Flat Fanciful Dolls for a Fun Fibery Summer
July 5, 2009 by Noreen Crone-Findlay
Filed under doll and dolls and dollmaking, easy projects & fast projects
Alright! Summer is officially here!
What better way to celebrate summer than to make a special summer friend that is an exploration of all kinds of wonderful fiber arts and crafts?
I have designed a very simple flat doll that is 8 inches/20 cm tall. I am going to be posting all kinds of patterns and tutorials about wonderful clothing and accessories for the Flat Fanciful Dolls, using all kinds of yarn and other fibery techniques.
Here’s the pattern for the Flat Fanciful Dolls:
Flat Fanciful Craftie Doll pattern designed by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
I’ve drawn the pattern out on 1/4 inch graph paper, so when you print it, adjust it so the squares are 1/4 inch and your Flat Fanciful Craftie Doll is 8 inches (20 cm) tall.
Print out the pattern, and either trace it onto 1/4 inch plywood or chipboard from the craft store, and saw it out with a fret saw (cheap and cheerful, wonderful saws- you can get them at hardware stores or online).
OR: Trace the pattern onto cardstock, and then glue that to millboard, which is the thick non corrugated cardboard that they make book covers and the backs of sketchbooks etc from or onto masonite.
Then, drill a hole in each shoulder, and at the top of each arm.
Tie the arms to the doll with string,
then, with a pencil, sketch a face and the outline of undies and shoes…….
Your Flat Fanciful Doll can be a boy or a girl. You can print a pic of your fave child and glue it to the doll’s face….
Flat Craftie Doll photo & design by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
So, whether you are going to be teaching lots of fiber arts to your favorite child, or whether you prefer to make some treasures for your inner child (remember that it’s never too late to have a happy childhood…..) I hope that you’ll join me in having a lovely time with the Flat Fanciful Dolls for a VERY fun and fibery summer…
Tomorrow, I’ll show you how to make a wig for your Flat Fanciful Doll, and I’ll get mine painted.
This will be a fun summer….
Sounds like a fun idea. We need a place to post them – maybe on Ravelry?
…or add a seam allowance, cut it out of fabric, iron on a photo face transfer and make a photo face doll! (i like to make my photo dolls with two sided faces)
Great idea, Liz! Thank you!
I have created a group on Ravelry:
http://www.ravelry.com/groups/fanciful-flat-fiber-friend-dolls
and a Flickr group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1190882@N22/
And, now that I have spent my morning making icons and banners and badges and logos for the groups, I had better get back to work on my FFFFDoll!
Thanks again…. that is a fun idea!
Great idea, Connie! I love it! Please post pics of yours!
Yay!
Here’s a link to my dolls: http://cettacheese.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-best-friend-photo-ragdolls.html
there are 2 of them, and the pics show backs and fronts. My pattern is similar to yours, only my arms are part of the pattern, and just go straight out. after the arms and legs are stuffed, they are sewn straight across, and then the body is stuffed. this makes the arms and legs dangly. The faces are transferred onto fabric, and then 2 way webbing is applied to the back of this and the heads are cut out, and then this is ironed onto the “head” of the fleece body pattern. i stitch the face all around to be sure it attaches well to the head pattern part of the doll…..oh, making the face and attaching it is done BEFORE the doll is stitched together. I left an inside leg seam open to turn the right sides out, as it was the least noticeable.
oh…and my “mini dolls” did get hair before the dolls were given away!
How wonderful, Connie! They are delightful!