DIY Network

Happy Housewarming: Good Luck Doll This doll can't guarantee you good luck, but she'll do her best to help. From "Uncommon Threads" episode DUCT-137

Torie Nguyen stitches up a good luck doll. Requiring just a bit of fabric, some felt and yarn for embellishments, this project is easy and fun to make.

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Good Luck Doll

Materials:

1/4 yd. pink cotton fabric or large enough fabric scraps to cut out 2 doll shapes
1" red felt (or desired color for heart)
yarn (whatever color you wish for the doll's hair)
batting or polyfill
fusible interfacing
kraft paper or flat paper bag for pattern
iron
fabric glue
craft glue
sewing thread and needles for hand-stitching
sewing machine
pencil or pen
straight pins
scissors
extra materials for making doll apron:
1" pink felt (or desired color for pocket)
5" square of oilcloth or fabric of choice
20" ribbon (to attach apron)
pinking shears

1. Iron the cotton to remove any wrinkles. Fuse the interfacing to the cotton following the manufacturer's instructions. Cut out two doll shapes from the fused cotton using the pattern.

2. Cut a small heart out of red felt. Glue or pin the heart where you'd like it on the piece of the doll you will use as the front. Sew the heart on, either by hand or using the appliqué stitch on the sewing machine (figure A).

3. Cut 30 6" pieces of yarn (more if you want the doll to have more hair).

4. Using one of the two doll cutouts and half of the yarn, on the right side of the fabric, line up the ends of the yarn along the top of the head. Place a piece of tape across the yarn about 1/2" from the top to hold it in place. Straight-stitch along the top of the head (about 1/4" down) until all the yarn is secure. Remove the tape.

5. Repeat step 4 with the other doll cutout and the second half of the cut yarn (figure B).

Figure A

Figure B

6. Pin the two doll pieces with right sides together, making sure the hair will stay out of the way when you sew. (Torie Nguyen made ponytails to hold it all together by wrapping tape around the yarn on both pieces about halfway down.)

7. Stitch along the perimeter of the doll with a 1/8" seam allowance, leaving a generous 2-12"-3" opening along one leg (figure C). (The larger the opening, the easier it will be to turn the doll right side out and stuff it.)

8. Turn the doll right side out and press out any wrinkles (figure D).

9. Use small pieces of polyfill to stuff the doll to desired fullness (figure E). Once it's full, pin the opening together and hand-stitch it shut.

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

10. Trim the hair to the desired length. You can cut some of the hair into bangs, or leave it all long.

11. Stick three straight pins in the doll, if desired.

GUESTS :

Torie Nguyen
PDX Super Crafty
Website: www.pdxsupercrafty.com