Natural Kids: October 2011

Going back to school is a time that is filled with lots of emotion. For some children it is a time of anticipation, reunion and celebration of an environment they love. For others it is a time of isolation, structure and limitation. Either way, a special surprise is most welcome on the start of any school year. This tutorial is to create a simple little autumn angel that can be easily hid in a school bag, lunch pack or placed on a pillow for the first day of school.

Supplies needed:

A fat quarter (I used 2 scraps of different cotton fabrics)

Thread

Embroidery Thread

Skin coloured jersey scrap

Stuffing

Needle

Scissors

Paper and a Pen

Ability requirements: These instructions are for a very basic doll that can be completely hand stitched or machine stitched. This version is not suitable for very small children as it doesn't have the reinforcements to make sure it can withstand a good chew/ tugging match. I have also minimally used any technical information (like right/ wrong sides of fabric, fabric bias touching, grain, hidden stiches etc) as I wanted to make it accessable to anyone. When I did use a technical term I tried to provide a link. If you know enough to know about these terms, you would also know when they are implimented.

Step 1: Place your the palm of your hand on the sheet of paper and loosely use it as a size guide to make a half oval shape

Step 2: Add a 1/4 inch seam allowence to the outside of your half oval.

Step 3: Place your thumb in the very centre of the straight edge of the oval. Mark either side. This is going to be your neck hole.

Step 4: Fold your fabric in half. Line the straight edge of the oval up against the fold in the fabric. Cut both layers of the fabric around the round part of the pattern only. If you open it up after cutting, you should have a long oval.

Step 5: Draw a right angle triangle a third longer than the half oval. Cut off that bottom 1/3 and you should have a triangle with a flat bottom edge like the one in the photo below. This is going to be the hat.

Step 6: Fold your material like you did for the body. Place the edge of the triangle onto the fold. Cut around the hat except for the folded edge.

Step 7: Turn your hat inside out so the coloured parts are touching. Sew a straight seam up the long angle. Fold a bit of the open edge over and iron. See photo below. Please note: I have used a surger for the angle seam but you don't need to. You can do this by hand using a straight stitch.

Step 8: You do the same thing again with the body of the angel. Put the pattern sides together. Sew a 1/4 inch seam around the round part of the body. Then you need to cut a little opening for the neck. Your pattern will have the marks on it which you can use as a guide. Just a little bit wider than your thumb.

Step 9: Turn the body right side around by pulling the fabric through the hole. Then stuff it with your stuffing.

Step 11: now take your square scrap of flesh tone jersey and fold it in half. It should be wide enough to put your thumb in and long enough to cover your whole thumb. Sew a straight stitch up the long side and across the top. Turn inside out.

Step 12: Push stuffing in to create a round ball at the end of the tube.

Step 13: Tie a piece of embroidery floss 3/4 of the way down the ball.

Step 14: With a piece of embroidery floss, sew two small eyes. I use two simple stitches per eye.

Step 14: Take hat, turn inside out so that the colored side is facing out and tie it onto the head of the angel. Sew the hat onto the head. I use a ladder stitch.