Shelly Down - Gingermelons Embroidered Animals: Heirloom Animal Dolls to Sew, Embellish and Treasure

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For this book, Ive created an adorable collection of stuffed animal dolls, each with unique, hand-embroidered facial details and an outfit to complete the look. With the exception of the ears, which reflect each of the animals individual characters, the pattern to make the basic doll will enable you to make all the dolls, as it is the same for all the projects in the book. Each animal character is created with fabric and a combination of hand and machine sewing techniques are used to complete it. Ive also designed a collection of fun outfits, which can be mixed and matched to create a wonderfully diverse wardrobe for your dolls.

I have designed the projects in this book to be fun and easy to make and have provided simple, easy-to-follow patterns, instructions and lots of step-by-step illustrations to guide you along the way, so that even a beginner sewer will enjoy making them! Ive used a variety of different types of fabric to make the dolls and their outfits, which include medium-weight cotton and cotton blends for the dolls bodies, and lightweight cottons and cotton blends such as lawn and double gauze for their outfits. Some novelty/specialty fabrics such as faux fur, teddy fur, tulle, lightweight suede or velour and wool felt were also used for some of the projects. A variety of easy hand embroidery stitches are used on the dolls, with instructions on how to sew them in the Stitch Guide. The finished dolls measure about 30.5cm (12in) tall and are perfect for snuggles and sharing secrets and dreams with!

In order to make the projects in this book, youll need a few basic sewing supplies and tools to get you started. Most of these items should be available at your local fabric or craft supply store and there are many online websites that carry a wide range of fabric and supplies as well.

Ive chosen to use a medium-weight cotton to make most of the dolls in this book, with the exception of the unicorn, which has been made with a lightweight, satin-backed suede (which I re-purposed from a cushion cover!). Its fun to get creative and with a little imagination, you can turn vintage linen, second-hand clothing or household items into brand new creations! Here are some ideas for fabric you may want to consider using for making your doll.

• Medium-weight cotton or cotton blends in solid colours such as ColorWorks Premium Solid 9000, Peppered Cottons by Pepper Cory, muslin, and so on for the dolls main body.
• Lightweight cottons such as Liberty of London, double gauze, sheeting, lawn, and so on for the outfits.
• Fabrics such as satin, flannel, velour, velvet, or baby corduroy. These fabrics would work well to create the dolls, or to use as accents for making the inner ears, unicorns horn, owls feathers and inner wings and so on.
• For some of the projects, Ive used novelty fabrics such as faux fur for the unicorns mane and the deers cape, teddy fur for the lambs forehead and outer ears, lightweight suede for the unicorns body and head, tulle to make the elephants tutu and sparkly glitter netting to make the owls skirt overlay.

Embroidery thread is available in most needlecraft stores and comes in a wide array of colours, finishes and weights. I have used a combination of cotton and metallic embroidery threads from DMC and Lecien Cosmo to create the hand-embroidered details on my dolls. Cotton threads are made from high quality, extra-long staple cotton, which is known for its strength and durability, and because its been double mercerized, it produces a brilliant sheen. These threads are easy to work with and are suitable for use on all types of fabric.

Cotton embroidery thread is usually comprised of six strands of thread, which are easily separated and allow you to adjust the thickness of your stitching simply by changing the number of strands used. For most of the projects in this book, unless otherwise stated, just one strand of thread is needed for embroidering the facial features and the unique embroidered design on each animal. Ive used four main types of embroidery thread for the projects.

• DMC Cotton embroidery thread.
• DMC Satin embroidery thread.
• DMC Light Effects thread (metallic).
• Lecien Cosmo Nishikiito Metallic thread.

Trims are mainly used to add detail to the dolls outfits and there are many different types to choose from. To keep the look of these dolls simple and dainty, Ive mostly used narrow cotton lace, tiny pompom trim and narrow ribbon.

I find it helpful to have a couple of pairs of scissors on hand for completing projects. The first is a pair of good quality dressmaking scissors (or my personal favourite, a pair of pinking shears) and the second is a pair of embroidery scissors.

Investing in a pair of good quality dressmaking scissors or pinking shears is well worth the expense. There are many exceptional brands to choose from, such as Fiskars, Kai and Gingher, and with a little research you should be able to find a pair that suits you perfectly. A good pair of scissors will glide through fabric accurately and smoothly regardless of the weight of the fabric and should also be comfortable to handle. Not only will a good pair of scissors last you a lifetime, they will also retain their sharpness much longer than lesser quality ones.

Perfect for delicate work, the long, slender blades of a classic pair of stork embroidery scissors are ideal for embroidery and needlework projects. They are also wonderful for cutting out smaller pieces of fabric and felt.

Its important to use pins and needles with sharp tips, as using blunt ones could leave holes in the fabric that dont disappear easily. I tend to prefer using thinner pins and needles for my dollmaking as theyre easier to insert into the fabric. Apart from general needles, here are some of my favourites.

• Tulip bead embroidery sharps #10 short.
• John James long and short beading needles.
• Unique Doll Needles extra-long, thin needles used to attach doll arms.