered a problem; we looked for solutions together. We also found time to share stories and get to know each other better while we were creating.
If you feel like your creative juices are hibernating at the moment; try inviting a friend to create something with you. I highly recommend it! Make sure to take photos of the work in progress to share.
If you have a project that you want to share; we'd love to read about it and so would our followers! Share your experience and photos of what you made. E-mail Carolyn or leave your comments below.
If you want Pat's Doll Pattern Template; make sure to sign up for the February 2017 newsletter. It will be available in a PDF format just in time for a Valentines Day Gift or your next Family Fun Day Project!