Sunday Toys: My Little Pew Baby

Because of the angle of the camera the doll looks
larger than it is, weird. My little pew baby actually
measures 13" from the top of the head to the
tip of the handkerchief. 

       My version of an old-fashioned pew baby is representative of an infant. She is dressed in a kerchief bunting, therefore she does not need her arms or legs to be sewn. Her limbs are suggested within her christening attire. 

       In doll terms, this body type is often referred to as a stump doll body. Stump babies sometimes have arms, but never legs. The form is usually given to infant dolls. The doll body type shown here is of the simplest of kinds. She has no face and her head and torso are barely suggested. 

       Pew Baby dolls were traditionally given to young children to play with during church services. These Sunday toys were intended to entertain quietly because if dolly should be dropped on the church pew or hardwood floors of the Sanctuary, she would not make a noise that would most certainly interrupt a sermon.

Supply List:

• Two linen kerchiefs, one plain, the second embroidered or printed.
• one small white baby sock
• cotton batting to stuff the sock
• needle and white thread (or to match)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First you will need to stuff the sock with new cotton batting. You could use a sock that is more representative of flesh tones than the white shown here if you wish.
2. Whip stitch the opening of the sock closed.
3. Take a threaded needle and also sew a straight stitch around the doll's neck to gather in the sock's fabric as you pull the needle tightly around the area beneath the head. 
4. Sew together the shorter ends of one rectangle with the right sides facing together. Turn the fabric inside out to gather the simple bunting around the neck of the baby doll.
5. I tucked approximately 1/4" of the raw length under as I gathered the material using a straight stitch. (see photo below)
6. Now take the second embroidered kerchief and lay it flat to position the pew baby's head in the selected corner of the kerchief for her head.
7. Wrap and tack down the kerchief in a pleasing arrangement.
8. I chose to stitch the kerchief around my doll's face.
9. Then you may sew on a button or ribbon at the doll's neck to finish. The entire sewn assembly takes about 10 minutes from beginning to end!

Left is the doll's body made from a soft white baby sock stuffed with new cotton batting. It's size measures 6" before
 dressing with two linen kerchiefs. Center, the first kerchief has been cut in half and gathered about the neck.
Right, here you can see the gathering around the neck. 

Left, a lovely buff colored rose button is sewn at the collar of the neck. If you were to sew a pew baby with bunting for a
 young child, you might replace a button detail with a ribbon instead for safety sake. Center, detail of suggested
bonnet on the back side of the pew baby. Right, yellow rose detail of the silk embroidered kerchief. 

More Varieties of The Pew Baby Sunday Doll:

• Kits by Sundillies Explained - traditional handkerchief dolls
• Vintage Hanky Church Doll by Maggie's Crochet - knotted, no sew version

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