Say hello to Emma and her best friend, Emma! I’m sewing a third Emma today.
My new doll pattern will be released next week and I really hope you like her. She’s fleece and entirely machine sewn so she’s not only cute and stylish, but she’s also durable and machine washable. It’s good that we have an efficient washing machine and dryer we purchased from a reputable shop like Euronics.
To test things out I put Emma in the washing machine on the gentle cycle with some mild detergent. Good news! She came out looking terrific.
A few hours on the drying rack and she was ready to go back out into the garden.
A few fun features of this doll:
- Her feet are at a right angle to her legs. See that? It took me YEARS to figure that out. In this pattern I fully explain how that’s achieved.
- She’s got jointed arms and legs so she’s posable and can sit nicely.
- Her eyes are 12mm safety eyes. This is easiest size to find in big box fabric stores.
- Hooray for fleece in pretty prints! Choosing color combinations for her shoes, butterfly hair accessory, and dress is very exciting.
Look out next week for the release of this new pattern. I’m really excited for a doll that’s both pretty and practical. A real toy to sew for real kids.
Oh! Emma is so cute. And I love that she came out looking good from the washing machine. Did you also put her in the dryer? What setting? I’m always afraid that if I put some of my toys in the dryer, the stuffing is going to fall flat in some places.
Thank you, Vanessa! No, I wouldnt recommend putting a handmade softie in the dryer, no matter how durable. I just put her on the drying rack for a few hours and she air dried.
That is amazing! I love the dress, the socks and the shoes! So very cute!
Thank you, Stephanie! I have to say I really enjoyed designing this doll. Im sewing one today that is has green and gray accents and a purple polka dotted dress!
LOVE HER! She’s perfect! She would be ideal for the FLUFF Project at Hopeful Threads too!
too cute! youve done it again
Yay! She’s awesome! My obsessed-with-book-writing brain is adding this to the ever-growing list of things I want to make when I’m done writing.
This is so perfect for the hospital. I will have to make felt eyes but the fact she is washable is going to be so nice. The nurses will go crazy. Can’t wait to get the pattern.
Dona
sewingmilesofsmiles.blogspot.com
I can see a growing collection of pretty fleece being added to my stash of fabric. I’ve already been petting the fleece at my local shop after making your elephant, itching to buy more! What a wonderful excuse! Emma is so cute and a quarter of a metre of fleece goes a long way. It’s not really an indulgence, is it! 🙂
Very very cute! Right now I have no one to sew an Emma for but may have to purchase the pattern just in case – you never know !! Ãœ
She is wonderful.Love that she can be machine washed and also the safety eye feature.
Very cute! Will you be putting kits together?
Have you had an issues with clumping of the stuffing when washing? My friend washed a fleece softie I made for her son and it went all lumpy. Do you think it is the stuffing quality that is the cause of this?
About time someone made a totally practical plus cute doll pattern. She’s gorgeous!
Good point raised by Jess – what stuffing do you recommend for best washability? I use kapok for most of my tiny toys but know that kapok just goes peculiar if washed. It would be useful to know of a stuffing that stays good even after being in a washing machine.
This is just adorable! Even though my daughter is now 22, I know she would love one! (Your youngest reminds me of my daughter when she was little).
I know that brain well. I love the book youre working on, Kim, and cant wait to read it when its finally out in the world!
Rona, thats one of the many things I like about sewing softies from fleece: its inexpensive! I just bought a yard of ivory fleece for $4.50 from Fabric.com. You cant beat that price!
Swapping out the safety eyes for felt or embroidered eyes will make Emma great for younger children! This sounds like a good project for the hospital.
Youre never too old for a doll. Thats what i say 🙂
Thanks, Ginny!
Thank you, Caroline. I dont think Ill be doing kits right now, but fortunately fleece is pretty easy to find at the big box fabric stores, and its not expensive either. I hope youll be able to find some you like near you! I will also put together a post with some resources to find the supplies youll need to make Emma.
I used a pretty standard polyfil stuffing. Its Fairfield and you can find it at most fabric and craft stores or in bulk right here: http://www.batt-mart.com/site/490194/product/FPC-PF-5-BULK
I recommend stuffing softies firmly for several reasons. First, it makes the finished toy nice and smooth, with no wrinkles around the face or neck, and I think that looks nice. And second, it prevents clumping and shifting over time. I washed Emma and the stuffing didnt clump. I think firm stuffing is the key!
Hi Caroline,
See my response to Jess above regarding stuffing. Ive never used kapok before, although all my vintage toy books call for it. When I looked into getting some to experiment with when i was researching my book it was really expensive. How you do like using it? And where do you get it?
Im kinda in love with Josephines blonde curls, I must say 🙂 Its fun having a two-year-old around. But a 22-year-old would be nice, too.
Very cute dolls! I love the fact that they are machine washable too. Love her jointed legs and arms and love those shoes. A great design.
Hi Abby,
I use kapok in my miniature knitted toys and tiny felt nuigurumi mascots as it is possible to break off tiny pieces of kapok and stuff the smallest arm, leg or nose firmly with it whereas synthetic stuffing is too springy. I do know that after time kapok flattens out(we are talking years of cuddling!)and I have not tried washing anything with it in as I am worried that will hasten the flattening process. It is great for creating a firm, smooth finish in small toys though. I buy it from a supplier on eBay at the moment which isn’t too expensive when you realise that even half a kilo (one pound) is a massive bag, usually packed really tightly which expands when opened. One bag lasts me months! I don’t think I would use it for any very large toys though as that would not be cost effective.
Thats interesting, Caroline. Youre the first person Ive encountered that uses kapok. Thanks for sharing your experience with it here.