In My Studio

When Josephine was a toddler she used to put her dolls to bed in such a funny way. She’d pull the covers up all the way over their faces! I’d gently pull the covers down a little so that the doll could “breathe,” but she’d insist that the face be entirely covered up.

Her love of play “night night” inspired the new pattern I’m working on. It’s an asleep/awake doll. On one side the doll is awake and in play clothes – the girl is in a dress and the boy is wearing a shirt and trousers.

I’ve since finished stuffing the boy doll and embroidering his face on both sides. My second set of samples have brown skin and dark hair and the girl will have an eyelet lace collar (I think).

Flip the doll over and it’s asleep and in flannel pajamas. I found two adorable flannel prints at Joann’s for the jammies. The boy has whales and the girl has hedgehogs.

On my studio table – the asleep side of both dolls. Embroidered needlebook cat by Alyssa Thomas (read more about when I made it here).

I love interactive plush!

This doll is intended for real play by real kids, especially young kids. The facial features are embroidered and all of the parts are machine sewn so that they won’t come apart (if you’re worried you can stitch each seam twice for added strength). No buttons, no safety eyes. It’s also a washable doll – the hair is wool blend felt which can be submerged in water with gentle detergent and air dried. Given how many times I’ve had to wash Josephine’s favorite dolls I think washability is really important.

The rest of the doll is made from quilting cotton which makes this a fun scrappy project. The navy blue floral in the girl’s dress on my sample is a treasured tiny scrap I’ve been hoarding for at least a year!

The pattern is  all written and I’ve made one set of samples. I’m working now on a second set while taking the step-by-step photos. My goal is to have it ready to release the last week of January. I hope you’ll enjoy making these dolls and, perhaps even more importantly, I hope that a special childr in your life will enjoy playing with them!