Download and print the doll pattern from Scribd

Transfer the printed pattern to wax backed freezer paper. The cut edges of the doll pat-tern pieces are the seamline.

Use a light box or the light of a window to position the freezer paper pattern over the desired area on the wrong side of the fab-ric. -Iron it to the fab-ric.-Rough cut at least a 1/2" allowance around the pattern.

Use the light box to position the pattern with the ironed on fab-ric to a "good" spot on the right side of the

fabric. Then again rough cut the fabric at least a 1/2" from the paper edge.

-Sew the seam at the edge of the pattern with an open toe foot. Shorten the stitch length. The seam is stitched all around the pattern piece (do not leave an opening for turning). Trim close to the pattern with pinking shears. If you don't have pinking shears, it is necessary to clip into the seam at the curves so they will be smooth when turned inside out.

Spirit doll12” soft sculpture doll by Nellie Bass Durand

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SPIRIT DOLL BY NELLIE DURAND

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The sharp inwardly curved seam between her feet needs to be clipped.

To turn the body inside out, draw a 2" long line in the middle of her back to cut an opening.

Using tweezers is helpful to grasp narrows at the ends to pull them through the cut.

After the body is turned right side out draw a 5" long line from the toes upward to give her two legs. Stitch a seam along the line be-ing sure to se-cure the thread ends.

The arms are cut and sewn with a closed seam around the pat-tern. The slit for turning is made at the top in the area that will be sewn next to the body.

The pattern for the head is laid out on the fabric and sewn in the same manner. Leave an opening in the seam at the chin for the neck on the body shape to fit into. Cut excess fabric in the shape of a neck at the opening. The dotted line represents the placement of the stuffed neck when the head is attached to the body.

Turn all the body pieces right side out. Use a fiber-fill to stuff the arms, head, and body. The opening of the body is closed with the ladder stitch. Take a running stitch on alternate sides of the open-ing. A number of stitches may be made before drawing the seam shut.Sew the arms in position with a ladder stitch seam from the center of the front up over the shoulder to the center of the back. This al-lows movement of the arms for varying positions.

Tuck the excess "neck" fabric inside the open-ing of the head.

Position the head over the stuffed neck on the body and attach with the ladder stitch.Use the ladder stitch to attach the head to the body. I stitched the backside first, then added more stuffing to puff out the face before stitching the front closed.And that's how to make a spirit doll ready to be decorated.

SPIRIT DOLL BY NELLIE DURAND

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