Mini Doll Pattern Reveal

It's done!!!! And I couldn't be more excited to reveal what I've been working on for the last couple of months.  This is a mega pattern--over 125 color pictures and 41 pages, including 13 pages of templates.

First a little history behind the pattern.  I LOVE quiet books.  What I don't love is the mess that the kids make with all the pieces.  I'd  give my older daughter her quiet book while her sister napped in the afternoon, and it would occupy her for at least an hour.  The mess is such a trade off though!  I thought it might be fun to make a "quiet time pillow" which promoted imaginative play similar to a quiet book, but without (as many) small pieces.

And that's how the idea for this mini doll pattern came about!  Let me walk you through what you can make:

A slew of felt dolls with range from 3 to 7 inches:

Including these special babies, which come with their own carrying case, bottle, and removable diapers:

 Oh, and did I mention, the babies are like "paper dolls"?  That's right!  Place these little felt clothes on top of your babies to dress them! The baby carrying case closes up for easy portability.

The last part of the pattern is a house pillow for your felt family. The clothes on the clothesline are removable (so you can dress your babies!)  The back of the pillow has a pouch to store your dolls--or to tuck them in for an afternoon nap!

Alright, now that I've shown you what you can make, keep reading for more about the pattern itself!

First, prerequisite skills you'll need to know:

•Sewing straight seams, back-stitching (and when to use) with a sewing machine.

•Ability to adjust length of stitch on your sewing machine for  a gathering and satin stitch.

•Using hand-sewing to attach snaps.

•Some experience with basic hand embroidery stitches (blanket stitch, back stitch, whip stitch), as well as how to separate embroidery floss and thread a needle.

•Pressing with an iron to fold in seam allowances.

•Add seam allowance of your choice to pattern when indicated.

•Some experience using fusible interfacing is helpful, but not required.

And what you'll need, equipment-wise:

•A sewing machine (with a regular presser foot) is helpful, but not required for making the felt dolls.  Only a few of the doll clothes are made with the sewing machine, and the rest are sewn completely by hand.  A sewing machine is more necessary for the baby “bed” part of the pattern, and house pillow.

•Needle for hand sewing.

•A very sharp pair of embroidery scissors, for cutting out small pieces of felt precisely.

•Regular fabric scissors for cutting fabric, and regular paper scissors for cutting out the paper patterns. 

•Water-soluble pen for marking the facial features (alternatively you can use a pencil).

•Pins.

•A tool, such as a thin dowel, for turning and stuffing the dolls.

•Iron (for attaching fusible interfacing.)

Alright, now more about the pattern.   It includes instructions about how to create the house pillow and baby carrier, and of course, the dolls!  The doll pattern is intended not as a mean to create dolls just like the ones shown above, but rather as a means to create your own doll family:

So what's a typical page of the pattern look like?  The pattern is divided into sections, where a squared image in the left had corner provides a reference.  Like this:

Phew!  I think that's about it.  What do you guys think?  

This pattern is intended for the home sewer.  If you would like to make anything from this pattern and sell it, whether it be at a craft booth or personal online shop, you are welcome to use this pattern as long as you credit Snugglebug University for the design (no mass production though, please). If you have any questions please just contact me.  You can purchase this pattern (available via digital download) in my pattern shop or in my Etsy shop. 

 And that's not all....I have another surprise regarding this pattern coming soon...so make sure you keep following Snugglebug University on Facebook or Feedburner!