The Stuffed Boy and Girl Dolls

Materials Needed: Flesh colored percale - 1/2 yd. for each body, Gingham or percale scraps for clothes, Cotton Batting or Kapok for stuffing, Doll socks - cotton ribbed fabric scraps or real infant socks, two skeins of yarn, different colors for two different dolls, Embroidery floss -  eye colors, lips and black felt for eyes. 

Directions for Cutting: Boy Doll: Head - 2, Body - 2 on fold, Arms - 4 - 2 long, 2 short, Top of shoe - 2, Sole of shoe - 2, Blouse -2 on fold, Sleeves - 2 on fold, Shorts - 2 on fold, Ears - 4

Girl Doll: Head - 2, Body - 2 on fold, Arms 4 - 2 long, 2 short, Shoes - 4 - 2 long, short, Blouse - 2, Sleeves - 2 on fold, Skirt - 2 on fold 

See general requirements in sewing here. 

Special Directions: Machine sewing is recommended for the main sewing on the doll pieces and hand sewing for finishes and joinings.

1. For the main body pieces. Stitch the two pieces of each of the following parts, right sides together. 
2. Body (opening at neck, arm line and bottom of leg). Head (opening at top). Ears for boy doll (opening at straight side). Arms (opening at top). Please note that back of arm is longer than front of arm. 
3. Turn all pieces to right side. On both, stitch through both thicknesses along the two lines at the waist. 
4. Stuff all pieces, using enough cotton batting or kapok to make the body sections firm, On the neck, omit stuffing on the last 1/2". 
5. On head, turn in edges of opening and slip stitch. Attach head to the body by overcasting the tab at the top of neck to the back of the head with double thread. Make a row of back stitches across the neck where stuffing ends. 
6. On ears for boy doll, turn in edges of opening, slip stitch and attach to head slightly behind seams at sides. 
7. On arm turn in edges of opening, attach to body with overcast stitches, using a double thread. Be careful to place the front (the short side) and the back (the long side) in the proper position. 
8. To make socks cut off about 1/2" of top of infant socks, if cotton knit fabric is used, cut two pieces 2 1/2" x 3 1/2". Sew up long sides, right sides together, trim seam close and overcast. Turn to right side. Fold in center on the length so that one half fits inside the other half. Pull sock up over end of leg so that raw edge meets raw edge and baste around bottom edge. Tack sock at top edge.
9. On shorter shoe section, applique a piece of sock material as shown in pattern. Stitch shoe sections right sides together, leaving opening at top. Turn to right side and stuff. Turn in edges and overcast over bottom of sock and leg.  
10. Embroider eyes in any color, mouth in rose with satin stitch. The pupil of the eye is a small circle of black felt tacked on. 
11. The nose may be made with a red pencil, the eyebrows arid freckles with a brown pencil. With a red pencil make cheeks and knees faintly rosy. 
12. To make boy doll's hair, cut 20 strands of yarn 14" long. 
13. To make girl doll hair, cut 30 strands of yarn, 18" long. To curl wind around a pencil, dampen and let stand until dry. 
14. To sew on boy doll's hair, fold each strand in half, tack in middle along neck at base of head, Bring ends forward and tuck along top of head. With the ends make loops over the forehead and bring ends back to tack at top of head about from end. Toward the side of the head the hairline at the neck is gradually raised and the hairline at the top is lowered. Allow hair to fall over forehead and clip loops if desired. 
15. To sew on girl doll's hair, fold each strand in half, Tack 2" up from fold along neck at base of head. Bring ends forward and tack along top of head. With the ends make loops over the forehead and bring them back to tack at lop of head about l/2'' from end. Allow hair to fall over the forehead and clip loops if desired. At the sides, to the front of the seams, bring the hair tip not quite to the top of the head, catch it and loop back down again and catch it at neck. Make a bow and place at side front.
    

Directions for Making Doll's Clothes: The dolls' clothes are sewed onto the dolls.

1. For the girl doll's underpants: stitch back and front right sides together at center and side seams. Leave seam at right open 1". 
2. Turn to right side and put on doll. Turn under front seam allowance on side opening and slip stitch to back of pants. Baste pants to doll around waist, Turn under edge of leg opening and slip stitch fold edge to leg. 
3. For the blouse, mark center front and center back of doll with a basting thread. Mark center front and back of blouse. 
4. Pin front and back of blouse to front and back of doll, matching centers and the armholes to the arms, Baste around arm holes. 
5. Turn under at neck and shoulders. Overcast edges together at shoulders and slip stitch along neck-line back and front. At side opening, turn under front seam allowance and slip stitch to hack of blouse. 
6. Sew seams of each sleeve right sides together. Make a line of hand stitching around top edge and to not fasten off, With sleeve on wrong side, pull sleeve from bottom up over arm and over seam allowance on armhole of blouse. Pull the thread at top so that sleeve fits around arm hole with most of the fullness at top. Baste sleeve to armhole and doll and then sew by hand. Bring sleeve Forward to right side, turn under lower edge mid overcast it to arm about 1/4" below arm joining, catching in any fullness.
7. For the girl doll's skirt, stitch front and back of skirt light sides together at side seams. Leave about 1" open on seam at the right, Put skirt on. At side opening, turn under front seam allowance and slip stitch side opening to hack. Baste skirt to doll around waist. Make a box pleat in from to accommodate tiny extra fullness. Turn up skirt to desired length and hem. 
   
8. For the boy doll's sleeves: sew seams of each sleeve right sides together. Turn under top edge. Pull sleeve right side out, up over arm and over seam allowance on armhole of blouse. Slip stitch folded edge around armhole. Finish lower edge with a hem. 
9. For the boy doll's shorts, stitch front and kick of shorts right sides together at center and side seams. Leave seam at right open 1".  Turn put shorts on doll, Turn under front seam allowance on opening and slip stitch to back and baste shorts to doll around waist. Turn up legs and hem. 
10. The suspenders and belt, (same fabric as skirt and shorts). On shoulder straps, cut a piece 4" x 1 1/2", For belt cut a piece 6" x 1 1/2" Fold in half on length, right sides together. Stitch long sides together. Turn to right side and press so that seam falls at middle. Tack suspenders in place, plain side out, and then do the same with the belt.
    

Easy-to-Sew Boy Doll Pattern. Click to download largest size.

Easy-to-Sew Girl Doll Pattern. Click to download largest size.

Additional Soft Doll Patterns:

• Craft a Simple Sunday Pew Baby Doll With Christening Gown 
• How to Make a Raggedy Doll  
• Three Antique Doll Body Patterns